DANCE AS HISTORY

Starting in late 2022, Tara Zahra, Homer J. Livingston Professor of History, and professional dancer and dance instructor Meredith Dincolo collaborated to develop new forms of embodied historical and artistic practice, including new methods for historical research and for representing and transmitting history, as well as new choreographic vocabularies for conveying narrative and storytelling.

Their project contains two components:
First, a course for undergraduates, with both a classroom and studio/movement component each week. Developing the course through conversation and analysis shaped studio practice into classroom discourse, and translated classroom discourse into studio practice.

Second, the creation and performance of an original choreographic work by Meredith Dincolo (with Tara’s participation), inspired by the coursework. Phrases and movements generated in studio sessions informed the final work, and students had the option of participating in the choreography/performance.

Course

Dance as History (HIST 29406, TAPS 26275/36275) explored the relationship between dance and history. Rather than investigating the history of dance, this course focused on how incorporating dance can alter the practice of historical research and representation (including public history), and on how history has informed classical and contemporary concert dance since the late 19th century. Through our weekly studio practice we developed new ways of representing and embodying history through dance. The course examined the traditional, historical language of storytelling in certain disciplines of dance, while creating a refreshed, relevant language of gesture and intention in the studio that effectively conveyed narrative. Our focus was on European and American classical, modern, and contemporary concert dance since the 19th century, but students were welcome to explore other genres, cultural contexts, and moments in their research and in discussion.

Assignments included readings as well as viewing existing choreographic works on video; discussion of these texts and videos; engaging in conversation with contemporary choreographers, writing analyses of dances informed by the readings; attending relevant performances in Chicago, and participating each week in a studio-based class session in which the themes under consideration that week were explored through movement. No dance experience was required to take this course.

Fellows

MEREDITH DINCOLO

Meredith Dincolo has been dancing and teaching professionally for the past 27 years, having begun her professional career as a free-lance dancer in Chicago in 1993. Ms. Dincolo joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as a full company member in 1996. During her nearly 14 years with the company, Meredith performed and created works with choreographers and artists from around the world. Between 2000-2004, Meredith danced in Europe with Lyon Opera Ballet (direction, Yorgos Loukos) and Nationaltheater Mannheim (direction, Kevin O’Day) before returning to Hubbard Street in late 2004. Most recently, Meredith performed with Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists in the premiere of Echo Mine, a full evening collaboration with the band Califone.

Dincolo joined the artistic staff of Hubbard Street as a company teacher and guest instructor at Lou Conte Dance Studio in 2009, while still dancing with the main company. She has also taught for companies such as Lyon Opera Ballet, Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve, Ballett Basel, Alvin Ailey American Dance Company, Abraham.In.Motion, Jessica Lange Dance, GöteborgsOperan Danskompani, and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. At the university level, Meredith has created works with West Virginia University and Marygrove College, and has taught master classes at George Mason University, University of Michigan, Western Michigan University and Florida State University. She has also served as rehearsal assistant to Kyle Abraham and William Forsythe for works with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and has set the work of Alejandro Cerrudo both domestically and internationally.

TARA ZAHRA

Tara Zahra is Hanna Holborn Gray Professor Professor of History. She is the author of four books related to the history of migration, family, nationalism, and globalization; her most recent book, Against the World: Anti-Globalism and Mass Politics in Interwar Europe will be published by Norton in January 2023. She was named a Macarthur Fellow in 2014 and a Guggenheim Fellow in 2021-22, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Tara Zahra is also the Roman Family Director at the University of Chicago’s Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society. She is also a lifelong amateur dancer and has worked as a dance writer and critic. She has been active in efforts to expand the dance curriculum/presence at the University of Chicago since arriving in 2007, most recently serving on the Provost’s Arts Steering Committee from 2017-20.