Dance Opens the Door to History: When someone hears about a college course titled “dance history” the tendency is to think it’s a class that informs students about notable choreographers such as George Balanchine, Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey. Or perhaps it’s about movements in dance, from ballet to modern to hip-hop. Closer examination shows dance provides a window to detailed historical context particularly as it relates to racial, economic and class issues.
An exploration and understanding of different dance genres can provide students of Africana studies, women’s and gender studies, as well as American studies a wealth of information about cultural expression and unearth often overlooked pieces of history.
