Dancing our way out of class through funk, techno or rave

Abstract

What do James Brown, Henri Bergson, Techno and Rave have in common? Rhythm, the body, intuition and freedom. I cannot quite imagine Henri Bergson moving his frail body to James Brown's beat, but his philosophy of elan vital addresses rhythm, the body, intuition and freedom in the constant awareness of movement which is at the core of his work. How do rhythm, dance and trance succeed in breaking down the barriers of identity, thus facilitating the elimination of social, cultural and gender boundaries? Funk and its children Techno and Rave give us a music that can be felt as much as heard, and whose percussive and repetitive nature recalls the frenetic drums of African tribal dances. Whether it is within the kitsch red leather confines of a juke joint, or the huge warehouses where Techno and Rave dance experiences happen, these dance floors have become a secular ritualistic locus of emancipation and liberation from society's ever growing stranglehold.