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Research in Dance and Physical Activity - Vol. 4 , No. 2

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[ Article ]
Research in Dance and Physical Education - Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 1-7
ISSN: 2586-1034 (Online)
Print publication date 30 Oct 2020
Received 31 Aug 2020 Revised 12 Oct 2020 Accepted 16 Oct 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26584/RDPE.2020.12.4.2.1
Embodied Liberation: Envisioning and Manifesting a Better World through Dance
Megan Minturn¹ ; Kimani Fowlin²^{, *}
1New York City Department of Education, USA, Dance Teacher
2Drew University, USA, Assistant Professor


Correspondence to : ^*Email address: kimanifowlin@gmail.com

Abstract

Why use dance for liberation? How do we embody liberation, envision radically, and manifest a better world? Dancer, anthropologist, and educator Pearl Primus responds, “Why do I dance? Dance is my medicine. It's the scream which eases for a while the terrible frustration common to all human beings who because of race, creed, or color, are 'invisible'. Dance is the fist with which I fight the sickening ignorance of prejudice” (Boyd, 2018). This paper describes a dance-in-education curriculum designed to encourage students to respond to these inquiries using Primus’ words as a catalyst. Calling upon historical examples of dance being used as an instrument for social change and the tenets of culturally responsive pedagogy, the curriculum aims to build a foundation from which dance students can further build agency and engage in advocating for a more just world.


Keywords: embodiment, liberation, dance, education

References


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2.	Boyd, H. (n.d.). Dr. Pearl Primus, choreographer, dancer and anthropologist. Retrieved December 27, 2018, from http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2018/dec/27/dr-pearl-primus-choreographer-dancer-and-anthropol/?page=2
3.	Chinen, N. (2020). Watch a Video For “Revival,” the Lead Single From Gregory Porter's Forthcoming Album. Retrieved from https://www.wbgo.org/post/watch-video-revival-lead-single-gregory-porters-forthcoming-album
4.	Greene, M., (2018). Variations on a blue guitar: The Lincoln Center Institute lectures on aesthetic education. New York: Teachers College Press.
5.	Hammond, Z., (2015). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, a SAGE Company.
6.	hooks, b. (2017). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. New York: Routledge.
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8.	McCarthy-Brown, N. (2017). Dance pedagogy for a diverse world: Culturally relevant teaching in theory, research and practice. Jefferson, NC: McFarland et Company.
9.	van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.

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