This course introduces students to theories of performance through the paradigm of authenticity. We think through how the word “performative” is used colloquially today to signal inauthenticity or a lack of impact, alongside its definition in linguistic theory, in which the “performative” denotes how words or actions create real effects. Together, we consider this slippage. By tracing these concepts in dance and performance, we will question how ideals of honesty, purity, and impact are aestheticized, naturalized, and moralized in the context of embodiment. Course materials will focus on 20th and 21st century histories of US-based performance art, somatics, and postmodern dance, with students reading texts across Dance Studies and Philosophy, watching performances, and engaging in practical exercises. Using a Performance Studies lens to consider the instability of and interplay between definitions of authenticity and performativity, we will critically examine action performed on or off the stage. Students will complete a creative research project grappling with authenticity in theory and/or practice, taking the form of a written or performance work. This course is intended for students across disciplines and departments interested in the intersection of critical theory and creative explorations.