Why We Dance

INSTRUCTOR: Niurca Marquez

SECTION: UHK

SCHEDULE: Mondays 2:00PM-3:15PM (HYBRID)

Why We Dance explores the historical, cultural, aesthetic, and neurological reasons why we dance. Relying heavily on the fields of dance ethnography and history, as well as the latest research in neuroscience, the course will expose students to the phenomena of organized movement. We will dive deep into the multiple theories of why humans dance and the histories of how we have done so, and the ways in which dance has been entertainment, repository of culture, and even an act of resistance. We will examine several case studies that position dance in relation to society. These will include but are certainly not limited to the Ghost Dance as resistance, Transnational Indian Dance as export commodity, Arará traditional dance in Cuba as repository of religious practice and philosophy, and Flamenco as cultural preservation and reclaiming of power.