The Black cultural contributions of globally popular performance genres such as salsa, capoeira and kizomba often remain unrecognized. The objectives of this class are: 1) to understand the historical, cultural and political forces that created the African Diaspora and its rich tapestry of dances. 2) to question our assumptions that knowledge is only produced through the mind; knowledge is also produced and transmitted through moving bodies. To meet these objectives, the course will be a combination of seminar and studio: in seminar we will engage readings in anthropology, dance and performances studies about specific dances which we will then learn in studio.
