Dance in American Cultures

Full episode transcript: https://americancultures.berkeley.edu/about/berkeley-pedagogy-podcast/episode-1-dance-american-cultures In the midst of frozen lives, students in Professor SanSan Kwan's Theater Dance and Performance Studies (TDPS) 52AC course danced, studied dance, and created dance, connecting the meaning-making of dance to the everyday. Chiefly concerned with embodiment and how identity is seen and felt through the body, the dance pedagogies of 52AC have taken on even greater relevance in the past year, from understanding the choreography of street protest to analyses of how the AAPI body has recently been the object of harassment and violence - connections that students felt respected their experiences and interests inside and outside of the classroom - or in one student's words, "To be in the company of someone, right now in this difficult time which is so knowledgeable, passionate, respectful. Just plain awesome." For SanSan, the classroom is deeply linked to her scholarship and practice as an artist. She introduces students to the concept that dance is more than just steps, styles, and physical techniques - it is a window into culture and identity. SanSan Kwan is a Professor from the Department of Theater Dance and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley. In November 2021, she was honored as one of the recipients of the 2021 American Cultures Excellence in Teaching Award.