Information Design, Illustration
Dance has the power to transcend language barriers and communicate internationally. Traditional and folk dance uniquely demonstrate core values and narratives of the cultural groups who practice them. Elements of the dance including the choreography, costume, and music showcase a people’s culture and history. The type of story-telling involved in dance performances is heavily rooted in body language, something humans all inherently understand through empathy. Just as understanding deepens upon the sharing of narratives between people, dance has the power to bring foreign cultures together in mutual understanding and respect. It is especially important now to spread international empathy to counteract political tensions and terrorism.
This set of symbols offers a visual introduction to traditional genres of dance of the top 45 world powers published by the 2017 US News & World Report. The variations in the strokes illustrate the variations of tempo, movement, mood, and costume that exist across the world’s traditional and folk dances. Movements of the body and beats of the music are translated to movements of the hand and brush. It is then up to the reader to delve into the history and narrative of the dance to enrich their viewing experience.