Radical Response Dance Making Dismantling Racism Through Embodied Conversations

Abstract

Racism is a social construct that is inscribed on the body. In this study, two dance educators working in the U.S. engage the body in the dismantling of racism. This case study is presented on teaching anti-racism in dance education, through embodied dance making processes. For this study, over sixty undergraduate students participated in activities exploring racism during a two-day workshop. Students later performed at a campus community event that included a critical discussion on racism. The authors analyze their ethnographic, qualitative research on dance education that employs embodied conversations to end racism. Student responses to these processes and events are featured in this article describing the impact of these embodied conversations.