What is it about?
The important relation between dancing and social change in the lives of the Baka, who live along the River Ivindo in north-eastern Gabon. The article reflects in particular on how new technical influences are challenging long-standing movement values and ritualised male-female interaction of Baka egalitarian society.
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Why is it important?
Social change is conceptualised from a perspective, which gives primacy to human movement rather than material or environmental facts. Movement theory and attention to body movements show how dance analysis can provide a window on socio-political transformation.
Perspectives
Spending one year with the Baka in Gabon showed me the importance of dance on the level of society. I continue to explore what I call the 'bodily commentary on socio-political change' in research work in a European context. It's fascinating, and I look forward to more people taking this approach so we can share experiences and theoretical perspectives.
Dr Doerte Weig
Consejo Superior de Investigacion Cientifica
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Social change mirrored in Baka dance and movement, Before Farming, June 2015, Liverpool University Press,
DOI: 10.3828/hgr.2015.4.
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