After watching CABD’s “Black Girl: Linguistic Play”, it’s really opened my eyes to the different ways in which art can have meaning. Every little thing symbolized something deeper; There was never something that didn’t have a double meaning. One big observation that I had was the audience’s responses toward certain parts of the dance. For example, I heard some people giggle periodically throughout the show. Although I was a little confused from their laughter, I think that just goes to show how the dance has the ability to reach people differently. That’s a part of the beauty of dance; Everyone can interpret the performance differently and it can hold a different meaning to everyone.
When considering what the work actually does, another question comes to mind: Are all forms of dance/performance capable of being equally political? While primarily focusing on dance this unit, it can be easy to forget about things like music or drawing. Going back to earlier in this unit, I consider how overreading can be applied to all forms of art. In any form of self-expression, there will always be a deeper meaning if you look deep enough. Especially if someone creates a work of art with the intention of having a deeper or political meaning, no matter what their reasoning is, it’d be unfair to say they’re wrong in their reasoning. That being said, I believe any form of performance has the potential to be political.
