It All Begins with YOU: Space, Movement, and Bridge-Building in ASL Dance

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2015
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
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Thesis (B.A.)
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en_US
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Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
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Abstract
ASL poetry has been analyzed by Klima and Bellugi (1979), Valli (1993), and Sutton-Spence (2005), among many others, but to date there has been no large-scale study of American Sign Language dance. ASL dance is a mixed medium art form that combines linguistic ASL signing with dance gestures and choreography. Its performers often state that the intention of their art is to bring the Deaf and hearing communities together. This paper examines how ASL dance uses space and movement to achieve that end. Engberg-Pedersen's (1993) discussion of the discursive use of space and Klima and Bellugi's (1979) exploration of the structure of ASL poetry provide illuminating frameworks. ASL dance artists use the convention of comparison (Engberg-Pedersen 1993: 74) to contrast difference, and external poetic structure (Klima and Bellugi 1979: 343-349) to create a sense of balance and inclusivity between the performer and the audience and between the Deaf and hearing communities therein. In ASL dance, space is constructed as a crucial vehicle for communicating the relationship between us all.
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