Writing Dance in the AfroNow

Abstract This chapter discusses the challenge of writing dance. It looks at the philosophies of dance studies scholars who emphasize connections between writing and dancing, finding ways to bridge the gap between movement and the written word. The chapter also engages thinkers focused on dance in general, as well as those dedicated to what can be called Black dance and the Black dancing body, arguing that the best dance writers are those who dance themselves. It then delves deeper into the impossible process, using two well-known black dancer-writers’ dance prose and poetry across two generations: the renowned choreographer-scholar Katherine Dunham and poet/playwright Ntozake Shange. Finally, the chapter reflects on how dancing and writing reflect past, present, and future dimensions of the Black experience.