Dance, Human Rights, and Social Justice: Dignity in Motion

Dance, Human Rights, and Social Justice: Dignity in Motion presents a diverse compilation of essays spanning more than 15 countries. Organized into four parts, the articles examine the regulation and exploitation of dancers and dance activity by government and authoritative groups, including the abusive treatment of dancers within the profession. The collection also explores choreography that uses human rights as a central theme, the engagement of dance as a means of healing victims of human rights abuses, and national and local social/political movements in which dance plays a powerful role in helping people fight oppression.

These groundbreaking papers encompass a broad spectrum of issues, from slavery and the Holocaust to the Bosnian and Rwandan genocides, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They also address First Amendment cases, the AIDS epidemic, and discrimination resulting from age, gender, race, and disability. The authors, including academics, choreographers, dancers, and dance/movement therapists, draw connections between diverse settings, such as refugee camps, courtrooms, theaters, rehearsal studios, and university classrooms.

The essays in this volume offer detailed scholarship and riveting personal accounts, providing a comprehensive exploration of the intersections between dance, human rights, and social justice. By examining the regulation and exploitation of dance, the use of dance in addressing human rights abuses, and the role of dance in social and political movements, the book sheds light on the profound and multifaceted ways in which dance can serve as a vehicle for dignity, empowerment, and social transformation.

Through this collection, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which dance can be both a reflection of and a catalyst for the ongoing struggle for human rights and social justice around the world. The interdisciplinary nature of the essays and the diversity of perspectives presented make this volume an invaluable resource for scholars, artists, activists, and anyone interested in the intersection of dance, human rights, and social justice.

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