1
An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of
Ethnic Dance Joann Kealiinohomoku

• Prepared by
• Dr. Kay Picart

2
Thesis Statement

• By ethnic dance, anthropologists mean to convey
  the idea that all forms of dance reflect the
  cultural traditions within which they developed.
  Dancers and dance scholars . . . use this term
  the related terms ethnologic, primitive
  folkdance, differently . . . in a way which
  reveals their limited knowledge of non-Western
  dance forms. (533)

3
Aims

• To discuss how an anthropologist might examine
  ballet and dance.
• To uncover hidden value judgments concerning
  culture embedded in descriptions of dance.

4
Worshippers-Celestial Church of Christ Gbongan,
Nigeria, 1991
5
Review Question

• What evidence does the author use to show that
  current Western commentaries on primitive dance
  are ethnocentric and erroneous?

6
The Sioux Ghost Dance
7
Discussion Questions

• Do you agree with the author that dance
  criticism/popular culture still enshrines ballet
  as the highest form of dance?
• Do you agree that Western dance criticism still
  remains paternal ethnocentric?

8
Review Questions

• How does the author define dance?
• Why is such a definition important to her aims?

9
Review Question

• What are the distinctive features of this
  definition?

10
Discussion Questions

• Do you agree that the author has successfully set
  up a cross cultural definition that
  differentiates dance from sports or ritual?
• Why or why not?

11
(No Transcript)
12
Remarks on Other Theorists

• Martin dance as a universal urge but without a
  universal form
• Sorell differences due to race, racial
  memory, innate memory, blood

• Review Question
• How does the author respond to both these
  critics positions?

13
Discussion Question

• Is ballet
• a genuinely
• universal
• dance form?

14
Discussion Question

• What do the aesthetics of ballet reveal about
  preconceptions concerning beauty in both sexes?

15
Review Question

• What flora
• and fauna
• are privileged
• by ballet?

16
Discussion Questions

• What are the main points of the article?
• Do you see any weaknesses in the argument?

17
Concluding Question

• What would you say to someone who might accuse
  the author of being simply politically correct
  and nothing more?