Journal article
Dance Represent/Asian: Surveying Asian Americans in Professional Dance
American journal of arts management, Vol.13(1), pp.1-24
01 Feb 2025
Abstract
Data about Asian Americans in dance is considerably lacking. Researchers present the results of a survey focused on the Asian American experience in professional US dance organizations, although ballet was of particular interest due to its high status and sociohistorical power. A short survey was distributed to professional dancers. Participants were asked a series of multiplechoice questions about how they identify, their dance training, and professional experience and status. The next section included a Likert-type scale to indicate whether participants agreed with statements about their experiences in dance. Lastly, participants could respond to open-ended questions. Despite overrepresentation of Asian groups in professional dance, survey findings indicate a prevalence of microaggressions, scrutiny in casting, challenges of intersectionality, and negative effects of race on career progression. Furthermore, results suggest a bamboo ceiling, employment-related discrimination, and limited resources and opportunities to voice concerns. While this survey was an important first step in understanding Asian American representation in professional dance companies across the US, additional studies are recommended to improve our understanding of training, ranks, promotion rates, and experiences of Asian American dancers.
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Details
- Title
- Dance Represent/Asian: Surveying Asian Americans in Professional Dance
- Creators
- Kori WakamatsuPamela YauJason YeungPhil ChanRebecca Manning
- Publication Details
- American journal of arts management, Vol.13(1), pp.1-24
- Publisher
- American Journal of Arts Management
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Arts and Entertainment Enterprise
- Other Identifier
- 991022064982104721