Dance History Research Articles

The Resistive Gaze in Kuwaiti Screendance: An Analysis of Women’s Zar Dance in Alsamt (1979) and Mohammed Ali Road (2020)

This article examines representations of women performing the zar dance in the Kuwaiti film Alsamt/The Silence (1979) and television show Mohammed Ali Road (2020). A review of scholarship overviews the history of the zar dance in Kuwait and examines representations of women’s dance in Kuwaiti screendance. A comparative analysis of the zar dance scenes in Alsamt and Mohammed Ali Road considers the reasons why the latter exemplar was censored from Kuwaiti television. The analysis draws on Kuwaiti Islamic feminist perspectives to take up a consideration of multiple gazes that frame the cine-choreography of the zar dance and shape representations of women’s dance in Kuwait. Expanding on these theoretical foundations, describe how patriarchal and resistive gazes influence the way the camera shapes representations of women’s dance performances in Kuwaiti film and television.

Students’ Personal Experience vis-à-vis Personal Interest Towards Philippine Traditional Dances with Respect to Dance Steps, Music, Costume, and Dance History for Preservation Endeavors: Does it Matter?

The primary aim of this research is to investigate the immediate influence of students’ personal experiences and their degree of interest in traditional dances of the Philippines in relation to preservation efforts. Respondents for the study are students from a higher education institution in the Philippines. After obtaining data and performing multiple regression analysis, it was observed that overall personal experience has a direct influence to level of interest. Moreover, students’ personal experience has a direct influence to their interest towards dance steps and costumes, except music and dance history. Therefore, offering a wide range of varied and substantial activities students is imperative, commencing from early education through to their tertiary education years, to enhance enthusiasm and involvement in the safeguarding of these intangible cultural heritages. Limitations and recommendations for physical education teachers in the higher education sector, institutional projects and collaborative efforts, and future research directions are also presented.

How Histories and Pedagogies Intertwine: An Educator’s Purpose

In this autoethnographic description of her training and teaching philosophy, Chandra Moss-Thorne offers connections between dance history and pedagogy. Explicitly, the article traces Moss-Thorne's experiences as a ballet student and how her instructors inform her own teaching, thereby offering paths and ideas to teachers and students about how to approach ballet classes in ways that foster intelligence, creativity, and collaboration. Implicitly, this research challenges approaches to dance education that focus on teachers’ priorities without accounting for either their own histories or students’ perspectives and feedback. Moss-Thorne's teaching is distinguished by her awareness, and her acknowledgement of students as human beings with differing needs and expectations.

Alvin Ailey and Korean Dance: Writing Afro-Asian Relations into Korean Dance History

A close examination of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 1962 Seoul performance, as well as Ailey’s influence on Korean dancers’ training and choreography, reveals that Ailey’s impact on Korean contemporary dance is significant. Ailey’s exploration of African American experiences piqued local dancers’ and critics’ interest, and suggested commonalities between Koreans’ and African Americans’ histories of oppression. This article examines performances, interviews, and criticism across a span of four decades, and brings special consideration to similarities between Yuk Wan-sun's Heuginyeongga and Ailey's Revelations in order to reframe Korean contemporary dance’s connections to Ailey and to illuminate Afro-Asian affinity.

Toward a Dialectical Understanding of North Indian Drumming Traditions: Musical Labor, Dance, and the Folk/Classical Distinction in Banaras

Abstracts: The distinction between “ folk” and “classical” is frequently invoked in discourses about North Indian music. This article investigates drumming traditions in the North Indian city of Banaras (Varanasi) to explore the nature of this distinction. Drawing on historical, ethnographic, and formalist methodologies, it proposes a dialectical approach to the study of drumming in North India. Particular attention is given to the structure of hereditary musical labor, the intertwined history of dancing and drumming, and the relationship between folk and classical drumming traditions in Banaras.

‘It was not Sinai’: Wayfaring with Nijinsky in and around St. Moritz. Some Reflections on Practising Dance History in the Field

‘It was not Sinai’: Wayfaring with Nijinsky in and around St. Moritz. Some Reflections on Practising Dance History in the Field

Integrating Consent Practices in Dance Education

ABSTRACT Utilizing consent practices in dance classrooms offers students greater control over their own bodies and increases accessibility, especially for those affected by sexual violence, racial injustice, and other forms of trauma and oppression. Increasingly consent practices are becoming critical tools for dance education. This article surveys literature on consent in dance and education and draws on the author’s experience incorporating consent practices in post secondary dance classrooms to offer a how-to guide. Explicit, consistent, multi-faceted, and power-sensitive approaches are needed to effectively create a culture of consent in dance classrooms. The principles and practices presented here address touch, as well as other acts of risk and vulnerability, making them applicable to technique classes and rehearsals, and other types of dance classes such as choreography, improvisation, anatomy, or dance history. Through effective use of consent practices, students can access the autonomy they need to care for themselves, be brave, and take risks.

Challenging gender stereotypes in dance and physical education: exploring body percussion as a neutral practice

ABSTRACT The history of dance has long been associated with women, creating stereotypical limitations for men in this discipline, particularly evident in Physical Education (PE) where teachers often feel uncomfortable teaching Body Expression (BE) and dance content, especially male educators. Despite various artistic languages available for BE instruction in classrooms, body percussion (BP) has recently emerged as a multidisciplinary art form combining dance, theatre, and music, showing potential for transversal application in education. This study aimed to assess how BP practices are perceived by men and women and their effects on both genders. A specialized BP teaching application was introduced into higher education, involving 62 Spanish university students who completed the Profile Mood States questionnaire before and after the intervention. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between men and women in pre- and post-tests. However, the findings indicated a positive experience for men, showcasing modifications in their emotional states – particularly reduced tension, depression, and anger, while exhibiting increased vigor. Fatigue, a common aspect in physically demanding PE activities, persisted. The study suggests that BP practices offer positive experiences related to BE and dance content, serving as a potentially more comfortable resource for classroom use compared to other artistic languages.

Tradisi Tari Ngebeng Dalam Perspektif Hukum Islam

The background to the problem of this research is looking at the habits of the people of Rambutan Masam Village, which to this day still preserve the tradition of the Ngebeng Dance, where the dance shows men dancing in a bancian style, plus the costumes and make-up of the men are really made to resemble Woman. The main problem in this research is: what is the process of implementing the Ngebeng Dance tradition in Rambutan Masam Village, and what is the perspective of Islamic law on this problem.This research is a field research conducted in Rambutan Masam Village. The population is several people who understand the history of the ngebeng dance, such as heads of traditional institutions, community leaders, while the sampling technique used was purposive sampling, namely 10 people who were directly involved. in the implementation of the ngebeng tradition and the researchers interviewed directly. Because to get data in the field it is collected by observation and interviews. Next in analyzing. The data writer used an empirical juridical approach method, because in discussing the research problem he used legal materials, both written and unwritten laws or both primary legal materials and secondary legal materials.The results of the research show that the process of implementing the ngebeng dance tradition is still preserved to this day and still maintains the content of the dance as taught by the ancestors, where men in the dance are dressed in such a way as to resemble women. So this dance tradition according to Islamic law is haram even though it aims to entertain.

Tapping the Margins: Feminist Research in Tap Dance History

The research project Tapping the Margins was undertaken by Ann Kilkelly and Mary Neth from 1999 through 2005 and focused on women in tap dance. Their scope was unprecedented: to analyze constructions of gender, race, class, and sexuality in tap history. This article has a dual purpose: to detail the project’s materials, which will be accessible at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and include notes for a never-completed book, archival video footage of dancers, film analyses, oral histories, plus stage and film production records; and to examine Kilkelly’s feminist, personal, and embodied explorations of tap dance history.

Iranian classical dance as a subject for empirical research: Anelusive genre.

Dance has entered mainstream empirical research: dance as an experimental stimulus, and dancers as movement experts. Informed by several sources, including primary sources (original, historical documents, and oral reports, such as interviews with practitioners and academic scholars of Iranian dance genres) and secondary sources (research literature), we describe what we label "Iranian classical dance" within this paper as an important resource for empirical research, not only in humanities scholarship but also, and importantly, for empirical aesthetics, emotion psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and affective neuroscience. For this purpose, we (1) describe the aesthetics, characteristics, and history of Iranian classical dance; (2) outline issues of definition and systematization; and (3) give an overview of the cultural complexities and sociopolitical issues regarding Iranian classical dance in the past 40 years, which have shaped its current form. After the political revolution of 1979 (Iranian solar calendar year: 1358), dance in Iran-both as everyday practice and as a cultural heritage-was first forbidden, and now remains heavily restricted. International, interdisciplinary research teams can contribute to safeguarding Iranian classical dance in the future by firmly enshrining it into empirical research on human dance. We outline empirical research perspectives on Iranian classical dance, dataset resources, and expert communities.

Reconsidering the Black Archive: It’s About Time and Black Dance in Canada

It’s About Time: Dancing Black in Canada 1900–1970 serves as an expository reflection on the history of Black dance and performance in Canada. As a scholar, writer, educator, and professional modern and postmodern dance artist, Seika Boye features the Black archive as a central component for understanding the experiences of Black populations in Canada. The exhibition rejects assumptions about Black invisibility and instead offers a way to view Black presence in plain sight. As such, It’s About Time brilliantly features the Black archive through images, artifacts, and public viewings of Black dancers across Canada to highlight the multiplicity of their experiences and contributions to the nation.

The footsteps of my foremothers. Feminist notes on the study and writingof the history of Mexican modern dance

This article discusses the history of modern dance in Mexico by questioning the ways in which it has been written and understood based on patriarchal and colonial parameters. Despite the efforts to recover it from academic research, Mexican dance has been a neglected expression in the history of art in the country. The text focuses on a specific period known as "the golden age of Mexican modern dance", which spans from 1939 to the late 1950s, and has been thought of as an extension of artistic nationalism.
 The text raises the importance of analyzing the history of Mexican modern dance from a feminist perspective and within the context of art history. Although women were, for the most part, the creators of the great symbols of national unity in terms of dance, they have rarely been recognized as creators, although dance has been mostly conceived and executed from female bodies, which has led it to be considered as a "feminine art", limiting its study from the predominantly male academies of art history.
 A methodological proposal is proposed to study the history of modern Mexican dance from the perspective of Latin American feminisms. Urging to recognize the work of women creators and to analyze their creations in their historical and cultural contexts. This article proposes to reevaluate the work of women in Mexican modern dance, overcoming the patriarchal canons that have limited their visibility in academia and society. Through a feminist approach and an intersection of knowledge, it seeks to broaden the study of dance as an artistic expression in Mexico, recognizing and rewriting its history from a more inclusive and enriching perspective.

DANCE AS MIRROR OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE: A PEEK INTO MANIPURI PERFORMANCE HISTORY

The paper attempts to highlight significant moments in the history of Manipuri dance and their implications on the dynamics of social and cultural developments of the time. The dancing body is now no longer a simple reproduction of historically created style of human movement that seem to continue forever as symbol of people’s tradition and culture. The dancer’s body is now read as sign, as discourse, as platform for human experience and the structure and formulations of movements in time in the body do inform particular thoughts, ideas, emotions and affects that were involved in the creation of a language of dance. By analyzing the kind of dance produced in creative people’s history, we shall be able to provide hints on the structure of power, knowledge and the world views of the society of the times. No doubt technology, utilization of resources, spiritual and religious influences and power exercise do impact on social and cultural change. But the kind of dance style also do inform on the very nature of the creative inputs of society that had been necessitated in the production of the dance. Reading dance can also be as pleasurable as reading literature.We shall study the pre – Haraoba, the Lai Haraoba dance and its transformation into the 18 th century classical dance of the Raas Leela during the conversion of the Manipuris into Hinduism. The introduction of colonial money economy and structural changes in the society and culture and its impact on dance shall be explored. Globalization and its impact on dance traditions shall also be indicated. As we go deeper into the semantic field in the structure and form of dance, operas and performance in different stages of history, we are able to discover the manifold transformation in the realm of peoples’ and rulers’ ideas on life, relationships and processes in response to the challenges of the time. The challenges no doubt come sometimes from outside of the realm in which the people thrive. Foreign conquests and introduction of new ways of life and action also impinges on the traditional equilibrium in society. There are times of turmoil and unease. Livelihood and art are in moments of crisis. But the response to the crises is unique, as the culture of the time indicates the resilience of that society in culture. Manipuri dance history relates this experience.

Toward a Narratology of Western Narrative Theatre Dance

ABSTRACT: Dance is barely present in narrative studies. It is generally accepted as a narrative medium, yet lacks a systematic study that addresses its distinctive qualities. This article focuses on generic theoretical issues of dance as a narrative medium and discusses its place within current narratological debates. The first premise suggested here is that among the diferent manifestations of dance, narrative theatre dance is the fullest expression of narrativity, with a narrative essence that the notions of plot and experientiality help defining and grading. Taking the discussion through routes explored for drama, this essay also argues for a narratological model of the analysis of dance narratives on two levels: the story level and the discourse level understood as performance. Another set of considerations concentrate on the semiotic structure of dance, showing how it can be dissected in a productive way for narratological analyses. The essay ends with a discussion on the relevance of context and cultural conventions for the interpretation of dance. Underpinning these reflections are foundational studies of transmedial narratology, widely-used narratological definitions of narrative, and discussions of the narrative nature of drama as well as key texts from the history, philosophy and analysis of dance. Three examples of dance—John Weaver’s ballet The Loves of Mars and Venus (1717), Kenneth MacMillan’s The Invitation (1960), and Leonid Yakobson’s Vestris (1969)—illustrate this theoretical argumentation.

Bach at the Barre : An Annotated List of Choreographies Using J. S. Bach's Violin Ciaccona (Chaconne)

Abstract: The finale of the Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor BWV 1004, to which Bach assigns the title "Ciaccona," has lived an independent life ever since its first important public performance in 1840. Since then it has become an iconic work (usually with the inauthentic title "Chaconne"). Moreover, Bach's Ciaccona has played an especially important role in the musical life of the United States. Both of these facts are reflected in the extraordinarily numerous choreographies—almost fifty in number and essentially all North American—employing this piece. The present article documents these works in the form of an annotated list, treating them in chronological order and providing brief descriptions of them. Additionally, there is an Appendix that orders the works alphabetically by choreographer. An introduction offers historical information about the ciaccona/chaconne tradition, how the understanding of Bach's Ciaccona changed over time, a brief précis of the history of dance in the United States in the twentieth century, and a summary of the extraordinary variety of approaches and styles represented by the choreographies.

Dance in Black and White: Examining the Stereotypes of Black and White Ballerinas and Hip-Hop Dancers

Throughout the course of ballet dance history, White ballerinas have maintained the spotlight—subsequently leaving limited representation of Black ballerinas. However, other forms of dance, such as hip-hop, may yield greater representation of Black dancers due to hip-hop’s origins during the Harlem Renaissance. The current work examined if perceivers stereotype ballet and hip-hop as dance forms more suited for White or Black dancers, respectively. Two hundred sixty-eight online participants completed explicit and implicit (implicit association test) stereotyping measures examining endorsement of the ballet = White and hip-hop = Black stereotypes. In step with predictions, results showed that individuals were more likely to explicitly and implicitly endorse White women as ballerinas and Black women as hip-hop dancers. In addition, participants with ballet and hip-hop dance experience were less likely to endorse the stereotype that ballet dancers are White and hip-hop dancers are Black. Moreover, less stereotype endorsement also predicted greater likelihood of seeing a ballet or hip-hop performance in the future. These findings suggest that perceivers hold expectations about racial identities of dancers in ballet and hip-hop dance. Future directions regarding the role of race and stereotyping in the world of dance and the performing arts are discussed.

Влияние театра танца Пины Бауш на творчество современного китайского режиссера Тянь Циньсинь

Tian Qinxin remains one of the most active theater directors in China, and her works have always been categorized as mainstream productions that have had a great influence on the Chinese theater scene. Tian Qinxin also continues to make pioneering attempts within the mainstream of Chinese theater, constantly challenging new forms of expression. In this process, the master of German neo-expressionist dance, an iconic figure in the history of modern dance in the world — Pina Bausch's concept of dance theater has had a profound influence on Tian Qinxin's directorial language. This influence is not only individual, but also a concrete manifestation of the fusion of the spirit of traditional Oriental aesthetics with modern Western theater aesthetics, the fusion of nationalism and modernity.

"Everyday Body" Model of Physicality in Theoretical and Practical Heritage of Merce Cunningham

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the formation of the "ordinary body" model of physicality in the postmodern dance system based on the analysis of the theoretical and practical legacy of Merce Cunningham. Research methodology. The analytical method, the methods of analysis and synthesis, the typological, dialectical and comparativist method were applied, which contributed to the clarification of the place and role of physicality in certain philosophical and cultural positions, to the study of the problem of physicality in general and the "everyday body" model in the concept of representatives of postmodern dance, consideration of theoretical – the practical legacy of M. Cunningham, the understanding of the internal relationship between the categories "body" and "physicality" in modern dance. Scientific novelty. The conceptual construct of corporeality, formulated within the framework of postmodern dance, is analysed; the cultural-historical model of physicality "everyday body" was characterised and the features of its representation in postmodern dance practices were revealed; changes in the perception of physicality in the context of the transformation of the sociocultural space of the 50s and 60s of the 20th century are analysed. The understanding of corporeality in the theoretical and practical discourse of postmodern dance by M. Cunningham is considered. Conclusions. At the core of the postmodern system is the principle of randomness, which is positioned as an artistic expression of the involvement of many bodies in the space of action of forces independent of them. In search of ways to free oneself from bodily canons that were formed in the sociocultural space, Merce Cunningham methodologically used randomness as the principle of creating a new dance corporeality, which lacks a coherent image and becomes a flow. In the process of constant experiments, the choreographer's own idea of what dance is (how it feels in the body and how it looks on stage) evolved. M. Cunningham's activities allowed him to overcome the limitations of his own taste and give priority to "movement for the sake of movement" – the dance no longer conveyed the story, emotions or characteristics of the characters. The choreographer completely departs from established dance lexicons, discovering innovative ways of organising and representing bodies in space and time by means of random operations. Taking into account these and numerous additional innovations, in the history of postmodern dance, M. Cunningham exerted the greatest influence on the formation of the "everyday body" model of physicality.
 Keywords: modern dance, postmodern dance, physicality, model of physicality "everyday body", M. Cunningham.

Mapping as Historiographic Practice: The Ballet Landscape in Interwar Greece

This article proposes mapping as a tool for dance historiography, and presents a case study of ballet in interwar Greece to show mapping’s distinct attributes. Mapping supports critical dance historiography in five interconnected ways: fostering anti-hegemonic dance histories that counter hierarchical and exclusionary classifications; diversifying dance history beyond West-centric and nation-centric frameworks; undoing linear narratives primarily based on kinetic information; admitting dance history’s performativity and constructed-ness; and amplifying relational, transindividual perspectives within dance histories. Ultimately, the article presents a dual focus: bringing attention to the characteristics of interwar Greek ballet as a genre-crossing, transnational, interdisciplinary modern form blurring distinctions between art and entertainment, and showing how mapping illuminates these distinct aspects.