Dance and Gender – An Evidence–based Approach

“Few volumes tackle the issue of gender and dance with such currency. A work of high quality, thorough in its composition, impeccable in its rigor, and far-reaching in its approach.”—Julie Kerr-Berry, Minnesota State University, Mankato
 
“Generous with data, this collection of accessible research will inspire a variety of emotions from anger to fascination, prompting us to question our own actions and the shape of the future of dance.”—Barbara Bashaw, Rutgers University
 
Driven by facts and hard data, this volume reveals how gender dynamics affect the lives of dancers, choreographers, directors, students, educators, and others who are involved in the world of dance. It unpacks real issues that matter—not just to dance communities but also to broader societal trends in the West.
           
In these studies, dancers and dance scholars take readers into classrooms, rehearsals, performances, festivals, competitions, college dance departments, and company administrations. They ask incisive questions and analyze data to learn about the role of gender in attitudes, stereotypes, pedagogy, funding inequities, representation, casting, and body image. Dance is an important part of our larger cultural fabric, and this volume adds powerful findings to today’s discussions about living in a gendered society.
 

Wendy Oliver, professor of dance at Providence College, is coeditor of Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches. Doug Risner, professor of dance at Wayne State University, is coeditor of Hybrid Lives of Teaching Artists in Dance and Theatre Arts: A Critical Reader.