DANCING DOWN THE FLOOR: EXPERIENCES OF ‘COMMUNITY’ IN A ‘WEST AFRICAN’ DANCE CLASS IN PHILADELPHIA ______________________________________________________________________ A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board ______________________________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in Dance ______________________________________________________________________ by Julie B. Johnson ______________________________________________________________________ Dissertation Date July, 2016 Dissertation Approvals: Dr. Kariamu Welsh, Dissertation Advisor, Dance Dr. Karen Bond, Dance Dr. Patricia Melzer, Women’s Studies/German Studies Dr. Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, Theater !ii © Copyright 2016 by Julie B. Johnson All Rights Reserved !iii ABSTRACT 'Community' is a multivalent concept, subject to a plurality of contexts and con- structs that can alter and shift its meaning. As a dance artist, I have encountered myriad understandings and manifestations of 'community' through dance practice, and perceive an intrinsic relationship between dance and 'community.' A 'West African' dance class in Philadelphia — designated as a 'community-based' class by the instructor — provides a rich opportunity to excavate this relationship. The class, one of several offered through- out the city, is located in West Philadelphia. It is an intergenerational class attended by a diverse demographic of participants (race/ethnicity, gender, profession, class, age, abili- ty, etc.) with an array of motivations and goals for participating in class (as made evi- dent through conversations and interviews). All are welcome to attend, regardless of previous experience or skill level in 'West African' dance. My dissertation is a qualitative research study that examines participant experi- ences and interpretations of 'community,' with attention paid to the socio-cultural/politi- cal context of 'West African' dance in the United States, specifically in Philadelphia. Methodologically, this study is situated in sensory ethnography, philosophically orient- ed in community based participatory research, and draws from phenomenological strategies towards gathering lived experience data. Lived experiences of 'community' are placed in conversation with literature concerned with theories and constructions of 'community' from a range of disciplines, as well as texts that interrogate the historical, sociocultural and political contexts which frame 'West African' dance within the United States. As a member of this particular 'West African' dance class, I situate my own ex- !iv periences within that of the collective, migrating inward and outward between personal reflection and participant narratives. As such this investigation lies at the intersection of subjective, intersubjective, and cultural knowledge. !v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS When I was little, my mother would ask my about my day when I got home from school. My response (according to her) would often involve a dizzying dance around the room, twirling and rolling on the floor, leaping up, and zipping back and forth. I must say, not much has changed. What I have come realize is that, quite often, in order to conjure the words to express that which my body knows, I have to move. And when the words don’t come easily, I move more. Every word in this dissertation is the result of a rigorous, arduous, yet completely rewarding process of conjuring words through movement, exploring and loving the space that I perceive between my embod- ied knowledge and verbal articulation of ideas. I am thankful for the many people who have affirmed, supported, and inspired this process, and who have helped to create the conditions that made it possible. I thank my mom, Ann Johnson, for instilling in me the idea that art and creativity are ways of being, empathic pathways of understanding, bridges connecting us to other human be- ings. I could not have endured this process without her cheerleading, boundless enthu- siasm, and always being at the ready, waiting to jump in and lend a hand. I thank my dad, Calvin Johnson, Jr., for chasing me around the house with his dissertation when I was very young, insisting I look at how he formatted his footnotes. Every day, he showed me that unwavering focus, dedication, and a really weird sense of humor are incredibly useful life skills. I thank my siblings, Laura and Joseph, for making me feel whole. I am not me without you. I am appreciative for my family’s love, and their pa- !vi tience and understanding during the many moments my doctoral work kept me away from home. Working with the doctoral dance faculty at Temple University has been truly transformative. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from them; their diverse per- spectives have deepened my connection to dance in ways I never thought possible. It has been an honor to work with my dissertation committee. Dr. Karen Bond deepened my connection to experiential research, and to the rigor and beauty of poetics. Dr. Patri- cia Melzer challenged me to consider broader perspectives in order to more deeply in- terrogate my own. Their thoughtful feedback, inspiring body of work, and unique ap- proach to research has informed and shaped this study, and has motivated me to do my best work. I am honored to have been able to work with Dr. Kimmika Williams-Wither- spoon, my external reader, whose celebrated work in cultural anthropology, theater, and journalism is inspiring. I am forever indebted to my advisor, Dr. Kariamu Welsh, for the wealth of experience and knowledge she has shared; for helping me navigate the bal- ance between cultural studies and personal experience within the realm of African Di- aspora culture and performance; for the time and energy she so willingly gave; and for leading by example what it means to be strong. This process would not have been possible without generous funding from the Temple University Graduate School’s Dissertation Completion Grant; and with funding that supported my coursework, including the Future Faculty Fellowship and funding from the Boyer College of Music and Dance. I am also very appreciative of Toni !vii Shapiro-Phim and Selina Morales of Philadelphia Folklore Project (PFP) for providing access to the PFP archives, and generously sharing their time and insight. I am eternally grateful to my partners at Evolve Dance Inc., Dr. Jane Alexandre, Karenne Koo, and Dr. Annie Tucker, who continuously encourage, instigate, perplex, and interrogate in ways that make me feel both grounded in support and aflight in pos- sibility. I am also incredibly thankful to all of my friends near and far, particularly my Philadelphia friends who have become family and have helped make this city feel like home. Sharing meals, stories, dances, tears, and laughter has meant the world to me. And to all of the participants of this study who so generously shared their perspectives and experiences with me, on and off the dance floor, I simply cannot thank you enough. !viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………..v INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………. xii A Note About Labeling 'West African' Dance……………………………….. xix CHAPTER 1. CHAPTER ONE: SITUATING THE RESEARCH/ER………………………….…..1 My Embodied Journey in ‘Community’……………………………………….. 1 Comforts & Contradictions: Researcher Emplacement …………………….…..9 Purpose and Motivations……………………………………………….………16 Contributing to Literature and Bridging the Gap…………………….. 17 African Diaspora Dance Literature, Practice, and Social Justice…….19 "Monday Night Class:” Research Site…………………………………..……. 24 2. CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY…………………………………………….. 33 Ethnography………………………………………..….….……………………35 Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR)…………………….…… 39 Method…………………………………………………………………………43 Participant Observation & Conversations…………………………….43 Core Participants……………………………………………………………..45 !ix Community Elders & Leaders…………………………………………46 Additional Research Participants…………………………………………..47 Analysis……………………………………………………………………… 48 Delimitations…………………………………………………………………. 49 3. CHAPTER THREE: CONTEXTUALIZING THE MONDAY NIGHT CLASS…..51 West African Dance in the U.S……………………………………………….. 51 African Diaspora and Tradition………………………………………………. 52 African Diaspora Performance Aesthetics & Community…………………… 59 Civil rights, Black power, Identity…………………………………………… 64 African Diaspora Movement Arts in Philadelphia…………………………… 70 4. CHAPTER FOUR: CONTEXTUALIZING ‘COMMUNITY’…………………… 74 Definition…………………………………………………………………….. 75 Aesthetic Community……………………………………………………….. 78 Difference……………………………………………………………………. 83 Spatial Dynamics…………………………………………………………… 88 Individual & Cultural Identity……………………………………………….. 90 Participation & Practice……………………………………………………… 93 5. CHAPTER FIVE: SENSE PERCEPTION IN THE MONDAY NIGHT CLASS….98 Spatial dynamics in the Monday Night Class………………………………..100 Material Space………………………………………………………..101 Social Space…………………………………………………………. 104 !x Learning Space……………………………………………………….110 Taking Up Space……………………………………………………. .113 Circle Space…………………………………………………………. 117 Cognitive Awareness & 'Letting Go’………………………………….…….. 120 “Marriage” and the Music/Dance Connection……………………………… 127 Extra-Sensory Experience…………………………………………………… 134 Honoring An Ancestor: Emotion, Empathy, and Embodiment……… 139 6. CHAPTER SIX: UNDERSTANDING ‘COMMUNITY’……….……………… . 149 Shared Practice………………………………………………………………. 150 Support and Family…………………………………………………………. 153 Cultural Knowledge and Membership……………………………………….161