Description
Book SynopsisA rich portrait of the National Ballet of Senegal's work and of the urban dance world of Dakar
Trade Review"Castaldi was the first to publish an in-depth study of dance in Dakar, and hers is a very valuable contribution to a much neglected yet growing field. . . . I would highly recommend it to any reader concerned with the significance of performance in social life and the circulation of the performing arts within and out of Africa."--African Arts
"Castald''s strongest moments lie in her deconstruction of the curious syntheses of 'national ballets,' which perform merged imaginaries for largely expatriate audiences. . . . Recommended."--
Choice"Castaldi has adopted a dance company, the National Ballet of Senegal, for her worthwhile study. . . . Her analysis of the cross-cultural and artistic issues that face African dance companies is a complex web or mirror that envelops anthropology, colonialism, women's issues, and creative virtuosity."--
Multicultural Review"Castaldi produces an innovative, vivid narrative of dance and the choreographies of identities in Senegal, which is certainly thought-provoking in its combination of 'thick' ethnographic description and theoretical reflections. . . . I . . . recommend her study to anyone interested in West African performing arts, identity politics, and discourses of ethnographic writing."--
African Affairs"Well written and thoroughly theorized, this book presents a thought-provoking post-colonial critique of the way in which the African body is presented in dance and represented in writing. . . . With astute observations about the vicissitudes of the global economy in which the dancers operate, the author lends a sympathetic eye to what is undoubtedly the most popular art in Africa. The book offers a radical perspective on a theme--the National Ballet of Senegal--that was long due serious attention."--
Africa: The Journal of the International African Institute
