Soviet Bodies in Canadian Dancesport: Cultural Identities, Embodied Politics, and Performances of Resistance in Three Canadian Ballroom Dance Studios
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SOVIET BODIES IN CANADIAN DANCESPORT: CULTURAL IDENTITIES, EMBODIED POLITICS, AND PERFORMANCES OF RESISTANCE IN THREE CANADIAN BALLROOM DANCE STUDIOS DAVID OUTEVSKY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN DANCE STUDIES YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO May 2018 © David Outevsky, 2018 Abstract This research examines the effect of Soviet Union era indoctrination on dance pedagogy and performance at DanceSport studios run by Soviet migrants in Canada. I investigate the processes of cultural cross-pollination within this population through an analysis of first and second generation Soviet-Canadian ballroom dancers’ experiences with cultural identity within the dance milieu. My study is guided by questions such as: What are the differences in the relationship between national politics and dance in the Soviet Union and Canada? How have Soviet migrant dancers adapted to the Canadian socio-economic context? And, how did these cultural shifts affect the teaching and performances of these dancers? My positionality as a former Soviet citizen and a ballroom dancer facilitates my understanding of the intricacies of this community and affords me unique entry into their world. To contextualize this study, I conducted an extensive literature review dealing with Soviet physical education, diasporic identities, and embodied politics. I then carried out qualitative interviews and class observation of Soviet- Canadian competitive ballroom dancers at three studios in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. The research conducted for this dissertation revealed various cultural adaptation strategies applied by these dancers, resulting in the development of dual identities combining characteristics from both Soviet and Canadian cultures. My analysis of the data contributes original information to the fields of dance studies and pedagogy, migration studies, and cultural studies. The results of this study can act as a guide in the development of arts management, education, and cultural integration policies in Canada, fostering a creative dialogue between dancers, academics, and policy makers. ii Acknowledgements Firstly, I would like to thank Dr. Patrick Alcedo, Dr. Norma Sue Fisher Stitt, and Dr. Jens Giersdorf for all the guidance and support they have given me throughout the entire process of completing this study. I would also like to thank Dr.Danielle Robinson for facilitating my path in the early stages of my work and Dr. Tanya Berg for being a helpful peer reviewer and friend. Thanks also to Ricca Bautista for her incessant willingness to discuss and analyze my ideas, Remo di Marco for always being there for me and my parents for their continued encouragement. Lastly, my thanks go to the participants for giving their time to volunteer for this study as you have been invaluable to this research. iii Table of Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Table of Contents iv List of Tables viii List of Figures ix 1.0 – Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Narrative Vignette 1 1.2 Contextual Framework 2 1.3 Thesis Statement and Research Questions 3 1.4 Research Idea 4 1.5 Research Goal and Disciplinary Grounding 5 1.6 Terms and Definitions 6 1.7 Methodology 7 1.8 Positionality 8 1.9 Historical Context and Theoretical Framework 9 1.10 Ethnographic Framework 11 1.11 Discussion Outline 12 1.12 Chapter Breakdown 16 1.13 Summary 18 2.0 – Chapter 2: Methodology 20 2.1 – Data Collection 20 2.1.1 – Fieldwork Procedures 20 2.1.2 – Delimitation 23 2.1.3 – Archival Research 26 2.2 – Data Analysis 27 iv 2.2.1 – Interviews and Observations 27 2.2.2 – Movement Analysis 28 2.3 – Trustworthiness 29 2.3.1 – Ethics 30 2.3.2 – Competency 31 2.3.3 – Positionality 33 2.3.4 – Limitations 34 2.4 – Theoretical Framework 35 3.0 – Chapter 3: Literature Review 42 3.1 – Cultural Appropriation in Dance 42 3.2 – Diasporic Identities 47 3.3 – Dance, Race, and Politics 53 3.4 – Soviet Dance Literature 59 3.5 – Dance Literature in North America 64 3.6 – Educational Strategies in the Soviet Union 69 3.7 – Educational Strategies in North America 71 3.8 – Summary 74 4.0 – Chapter 4: Historical Context 75 4.1 – The Politics of Art in the former Soviet Union 77 4.2 – Soviet Physical Education and Dance 81 4.3 – Philosophical Approaches to Bolshevik Marxism in Soviet Culture 87 4.4 – Nationalism and Dance in Other Countries 90 4.5 – Multiculturalist Education in Canada 92 4.6 – Physical Education in Canada 94 4.7 – Dance in Canadian Curricula and Unions 95 4.8 – Major Developments in Canadian Dance History 97 4.9 – Concert Dance in Canada 100 4.10 – Ballroom Dance in Canada 103 5.0 – Chapter 5: Ethnographic Present 106 5.1 – Socialist Attitudes in a Social Dance Environment 107 v 5.2 – Dual Identities 115 5.3 – Training Organization and Studio Management 123 5.4 – Laban Movement Analysis 132 5.5 – Cultural Appropriation in Ballroom Dance 136 5.6 – Screen Dance and Communication Technology 141 5.7 – Dance and Nationalism 144 5.8 – Gender Roles 155 5.9 – Sponsorship and Funding 159 5.10 – DanceSport and Diaspora 164 6.0 – Chapter 6: Conclusion 173 6.1 – Summary 173 6.2 – The Intersection of Social Dance and Soviet DanceSport 176 6.3 – Transforming Identities 178 6.4 – The Future of DanceSport as a Physical Culture 182 6.5 – Beyond Appropriation 185 6.6 – New Directions of Gender in DanceSport 188 6.7 – The Potential of Communication and Travel Technology 191 6.8 – Testing Multiculturalism in Vocational Institutions 194 6.9 – The Nationalism of Multiculturalism 197 6.10 – Phenomenological Reflections 204 6.11 – Disciplinary Contributions and Future Research 206 6.12 – Final Thoughts 209 7.0 – Works Cited 212 Appendix A – Interview Questions 232 A1 – Dancers, 1st Generation, Interview Questions 232 A2 – Dancers, 2nd Generation, Interview Questions 233 A3 – Coaches, Interview Questions 234 A4 – Parents, Interview Questions 235 A5 – Dancers, Under 16, Interview Questions 236 Appendix B – Consent and Assent Forms 237 B1 – Over 16, Dancers, Consent Form 237 B2 – Under 16, Dancers, Assent Form 240 B3 – Coaches, Consent Form 243 vi B4 – Parents, Consent Form 246 B5 – Participant Parents, Consent Form 249 B6 – Information Letter for Participants 252 vii List of Tables Table 1: DanceSport Categories and Dances 3 Table 2: British and North American Levels in DanceSport 15 Table 3: Studios and Participants 24 Table 4: Fieldwork Trips Schedule and Activities 25 Table 5: Timeline of Developments in DanceSport (WDSF version) 165 Table 6: The Development of Multicultural Policies by CCA and OAC 198 viii List of Figures Figure 1: Trustworthiness Diagram 30 Figure 2: Triangulation Diagram 32 Figure 3: Pages 16-17 from the book Tantsy: Usmanskiĭ Pereplias “Dokazyvaĭ” (Dances: Usmanian Dance “Prove”) Sovetskaia Rossia (Soviet Russia), Moscow, 1961. 62 Figure 4: Kee to Bala hall, Photo by author, August 2016 66 Figure 5: Peter Marlow - Soviet Union. Ukraine. Odessa. Learning to disco dance at Red Banner pioneer camp. 1981 (National Observer blog, http://no.ua/blogs, Dec. 20, 2012) 82 Figure 6: Vaganova’s drawings of Aplomb (Vaganova 31) 84 Figure 7: A newspaper ad for Boris Volkoff’s first School of Dance, 1930. Courtesy of Dance Collection Dance (Sutcliffe 1930) 98 Figure 8: Invitations to a ball and an anniversary dance. 1921and 1920. Courtesy of Dance Collection Danse. (Flea Market Collection – Dance Cards) 99 Figure 9: 2011 Canadian Closed DanceSport Championship line up. (DanceSport Canada, Dec. 20, 2012) 105 Figure 10: Group class at Ottawa DanceSport. Photo by author. 115 Figure 11: Lobby of Montreal DanceSport studio. Photo by author. 122 Figure 12: Toronto DanceSport group class. Photo by author. 125 Figure 13: Toronto DanceSport reception area with a dance mom and glass doors visible behind. 127 Figure 14: LMA of Rumba by Vermey (Latin 134) 132 Figure 15: LMA of Cha Cha Cha, by author. 133 ix Figure 16: Students practicing at Ottawa DanceSport using an enclosing embrace. Photo by author. 135 Figure 17: Leo and Anna at World Championships in Moscow. Photo credit Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin /400468591851040168/ 140 Figure 18: Alla watching dance competitions on YouTube in between lessons. Photo by author. 144 Figure 19: Students at DanceSport Ottawa doing crunches between dance rounds. Photo by author. 147 Figure 20: Students getting ready for class at Ottawa DanceSport. Photo by author. 150 Figure 21: Communist statue. Image from skyrock.com. http://communiste07.skyrock.com/ 584689394-La-faucille-et-le-marteau.html 156 Figure 22: A couple dancing at a championship in Moscow in 2016. (WDSF, Gallery) 161 Figure 23: The author dancing with a pro-am student during a showcase. 169 Figure 24: Alex teaching a group class at Toronto DanceSport. 171 Figure 25: All female couple, competing in the American Smooth Division of DanceSport. Image source: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/420523683929519246 190 Figure 26: Group photo of the dancers at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games closing ceremony. Photo by author. 200 Figure 27: Toronto DanceSport at the AthletesCAN forum. Source: author. 203 x Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 A Vignette Having had a long train ride from Toronto, I sit at a sushi restaurant preparing my interview questions, consent forms, and audio-recorder. I am about to go into “Ottawa DanceSport,” a top Canadian DanceSport (competitive ballroom dance) studio in the nation’s capital. The studio is run by the Canadian 10 Dance champions, Michael and Olia1, both immigrants from the former Soviet Union. As I enter the studio, I see several parents sitting in the reception area while their children are preparing for the class in the changing rooms. The studio walls are filled with photographs of the students and medals they have won in competitions.