Dance, movement and leisure cultures

Abstract

ABSTRACT This special issue on Dance, Movement and Leisure Cultures showcases theoretically informed articles illuminating different ways of knowing about the passions, actions, and practices within the economic, political, social, and cultural contexts of leisure-based dance. This introduction contextualises the content of the special issue within the previous dance research. Nuanced and detailed, these studies have examined diverse dance styles from ballroom to street dance, but share several main themes: the commercialisation of dance into popular culture; the increasing emphasis on competition in dance; gender roles in dance; community dance; and dance that has been recreated as an exercise form. To set the stage for the special issue, this introduction provides a closer reading of each of these themes.