79-326 Shall We Dance? Culture, Politics, and Movement in the 20th Century

6 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Waltzes and flash mobs, hula and swing, disco and breakdance this course will examine the history and practice of these and other popular dance movements across the course of the twentieth century. In doing so, we will pay particular attention to the ways in which dance both shaped and reflected major moments of political, cultural, and social change. Dancing bodies were used to justify imperial ambitions, explore new kinds of gender relations, and both uphold and upend racial hierarchies, making dancers key if underappreciated participants in the centurys tumultuous history. The course will include a mix of lecture and discussion, drawing on scholarly analyses, archival sources, films, literature, images, and live performances. Students will also be asked to explore at least one new dance form for themselves and reflect on the experience.

Prerequisites: none listed

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