African American Vernacular Dance: Investigating Embodied Identity in Hip-Hop Dance Through Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation
Jennifer Meckley
|
JENNIFER MECKLEY As a performer, teacher, choreographer, and practitioner of various hip-hop, street, club, and contemporary dance forms, Meckley’s (she/they) goal is to emphasize the benefits of training in African American vernacular dance techniques. Inspired by her identity as a gay woman, Meckley’s choreography explores the presentation of breaking, house dance, waacking, and vogue on a concert stage through movement abstraction fused with modern dance techniques and the incorporation of other live elements such as DJing and graffiti. Meckley’s work was presented at Ball State University, Slippery Rock University, West Chester University, and at the 2015 American College Dance Association conference.
In 2010, Meckley obtained a B.A. in Dance from Slippery Rock University and a M.F.A in Dance in 2013 from The Ohio State University. She has served as a faculty member at West Chester University, Cuyahoga Community College, Northampton Community College, and the University of Dayton. Meckley has also been a guest artist at ACDA, MamLuft & Dance Co., Dance WV, and The American Dance Festival. Meckley currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Dance at Ball State University and actively pushes the boundaries of physicality through performance as a founding member of the modern dance company, Abby Z and the New Utility, directed and choreographed by Abby Zbikowski. Meckley has performed with the company at venues including Jacob’s Pillow, New York Live Arts, The American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival., Judson Church Movement Research and more. Jennifer also had the amazing opportunity to dance for established hip-hop dance artist Raphael Xavier. |
Abstract
This essay investigates the translation of identity through kinesthetic knowledge and embodied experiences in African American vernacular dance forms developed from oppression and discrimination of the Black and LGBTQIA communities. The histories, creators, and movement qualities of the hip-hop dance styles house dance, waacking, voguing, and breaking are analyzed along with the identities of the choreographer and dancers in a production entitled Intertextuality. This show encompassed various African American vernacular dance forms through multiple perspectives, personalities, and training backgrounds. Smaller sections of this production – “XY” and “Messe Messe” – provide the main evidence for this analysis by dissecting the choreographic choices, performers’ experiences, and the gender associations rooted in the movement qualities of these dance styles. The result of this investigation will bring awareness to the embedded and embodied experiences and stereotypes these dance forms carry through race, gender, and sexual orientation and will emphasize the necessity for the transference of these experiences through movement to accomplish a deeper understanding and unity cross-culturally.
This essay investigates the translation of identity through kinesthetic knowledge and embodied experiences in African American vernacular dance forms developed from oppression and discrimination of the Black and LGBTQIA communities. The histories, creators, and movement qualities of the hip-hop dance styles house dance, waacking, voguing, and breaking are analyzed along with the identities of the choreographer and dancers in a production entitled Intertextuality. This show encompassed various African American vernacular dance forms through multiple perspectives, personalities, and training backgrounds. Smaller sections of this production – “XY” and “Messe Messe” – provide the main evidence for this analysis by dissecting the choreographic choices, performers’ experiences, and the gender associations rooted in the movement qualities of these dance styles. The result of this investigation will bring awareness to the embedded and embodied experiences and stereotypes these dance forms carry through race, gender, and sexual orientation and will emphasize the necessity for the transference of these experiences through movement to accomplish a deeper understanding and unity cross-culturally.
| etudesdec2021meckley.pdf |
