ESCREVIVÊNCIAS E EXPERIÊNCIAS DE CORPOS NEGROS NA DANÇA

Abstract

This research aims to identify the agency of black girls in dance. This proposal originates from the investigation into the dynamics and transits that involved my experiences as a black woman and dancer within a hegemonic culture, permeated by reflections on the erasure of african cultural manifestations in brazilian culture and the constant dissemination and valorization of the eurocentric culture I experienced during my time in classical ballet. This leads to the impressions obtained from the encounter of my blackness as researcher with theier blackness as well who compose the plural narratives of this research. Through "escrevivência" (writing-from-experience), the reflection addresses hegemonic contexts in dance education, seeking in the concepts of agency and Afrocentricity, the history of dance, classical ballet, and Afro-Brazilian dances, to understand the agency of Black ballerinas (anonymous and established, such as Mercedes Baptista) despite similar generational challenges. The "escrevivência" methodology (Evaristo, 2009) aligns with the promotion of Black location, centrality, and agency. The fieldwork involved Afro-Brazilian popular dance workshops (Maracatu Rural, Frevo) for black girls (10-13 years old) in Mato Grosso do Sul. The exercise of agency by the participants was observed as they opted for afro-brazilian dances over ballet, and stigmatized conceptions about Africa and religious prejudices related to african cultural manifestations were identified. After the workshops, the fragility in African representation and black protagonism persisted, indicating the limitation of individual efforts without institutional and family support. However, the participants' engagement demonstrated autonomy and a search for such valuable ancestral cultural knowledge. The agency manifested in the girls' permanence and involvement, which was sustained until the end of the experience. It is urgent that the dissemination of this content transcends individual initiatives, demanding social accountability and the implementation of laws. This experience provided us with belonging, a sensation enveloped by pride in recognizing oneself in black cultural expressions.