Exploring the Cultural Influence of the Beatles Through Dance

Abstract

We plan to accurately portray the cultural influence of The Beatles on the 1960’s youth and their continued influence into the present through a dance performance. We intend to dive into the sociocultural effects and interpret them through a choreographic performance. We aim to display historical accuracy through music, costume, and choreography. To do this, we plan to research the history of the 1960's including fashion, political movements, preexisting ideology, and how The Beatles influenced these. Unlike previous performances, this research study will not be a tribute to The Beatles but rather a historical investigation. By studying both the history of the sixties, as well as, the history of The Beatles, we will discover the correlations between the two, and unlike previous research, we will convey this outcome through dance. We expect to find a strong impact resulting from The Beatles on the younger population of the sixties, that continues to manifest in our present culture. Our performance will consist of four sections. The first section will convey the Pre-Beatles time period, this would take place in the 1950’s to the early 1960’s. The second section will be the introduction of The Beatles, which occurred in 1964 after The Beatles big debut on The Ed Sullivan show. There they performed one of their first songs that hit the top charts in America “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” The third section will convey the band’s use of drugs and the effects it had on their music and career, starting from the first fateful night with John Riley spiked The Beatles coffee leading the band to explore other more powerful drugs as they create new music. This turned into an experiment for The Beatles as they explored different drugs and the impact they had on their music, changing the history of music forever. The fourth and final section will convey the impact of The Beatles on today’s society. The Beatles are still very well-known today not only for their music but for their influence on culture.