Course Description
Why We Dance explores the historical, cultural, aesthetic, neurological, and philosophical reasons why humans dance. We draw from dance ethnography, history, neuroscience, phenomenology, ontology, epistemology, and philosophy of performance. The course examines dance as expression, ritual, resistance, medicine, entertainment, and more. Case studies include the Ghost Dance, Arará traditions in Cuba, Fla.m.enco, Transnational Indian Dance, and others. Through reading, writing, discussion, and creative practice, we will investigate dance as a way of knowing and as a force that shapes societies.