"Cultural Moves" explores the dynamic role of dance as a living archive, revealing how cultures worldwide use movement to preserve history, transmit social structures, and foster cultural resilience.
Going beyond mere entertainment, the book argues that dance embodies historical narratives, acting as a social script that reinforces societal norms and a powerful tool for communities navigating change.
For instance, Indigenous Australian dance practices intricately map ancestral lands and transmit creation stories, highlighting dance's capacity to encode history.
The book's unique value lies in its interdisciplinary approach, drawing from anthropology, history, and performance studies to examine the interplay between culture, history, and the body.
It examines diverse dance traditions, such as West African dance forms and the evolution of ballet, to illustrate the core themes of embodied history, social scripting, and cultural resilience.
By presenting case studies and integrating historical accounts with performance analysis, "Cultural Moves" offers a comprehensive understanding of dance as a cultural practice, progressing from theoretical frameworks to focused explorations of specific dance traditions across its chapters.
