LDAN
3130

Vogueing

Eugene Lang College Lib Arts: The Arts

Vogue'ology
Fall 2011
Taught By: Robert Sember
Section: A

Course Reference Number: 6459

Credits: 4

The predominantly African American and Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Ballroom scene is renowned for its music, fashion, and performance innovations. Vogue, the Ballroom scene's signature dance form, is a movement-based exploration of popular cultural representations of gender, class and race that has informed contemporary notions of gender performativity while also being used to affirm normative notions of femininity, wealth and whiteness. In Vogue'ology we take up this and other contradictions related to Vogue by approaching it as both a focus of cultural analysis as well as a method for embodied investigations of power. We will mirror and complicate this shift between looking at and learning through Vogue by switching between seminar classes, studio sessions and fieldwork. As we move perspective and practice we will ask what each approach teaches us about the complex play between lived histories, embodied experiences, and the political economy of New York City. Vogue'ology is part of a multi-phased, long-term collaboration between the sound-art collective, Ultra-red, and members of New York City's House Ballroom scene and will be taught by Ultra-red and Ballroom participants.

College: Eugene Lang College Lib Arts (LC)

Department: The Arts (LARS)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Seminar (R)

Max Enrollment: 18