Bearing Witness to Whiteness in American Dance: Dancing Bodies Out of Place

Underlying this argument is that the artistic sensibilities and dance/movement elements of Black, Brown, and Indigenous dancing bodies were appropriated by Whites and became the bedrock of American dance. Through the lens of whiteness as applied to White-body supremacy, this book examines the role racism played in shaping American dance from the late nineteenth century to the present. Thus, this book centralizes the actions of White dancers/choreographers/producers in the form of discriminatory ideologies and practices that were commonplace in American society. Underlying this argument is that the artistic sensibilities and dance/movement elements of Black, Brown, and Indigenous dancing bodies were appropriated by Whites and became the bedrock of American dance. The book includes numerous forms of dance and the many dance figures associated with them. It is written from an interdisciplinary perspective and is far-reaching in scope by casting light on other aspects of American society. To accomplish this reach, the project centers the American dancing body as a way of knowing and as a unique mode of inquiry. It also projects into a future that holds both problems and possibilities.