The Body and/in Performance: Dance & Dra

This seminar examines the body and bodily practices in various performance traditions in Tibet and China by reading theory from the fields of performance and dance studies alongside regional case studies of dances and dramas in East Asia. In addition to required course readings, students will watch performances on film (though also live in New York City where/if possible), read play scripts, and participate in practicums to gain an embodied understanding of the course’s subject matter. Practicums include workshops with the Tibetan Service Center of New York City, dance journalist Karen Greenspan, and the Kunqu Society of New York. After a brief introduction to the fields of performance and dance studies, course meetings will focus on different performative bodily expressions; for example, the expression of “culture,” history, politics, affect and emotion, and so on.