Throughout centuries, Dance Studies, similar to many other fields of studies, suffered greatly from colonization, white supremacy, and racism. Despite the effort of ending slavery and anti-racist movements, the impact of colonization is present and keeps tormenting society. The traces of colonization are visible to the naked eye. Dance Studies has suffered a great deal from it to this day, considering white culture as the norm and standard.
The terms and choices for dance are unjust and unequal to Black culture. The idea of dance usually involves a Eurocentric choreography and training that are globally accepted default standards. It renders other cultures’ dances inferior, of worse quality. Any display of another culture’s dance, especially Black, is considered a manifestation of a political view, a reminder of the existence of racism and the history of slavery. Where the dance or any demonstration of artistic and cultural differences cannot be outcasted, it is exploited. Colonization is integrated into the society to the extent of indigenous cultures being profited from and controlled by white supremacy in their native countries. Letting Black people dance and perform without interpreting everything as a reference to prolonged suffering and pain is one of the examples of decolonization.
Like any other aspect of life, dance is filled with the impact of racism and white supremacy influence. The unjust terms choice and dance are overridden with White people’s understanding of it, ignorance of other cultures, exploitation, control, and objectification. This objectification needs to be eradicated from Dance Studies and society overall. The white community needs to hold space from Black and other cultures, decolonize all the expectations and perceptions of such culture exhibitions as dance.