Rethinking participation through dance: A historical-theoretical intersection

The paper deals with the idea of participation or community in dance. The idea of community has become key in contemporary discussions about the globalization of contemporary societies, and dance has a large share in the reflections of these global processes. Dance also has a very long tradition of community thinking. From this long and rich tradition, this paper will point out the ways in which the idea of community is reflected in social and artistic dances, pointing out both concrete dance forms and theoretical concepts, ideas and practices. Of the dance forms, the paper will discuss the tango pair dance, the flash mob dance-gathering form as well as the contact improvisation developed within postmodern dance. Of the theoretical and philosophical settings that underpin discussions of community in dance studies, the paper will discuss the concept of kinesthesia or “kinesthetic empathy”, “mirror neurons” in neuroscience as well as philosophical reflections on affect.