Unveiling the Marked Narratives of the Student: Teaching within Perceptions of Racialized Bodies in the Dance Classroom

ABSTRACT Research at the intersection of race, dance, and education is often discussed descriptively or as a cultural intervention, one tracked by what is physically seen (identity of students) rather than how it operates unseen (such as how race operates on students in the classroom). I contribute empirically to the sociocultural frames of the current race literature within the dance classroom. By framing the experience of teaching under historic, racialized logics of curriculum and the “marked body,” I use critical phenomenology to analyze the ways race plays out in perception, emotion, and the relationship between teacher and student. I suggest that hidden curriculums of dance classrooms that are veiled, marked narratives of the student, must be acknowledged to fully expand the potential of culturally relevant classroom interactions. This study offers suggestions for supporting teachers in anti-racist teaching and has implications for professional development for dance educational spaces.