Tracing The Dance: Movement as a Critical Framework to Reclaim the Narratives of Barbadian Women

This research proposes a new cross-disciplinary method in the field of art and cultural studies to study dances performed by black Barbadian women. The black female body exists within conflicting discourses and between intersectional oppressions (Moïse, 2018); in Barbados, black women must navigate stereotypical narratives while establishing identity in a country that continues to grapple with its colonial history. Dance is one of many cultural practices in Barbados which provides individuals and collectives to express their lived experiences from fetes to churches (Harewood & Hunte, 2010). However, many of these performances are likely to be associated with 'derogatory connotations' as they are 'drawn from the African aesthetic', featuring movements which are 'grounded', 'asymmetrical' and 'polyrhythmic' (Gottschild, 2003). For example, popular movements performed in the Caribbean which predominantly focus on the articulation of the waist, such as the 'whine', tends to be observed as a sign of promiscuity by tourists (Frank, 2007). This study will investigate the presence of multiple narratives within Barbadian dances to challenge common perceptions of the dance and women who perform them.
I intend to carry out participant observation by joining in dance performances. I will document the dances using labanotation - a notation system for analysing movement. There are currently no comprehensive readings of dance in Barbados focusing solely on black women, or written documentations of these dances in the form of notation.

I will use poetry to process the research I am undertaking. Poetry will provide a bridge to articulate the feelings, experiences and encounters with dancers and spectators. I will also document parts of my research on film.
The outcome will be a dance and poetry performance. There will also be an installation exhibit showcasing: the graphic dance scores, film footage and extracts of my poetry/ journal. This will accompany a text to provide the historical context, methodology (including a key for the labanotation) and critical discourse.