Researching Dance through Ethnochoreology

Our ASEF Junior Fellow from Argentina, Mayka Jacob, attended the 32nd Symposium of the ICTM (International Council for Traditional Music) Study Group on Ethnochoreology , which took place in Brežice between July 29 and August 5. Founded in 1962, the Study Group on Ethnochoreology is the oldest study group in the ICTM. More than 250 members from 58 countries are engaged in research in the specific fields of dance, movement practices, and dance culture, and include not only researchers or scholars of dance, but also some semi-professional researchers and practitioners of various traditional dance practices.

Ethnocoreology is a discipline that developed in the 20th century, initially focusing on the study of dance as a text or its message, but then shifting to the analysis of the circumstances in which a particular dance was developed and performed.

This year’s symposium discussed two topics, Reconsidering knowledge production in dance research, and Inclusion/Exclusion in dance communities. Mayka attended the symposium together with her mentor, Dr. Rebeka Kunej, Research Associate and Assistant Professor of Folklore Studies and Comparative Mythology at ZRC SAZU – Institute of Ethnomusicology. Dr. Kunej is also chair of the symposium’s organizing committee.

During the symposium, different dance and musical issues were explored through all its aspects, including writing, teaching, origins, and research in other parts of the world. These and numerous other elements have taught Mayka new things about dance that she was previously unaware of. Through this experience, she is able to reconsider how she feels about dancing, as well as forge ties for her future research.