Boston Goes Dancing

TDM 141BD Subject & Catalog Number

Today, Boston and Cambridge are pulsing with dance: from drag shows at Jacques Cabaret to ballets at Citizens Opera House to salsa, samba, West African, and Bollywood classes at the Dance Complex. This course offers an introduction to researching and analyzing the wide range of dance styles that animate Greater Boston’s cultural life, as well as their histories and influence. How might we tell the story of dance in Boston and Cambridge? How has dance here operated as art and entertainment, a medium of self-expression, and a vehicle for social activism, education, community-building, and cultural preservation? Which organizations have supported and funded dance, and to what end? And how can we document the work and experiences of Boston-area dancers, choreographers, and teachers for future posterity?

 

This is a seminar-style, discussion-based course. We will analyze a range of primary sources (dance films, interviews with artists, memoirs, and more) and read essays by cultural historians and theorists to contextualize our observations and arguments. We will also meet with local artists and arts administrators and venture outside the classroom – discovering dance in Harvard’s archives and museums, visiting historic studios and theaters, and watching live performances. No prior experience with dance is necessary to enroll.