An excellent overview of how race worked during the swing era, particularly for dancers. I was particularly interested in the bits about cultural apprAn excellent overview of how race worked during the swing era, particularly for dancers. I was particularly interested in the bits about cultural appropriation (a lot) and monetary recompense (ha!), and how black arts consistently were taken over by white people, who made more money than black people ever got to, then were coded as white, completely taking black involvement out of them. Angry-making and necessary.
A very good exploration of racism in the field of modern dance. Dixon Gottschild explores what she terms the Europeanist and the Africanist dance tradA very good exploration of racism in the field of modern dance. Dixon Gottschild explores what she terms the Europeanist and the Africanist dance traditions, contrasting Europeanist focus on uprightness and Africanist focus on different body parts doing different things.
She generally avoids cultural monoliths and notes multiple times that Europeanist and Africanist dance are cultures that can be learned by black or white bodies. I also liked how she looks at how parts of the black body have been characterized throughout history, from hair to butt to feet, and her look at various dances that reclaim these body parts.
I was a little more doubtful of the soul/spirit section, which verges a little on cultural monolith for me, but that may be because I have no background knowledge. It was also difficult because it's so hard to describe soul/spirit in dance (or music, as it were); some of my problems may stem from not being able to see the dance that she's describing. I also found the soul/spirit section to be disappointingly Christian-centric, though Dixon Gottschild does put it a bit in context by mentioned slavery and forced conversation.
All in all, highly recommended. I'm just sad it doesn't come with a DVD, but that's not the book's fault at all.
This was an excellent read. Zia was actually instrumental in some of the events of the book, and may have covered others as a journalist. Her writing This was an excellent read. Zia was actually instrumental in some of the events of the book, and may have covered others as a journalist. Her writing is immediate and gripping, and I never had a problem keeping my attention on the book. On the other hand, sometimes Zia can editorialize a little too much for me, particularly when she's noting how wrong or ironic something is.
There's something here for everyone interested in the topic of interracial friendships, but I connected most with David Mura's "Secret Colors," which There's something here for everyone interested in the topic of interracial friendships, but I connected most with David Mura's "Secret Colors," which I've already read three or four times. Reading about his move toward anti-racist activist was illuminating and moving, and it's now in my personal canon of Important Books.
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