Dance, Anthropology of

The role of dance in social and cultural contexts has been a topic for focused anthropological study since the 1960s. When the Western concept of dance does not work, dance anthropologists look for bounded rhythmical movements but also dance events and dance culture. Dance can drive transition and negotiate both conflict and unity. The anthropology of dance covers all forms of dance, Western and non‐Western, ranging from dance in ritual, folk dance, and diaspora dance to social dance and street dance, as well as staged performance dance, and dancesport. Because of the transient nature of dance, issues of preservation and mediation are at stake. Dance and movement have been analyzed in relation to theories of the body, race, gender, and sexuality, as well as to ethnicity and nationalism, postcolonialism, and globalization.