The Routledge Companion to Dance in Asia and the Pacific: Platforms for Change Stephanie Burridge 9780367748760

This Companion documents and celebrates artistic journeys within the framework of rich and complex cultural heritages and traditional dance practices of the Asia-Pacific region. It presents various dance forms from Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the South Pacific. Drawing on extensive research and decades of performative experience as artists, choreographers, producers, teachers, and critics, the authors approach issues of dance and cultural diversity from a theoretical perspective while at the same time exploring change, process, and transformation through dance.

The book discusses themes such as tradition, contemporization, interdisciplinarity, dance education, youth dance, dance networks, curatorial practices, and evolving performative practices of dance companies and independents. It also looks at regional networking, curating dance festivals and spaces that foster collaboration, regional cooperation, and cultural exchange, which are essential features of dance in Asia and the Pacific.

This collection will be of interest to students and researchers of pedagogy, choreography, community dance practice, theatre and performance studies, social and cultural studies, aesthetics, interdisciplinary arts, and more. It will be an invaluable resource for artists and practitioners working in dance schools and communities.

Stephanie Burridge is a research consultant at LASALLE College of the Arts and Singapore Management University. She was Artistic Director of Canberra Dance Theatre (1978-2001) and was awarded the first Choreographic Fellowship at the Australian Choreographic Centre. She is Series Editor for Routledge anthology collections: Celebrating Dance in Asia and the Pacific, and Perspectives on Dance, Young People and Change, co-editor Charlotte Svendler Nielsen, Series Foreword by Sir Ken Robinson. She served as the Research and Documentation Network Co-Chair for WDA Asia Pacific for 15 years and is the recipient of numerous grants for choreography and research from the Australia Council, Arts ACT, NAC Singapore, and Singapore International Foundation.