This collection is the first book to focus on the intersection of dance, disability, and the law. Bringing together a range of writers from different disciplines, it considers the question of how we value, validate, and speak about diversity in performance practice, with a specific focus on the experience of differently-abled dance artists within the changing world of the arts in the United Kingdom. Contributors address the legal frameworks that support or inhibit the work of disabled dancers and explore factors that affect their full participation, including those related to policy, arts funding, dance criticism, and audience reception.

About the Author
Sarah Whatley is professor of dance at Coventry University. Charlotte Waelde is professor of intellectual property law at Coventry University. Shawn Harmon is a deputy director at the Mason Institute. Abbe Brown is a reader at the University of Aberdeen. Karen Wood is a dance practitioner, researcher, and educator. Hetty Blades is a research fellow at Coventry University.

Reviews

The six coeditors of this reference, who are variously scholars of dance and law, focus on the nexus between normative (often idealized) dance, what the British call disabled dance, and the law. The text highlights the fact that dancers with disabilities don't conform to the expected parameters of athleticism and grace that epitomize most able-bodied performance. These dancers are often marginalized, and public awareness of the vast talent expressed by dancers with disabilities is therefore limited; the audience has very different expectations of the performance of a dancer with a disability versus an able-bodied performer's. The volume's contributors are chiefly British; most are performers with a disability who share their experiences and knowledge, highlighting both the challenges faced on a daily basis as well as the passionate joy of creating an enjoyable production. Many productions described in this text aim to dismantle societal stereotypes of disability by inviting the audience to experience the dynamics of living with a disability. Equal rights and accessibility to events are mandated by the Disability Discrimination Act of Britain. Though focused on the UK, this text offers an engaging look at a relatively understudied community.

-- D. J. Winchester * Choice Connect, Vol 56. No. 6 *



Book Information
ISBN 9781783208685
Author Sarah Whatley
Format Hardback
Page Count 350
Imprint Intellect Books
Publisher Intellect Books