Monday, September 1, 2008

Labor dance

The question of how narrative is transmitted is to my understanding one of the biggest concerns of folklorists. For me, how narrative is interpreted and understood is perhaps a more fertile space for inquiry; However, I have not spent much time thinking about how one performs understanding. I was brought into this way of knowing when the TBA's spontaneously began to embody labor support techniques.
After a workshop where we spent a lot of time unlearning the World Vision model of women laboring lying on their backs with hands and knees flat, the midwives thanked us by improvising a labor support dance. I had chills when it was happening and I get chills every time I watch it.

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