Protest Dances: The Strength of a Non-Violent Practice

Contemporary social and political philosophies question the role and stakes of new forms of resistance, without really looking at protest dances as a repertoire for political action. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the value of analyzing dances that present themselves as practices of resistance or counter-power from the perspective of a philosophy of non-violence inspired by Judith Butler. My hypothesis is that the galaxy of protest dances studied (improvised dances on picket lines, choreographies in demonstrations, artistic performances within mobilizations, etc.) unveils the strengths of the politics of non-violence: a powerful device subverting norms, bodies and imaginations, articulating somatic, affective and epistemic dimensions.