Katherine Dunham (jan 1, 1909 – jan 1, 1970)

Description:

About:
-American, studied anth @ UChicago under Sapir & Malinowski
-fieldwork in Haiti, Jamaica, & Martinique studying ritual and dance in the African diaspora
-better known as the "Matriarch of Black Dance" for her "Dunham Technique"
→ blends traditional African and Caribbean dance with aspects of classical ballet and modern dance
→ emphasizes the integration of African-based rhythmic movement, isolations, and polycentrism
-ballet creole (1952)

Major concepts:
-"embodied knowledge"
→ understandings that reside in the body and in bodily memory
→ begins the argument that knowledge does not only come from empirical, distant "facts" but also through visceral life experience
-reflexivity
→ the critical self-awareness of the researcher about their role in shaping the research process and outcomes; it involves reflecting on how their background, assumptions, biases, and interactions with participants affect data collection, interpretation, and representation

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