Sporting Performances is the first anthology to tackle sports and physical culture from a performance perspective; it serves as an invitation and provocation for scholarly discourse on the connections between sports and physical culture, and theatre and performance. Through a series of intriguing case studies that blur the lines between the realms of politics, sports, physical culture, and performance, this book assumes that sporting performances, much like theatre, serve as barometers, mirrors, and refractors of the culture in which they are enmeshed. Some of the examples include nineteenth century variety show pugilists, athletes on Broadway, sumo wrestlers, performance enhancing surgeries, and wearable fitness trackers. Whilst analysing sport through the lens of theatre and performance, this anthology reflects on scholar Ben Spatz's suggestion that, "what we do becomes who we are;" showing the nuanced imprints of physical activity on the mind, soul, and tongue. Written primarily for those interested in fitness, dance, and physical theatre, this interdisciplinary volume is a crucial tool for Performance and Theatre Studies students and those in the fields of Sports Studies, Cultural Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, and American Studies more broadly.

Book Information
ISBN 9780367210564
Author Shannon L. Walsh
Format Hardback
Page Count 248
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 159g