Colonised bodies — the oppression of women

Abstract

Women’s bodies are colonised when treated as commodities. The social constructions, discussed in the last chapter, also contribute to this colonisation, forming part of the complex relationship between cultural practices and bodily experiences which both inform and influence each other. The physical expression of Martha Graham, a founder of modern dance (see Chapter 6), or Yvonne Rainer, a founder member of the Judson Church Collective (see Chapter 7), who formed their own dance practices, is clearly established in the radical changes they instituted in body stance and movement. Women’s numerical majority in dance has led to assertions that women dominate dance and do not suffer oppression within the art form. But women performers and choreographers live and work within a social framework and will, therefore, be affected by social factors, of which women’s oppression is a significant example.