Dr Sarahleigh Castelyn
READER IN PERFORMING ARTS
Dr. Sarahleigh Castelyn is an educator, researcher, performer, and choreographer; a dance nerd.
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USS 3.05, University Square Stratford
University Stratford Square
1 Salway Road
London
E15 1NF - s.castelyn@uel.ac.uk +442082232644
My story: I was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in the 1970s, and was sent to ballet at the age of four to cure my duck walk; I had teaspoons thrown at me by my ballet teacher because I wouldn’t stop growing; I developed a love for Brenda Fassie and township jive thanks to the wise gogo who cared for me when my mom was working at the hospital; I landed up at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in the 1990s; during the most important election in South African history, I loved dancing the toyi-toyi up and down the voting lines with my fellow South Africans. I learnt from Paul Datlen that everything was dance, including throwing yourself onto the floor, which I had no problem with, except the getting up. From Lliane Loots, I learnt that not only was everything dance, but dance was political, and dancing bodies are thinking bodies. I danced for Flatfoot when it was ‘unofficial’, and I takes pride in saying that I remember dancing on the top of a construction site with fiberglass wings on for a photo shoot. I likes to think that the photo in the local Sunday Paper made me famous when I was clubbing in Point Road. During this time, I made other dancers dance with chickens, and got really irritated that there weren’t enough books about dance in South Africa on the library bookshelves. In 2001, I left the sunny shores of the east coast to go to London and landed up completing a practice-based doctoral research project supervised by Jen Harvie at Queen Mary, the University of London, which was funded by the United Kingdom’s Arts and Humanities and Research Council. Today, I am a practice-based researcher based at the University of East London but I have one foot in the United Kingdom and one in South Africa – I do have big feet. I love working with my students at UEL and I love working with the student dancers in UKZN (University of KwaZulu-Natal), such as with the Flatfoot Dance Training Company, or even bringing students from UEL together with students from UKZN on Khuluma – the dance writing residency project that is part of JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Festival. I invite you to join the Dance Revolution: Dance Nerds Unite!
Overview
Currently working on a monograph titled Identity Politics in Contemporary Dance in South Africa: The Toyi-Toying Body and a book chapter about HIV/AIDS and contemporary dance in South Africa for an edited book collection on HIV/AIDS and Performance. Arrangements are also being made for a collaborative dance project with student dancers from the UK and students from a South African university.
Collaborators
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Research
TextComponent
CHAPTERS
2018. ‘Choreographing HIV and AIDS in Contemporary Dance in South
Africa’ appears in Section 3: Inter/National Narratives in Viral Dramaturgies: HIV and AIDS in Performance in the Twenty-First
Century, edited by Alyson Campbell and Dirk Gindt and published by Palgrave
Macmillan, pp. 215-233. REFable. (DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-70317-6_10)
2018. ‘Why I am not a fan of the
Lion King: Ethically-informed Approaches to the Teaching and Learning of South
African Dance Forms in Higher Education in the United Kingdom’ appears in Narratives in Black British Dance: Embodied
Practices, edited by Adesola Akinleye and
published by Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 115-129. REFable. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70314-5_9)
ARTICLES
2019. ‘Saartjie Baartman, Nelisiwe Xaba, and me: The Politics of
Looking at South African Bodies’, South African Theatre Journal, 32 (3),
pp.285-299. (https://doi.org/10.1080/10137548.2018.1553625 )
2019. ‘We All are Makwerekwere: Xenophobia, Nationality, Dance and
South Africa’, Conversations Across the Field of Dance Studies. XXXIX,
pp. 38-41. (https://dancestudiesassociation.org/publications/conversations-across-the-filed-of-dance-studies/dance-under-the-shadow-of-the-nation)
2018 ‘Dance Infrastructure in South Africa: An Introduction to
Dance Forum and Georgina Thomson’, HOTFOOT (Autumn 2018)
2013. ‘“Why I am not a fan of the Lion King”:
Ethically-Informed Approaches to the Teaching and Learning of South African
Dance Forms in Higher Education in the United Kingdom’, South African Dance Journal, 2 (1), pp. 1 – 19. ISSN2223-8425
2013. ‘“Home is where the heart is”: Black
South African Identities and Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre’s Home’, African Performance
Review, 5 (1), pp. 30 – 42. ISSN 1750-4848
2012. ‘Flatfoot Dance Company’s training
programme in South Africa’ in ANIMATED Winter 2012, pp. 32 - 35. ISSN/ISBN:
0969-7225
2010. ‘Mapping the Body’s Movement’, South African Theatre Journal, 24 (1), pp. 220 - 240. ISSN/ISBN:
1013-7548. DOI: 10.1080/10137548.2010.9687931
2008. ‘’Mama Africa’, HIV/AIDS and National Identity in South
Africa Choreography’, South African
Theatre Journal, 22 (1), pp. 62 - 83. ISBN 1013-7548. DOI:
10.1080/10137548.2008.9687884
2006. 'JOMBA! A Festival Diary', Dance Theatre Journal, 21 (3), pp. 40 -
44. ISSN 0264-9160
INTERVIEWS
2019. ‘Spotlight on Kendra Horsburgh and BirdGang LTD’ HOTFOOT (Spring 2019)
REVIEWS
2020. Review of Tranceformations
and Transformations: Southern African Rock Art and Contemporary Dance by Sylvia ‘Magogo’ Glasser (Staging
Post, 2019) HOTFOOT (Autumn 2020)
2020.
Review of Contemporary African Dance Theatre: Phenomenology,
Whiteness and the Gaze by Sabine
Sörgel (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020) HOTFOOT (Autumn 2020)
2020. Review of The Essential Guide
to Jazz Dance by Dollie Henry and Paul Jenkins (The Crowood Press, 2019) HOTFOOT (Autumn 2020)
2020. Review of Body Politics: Fingerprinting South African
Contemporary Dance by Adrienne C. Sichel (Porcupine Press,
2018) HOTFOOT (Autumn 2020)
2018. Review of British
Dance: Black Routes edited by Christy Adair and Ramsay Burt (New York and London: Routledge, 2017), HOTFOOT (Autumn 2018)
2017.
Review of Hidden Movement: Contemporary Voices of
Black British Dance edited by Pawlet Brookes. With contributions by Dr
Patrick Acogny, David Bryan, Hilary S Carty, Jackie Guy MBE, Henri Oguike, Dr
Bob Ramdhanie, Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp OBE, and Sharon Watson (Leicester:
Serendipity Artists Movement, 2013) HOTFOOT (Autumn 2017)
2017 Review of Creolizing Dance in a Global Age edited by Pawlet Brookes. With
contributions by Marie-Laure Soukaina Edom, Gladys M. Francis, Roshini
Kempadoo, Patrick Parson, L’Antoinette Stines, and Verene A. Shepherd
(Leicester: Serendipity Artists Movement, 2014/15) HOTFOOT (Autumn 2017)
2017 Review of Blurring Boundaries: Urban Street Meets Contemporary
Dance edited by Pawlet Brookes. With contributions by Kyle Abraham, Funmi
Adewole, Ivan Blackstock, Jreena Gree, Robert Hylton, Jo Read, Nefeli Tsiouti,
Tia-Monique Uzor, Orson Nava, and Danilo DJ Walde (Leicester: Serendipity
Artists Movement, 2015/16) HOTFOOT (Autumn
2017)
2017 Review of Black Women in Dance: Stepping Out of the Barriers edited by Pawlet Brookes. With
contributions by Adesola Akinleye, Deborah Baddoo, Hilary S. Carty, Catherine
Dénécy, Pam Johnson, Mercy Nabirye, Maureen Salmon, Jessica Walker, Sharon
Watson, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. Additional Research by Funmi Adewole and Amy Grain
(Leicester: Serendipity Artists Movement, 2016), HOTFOOT (Autumn 2017)
2009. Review of Choreographing
the Folk: The Dance Stagings of Zora Neale Hurston by Anthea Kraut (Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press, 2008), Platform,
4, 1 (Spring 2009)
2007. Review of Theatre,
Body and Pleasure by Simon Shepherd (London and New York: Routledge, 2006), Studies in Theatre and Performance,
27, 2 (2007)
2007. Review of Choreographies
of African Identities: Négritude, Dance, and the National Ballet of Senegal by
Francesca Castaldi (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2006), Contemporary Theatre Review, 17, 1
(2007)
2006. Review of Athol Fugard by Dennis Walder (Tavistock, UK: Northcote House Publishers, in association
with the British Council), Contemporary
Theatre Review, 16, 3 (2006)
Conference
Papers
2019.
‘Choregraphing Creolisation in South Africa Contemporary Dance’ - Hybrid
Practices: Methodologies, Histories, and Performances at the University of
Malta
2017. ‘We All
are Makwerekwere: Xenophobia, Dance and South Africa’ - Society for Dance
Research’s Age of Forgetfulness
Conference at Royal Holloway University, London
2017.
‘Toyi-Toying:
South Africa’s Popular Dance of Protest in Townships, Suburbs, and Shopping
Malls’ - Pop Moves’s PoP
turns 10: Celebrating the Popular, Practising the Urban Conference at the University of East London
2016. Invited by THE ARTS CLUSTER (at the University to Pretoria) for
their Colloquium: on Embodied
Knowledge(s) and Embodied Pedagogies. Presented a paper titled ‘Embodied
Cognition: Strategies for Researching the Body in South African Dance Theatre’
2015. ‘The Toyi-Toying Body: Identity Politics in Contemporary
Dance in South Africa:’ - Confluences
– Bi-Annual Conference at The School of Dance at The University of Cape Town,
(UCT) South Africa
2012.
Accepted by the Association of Dance of the African Diaspora to deliver a paper
on the ethics of teaching South African dance in a British university at their
Re:Generations conference at The Place, London
2011.
Invited to deliver guest seminar at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South
Africa, as part of the 2011 Jomba Contemporary Dance Festival
2011. Accepted by the Association of Dance of the African
Diaspora: London Metropolitan University to deliver a paper/workshop titled
‘Dancing through the Minefield: Studying the Politics of Africanist Dance
Aesthetics’
2010 ‘South African Daughter: The Responsible and Accountable
Dancing Body’: Imagining Bodies Conference: Tallinn University, Estonia: Paper
on my practice-based research project that explored the body in apartheid and post-apartheid
national and HIV and AIDS discourse
2010. ‘Langarm en London: The Performance of South African Nationality at
Social Dance Events in London’: Society for Dance Research: Dance Ethnography
Forum: De Montfort University, United
Kingdom: Paper on my practice-based research
project into South Africans and the performance of national identity in the
United Kingdom
2010. ‘Globalised Perspectives on Popular Dance: Or Signposting
the Roots/Routes of South African Dance’. Palatine Conference on Teaching
Popular Dance in Higher Education: University of East London, United Kingdom:
Paper on how my ethical viewpoints inform my teaching of global dance forms in
the United Kingdom
2009. ‘The Politics of Looking and Dancing’: International
Federation of Theatre Research: University of Lisbon, Portugal: Paper on
Nelisiwe Xaba and my solo practice-based project focusing on South African
national identity and ‘race’
2009. ‘The Politics of Looking and Dancing’: African Theatre
Association: University of Northampton, United Kingdom: Paper on Nelisiwe Xaba
and my solo practice-based project focusing on South African national identity
and ‘race’
2007. ‘Home is where the heart is’: International Federation of
Theatre Research: Stellenbosch University, South Africa: Paper on Siwela Sonke
Dance Theatre and my choreographic work with Flatfoot student training company
focusing on choreography and the value of home
2007. ‘Home is where the heart is’: Postgraduate Seminar: Queen
Mary, University of London, United Kingdom
2006. ‘Babies, tutus, and guns: the body in South African dance
theatre’: Dramatic Learning Spaces: University of KwaZulu-Natal,
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: Paper on Flatfoot Dance Company and my
practice-based research project that explored motherhood, HIV/AIDS, and
national identity
2006. ‘Mothers and Daughters’: SuperVisions: London School of
Contemporary Dance with the University of Roehampton, United Kingdom: Paper on
Flatfoot Dance Company and my practice-based research into surrogate motherhood
and HIV/AIDS
2006, ‘Mothers and Daughters’: British Forum for Ethnomusicology:
University of Winchester, United Kingdom: Paper on Flatfoot Dance Company and
my practice-based research into surrogate motherhood and HIV/AIDS
2006. ‘Mothers and Daughters’: QUORUM: Queen Mary, University of
London: Paper on Flatfoot Dance Company and my current practice-based research
into surrogate motherhood and HIV/AIDS
Conference
Proceedings
2015. ‘The Toyi-Toying Body: Identity Politics in Contemporary
Dance in South Africa:’ - Confluences
– Bi-Annual Conference at The School of Dance at The University of Cape Town. ISBN
No 978 – 0 – 7992 – 2516 – 7.
PERFORMANCES
2014. Performer: Etheatre and Collaborators project which was part
of the 10th Birthday of UpStage! Online Performance Platform
2013. Performer and Co-Creator: The Falling Shift: Durational Interventionist Performance Project
with Hari Marini: Performed outside The National Theatre and in Siobhan Davies
Studios as part of the Falling About Research Lab
2011. Choreographer: Brenda and the Bluebottles: with
Flatfoot Dance Company’s training dancers on a choreography for the fringe
night of Jomba Contemporary Dance Experience Festival
2007. Solo-performance of How
I Chased a Rainbow and Bruised my Knee: Queen Mary, University of London,
United Kingdom
2007. Installation with Lauren Park of How I Chased a Rainbow and Bruised my Knee: African Theatre
Association: Goldsmiths, University of London, United Kingdom
2006. Choreographer: Body
Maps with Flatfoot Dancers: Jomba! Contemporary Dance Festival, Durban,
South Africa
2005. Scratch solo-performance of Mothers and Daughters: Queen Mary, University of London, United
Kingdom
2005. Choreographer: I’m
Sorry I Never Meant to Hurt You with Flatfoot Student Dancers: Jomba!
Contemporary Dance Festival, Durban, South Africa
2001. Actor: Seeing Red written and directed by Greig Coetzee: toured South Africa
1999. Choreographer: Damage:
Dance Shongololo and Redeye: The Natal Playhouse and Durban Art Gallery, South
Africa
1999 to 2000. Actor and writer: various productions such as No Sir, I Am Not On The Menu for Mad Cow
Productions in South Africa which toured and performed to full houses at the
National Arts Festival in 1998, 1999, & 2000
1998. Dancer: Final
Instructions to the Waking choreographed by Lliane Loots: Durban, South
Africa
1998. Choreographer: Second Hand Goods: The Square Space Theatre, Durban, South Africa
1997. Choreographer: If the straitjacket fits: The Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Durban,
South Africa
1997. Dancer: Athena and Aphrodite compete for Paris’s attention: choreographed
by Natalie Beaton, The Square Space Theatre, Durban, South Africa
1997. Dancer: Arabesque: choreographed by Linda Peyters: The Elizabeth Sneddon
Theatre and The Natal Playhouse, Durban, South Africa
1997. Dancer: Free Inclinations: choreographed by Linda Peyters: conceptual work
at the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa
1996. Dancer and choreographer: Lady and the Tramps: The Square Space
Theatre, Durban, South Africa
1994. Dancer and choreographer: The New Snow White: The Hexagon Theatre,
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Publications
2018. UEL Mini-Sabbatical Research Scheme
2018. UEL Undergraduate Research Intern Scheme
2016. UEL Undergraduate Research Intern Scheme (First Prize for
student’s work)
2015. UEL Undergraduate Research Intern Scheme
2015. ADI UEL Conference Attendance
2014. UEL Undergraduate Research Intern Scheme (Second Prize for
student’s work)
2013. UEL Mini-Sabbatical Research Scheme
2011. UEL Research Scheme
2010. UEL Conference Attendance
2010. UEL Teaching Support Awards
2009. UEL Conference Attendance
2005 to 2008. AHRC PhD Funding
2005 to 2008. QM Student Conference Support
2005 to 2008. AHRC Student Conference Support
1998 to 2001. UKZN MA Funding
1997. UKZN Honours Funding
1994 to 1996. UKZN Undergraduate Funding
Funding
Dance, Politics, Ethics, Pedagogy, Africa, Gender, Race, Geography, Sexuality, Nation, Practice-Based Research, Theatre, Performance, recently the representation of women and madness in performance: the list goes on…
Interests
Portfolio
2020/21
Supervision of PhD Students
Research Methods in Creative Practice
Practising Research, Researching Practice
Border Crossings
Dance Write Now!
PA4204 READING THE BODY, PREPARING THE BODY
PA5203 CROSSING BORDERS, HYBRID FORMS
PA6203 PRACTICING RESEARCH, RESEARCHING PRACTICE
African Performance Review (Subscriptions editor)
South African Dance Journal (Editorial Board)
Society for Dance Research
Society of Dance History Scholars
Foundation for Community Dance
Congress of Dance Research