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Bodies and Belonging in a Haitian Dance Troupe in Montreal Elizabeth

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Bodies and Belonging in a Haitian Dance Troupe in Montreal Elizabeth “Let the rhythm speak to you. We dance for liberation”: Bodies and Belonging in a Haitian Dance Troupe in Montreal Elizabeth White A Thesis in The Department of Sociology and Anthropology Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Anthropology) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY School of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Elizabeth Marika Silverwood White Entitled: “Let the rhythm speak to you. We dance for liberation”: Bodies and Belonging in a Haitian Dance Troupe in Montreal and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MA Anthropology complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final examining committee: Dr. Meir Amor Chair Dr. David Howes Examiner Dr. Kregg Hetherington Examiner Dr. Sally Cole Supervisor Approved by Dr. Meir Amor Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director Andrew Woodall Dean of Faculty Date April 20th, 2016 3 This thesis presents original ethnographic research on embodiment, creativity, and relationality in a Haitian folklorique dance troupe in Montreal, Canada. The research explores the ways that the dance troupe Racines carries forward their roots practice, with tenacity and love, in the face of racial discrimination and stigmatization. It looks at the how the joy, exhilaration, and challenge of roots folklorique dancing converses with memory, belonging, identification, and liberation. I discuss the social dimensions of dance practice and performance, the harmonious and dissonant relationships entangled with roots dance. Relations - moments of intersection, gathering, and sharing - generate spaces that are celebratory, creative, and cathartic. These spaces sustain the life of the dance troupe, who for 40 years have continued to connect around dance, rhythms, and roots folklorique Haitian culture, in spite and confrontation of their many challenges. ii I dedicate these words to The Girls and Guys of Racines, their elders, and their children, who, bridging centuries and great distances, were instructors in much more than dance. I dedicate this work to all those who showed me how to bring the body and mind closer together into passionately engrossed scholarship. Deepest thanks to all my dance class girls for sharing your time and hearts my parents Vivienne Vella and Gerald White the smallest cohort of all time, Jordie Struck, Ravi Jilwah, and Isabelle Simpson Dr. Sally Cole, Dr. Kregg Hetherington, and Dr. David Howes for helping this project keep its spirit To Sara Breitkreutz To E. Mercury Thank you for ceaselessly believing in this work iii Table of Contents Table of Figures ........................................................................................................................................... v Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 1- Conceptual Framework and Methodology ......................................................................... 10 Phenomenology and Embodiment ................................................................................................. 13 Creativity ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Theories of Freedom ...................................................................................................................... 18 Dance Disciplines .......................................................................................................................... 19 Sociality ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Identity ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Space .............................................................................................................................................. 26 Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 28 Chapter 2 - Historical and Social Background - We’re not indifferent to the rhythms that have led to our independence Dance and Rhythm in Haiti ............................................................................................................ 32 About ‘Roots’ ............................................................................................................................... 39 Les Racines .................................................................................................................................... 44 The Practice ...................................................................................................................... 46 The Events and the Spaces ................................................................................................ 51 The Students ..................................................................................................................... 52 Dances and Rhythms ........................................................................................................ 52 Chapter 3 - Embodiment in Dance - Connecting with the drums is how we emancipate ourselves Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 57 Rhythms in dance .............................................................................................................. 61 Drummers ......................................................................................................................... 63 Drums ............................................................................................................................... 67 Shouting over the Drum – Stop thinking! ..................................................................................... 70 Libète in Dance, Libète Danced ........................................................................................ 72 Ibo Dans – Breaking the Chains: Embodying Libète ....................................................... 73 Chapter 4 – Sharing and Taking our Time – Relationships, Spaces, and Performance Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 76 Sharing and Taking our Time ...................................................................................................... 78 Our time together ............................................................................................................. 79 Rhythmic Elements - Pause and Silence ........................................................................ 82 Troupe Dance Events ................................................................................................................... 84 In the basement ................................................................................................................ 88 Performance .................................................................................................................... 90 Before the spectacle ................................................................................................... 92 Getting into character ................................................................................................. 94 The heat of the ‘Stage’ ............................................................................................... 96 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 100 Postscript ................................................................................................................................................. 102 iv Table of Figures Figure 1 Tuesday evening dance class – Personal photo ........................................................... 6 Figure 2 Centre Haitiano-Canadian – Source: laperleretrouvee.netfirms.com .......................... 344 Figure 3 Troupe Racines before Gédé performance – Sourc: Racines ....................................... 399 Figure 4 Ti`Racines circa 1970s – Source: Racines ..................................................................... 44 Figure 5 Drum Skin – Personal photo ........................................................................................ 68 Figure 6 Racines practicing in the Centre Nord Basement - Source: Racines ..............................89 Figure 7 Racinescostumes before performance - Personal photo .................................................95 Figure 8 Racines exiting stage from Yanvalou performance - Source: Racines .........................102 Figure 9 Racines hands before performance - Source: Racines ..................................................103 v We cannot make the dance for us. We have to make it for a bigger purpose. I mean it’s a heritage. It’s not mine. I want to take care of it, I want to make it bigger, I want to make it look good so that somebody else would be very proud to take over. And hopefully carry it for another 40 years, and on and on (Lisa in interview) Figure 1 6 Introduction This thesis emerges from 2 years of ethnographic research as a student
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