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Performance of Possibilities: A Critical Analysis of Audience Responses to Pipaashaa by Ananya Dance Theatre

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2013

Hui Niu Wilcox
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Abstract

This paper critically analyzes audience responses to Ananya Dance Theatre's work Pipaashaa: Extreme Thirst. Ananya Dance Theater intervenes in colorblind racial politics through casting only women and girls of color. Different responses by audiences of different social locations constitute critical discourses about race and social justice—catalysts for personal and social transformation. An examination of the discourse around Pipaashaa demonstrates that materiality of both performing and viewing bodies are important factors in creating meaningful art that envisions and inspires change.

Type
Research Article
Information
Congress on Research in Dance Conference Proceedings , Volume 40 , supplement S1: Dance Studies and Global Feminisms , 2008 , pp. 225 - 236
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2008

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References

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