Asé! in Action: Dance in the American African Diaspora

Building upon the work of several scholars, particularly Brenda Dixon Gottschild, this chapter argues that African diasporic dance has influenced virtually every dance genre in the Americas from the 16th century onwards, not only forms historically thought of as African but also those thought of as European in origin, such as ballet. It explores the tensions inherent in trying to provide a comprehensive analytical framework for something called African Diasporic Dance, given that such generalizations can border on racial essentialism and ahistoricism. It provides three case studies: one from the religious practice of Vodou, one from the theatrical dance tradition of Katherine Dunham, and one from the social dance of breaking, to explore how African Diasporic dance signifies a link both to aesthetic practices from West and Central Africa as well as a socio-political consciousness about Black life.