Joanna Dee Das

Joanna Dee Das is an Associate Professor in the Performing Arts Department at Washington University in St. Louis. She serves as Director of the MFA Program in Dance and holds affiliations with African & African American Studies, American Culture Studies, the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Equity (CRE2), and History. Her research explores dance, musical theater, and popular entertainment’s role in social movements like the Black Freedom Struggle and modern conservatism.

• Education: PhD in History (Columbia University), MA in American Studies (NYU), BA (Columbia College).

Her work bridges scholarship and practice, including choreography, dance film direction, and historical consultation. Notable publications include Katherine Dunham: Dance and the African Diaspora (2017), which won the de la Torre Bueno Award, and an upcoming book on Branson, Missouri’s entertainment industry. Das has also produced creative projects like Seeking Josephine Baker, supported by Mellon funding, and presented work internationally.

• Grants/Awards: Mellon-funded Research Working Group, de la Torre Bueno Prize, Errol Hill Award Honorable Mention.

Her research examines intersections of performance, politics, and identity, with a focus on Black diasporic cultural production and American regionalism.