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9. Secular Affective Politics in a National Dance about AIDS in Mozambique

Year: 2021
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Imagine an hour-long dance per for mance where an African nation is represented by dancers playing the roles of lovers, schoolgirls, playboys, military men, businessmen, sex workers, intravenous drug users, traditional healers, peasants, and pastors.Then, throw onto the stage four dancers in full-body tights and masks that cover their faces.The tights are made using a batik wash technique that mixes many colors, but red and yellow dominate to symbolize blood and infection.Attached to the tights are strange spikes and nodes, calling to mind grotesque growths and sores.These four hiv/aids virus dancers threaten the unsuspecting characters from African social life, such as romantic partners who are dancing ballroom style in elegant suits and dresses. 1 The virus dancers infect more complicit, even villainous characters such as sex workers and traditional healers, who then transmit aids to others in society.Fi nally, a lone hero dancer enters wearing white tights and covered with white elastic fabric that forms a tip on the head and a circular rim around the dancer's knees.This condom dancer is backed by ten other character dancers wearing condom "hats" on their heads.Together they banish the virus dancers from the stage.It is a wacky per for mance but seemingly effective at communicating the national message to use condoms in the strug gle against aids.The preceding is a description of a dance called Amatodos (1998), produced by the Companhia Nacional de Canto e Dança (cncd; Mozambican National Song and Dance Com pany).For at least five years, the cncd consistently performed Amatodos in their tours around the country and abroad.This constant 9. Secular Affective Politics in a National Dance about AIDS in Mozambique aaron montoya
DOI: 10.1515/9781478013112-012
Language: English
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4236797947
FWCI: 14.21
Cites: 7
Cited by: 2
Related to: 10