Dance as Resistance: Kate Spanos' Journey Across Cultures

Article ## Kate Spanos's Journey: Dancing Beyond Borders

Dance is a powerful medium that touches individuals on a personal level and fosters community connection, emphasizes Kate Spanos Ph.D.'16, an esteemed faculty fellow, non-profit founder, and first-time author. She specializes in dances of resistance that allow communities to assert their voices despite oppressive circumstances. Her extensive travels through the Caribbean, Ireland, and Brazil have provided Spanos with firsthand insights into how these dances serve as powerful tools for subjugation resistance and community building.

I was drawn to capoeira out of sheer curiosity, Spanos admits about her initial interest in a traditional Afro-Brazilian dance form often described as a 'danced fight'. Yet this fascination led her on an academic journey that expanded beyond the physical performance into cultural research. She describes how connecting with people and immersing herself in their world through shared dance experiences is integral to her work.

Upon her return from Ireland, Spanos's first exposure to traditional Irish dance ignited a lifelong passion for movement arts. This sparked her interest in capoeira, which she pursued at the University of Limerick. Her research journey didn't stop there; she also delved into studies of dances from Montserrat and Brazil as a Fulbright scholar.

Understanding these dances isn't just about learning movements, Spanos points out, It's about appreciating how they serve as cultural archives and political assertions.

Upon completion of her Ph.D. in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland, Spanos chose to remn close to home for the launch of EducArte in 2019, a non-profit organization that provide space for Brazilian artists to teach and practice their cultural traditions. This initiative underscores her commitment to preserving heritage through artistic expression.

Spanos's academic career at the University of Maryland has been characterized by interdisciplinary teaching and research initiatives. In Spring 2024, she will introduce Dancing the Archive: Irish and African Cultural Encounters in the Americas, a new seminar that explores cultural confluences through dance and music. Her existing course on Dancing in the World with Honors ities further highlights her dedication to bridging global cultural narratives.

Collaborating with Sinclr Ogaga Emoghene, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Spanos explns about her co-authorship of a book titled 'Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences', we med to discuss inclusivity and equity in academic dance spaces.

The international nature of dance challenges assumptions about artistry, aesthetics, and performance venues. By pooling their perspectives as dance scholars from different cultural backgrounds, Spanos and Emoghene have fostered a dialogue that acknowledges the unique understanding of these concepts worldwide.

Looking ahead, Spanos remns committed to EducArte's mission of showcasing global art forms while highlighting their transformative potential in education and community engagement at both local and international levels. Her work continues to emphasize dance as a universal language capable of transcing barriers and fostering unity.

For those interested in learning more about Spanos's experiences abroad or the essence of her research, she invites readers to explore her Fulbright profile detling her time as a scholar-in-residence in Brazil.

Topics: Arts Culture Global Experiences Faculty Stories Reimagine Learning Research Scholarship

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