Nerd Nite SF #161: Rethinking the ABCs, Belly Dancing, and the Definition of Art

How the ABC’s (Don’t) Work

By: Amanda Maillet, speech therapist

I’m sure folks have heard we’re in the midst of a literacy crisis, but do they know what actually goes into learning to read? How about how the ABCs work, or rather don’t, and why we should all be way more pissed off about it? How about how the Vikings and Klingon connect to all this?

Hips don’t lie??"or do they? Belly Dance History through the Ages

By: Nishita Rao, sex researcher and educator

What if I told you that the term ‘Belly Dance” does not exist in any African language or in Arabic? So what is belly dance then? What role did the French, the Austrians, the English and even the Russians play in charting this oriental fantasy? Join me as I revisit the dances of Egypt! This session will highlight the 30+ Egyptian dances that existed prior to colonization: Hagala, Alexandrian, Melaya Leff, Henna, Semsemiya, Bambotiya, Dahia, Mashreqiya, Debka, Fallahi, Ghawazee, Gypsy, Baladi, Jawary, Awalem, Oriental, Saidi, Tahtieb game, Bedouin, Kaffafa, Zagala, Burmia Baharia, and more.

State of the Art: The Historical & Ongoing Struggle to Define Art

By: Derek Zhao, Disney

What is art? For something so pervasive in our lives, art is notoriously difficult to define. Just consider the cliches and the problems they introduce. “Art makes you feel something.” So does a sunset. “Art is something made with skill and intention.” So is a highway. “Art is how we communicate feelings words can’t.” So is a panic attack. If we move beyond the slogans, rigorous philosophical definitions face similar challenges. Plato tried to make one. Tolstoy tried. Arthur Danto tried. And yet, appreciators, artists, curators, and philosophers are still left unsatisfied. I will walk you through this fascinating history of attempts to define art, show you what the current philosophical [ahem] state of the art currently is, and propose my own humble framework.