The History of Dance & Women

What do you think of when you picture a female dancer? What does she look like and why do you picture her this way? The relationship between dance and the female form is complex, shaped by centuries of tradition, expectation, and cultural influence. Join Prof Sarahleigh Castelyn to explore how dance has constructed, disciplined, and defined ideas of the female body.

We will dive into questions from “why do we expect female dancers to move in certain ways?” to “why are dance audiences at times guilty of racism, misogyny, and xenophobia?”, while exploring dance activists like Nadine McKennzie, Petra Kuppers and Claire Cunningham and more. This talk invites you to rethink how you view the female form in dance, and why questioning these perspectives matters.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

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Speaker Bio:

Prof Sarahleigh Castelyn is a performer, choreographer, and a dance nerd. She began her journey at the age of four with ballet, later expanding into contemporary dance during her university studies. Over the years, she has contributed to a wide range of projects, from performing in Giselle and me at the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Festival, to authoring Contemporary Dance in South Africa: The Toyi-Toying Body.

Currently, she teaches dance at the University of East London, where her work continues to intersect performance, politics, and research. Sarahleigh holds a bold belief: to spark revolution, you have to dance.

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