<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>In this article, the concept of «black dance» is used as a critical tool to explore the lifelong dance achievements of the black dancer, choreographer and pedagogue Claude Marchant (1919–2004) in relation to history making. Marchant’s history in the US and to some extent in Europe from the 1930s to the 1960s is mapped and analysed, with the aim of better understanding his work in Sweden, and more specifically in Gothenburg. While Marchant is mentioned in previous dance historiographies, there are no in-depth explorations of his life and work. This exploration, therefore, complements both Swedish and international dance research, with an example that problematises history production in relation to black artists such as Marchant. It is argued that a participatory «dance-where-we-dig» method is a useful tool for instigating locally situated historiographical processes of change, and can relate artists such as Marchant to broader, transnational contexts.</p>
</abstract>

In this article, the concept of «black dance» is used as a critical tool to explore the lifelong dance achievements of the black dancer, choreographer and pedagogue Claude Marchant (1919–2004) in relation to history making. Marchant’s history in the US and to some extent in Europe from the 1930s to the 1960s is mapped and analysed, with the aim of better understanding his work in Sweden, and more specifically in Gothenburg. While Marchant is mentioned in previous dance historiographies, there are no in-depth explorations of his life and work. This exploration, therefore, complements both Swedish and international dance research, with an example that problematises history production in relation to black artists such as Marchant. It is argued that a participatory «dance-where-we-dig» method is a useful tool for instigating locally situated historiographical processes of change, and can relate artists such as Marchant to broader, transnational contexts.

Om Claude Marchant: Ett historiografiskt bidrag till svart danshistoria i Sverige

Nordic Journal of Dance

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

In this article, the concept of «black dance» is used as a critical tool to explore the lifelong dance achievements of the black dancer, choreographer and...

Om Claude Marchant: Ett historiografiskt bidrag till svart danshistoria i Sverige

Published Online: Jul 08, 2021

Page range: 4 - 21

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/njd-2021-0002

Keywords
black dance, African-American dance, Claude Marchant, historiography, the Ballet Academy in Gothenburg

© 2021 Astrid von Rosen, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Om Claude Marchant: Ett historiografiskt bidrag till svart danshistoria i Sverige

Published Online: Jul 08, 2021

Page range: 4 - 21

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/njd-2021-0002

Keywordsblack dance, African-American dance, Claude Marchant, historiography, the Ballet Academy in Gothenburg

© 2021 Astrid von Rosen, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
black dance, African-American dance, Claude Marchant, historiography, the Ballet Academy in Gothenburg