Gifs and Performative Spectatorship

Hautsch, Jessica; Cook, Amy

doi:10.1353/dtc.2021.0024

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Agyepong's work tries to embed social relationships between image and ideas, actively changing the idea of the Cakewalk to embody a whole new set of concepts around embodied transmission of meanings, whether it is the relation of trauma, successes, anxieties, self-worth, or beauty. Viewers may relate to what Agyepong is trying to convey because these are experiences that viewers feel in their own bodies (Hautsch & Cook 2021). However, because of cultural differences in race, gender, and sexuality, some of this messaging may continue to be lost on non-Black audiences.…”

Section: Reinscribing Meaning…mentioning

confidence: 99%

Black Women of The Cakewalk: Reclaiming The Performance Though Corporeal Orature

Johnson¹

2023

iukad

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The presentation of the Cakewalk through history is contested through white narratives of appropriation followed by Black narratives of reclamation. Originating in the United States as a performance created by slaves, the Cakewalk is a predecessor to many forms of social dance today. However, it is often Black men who receive recognition for the performance while Black women are forgotten to history. In looking at a historical review of the Cakewalk and following two case studies of Aida Overton Walker and Heather Agyepong, this article argues for the importance of Black women in reclaiming the Cakewalk by embedding new narratives into its history through their own bodily presence and agency. The work extends from theories of literature, politics, and media to physical embodiment, understanding that the Black body has agency in the ways it chooses to communicate through visual presence and performance. In doing this work, Aida Overton Walker and Heather Agyepong not only redefine the presence of the Black person through history, but also negotiate how Black identity should and can be presented.

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Section: Reinscribing Meaning…mentioning

confidence: 99%