Dance  in  Africa  &  the  Diaspora

Books:

1987         To Dance Is Human: A Theory of Nonverbal Communication. Revised 1979 edition. Chicago:  University of Chicago Press

(An innovative synthesis of knowledge in the social and behavior sciences, arts, and humanities that broadens our understanding of African, Caribbean, and American dance as rural, urban, social, political, religious, warrior, aesthetic, and cultural behavior; Chapters 4, 5, 6B, 7, 8, 9, are especially relevant.  Numerous examples of African dance.)

1983        The Performer-Audience Connection: Emotion to Metaphor in Dance and Society. Austin and London: University of Texas Press

(Choice, outstanding book that shows how emotion is conveyed through tap and modern dance to an African-American spiritual.)

1988a        Disruptive School Behavior: Class, Race, and Culture. New York: Holmes & Meier Publishers

(A study of a desegregated magnet elementary school where some African-American youngsters use individual and group dance to comment on school and community life, mark identity, and defy school authority.)

1988b       Dance, Sex, and Gender: Signs of Identity, Dominance, Defiance, and Desire. Chicago: University of Chicago Press

(How we learn what is it to be male and female through observing in dance who does what, when, where, how, along and with or to whom.  Expressions of erotic fantasies, courtships rituals, rites of passage, and hierarchies of dominance in African and other dances.)

1999         Partnering Dance and Education:  Intelligent Movements for Changing Times. Champaign, IL:  Human Kinetics Press

(A synthesis of current knowledge about learning in, about, and through dance; benefits; emotion, mind, and body; goals; standards; connections; diversity; gender; teacher preparation; practical material.)

2006         Dancing for Health: Conquering and Preventing Stress. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press

(Illustrations of coping with life crises, disease, colonialism, race relations, poverty: meeting the gods and demons, exorcism, confronting stressors.)

in progress Nigeria's Ubakala Igbo Dance: Life, Death, and the Women's War (development of The Anthropology of Dance Ritual.  Ph.D. dissertation, Columbia University.  Ann Arbor: University Microfilms No. 76-28,657, 1976)

(Six dance-plays that the Ubakala selected as representing their aesthetic illustrate how dance serves as a vehicle through which persistent and contradictory values and organizing principles of social life can be expressed, taught, and reconciled.)

1981         Urban Dynamics in Black Africa: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Revised 1971 edition.  W. J. Hanna, Co-author. Hawthorne, New York: Aldine

Articles (* = most important):

1965a*      "Africa's New Traditional Dance," Ethnomusicology 9:13-21

1965b       "African Dance as Education," Impulse:  Dance and Education Now, pp. 48-52

1966         "The Status of African Dance Studies," Africa 36:303-307

1968a       "Field Research in African Dance:  Opportunities and Utilities," Ethnomusicology 12:101-106

                Synopsized as "Dance Field Research:  Some Whys and African Wherefores," in Richard Bull, ed., Research in Dance:  Problems and Possibilities, New York:  Committee on Research in Dance, pp. 82-84, 1968

1968b       "Heart Beat of Uganda," African Arts 1(3):42-45, 85 (William John Hanna, co-author)

1968c        "Nkwa di Iche:  Dance-Plays of Ubakala," Présence Africaine No. 65:13-18 (William John Hanna, co-author)

                Reprinted in J. Hillion, S. Niang, and J. Tamburini, eds., Elsewhere in Africa, Paris: Librairie A. Hatier, 1978

1969         "The Dance-Plays of Biafra's Ubakala Clan," Anthropologica 11:243-273, revised version of 1968d (William John Hanna, co-author)

1970a        "Discussion of Rod Rodger's Session (Dance Mobilization as Therapy in the Inner City; Research Design)," Workshop in Dance Therapy:  Its Research Potentials.  New York: Committee on Research in Dance, pp. 37-42 and 62-63

1970b*      "What is African Dance?" in Joseph Okpaku, ed., New African Literature and the Arts (Vol. I), New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1970, pp. 312-317

1973        "The Highlife:  A West African Urban Dance," in Patricia A. Rowe and Ernestine Stodelle, eds., Dance Research Monograph.  New York:  Committee on Research in Dance, pp. 138-152.  Reprinted in Judy Van Zile, ed., Dance in World Cultures:  Selected Readings.  New York:  MSS Information Corporation, 1975, pp. 164-177

1974a        "African Dance:  The Continuity of Change," Yearbook of the International Folk Music Council 5:164-174

1974b       "Review of Lynne Fauley Emery's Black Dance in the United States from 1619 to 1970," Ethnomusicology 18(1):155-157

1975*        "Review of Robert Farris Thompson's African Art in Motion," Dance Research Journal 7(1):31-33 and African Studies Association Review of Books I:5-9

1976        "Review of T. O. Ranger's Dance and Society in Eastern Africa 1890-1970:  The Beni Ngoma," Dance Research Journal 8(1):26; also in Africana Journal VI

1997        "Rasta Thomas: Extraordinary Boy Next Door," Dance Teacher Now 19(1):65-72

1978        "African Dance:  Some Implications for Dance Therapy," American Journal of Dance Therapy 2(1):3-15

1979a*      "Toward Semantic Analysis of Movement Behavior:  Concepts and Problems," Semiotica 25(1-2):77-110

1979b*      "Movements Toward Understanding Humans Through the Anthropological Study of Dance," Current Anthropology (CA treatment) 20(2):313-339

1979c        "Dance and its Social Structure:  The Ubakala of Nigeria," Journal of Communication (The Social Meanings of Art) 29(4):184-191

1980        "Review of Michel Huet's The Dance, Art and Ritual of Africa," Africana Journal 11(1):103-104

1981        "Review of John Miller Chernoff's African Rhythm and African Sensibility:  Aesthetics and Social Action in African Musical Idioms," ASA Review of Books pp. 15-18

1982a        "Dance and the Women's War," Dance Research Journal 14(1-2):25-28

1982b*      "Is Dance Music?  Resemblances and Relationships," World of Music 24(1):57-71

1983a        "Dance and the Cultural Heritage," Proceedings of the International Conference on Children and Youth Dancing, Stockholm, 1982.  Stockholm:  Swedish Division of Dance and the Child, UNESCO affiliated, pp. 9-25

1983b*      "From Folk/Sacred to Popular Culture:  Syncretism in Nigeria's Ubakala Dance-Plays," Critical Arts (Rhodes University, South Africa) 3(1):44-54

1984        "Black/White Nonverbal Differences, Dance and Dissonance:  Implications for Desegregation," in Aaron Wolfgang, ed., Nonverbal Behavior:  Perspectives, Applications, Intercultural Insights.  Toronto and Gottingen:  C.J. Hogrefe, pp. 349-385

1986a*      "Interethnic Communication in Children's Own Dance, Play, and Protest," in Young Y. Kim, ed., Interethnic Communication (Vol. 10, International and Intercultural Communication Annual).  Newbury Park, CA:  Sage, pp. 176-198

1986b*      "Movement in African Performance," in Bob Fleshman, ed., Theatrical Movement:  A Bibliographical Anthology.  Metuchen, NJ:  Scarecrow Press, pp. 561-585

1987*       "Dance and Religion (Overview)," in Mircea Eliade, ed., The Encyclopedia of Religion.  Vol. 4.  New York:  Macmillan Co., pp. 203-212

1988a*      "The Representation and Reality of Divinity in Dance," Journal of the American Academy of Religion 56(2):501-526

1988b*      "Theories and Realities of Emotion in Performance," Polish Art Studies 9:44-66 and Gestos 3(6):27-51

1988c       "Dance and Ritual," Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, special issue, "The Source of Them All," Hilmi Ibrahim, ed., 59(9):40-43

1989a       "Divine Dance," Dance Teacher Now 11(9):29

1989b*      "African Dance Frame by Frame:  Revelation of Sex Roles Through Distinctive Feature Analysis and Comments on Field Research, Film, and Notation," Journal of Black Studies 19(4):422-441; abstracted in Cultural Anthropology Methods Newsletter 1(2):13, 1989

1989c*      "The Anthropology of Dance," in Lynnette Y. Overby and James H. Humphrey, eds., Dance:  Current Selected Research, I.  New York:  AMS Press, pp. 219-237

1989d       "Dance, Politics, and National Identity," Ballett International (Cologne) 12(2):20-25

1990a*      "Ailey Camp Promotes Literacy for At-Risk Youth," Dance Teacher Now 12(4):38-40

1990b*      "Dance and Women's Protest in Nigeria and the United States," in Guida West and Rhoda Lois Blumberg, eds., Women and Social Protest.  New York:  Oxford University Press, pp. 333-345

1990c       "Anthropological Perspectives for Dance/Movement Therapy," American Journal of Dance Therapy 12(2):115-126

1990d       "Dance and Stress: Good or Bad?" Dance Teacher Now 12(1):27-28, 30, 32, 34, 36

1991*       "Using the Arts As a Dropout Prevention Tool," Child Behavior and Development Letter 7(3):1-2

1992a*      "Moving Messages:  Identity and Desire in Dance," in James Lull, ed., Popular Music and Communication, 2nd Edition.  Newbury Park, CA:  Sage, pp. 176-195

1992b*      "Connections:  Arts, Academics, and Productive Citizens," Phi Delta Kappan 73(8):601-607 (April/May)

1992c*      "Dance," in Helen Meyer, ed., Ethnomusicology:  An Introduction.  London:  Macmillan & New York:  Norton, pp. 315-326

1994a*      "Issues in Supporting School Diversity:  Academics, Social Relations, and the Arts," Anthropology & Education Quarterly 25(1):1-20

1994b       "What Is Black Dance?" Dance Teacher Now 16(8):69-72, 74, 76

1994c*      "Arts Education and the Transition to Work," Arts Education Policy Review 96(2):31-37

1995a*      "The Power of Dance:  Health and Healing," Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 1(4):323-327

1995b       "Dance," in Alan Barnard and Jonathan Spencer, eds., Encyclopedic Dictionary of Social and Cultural Anthropology.  London:  Routledge

1996a       "Breakdancing," in Jan Harold Brunvald, ed., American Folklore:  An Encyclopedia.  New York:  Garland, pp. 101-102

1996b*      "Rhythm and Choreography," Degrés, No. 87 (Autumn):65-80

1997a*      "'Ubakala, We Are Coming':  Searching For Meaning In Dance," in Ester Dagan, ed., The Spirit's Dance In Africa.  Montreal:  Galerie Amrad, pp. 90-93

1997b*      "Problems and Dilemmas in Classifying African Dances," in Ester Dagan, ed., The Spirit's Dance In Africa.  Montreal:  Galerie Amrad, pp. 210-215

1997c*      "Creativity in Ubakala, Dallas Youth, and Exotic Dance," in R. Keith Sawyer, ed. Creativity in Performance, R. Keith Sawyer, ed.  Norwood, NJ:  Ablex Publishing Corporation, pp. 141-167

1998a       "West Africa," Vol. 6:381-385, "Ubakala," Vol. 6:219, "Cultural Context," Vol. 4:362, in Selma Jeanne Cohen, ed., International Encyclopedia of Dance.  New York:  Oxford University Press

1998b       "Chuck Davis," Dance Teacher Now 20(1):50-51

1999*       "Dance," in David Levinson, James Ponzetti, and Peter Jorgensen, eds., Encyclopedia of Human Emotions, Vol. 1.  New York:  Macmillan, pp. 171-177

1999        "'Fame Game' Vivian Nichole Nixon:  Debbie Allen's Daughter Is Making a Name for Herself," Dance Spirit, December, p. 56

2000a        “Body Language:  Dance Innovator Bill T. Jones Speaks His Mind – With His Body, That Is,” Dance Spirit, August, p. 86

2000b       “Eternal Enchantress:  Debbie Allen Pushed the Envelope With Her Latest Dance Sensation,” Dance Spirit, March, p. 94

2001        “The Language of Dance,” Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance 72(4):40-45, 53

2002        “Lost Dance Research/Found New Hubris,” Dance Research Journal  34(1):7-10

2003a*     “Aesthetics—Whose Notions of Appropriateness & Competency, What Are They and How Do We      Know?” inD.A. Avorgbedor and M. P. Baumann , eds., World of Music, Special Issue: Cross-Cultural Aesthetics 45(3):29-54

2003b      “From Africa’s Mali to America’s Washington, DC,” Dancer, October pp. 130, 133-134

2004a       “Review of  Kelly M. Askew, Performing the Nation: Swahili Music and Cultural Politics in Tanzania,” Anthropos (International Review of Anthropology and Linguistics),  99(2):603-605

2004b       “Cuba: A Little Island & a Lot of Dance,” Dancer, July, pp. 44-49

2004c       "Cuban Dance on Street, Stage and Page" (with Ramiro Guerra), Dance Critics Association News, Fall, pp. 8 -13

2004d       “Dance Classes,” in Gary S. Cross, ed., Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America, Vol. 1. Detroit, MI: Charles Scribner’s Sons, pp. 263-265

2004e       “Performing Arts Audiences,” in Gary S. Cross, ed., Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America. Vol 2.  Detroit, MI: Charles Scribner’s Sons, pp. 105-107

2004f       “Social Dancing,” in Gary S. Cross, ed., Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America. Vol. 2. Detroit, MI: Charles Scribner’s Sons, pp. 284-287

2004g      “Dance,” in Cary Wintz and Paul Finkelman, eds., Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (2 vols.). New York: Routledge, pp. 289-293

2005a      "Dance and Religion (Overview)," in Lindsay Jones, ed., The Encyclopedia of Religion.
2nd edition. New York: Macmillan Co., pp. 2134-2143

2005b       “Body Language and Learning: Insights for K-12 Education,” in Lynnette Y. Overby and Billie Lepczyk, eds., Dance Education (Dance: Current Selected Research, Vol. 5). New York: AMS Press, pp. 203-220

2006       "Marian Chace Foundation Annual Lecture: October 2005. The Power of Dance Discourse: Explanation in Self-Defense," American Journal of Dance Therapy 28(1):3-20