Rethinking Dance History Issues and Methodologies

The need to ‘rethink’ and question the nature of dance history has not diminished since the first edition of Rethinking Dance History. This revised second edition addresses the needs of an ever-evolving field, with new contributions considering the role of digital media in dance practice; the expansion of performance philosophy; and the increasing importance of practice-as-research.A two-part structure divides the book’s contributions into: • Why Dance History? – the ideas, issues and key conversations that underpin any study of the history of theatrical dance. • Researching and Writing – discussions of the methodologies and approaches behind any successful research in this area. Everyone involved with dance creates and carries with them a history, and this volume explores the ways in which these historiesmight be used in performance-making– from memories which establish identity to re-invention or preservation through shared and personal heritages. Considering the potential significance of studying dance history for scholars, philosophers, choreographers, dancers and students alike, Rethinking Dance History is an essential starting point for anyone intrigued by the rich history and many directions of dance.

Contents Notes on Contributors Preface Part One INTRODUCTION: WHY DANCE HISTORY? Geraldine Morris and Larraine Nicholas MEMORY, HISTORY AND THE SENSORY BODY: DANCE, TIME, IDENTITY Larraine Nicholas CARA TRANDERS'S REVERIES By herself BEYOND FIXITY: AKRAM KHAN ON THE POLITICS OF DANCING HERITAGES Royona Mitra AFRICAN-AMERICAN DANCE REVISITED: UNDOING MASTER NARRATIVES IN THE STUDYING AND TEACHING OF DANCE HISTORY Takiyah Nur Amin DANCE WORKS, CONCEPTS AND HISTORIOGRAPHY Anna Pakes RECONSTRUCTION AND DANCE AS EMBODIED TEXTUAL PRACTICE Helen Thomas PRESERVING THE REPERTORY AND EXTENDING THE HERITAGE OF MERCE CUNNINGHAM Karen Eliot MAKING DANCE HISTORY LIVE — PERFORMING THE PAST Henrietta Bannerman Part Two INTRODUCTION: RESEARCHING AND WRITING Geraldine Morris and Larraine Nicholas DESTABILISING THE DISCIPLINE: CRITICAL DEBATES ABOUT HISTORY AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE STUDY OF DANCE Alexandra Carter DECOLONISING DANCE HISTORY Prarthana Purkayastha MANY SOURCES, MANY VOICES Lena Hammergren ‘DREAM NO SMALL DREAMS!’: IMPOSSIBLE IMAGINARIES IN DANCE COMMUNITY ARCHIVING IN A DIGITAL AGE Astrid von Rosen WHEN PLACE MATTERS: PROVINCIALIZING THE ‘GLOBAL’ Emily E. Wilcox CONSIDERING CAUSATION AND CONDITIONS OF POSSIBILITY: PRACTITIONERS AND PATRONS OF NEW DANCE IN PROGRESSIVE-ERA AMERICA Linda J. Tomko ‘DANCIN' IN THE STREET’: STREET DANCING ON FILM AND VIDEO FROM FRED ASTAIRE TO MICHAEL JACKSON Beth Genné JUDSON: REDUX AND REMIX Marcia B. Siegel RUTH PAGE, FEMININE SUBJECTIVITY, AND GENERIC SUBVERSION Joellen A. Meglin EXTENSIONS: ALONZO KING AND BALLET’S LINES Jill Nunes Jensen GISELLE AND THE GOTHIC: CONTESTING THE ROMANTIC IDEALISATION OF THE WOMAN Geraldine Morris

Geraldine Morris is a Reader in Dance and Programme Leader of the MA in Ballet Studies at the University of Roehampton. Larraine Nicholas is Honorary Research Fellow in the Dance Department at the University of Roehampton.