Joann Kealiinohomoku facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joann Kealiinohomoku
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Joann W. Kealiinohomoku, 1997
Photo by John Running |
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Joann Wheeler
May 20, 1930 |
| Died | December 2, 2015 |
| Occupation | Anthropologist |
Joann Wheeler Kealiinohomoku (1930–2015) was an American anthropologist and educator. An anthropologist studies human societies and cultures. Joann was also a co-founder of Cross-Cultural Dance Resources (CCDR). This organization focuses on researching dance from many different cultures.
She wrote and edited many books and articles. Her work included writing about "Music and dance in the United States" for a big music encyclopedia. Some of her most famous writings are "An anthropologist looks at ballet as a form of ethnic dance" (1970) and "Theory and methods for an anthropological study of dance" (1976).
Joann was a professor of anthropology at Northern Arizona University. She became a professor emerita in 1987. This means she retired but kept her title. In 1997, she won the first award for "Outstanding Contribution to Dance Research." This award came from the Congress on Research in Dance. In 2000, the CCDR collection was chosen by President Bill Clinton's White House. It was part of the "Save America's Treasures" program, meaning it was important to keep safe.
Contents
Joann's Early Life and Education
Joann Marie Wheeler was born on May 20, 1930. Her hometown was Kansas City, Missouri. She went to grammar school in Des Plaines, Illinois. Later, she attended Whitefish Bay High School in Wisconsin.
She continued her studies at Northwestern University. There, she earned a Bachelor's degree in 1955. She also received a Master's degree in 1965. In 1976, she earned her PhD from Indiana University. Her PhD paper was about how anthropologists study dance.
Working with Dance and Culture
In 1953, Joann married Thomas Samuel Kealiinohomoku. They had one child, Halla, before they divorced in 1963. From 1960 to 1963, she wrote dance reviews for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin newspaper.
In 1969, she published one of her most well-known works. It was called "An anthropologist looks at ballet as a form of ethnic dance." This paper changed how many people thought about dance.
Joann was also active in community groups. She served on the Board of Directors for Native Americans for Community Action. This was in Flagstaff, Arizona, from 1977 to 1982. She was also a member of the Society of Ethnomusicology. She helped start their Southwestern Chapter.
From 1974 to 1977, she was on the Board of Directors for the Congress on Research in Dance. In 1981, she helped create Cross-Cultural Dance Resources (CCDR). This dance research group was in Flagstaff, Arizona. She was a permanent member of its board. In 2008, the CCDR collection moved to Arizona State University. It is now kept safely there.
In 1992, Joann was an advisor for a TV series called Dancing. This eight-part series aired on public television in 1993. It explored different dance forms.
Awards and Recognition
Joann Kealiinohomoku received several important awards for her work:
- 1996: "Outstanding Contribution to Dance Research" from the Congress on Research in Dance.
- 1996: Distinguished Public Scholar award from the Arizona Humanities Council.
- 2000: The CCDR collection was recognized by President Clinton's "Save America's Treasures" project. This showed how important her work was.
Important Writings on Dance
Joann Kealiinohomoku wrote many influential pieces. Here are some of her key works:
An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet
Her paper, "An anthropologist looks at ballet as a form of ethnic dance" (1970), is very famous. In this work, Joann wanted to challenge old ideas about dance history. She felt that some definitions of dance were unfair. They often described non-Western dances in a biased way.
She argued that ballet itself is a form of ethnic dance. This idea surprised many people. It also helped redefine what "ethnic" means in dance.
What is Ethnic Dance?
Joann introduced her own definition of ethnic dance. For her, this phrase means that "all forms of dance reflect the cultural traditions within which they develop." This means that every dance, no matter where it comes from, is connected to its culture. So, for Joann, all dance is ethnic dance.
Ballet as Ethnic Dance
Joann explained how ballet shows its own cultural roots. For example, ballets often show stories about knights, weddings, or funerals. These are all parts of European culture. She also pointed out that ballet dancers often have long, slender bodies. This is an aesthetic value, or a preferred look, from its cultural background.
She also noted that ballet stages often feature plants and animals common in Europe. These include "horses and swans" or "roses and lilies." Joann argued that using the term "ethnic" only for non-Western dances was wrong. She believed it often meant "primitive" or "exotic." Instead, she wanted people to see that all dances, including ballet, are ethnic.
Other Key Works
- "Music and dance of the Hawaiian and Hopi peoples" (1993): This article explored the dance traditions of these two cultures.
- "Theory and methods for an anthropological study of dance" (1976): This was her PhD paper. It was later published as a book in 2008.
- "The would-be Indian" (1986): This piece looked at how people sometimes try to imitate Native American cultures.
- "Hopi and Polynesian dance: a study in cross-cultural comparison" (1967): This article compared dances from the Hopi people and Polynesian cultures.
Encyclopedia Articles
Joann also wrote many entries for encyclopedias. This helped share her knowledge with a wider audience. Some of these include:
- "Hula" in Encyclopedia Americana (1970)
- "Dance" in Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia (1994)
- "Dance in traditional religions" in HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Religion (1995)
- "Gestures" in American Folklore: an encyclopedia (1996)
- Entries on "Gertrude Prokosch Kurath", "Hopi dance", and "Primitive dance" in the International encyclopedia of dance (1998)
- "Folk dance" in the Academic American Encyclopedia (1998) and Encyclopædia Britannica (2008)
- "Music and dance in the United States" in The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music (2001)
