Dance analysis, criticism and related discourse
Critical perspectives, including post-colonialism, phenomenology, feminism and post-structuralism, form lenses through which scholars contribute new knowledge to dance studies.
Dr Rose Martin is researching for a forthcoming publication entitled Women, Dance and Revolution. This book follows ten female contemporary dance practitioners from the southern Mediterranean region, examining how these women (all established dancers, choreographers and teachers) have been affected by and responded to recent postcolonial cultural changes in the region that have resulted from the "Arab Spring" uprisings, civil war and occupation.
The women’s journeys of dance abroad and in their homelands of Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria present new perspectives on the Arab Spring. As their personal dreams unfold into public aspirations for their society and country, the moving body becomes central in the debates over the future of the region.
Through dance they engage in public protests and performance, endure violence and repression, and reveal new meanings of identity, gender and body politics. Their stories illuminate how, despite moments of disillusionment, objection and betrayal, being a woman and being a dancer can still mean many things and affect society in many ways.