The Paradox of Authenticity

The book on the Slovakian authentic folklore movement by the American scholar Joseph Grim Feinberg working in the Czech Republic is a special treat for those interested in dance anthropology. It is always inspiring to look at social and cultural phenomena about the East-Central European region through the eyes of a researcher who is an outlander; this applies to the realm of music and dance, too. The title suggests two fundamental issues that may be interesting and important for Hungarian readers acquainted with the world of folk dancing. One of them is the authenticity of folk-dance related practices; the other is folk dance politics, a topic addressed extensively in the international world of dance anthropology.

Women domination in the Galombang dance: between the customary idealism and the market use

<p>This study aims to answer the women dominance in the Galombang dance creation in Minangkabau, West Sumatra from gender perspective. In addition, this study also reveals the position of women as an urgent thing in the Minangkabau dance creations, Galombang. This research used interdisciplinary approach, namely Cultural Sociology and Dance Anthropology. The data were obtained through various interviews, direct monitoring in the situation of the Galombang dance activity, and literature study to support the primary data. The analysis was done through ethnography method. The result of the research found that women dominance was bigger than men in the Galombang dance creations. In customary idealism, women are not Galombang dancers as the Galombang dance is intended for men. In reality, there is a bigger role between men and women in the Galombang dance; therefore, men’s role is not very decisive on the performance quality and selling value, as well as for the use of dance Galombang creations by society nowadays in West Sumatra.</p>

Diaspora Dance in the History of Dance Studies

This chapter examines Diaspora dance culture from a dance studies perspective. It begins by tracing the history of dance anthropology and Diaspora dance as a field of study, with a particular focus on some key dance scholars such as Franz Boas, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Margaret Mead, Gertrude Kurath, Katherine Dunham, and Pearl Primus. It then reviews the pioneers and pioneering literature of dance anthropology covering Caribbean, Spanish Caribbean, French/Kreyol Caribbean, English/Creole Caribbean, and Dutch Caribbean dance studies as well as dance studies of Afro-Latin territories. It also provides a short background on African and Diaspora U.S. dance studies and concludes by highlighting how visual analysis of dance formations permits a visceral understanding of Diaspora dance.

A dancing agency: Jazz, modern and ballroom dancers in Ireland between 1940 and 1960

Studies of social dance in Ireland between the 1930s and 1950s have generally focused on either the disciplined body of ‘Irish dance’ or on the process of disciplining those who favoured non-traditional dance forms. As a result, important aspects of social dance have been obscured. This article assesses the importance of non-traditional forms such as jazz by foregrounding the agency of its participants. It draws primarily on an ethnography of dance culture in Co. Roscommon. The approach has also been inflected by a reflexive dimension that positions the researcher within the research frame. Drawing on developments in dance anthropology, such reflexivity can operate as a useful epistemological tool that problematises the notion of objective research. The main research findings are (1) that dancers during the period, in the face of considerable opposition from cultural nationalists, participated in the construction of a vibrant, cosmopolitan and transgressive dance culture and (2) that dancing pleasures related to music, ‘communitas’ and ‘flow’ formed a central element of these dancing experiences. By according the voices of dance participants – including that of the researcher – a central place, this article places the emphasis squarely on ‘a dancing agency’.