“Groove is in the Heart” A Postmodern journey through Dance Culture.
Since its beginning back in the hazy days of 1988, dance culture has evolved not just as a musical genre but as a musical phenomenon. Its permutations have been prolific and its followers diverse and devoted. Perusing through the extant literature pertaining to past and present genres I noticed that they had one thing in common. Nearly all if not all were incorporated under the heading of ‘subculture’. Aside from the term’s deleterious connotations, I no longer feel that the concept is applicable and as such believe that it has outlived its welcome in academic circles. It is therefore my aim, to readdress this issue of subculture. In doing so I will suggest that dance culture is not the deviant aberration that many people believe it to be, but is in fact part of an ongoing musical tradition whose positive momentum is expressed through the dynamics of a group and music respectively. Using the Gramscian notion of hegemony, I will discuss the ways in which clubbers have attempted to carve out for themselves various autonomous spheres and cultural settings. Following on from this I will explore Michel Maffesoli concept of the ‘tribe’. This term is more acceptable as it recognizes the instability of late modem society. No longer are identities fixed and unchanging. Instead postmodern identity has become much more fluid as individuals forsake the security of conformity.
National University of Ireland - Maynooth
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations