The Embodiment of Self: Using Dance to Explore Black Identity

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Resonate Rhythms of Identity: Engaging Movement, Reflection, and Meditations on Justice (Table 5)

Abstract

My leg brushes into the air with a pointed foot as my body curves into the turn. I slowly extend my arm while thinking of the next step, hesitating because I question if the movements represent me. What does it mean and feel to be Black? Why do I doubt myself and the way I move? With arts-based research and embodied knowledge, I use this question to explore my identity as a Black dancer teacher and to heal my anxiety surrounding it. This article concludes with how I use my experiences to help my students form positive images of themselves through dance.

Author

• Francie Johnson