Adaptation theory, memoir, and dance
Specific Aims

The writer of the grant proposal introduces adaptation theory for the English literature review related to dance. Writer notes how dance has been used to capture literature. However, what has not been explored is dance becoming literature. Meaning notable American modern dance choreographers and their memoirs, how-to guides, autobiographies, and criticisms. These various forms of literature on dance provide an idea of how dance can be turned into something worth of review from a literary standpoint. Moreover, the writer points out the choreographic memoir as the best example of such form.

Therefore, the writer aims to explore choreographic memoirs and autobiographies and how they should be considered their own literary genre to allow future generations to better understand dance in a literary sense. By performing various choreographic memoirs, the writer wishes to discover the criteria and components for the ‘new genre’. This literary genre of choreographic memoir introduces an innovative interpretation of dance from a resource that is varied and includes a plethora of experiences from dancers who later became choreographers.

Although this seems innovative, inventive, and interesting, it does not feel adequate to achieve such specific aims. The problem with this exploration of literature is the lack of qualitative meaning behind such a review. The writer needs to explore the history of dance and how it became that so many choreographers wrote autobiographies and memoirs. By understanding the periods in which these dance authors wrote about their lives, it further submerges the mind into the period and provides clarification as to why such a genre should exist in the first place. Although the review does aim to be varied and include many various experiences, the importance of history and context remains. Why did certain dance choreography emerge at what time and how did it become popular? This is just one question to ask of many before conducting the review.

Background

The literature review provides partial justification for the study, but not enough. For example there are gaps or missing data within the literature review pertaining to the history of the dancers turned writers and the era represented within the memoirs. Writer provided an example of why the memoir style was chosen, explaining, that In Memoir: An Introduction, by G. Thomas Couser provides a better understanding of what...…are. For example, some dance choreographers changed their dance styles with the rise and popularity of hip hop. Exploring the innovations hip hop brought to dance movement and how choreographers adapted to this new music scene would highlight not only the evolution of dance during that period, but also how dance contributes to the cultural makeup of the time. The writer stated inclusion of watching videos of the choreographer’s work will also be used to further the understanding of what it was the choreographer wanted to showcase in the memoir or autobiography.

Again, this does not seem to potentially answer the hypotheses listed in the Background section. This leads to the next reason why it is inadequate. By not explaining the selection process regarding the chosen dance choreographers, there is no possible connecting of potential themes and stories within the selected memoirs or autobiographies. In a 2016 article explaining the problems with literature search and review, the need for selection criteria allows for better examination of the topic (Grewal, Kataria, & Dhawan, 2016). Overall, the proposal was partial and did not seem like it would cover such an innovative and insightful aim.