The Global Dance Network: Reykjavík, Iceland, Takes on New Moves
This research is an exploration of the contemporary dance community in Reykjavík, Iceland. The research questions guiding this thesis were founded in a desire to understand how the dance community in Reykjavík creates its own agency and meaning within the city of Reykjavík, as well as how the d...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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Digital Commons @ DU
2018
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| Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1461 https://digitalcommons.du.edu/context/etd/article/2461/viewcontent/Creek_denver_0061M_11650.pdf |
| Summary: | This research is an exploration of the contemporary dance community in Reykjavík, Iceland. The research questions guiding this thesis were founded in a desire to understand how the dance community in Reykjavík creates its own agency and meaning within the city of Reykjavík, as well as how the dance community in Reykjavík takes imported dance knowledge, localizes it and creates local meaning. With this goal of understanding the ways the community navigates the wider global dance network from its location as a northern island, I utilize concepts from the anthropology of globalization as well as dance anthropology. I specifically employ the global cultural economy and ideas of second-hand knowledge. I conducted an ethnographic study with dancers across three generations during the summer and fall of 2017 editions of the Reykjavík Dance Festival. This methodology included nine semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and analysis of online materials. I discuss how the isolation of Iceland, the movement of bodies and ideas, funding challenges, the climate of Iceland, and the roles of activism and collaboration contribute to the dance scene in Reykjavík. I suggest that dance and other art communities have their own localized agency and are not as restricted by the global cultural economy as some would suggest. Thus, I propose that Icelandic artists have their own first-hand knowledge and have found ways to navigate through this global dance network in a way that puts their city into the center of the network. |
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