Dance and Science in the Long Nineteenth Century
Dance and Science in the Long Nineteenth Century
The Articulate Body
Revealing the interplay and influence of dance and science during an age of colonial expansion
Bringing together dance and science, two paradigms that explore the nature and possibilities of the body, this volume illuminates the meanings and articulations of dance in nineteenth-century societies. This global collection of studies reveals how the two fields informed each other’s development and engaged with dominant European worldviews in a time of unprecedented colonial expansion.
The chapters in Dance and Science in the Long Nineteenth Century examine how trends and developments in the performing arts reflected scientific thinking of this era, including the categorization of “types” of bodies and the ranking of cultural and religious beliefs, as well as how dance served as an active site of inquiry where the workings and limits of the human body could be studied.Researchers discuss topics including the influence of plant biology on the aesthetics of ballet, technological advancements in the staging and recording of performances, arguments for the use of Eurhythmics in promoting a stronger “race,” and European fascination with Indian dance and yoga.
Featuring response essays that put leading scholars in conversation with one another and offer new perspectives, this volume is unique for its geographic scope and its discussion of diverse bodies, cultures, themes, and scientific disciplines. It sheds light on a historical interplay that has shaped many of today’s political and cultural realities.
Contributors: Johanna Pitetti-Heil | Chantal Frankenbach | Jane Desmond | Christian Ducomb | Claudia Jeschke | Kélina Gotman | Pallabi Chakravorty | Andrea Harris | Dick McCaw | Stephen Ha | Emily Coates | Tiziana Leucci | Elizabeth Claire | Susan Cook | Carrie Streeter | Olivia Sabee | Janice Ross | Alexander H. Schwan | Whitney Laemmli
“An absorbing and innovative work. All the essays are of the highest quality, with a strong historical grounding and an imaginative and often surprising ability to make unexpected connections between disciplines, as well as between the nineteenth century and our own time.”—Cara Gargano, Long Island University
Lynn Matluck Brooks, the Arthur and Katherine Shadek Humanities Professor Emerita at Franklin & Marshall College, is the author or editor of many books, including John Durang: Man of the American Stage.
Sariel Golomb is a lecturer in the Princeton Writing Program. Garth Grimball is the editor of ODC Dance Stories.
