Definitions
appropriation
appropriation refers to the act of borrowing or adopting elements of a dance style, movement vocabulary, or cultural practice—often from a marginalized or historically underrepresented community—without proper acknowledgment, respect, or understanding of its cultural significance.
intertextuality
Intertextuality is the concept that texts—broadly understood to include written works, art, film, performances, and other cultural products—are interconnected and derive meaning through their relationships with other texts. It suggests that a text is not an isolated creation but is shaped by and engages with prior works, references, or cultural contexts. Intertextuality highlights how no dance exists in isolation; instead, it exists within a web of cultural, historical, and artistic connections.
Ann Cooper Albright's "Moving Across Difference: Dance and Disability"
Sherill Dodds's "What is popular dance?"
1. Sherill Dodds challenges traditional hierarchies in dance by examining the significance of popular dance forms within cultural contexts.
2. She highlights how popular dance serves as a site for social identity, reflecting and contesting cultural values.
3. Dodds urges scholars to study popular dance as an aesthetic, political, and social practice, recognizing its complexities within academic discourse
What is Bharatanatyam?
This ancient Indian dance form, known for its intricate hand gestures and storytelling, is often referred to as the "Dance of the Gods."
historiography
historiography refers to the study and analysis of how histories are written, constructed, and interpreted. It examines the methods, narratives, and perspectives used to document and understand the development of dance practices, performances, and traditions over time. historiography involves questioning whose stories are told, whose are omitted, and how cultural, political, and social contexts shape these narratives.
orientalist/orientalism
In a dance studies context, Orientalism refers to the way Western perspectives have historically represented and appropriated Eastern cultures—particularly those of Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa—through dance, often perpetuating stereotypes and exoticized imagery.
Susan Leigh Foster's "Dancing Bodies"
Danielle Robinson's “Marvelous, New, Dirty Steps”: Appropriation, Authenticity, and Opportunity in Broadway Jazz Dance Teaching
1. Robinson explores how Broadway jazz dance, which draws from African American vernacular dance traditions, often faces challenges of cultural appropriation and authenticity, as it is predominantly taught by white instructors who may lack cultural sensitivity.
2. She discusses how these dynamics impact the opportunities for Black dancers and teachers, raising questions about who has the authority to teach and perform jazz dance and what this says about racial and cultural ownership.
3. The article also addresses the tensions between respecting cultural heritage and the commercialized nature of Broadway dance, with the goal of finding a balance that honors the roots of jazz dance while offering economic opportunities for marginalized communitie
What is hip-hop dance?
This genre of dance, characterized by popping, locking, and breaking, originated in the 1970s in New York City.
ideal body
In a dance studies context, the ideal body refers to the culturally and historically constructed standards of physical appearance and capabilities that are often perceived as desirable or required within specific dance forms or practices.
diaspora
In a dance studies context, diaspora refers to the dispersion of people from their original homeland and the cultural, artistic, and social practices they sustain, transform, or recreate in new geographic and cultural settings. It emphasizes the ways dance serves as a vital medium for expressing identity, preserving heritage, and navigating hybrid cultural experiences within diasporic communities.
Brenda Dixon Gottschild's “Stripping the Emperor: The Africanist Presence in American Concert Dance”
Melissa Blanco Borelli "Historicizing Hip(g)nosis"
What is the tango?
The name of this popular ballroom dance, originating in Argentina, translates to "touch" in Latin.
ableist/ableism
ableism refers to the systemic privileging of certain physical and cognitive abilities while marginalizing or devaluing those who do not conform to these normative standards. It manifests in practices, attitudes, and structures within the dance world that assume and privilege "able-bodied" norms, often excluding individuals with disabilities from full participation, representation, and recognition.
vernacular
In a dance studies context, vernacular refers to dance forms, movements, or styles that emerge from and are deeply rooted in specific social, cultural, or community contexts, often outside of formal, professional, or classical dance traditions. These dances are typically passed down through oral and embodied practices, rather than being codified or taught in institutional settings like dance schools or conservatories.
Janet O'Shea "Tradition and the Individual Dancer"
1.O'Shea explores the tension between preserving traditional forms and allowing innovation, particularly in Bharatanatyam, as dancers adapt the form to new cultural contexts and personal expressions
2. The work emphasizes how individual dancers, through their personal interpretations and training, both challenge and reinforce the traditional boundaries of the dance form
3. O'Shea links dance practice to broader cultural and political narratives, showing how the individual dancer's movements can reflect and contest national and global issues, including gender and regional identity
Nadine George-Graves "Black Dance"
1. George-Graves highlights the cultural significance of Black dance forms, showing how they often reflect resistance and resilience in the face of historical and ongoing marginalization.
2. She underscores the complex relationship between Black dance and its commodification in mainstream performance, suggesting that its roots in community and cultural expression often become diluted in professional spaces.
3. The author also explores how Black dance serves as a form of activism and a tool for asserting Black identity, particularly through street dance and hip hop, which continue to shape social justice movements and cultural dialogues
Who is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky?
The iconic "Swan Lake" ballet was composed by this Russian composer.
Africanist
In a dance studies context, Africanist refers to aesthetic principles, movement qualities, and cultural practices rooted in the dances of the African diaspora. It emphasizes the influence of African cultural values and traditions on dance forms across the globe, particularly in genres like jazz, hip-hop, salsa, and contemporary dance.
modernism
In a dance studies context, modernism refers to a movement in dance that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a broader cultural shift away from traditional forms and conventions in art, literature, and music. Modernist dance sought to break free from the rigid structures of classical ballet and embrace new, innovative ways of moving, thinking, and expressing the human experience.
Yutian Wong's "Situating Asian-American Dance Studies"
1. Yutian Wong argues that Asian American dance studies should merge with Asian American studies to explore how bodily practices challenge racial stereotypes and notions of cultural belonging.
2. She examines how Asian American dancers navigate issues of identity and representation, often negotiating the tensions of Orientalism and auto-Orientalism in their work.
3. Wong emphasizes the importance of incorporating movement analysis into the study of Asian American identities, suggesting that dance offers unique insights into race and citizenship.
Bridget Cauthery, and Shawn Newman's "Balancing Reconciliation at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet."
1. Cauthery and Newman examine the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's efforts to engage with Indigenous communities through the ballet Going Home Star: Truth and Reconciliation.
2. They explore how the ballet addresses Canada’s colonial past, particularly the legacy of the residential school system, in an attempt to promote reconciliation.
3. The authors discuss the challenges of integrating Indigenous culture and history into a predominantly Western art form, highlighting the need for sensitivity and balance in the process.
What is Humphrey technique?
In this contemporary dance technique, dancers use the concept of "fall and recovery," developed by Doris Humphrey.