Caribbean and Atlantic Diaspora Dance

Igniting Citizenship

Author: Yvonne Daniel

A vital resource for historical and contemporary Caribbean dance practices

Paper – $30

978-0-252-07826-2

eBook – $19.95

978-0-252-09357-9

Publication Date

Paperback: 12/12/2011
Cloth: 12/12/2011

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About the Book

In Caribbean and Atlantic Diaspora Dance: Igniting Citizenship, Yvonne Daniel provides a sweeping cultural and historical examination of Diaspora dance genres. Daniel investigates social dances brought to the islands by Europeans and Africans, including quadrilles and drum/dances as well as popular dances that followed, such as Carnival parading, Pan-Caribbean danzas, rumba, merengue, mambo, reggae, and zouk. She reviews sacred dance and closely documents combat dances, such as Martinican ladja, Trinidadian kalinda, and Cuban juego de maní. In drawing on scores of performers and consultants from the region as well as on her own professional dance experience and acumen, Daniel adeptly places Caribbean dance in the context of cultural and economic globalization, connecting local practices to transnational and global processes and emphasizing the important role of dance in critical regional tourism. Throughout, Daniel reveals impromptu and long-lasting Diaspora communities of participating dancers and musicians.

About the Author

Yvonne Daniel is a professor emerita of dance and Afro-American studies at Smith College and the author of Dancing Wisdom: Embodied Knowledge in Haitian Vodou, Cuban Yoruba, and Bahian Candomble and Rumba: Dance and Social Change in Contemporary Cuba.

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Reviews

"A stunning, career-capping synthesis of extended fieldwork. . . . Compelling at every turn, the book treats important figures in Caribbean dance and dance studies and provides extensive taxonomies of performance modes. . . . Highly recommended."--Choice

Blurbs

"A masterful synthesis that connects the dots between the varied places, genres, and performers throughout the stunningly diverse cultures of the Caribbean. Daniel impressively draws on local experts as well as scholars from across the region, which leads to a strong, in-depth analysis of dances such as quadrille and rumba."--Halbert Barton, professor of anthropology, Long Island University

"A singular achievement that provides a definitive reference of the richness of practices and the resilience and dilemmas that confront dance in the Caribbean. Daniel effectively blends a dance insider's command of formal corporal and musical dimensions with a keen eye for cultural, historical, and sociopolitical context."--Randy Martin, author of Socialist Ensembles: Theater and State in Cuba and Nicaragua