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Paper Short Abstract:

I aim to share how has been the exploration and analysis of the transmission process of dance in spaces where female dancers experience dancehall, such as parties and classes, from the embodied perspective of the dance.

Paper Abstract:

There has been a significant amount of academic research conducted on the topic of dancehall in Jamaica, with a focus on ethnomusicology (Cooper 2004) and cultural studies (Stanley Niaah 2010 and Hope 2006). However, these studies tend to analyse dancehall solely as a phenomenon that takes place at parties, with music being the primary subject of analysis and dance being considered a byproduct of the music.

It is crucial to give ethnographic attention to the analysis of dance as it is a potent symbol that cannot be reduced to any other form of human activity. Dance communicates emotions that cannot be expressed verbally (Giurchescu 2001). Therefore, it is essential to study various spaces where dancehall is experienced by dancers, including parties, dance classes, and competitions, which previous anthropological investigations have overlooked. I consider it important to focus the attention of the dancehall from the embodied perspective because is a phenomenon that was born in a dancing context. Dancehall means dancing in the hall. The hall is the parties takes place in Kingston, Jamaica (Hope, 2006).

That is why I am exploring and analysing the transmission process of dance in spaces where female dancers experience dancehall, such as parties and classes, from the embodied experience. I aim to share an overview of how I tackled this question during my fieldwork in Jamaica in the summer of 2023. To learn and research about dancehall dancers, I decided to participate in dance activities with them as much as possible.