In the Winter 2021 issue of InForm, we lauded the leadership, labor and love of the Anti-Racist Working Group (ARWG), a sub-group of Dancers in Graduate School (DiGS), an Ohio State student organization. In the Autumn 2021 issue of InForm, we announced their development of Anti-Racism and Social Justice Education through the Performing Arts, a certificate program in anti-racism leadership in the performing arts that trains artists, educators and community leaders to dismantle racial inequities in the field. In this issue, we are excited to provide an update on these extraordinary efforts.
Last autumn, the groups continued with a workshop series co-facilitated by alumni and students and co-organized by Ph.D. Candidate Alesondra (Alex) Christmas, Alumna and Lecturer Kathryn Logan and Alumna Dr. Lyndsey Vader. Also, DiGS and the ARWG hosted guest artists Dancing Around Race for a virtual 2-day workshop series January 20-21, 2021. Graduate Fellow and Ph.D. Student Bhumi Patel, who recently won a Dance/USA Fellowship is a member of Dancing Around Race. According to a DiGS flyer, “Our goal is for this event to support our continuous efforts of building antiracist thought and action by dismantling racism in the body through artistic practices.” Both workshops were free and open to Ohio State students, faculty, staff and community members:
- Dance Lineages – Friday, January 20, 2023, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
- Embodied Manifesto Making – Saturday, January 21, 2023, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
In addition to the workshops and to pilot the new certificate program, Alesondra Christmas taught Dance 5500: “Anti-Racism in the Performing Arts” in autumn 2022 as a group study and is teaching Dance 2500: “Introduction to Anti-Racism in the Performing Arts” as an undergraduate general education course in spring 2023. “This course builds a foundation for anti-racist reflection and practice for artists, educators and audiences, all of whom participate in creating and upholding cultural values,” says Christmas in the course description. “Interdisciplinary course materials address how racism operates systemically, institutionally and interpersonally in live and digital performing arts. Students will consider their own biases and intersectional identities and will examine the interdependent relationship between culture and society. What power do the performing arts have in perpetuating or interrupting systems of oppression? What are our roles and responsibilities as cultural participants? This course addresses these questions through readings, viewings, dialogue and practice.” Logan created the course in consultation with Christmas, Vader and the research team for Ohio State’s “Anti-Racism and Social Justice Education in the Arts” certificate program. This team included Christmas, Dr. Nadine George-Graves, Logan, Dr. Nyama McCarthy-Brown and Dr. Mindi Rhoades.
