Start Somewhere Else: 1619-ing the American Dance History Class. Issue 3 (2nd July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kennedy, Fen
• Is Part Of: Journal of dance education. Volume 20:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 168
• Page End: 175
• Publication Date: 2020-07-02
• Subjects: Dance -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Dance -- Study and teaching -- United States -- Periodicals; 792.8071
• DOI: 10.1080/15290824.2020.1781865
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1529-0824

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The 1619 Project by The New York Times asks American History teachers to revise their history curriculum to recognize the influence of Blackness, and of slavery, as foundational to the development of the United States. In this article I share a practical approach, including lesson plans and learning activities, to a similar revision of the undergraduate American dance history course; studying Black dances, artists, and artistry as integral to the emergence and development of American concert dance. This approach enables students to engage critically and empathetically with dance practices in relationship to their historical and socio-cultural context, and to make connections to contemporary issues in the dance world around them. Studying the diversity within American dance practices helps students recognize how historical narratives are created, and how dance can be seen as a form of active engagement with issues of race, history, and society.