Woman Dancer Research Articles

Ki sambandha hoibe takhon he?: Locating Nachnis in the Societal Margins of Kinship in Rural Bengal

Na_chni na_ch, a dance form of West Bengal, is going through a difficult time in its 500-year history. The woman dancer, who is known as a nachni, performs, often at night, along with her male partner, or rasik. Her life is intricately tied with that of her rasik, which includes her status as a woman performer at public events and the observance of proper rituals upon her death. Caught in a web of exploitation, the nachni essentially has no ‘kin’. Following the work by Inden and Nicholas on Bengali kinship and its categories and meanings within Bengali culture, this article looks at the amorphous pattern of kinship for the marginalized, with a special focus on the daily lives of nachnis. It explores the networks on the margins of kinship in which women performers of this crisis-ridden folk-art form survive.

Gender and Dance in Modern Iran: Biopolitics on Stage

Gender and Dance in Modern Iran: Biopolitics on Stage

There's Something about Mary Wigman: The Woman Dancer as Subject in German Expressionist Art

Gender & HistoryVolume 17, Issue 3 p. 826-859 There's Something about Mary Wigman: The Woman Dancer as Subject in German Expressionist Art Susan Laikin Funkenstein, Susan Laikin FunkensteinSearch for more papers by this author Susan Laikin Funkenstein, Susan Laikin FunkensteinSearch for more papers by this author First published: 22 June 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0953-5233.2005.00406.xCitations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume17, Issue3November 2005Pages 826-859 RelatedInformation

Athikte's Voice: Listening to the Voice of the Dancer in Paul Valéry's “L'âme et la danse”

”Dance, dear body, do not think,” the message attributed to the serpent in Paul Valéry's poem “La jeune parque,” lends biblical connotations to the duality between body and mind, between dance and philosophy. A similar duality between movement and thought is found in Valéry's “L'âme et la danse” (1921), a mock Platonic dialogue in which three Greek philosophers respond to a group of dancers performing in front of them. In “L'âme et la danse” the action unfolds between the eminent philosophical figures of Socrates, Eryximachus and Phaedrus, and Athikte, a young woman dancer. More than a dialogue; it is a drama through which philosophy confronts dance, in which the philosophers, who are men, confront the dancers, who are women, and across the course of which the dancers are voiceless.In this essay, I explore a confrontation between philosophy and dance through the tension between the roles Valéry accords to men and women in philosophical discourse. Women dance, men think. Freeing the dancer from the fetters of philosophical thought is akin to liberating women from the need to bother themselves with intellectual matters. Athikte, as the voice of dance, introduces an entirely different range of philosophical issues from those which, on the surface, animate the dialogue. But, above all, Athikte illustrates how an unproductive tension between philosophy and dance can be intensified through the uncritical preservation of gendered roles within philosophical discourse.

Planning in October for a Fiesta in May

understanding of the pride of young Mexicans in their national history and folkways, and we decided to organize an all-school fiesta to take place on May 5, the Independence Day of Mexico. In planning this fiesta, one of our main purposes was to bring about in some small way an understanding of Mexico and her culture, and the theme adopted for the fiesta was Donde los hombres se aprecian existe la paz. But we had other reasons, too. As teachers in a new school, we felt that a cooperative effort would bring together the various teachers and pupils. And the fiesta would provide an opportunity to show that learning Spanish is fun, that there are many colorful activities that are a part of learning Spanish. In our school we have many advantages. Because it is new, it is in the process of developing good spirit and traditions. Teachers, pupils, and administrators are flexible and willing to experiment. From the very first our principal was with us. He was enthusiastic and offered many excellent suggestions. Our first contact among teachers in other departments was with Steve Latanation, the director of our orchestra. Would he supply the background of Latin tunes? Yes, he was happy to. He adapted several of the traditional numbers to the ability of his young students. They began practicing these numbers early in the year so that they would be perfect for fiesta day. The director of the girls' glee club, Margaret Burgreen, was equally enthusiastic. With several pupils in her chorus from the Spanish classes to assist with pronunciation, their songs were soon perfected. The folk dancing took a bit of doing. Boys and girls of junior high age are of assorted sizes and have varying degrees of dancing ability. We couldn't get enough recruits from our Spanish classes. Our Physical Education teachers came to our aid and suggestions were made for able and reliable pupils and pupil coaches. Rose Bergquist and Mary Varley loaned pupils from their classes for folk dancing. After trying out various numbers we decided on a combination of Chiapanecas and La Raspa. We arranged the dancing steps almost exactly as we had done them in a folk-dance class in Saltillo. We have very few Mexican-American pupils in our school but, luckily, Lucy Garcia is one of our prettiest and most talented eighth graders. She volunteered to do the Mexican Hat Dance without which no fiesta in these parts is complete. She had taken dance lessons in Mexico. She bought the record and taught the dance to the most agile of her many boy admirers. And she spent several days in sewing class, under the diroction of Elsidee Aldridge, working on her China Poblana or fiesta skirt. In our regular Spanish classes, where so much emphasis is placed on conversation, we had many skits already worked out. Two of these were considered particularly appropriate for the fiesta and were selected for presentation. A girls' trio from one of the Spanish classes sang Chiu, accompanied by a piano and flute. This number they practiced without supervision both at home and in school. We had a surprise guest number. Early in the fall I had learned that our new art teacher, Norma Morell, was San Diego's leading woman dancer for a nationally known studio. After some persuasion, she agreed to perform. Furthermore, her partner for the fiesta would be the accomplished professional teacher and manager of the dance studio. He was given a couple of months' notice of the fiesta dance. How beautifully executed and colorful were their tango and samba! A poster and program contest created school-wide enthusiasm and resulted in an