Thinking through Moving Together

Abstract:Moving Together: Dance and Pluralism in Canada ventures into fraught issues of culture and identity to show how dance, and dance scholarship, can contribute to the evolution of cultural pluralism in Canada. The book explores the history of policies surrounding multiculturalism before talking about how dance may enrich the discussion. It goes on to a series of case studies that touch on Indigenous dance and dance in Quebec and in various diasporic dance communities. Some studies discussthe mixing and encounter of different cultures in dance. My review explores a selection of the book’s chapters that highlight important themes: the essentializing of non-dominant cultures, the issue of cultural appropriation, and the transformative possibilities of dance. Sharing concerns about my own self-congratulatory tendency when it comes to narratives about Canada, I critique the book’s overly optimistic view and its shortage of BIPOC authors. Despite these concerns, Moving Together offers a well-considered sounding of current practices, discourses, and debates.