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Pan-Indigenous Encounter in the 1950s: 'Ethnic Dancer' Beth Dean.
- Source :
- Australian Historical Studies; Aug2017, Vol. 48 Issue 3, p328-345, 18p
- Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- From 1950, 'ethnic dancer' Beth Dean made her living on a lecture-demonstration touring circuit of the dance traditions of Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands and North America. To assert her expertise, she claimed to have studied Māori and Australian Aboriginal cultures for a number of years. This article investigates how Dean's didactic performances drew on American traditions of ethnic dance to present apparently authoritative representations of Indigenous cultures, supported by Adult Education Boards in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia and national arts organisations. I argue that Dean exploited the symbolic potential of 'corroboree' as a performance of intercultural communication to establish her authority to speak about and perform Australian Aboriginal dance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- CAREER development
DANCE
ABORIGINAL Australian dance
DANCE production & direction
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1031461X
- Volume :
- 48
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Australian Historical Studies
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 124428117
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/1031461X.2017.1337797