Amy Swanson

Amy Swanson is an Assistant Professor of Dance Studies, Theory, and History at the University of Oregon, affiliated with the School of Music and Dance and the African Studies program. Her research intersects dance studies, performance studies, and queer African studies, focusing on contemporary dance in Senegal and its transnational connections.

Education:

• PhD, Northwestern University
• MA, Northwestern University
• BFA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Swanson’s work examines how African artists navigate power asymmetries in global dance circuits and challenge repressive systems locally. Her scholarship includes a forthcoming book, Dancing Opacity: Contemporary Dance, Transnationalism, and Queer Possibility in Senegal, and publications in Dance Research Journal, African Studies Review, and Critical African Studies.

Her recent articles address decolonial practices in African dance, gender transgression in Senegalese choreography, codification of African dance techniques, and postcolonial cultural production. These works span subfields such as queer aesthetics, transnationalism, and urban African performance.

Research Support:

• Fulbright-Hays Program
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
• University of Oregon’s Office of the Provost and Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation

Swanson currently serves as Vice President of Conferences for the Dance Studies Association, having previously taught at Colgate University and Northwestern University. Her ongoing projects explore Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring performed by African dancers and political performance in urban African public spaces.