LibGuides: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Performing Arts: Dance Resources

Music & Performing Arts Library

Music and Performing Arts Library

Email Me

Contact:

1300 Music Building
1114 W. Nevada St.
Urbana, IL 61801

217.333.1173

Subjects: Dance, Music, Theatre

Search Terms -- Dance

Below are a few examples of subject headings related to DEIA topics and dance. You can use them as search terms in the library catalog to help you get started with your research!

Some general subject headings to try include:

Dance -- Instruction and study -- Social aspects, Dance -- Political aspects, Dance -- Social aspects
Dance and race

Add modifiers for particular groups to narrow your search:

Indian dance -- North America, African American dance

To find materials on disability and accessibility, try:

Mixed-abled dance
Dance for people with disabilities, Dancers with disabilities, Dancers with disabilities- Legal status

For gender and sexuality in dance, try:

Dance -- sex differences, Male dancers, Gender identity in dance
Homosexuality in dance

*Remember, the terms used by library catalogs and other library resources represent the (US-centric, patriarchal, white) point of view of those who created them. There are many in the field working to change this practice.

Selected Readings -- Dance

"Abject/Body: A Performative Perspective on Race, Gender, and Violence in Dance" by Yasin Aziz Fairley
"In the wake of recent events highlighting anti-Black violence in Maryland, New York, Missouri, and other states, I view my performance research as echoed in viral videos displaying real-life accounts of Black bodies violently attacked in public space. The national consciousness on race, gender, and violence as mirrored through mainstream media news outlets, such as FOX News, New York Times, and The Washington Post, displays dispossessed bodies, often depicting these bodies as "threatening," "criminal," and therefore, "expendable." How does one fully construct identity in a culture of violence and hyper-surveillance?"
"Black Male Dancers and the Performance of Masculinity On- and Offstage" by Mark Anthony Broomfield
"The dissertation project examines the performance, perception, and representation of masculinity of the black male dancing body. I confront the prejudice against the male dancer within a Western theatrical dance tradition, while revealing how homosexuality and effeminacy make strange bedfellows in the public-private, on- and offstage perception of male dancers... I surmise, just as black people are the moral conscience of American democracy and freedom, and that no discussion of American history can occur without their presence; I, too, contend that gay men pose a similar relationship to understanding the performance of gender in society and culture."
"Dancers with Disabilities: The Case for Mainstreaming Disabled Students in Dance Education" by Lea Marshall
This article examines the future of dance education and disabilities, specifically what dance teachers and studio owners can do to promote inclusivity and accessibility to physically disabled students.
"Decolonizing Dance Curriculum in Higher Education: One Credit at a Time" by Nyama McCarthy-Brown
"Most dance departments in the United States require rigorous study of traditional Western dance forms. This is common; many developed countries cultivate the art forms that reflect the aesthetics and philosophies of the majority culture in that nation. However, demographics in the United States have changed greatly over the past 50 years, with people of color now reproducing at higher rates than whites (U.S. Census 2013)... I argue that departments should embrace a more inclusive system that does not privilege particular dance forms."
"Recognizing Systemic Racism in Dance" by Alicia Mullikin
"Through conversations and collaboration with other dancers of color and colleagues, we named some of our personal experiences in the dance world that reinforced systemic racism. Though this is not an exhaustive list, it sheds light on some problematic power structures that contribute to continued inequity in dance. Here are a few ways you may have participated in systemic racism in dance."

Related Guides

Dance Resources
by Music and Performing Arts Library Last Updated Apr 17, 2023 109 views this year