Signifyin(g), Sanctifyin' and Slam Dunking
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aesthetics of cool
aesthetics of resistance
African diaspora cultural theory
and community
body
call-and-response patterns
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collective memory in performance
communal authorship models
community-centered art forms
creativity as survival strategy
creativity under oppression
cultural continuity and change
cultural hybridity in the Americas
cultural symbolism in sport
diasporic survivals in modern culture
embodied knowledge systems
embodiment and athletic artistry
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evolution of hip hop culture
expressive traditions in the United States
flow and freestyle technique
grassroots artistic innovation
improvisation as cultural practice
improvisational intelligence
innovation in popular entertainment
innovation through limitation
intergenerational transmission of style
layered meaning in expression
movement as narrative
musical innovation history
oral storytelling lineages
participatory art practices
percussive movement traditions
performance and social identity
performance-based heritage
performative self-fashioning
rhythm and movement traditions
ritual and play in performance
sacred circle dances
sound
sound and identity formation
spiritual movement ceremonies
spoken word roots
street vernacular performance
syncopation and groove theory
vernacular creativity
vernacular modernism
voice and gesture traditions
Product details
- ISBN 9781558491830
- Weight: 817g
- Dimensions: 157 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 12 Oct 1999
- Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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Observers of American society have long noted the distinctive contribution of African Americans to the nation's cultural life. We find references to African American music and dance, black forms of oral expression, even a black style of playing basketball. But what do such terms really mean? Is it legitimate to talk about a distinct African American aesthetic, or is it simply a vestige of an outmoded racial essentialism? What makes a particular form of cultural expression ""black"", other than the fact that some African Americans may practice it? These are some of the questions addressed in the readings gathered in this volume. The essays spring from a variety of disciplines and cover a range of topics, from the communal ritual of the ring shout to the evolution of rap to the improvisational genius of Michael Jordan. While each piece focuses on a different aspect of African American expressive culture, together they seek to reveal a set of creative principles, techniques and practices - a cultural aesthetic - that is consistent and resilient.
