Dance Ethics

Abstract

Abstract The primary goal in this chapter is to focus on some of the special responsibilities that the embodied nature of dance can bring into ethical relationships, honing in on the idea of dancers as ethical agents and actors who must navigate issues of personal space, touch, consent, closeness, and care for those who are sharing a professional, social, or community dance space. The author begins with a discussion of the personal nature of embodiment, moving out from there to a discussion of one-on-one connections with another person that are illustrated in dance, comparing these to romantic entanglements. Next, the chapter expands outward from on-one-one dancing to ethics writ large—what some might call social and political philosophy—and briefly touches on some research being done on dance-specific cultural appropriation, authorship, copyright, personal identity discrimination and exclusion, and decolonization. Finally, the chapter provides a conclusion and coda that discusses issues for dance ethics that arise during times of public health crises, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a paradigm example.