A rich portrait of the National Ballet of Senegal's work and of the urban dance world of Dakar
Francesca Castaldi is an independent dance scholar and ethnographer.
"Castaldi was the first to publish an in-depth study of dance in
Dakar, and hers is a very valuable contribution to a much neglected
yet growing field. . . . I would highly recommend it to any reader
concerned with the significance of performance in social life and
the circulation of the performing arts within and out of
Africa."--African Arts
"Castald''s strongest moments lie in her deconstruction of the
curious syntheses of 'national ballets,' which perform merged
imaginaries for largely expatriate audiences. . . .
Recommended."--Choice
"Castaldi has adopted a dance company, the National Ballet of
Senegal, for her worthwhile study. . . . Her analysis of the
cross-cultural and artistic issues that face African dance
companies is a complex web or mirror that envelops anthropology,
colonialism, women's issues, and creative
virtuosity."--Multicultural Review
"Castaldi produces an innovative, vivid narrative of dance and the
choreographies of identities in Senegal, which is certainly
thought-provoking in its combination of 'thick' ethnographic
description and theoretical reflections. . . . I . . . recommend
her study to anyone interested in West African performing arts,
identity politics, and discourses of ethnographic
writing."--African Affairs
"Well written and thoroughly theorized, this book presents a
thought-provoking post-colonial critique of the way in which the
African body is presented in dance and represented in writing. . .
. With astute observations about the vicissitudes of the global
economy in which the dancers operate, the author lends a
sympathetic eye to what is undoubtedly the most popular art in
Africa. The book offers a radical perspective on a theme--the
National Ballet of Senegal--that was long due serious
attention."--Africa: The Journal of the International African
Institute
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