Infinite Repertoire: On Dance and Urban Possibility in Postsocialist Guinea

In Conakry, dance is a prominent feature of city life, with most neighborhoods boasting at least one dance troupe. Adrienne Cohen's book, "Infinite Repertoire," explores how dance became an important part of city life in Guinea under the socialist state, which was in power from 1958 to 1984. The ballet continued to thrive after economic liberalization in the 1980s, with its connection to transformative power retrofitted for a market economy and a rapidly expanding city. Cohen's ethnography weaves the political with the aesthetic, placing dance at the center of a story about political change and youthful resourcefulness.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 216 pages
\n Publication date: 23 July 2021
\n Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
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Dance permeates every corner of the vibrant capital city of Conakry in Guinea. Nearly every neighborhood boasts at least one dance troupe, whose members play a crucial role in animating the city's major rites of passage and social events. In her captivating book, Infinite Repertoire, Adrienne Cohen delves into the remarkable story of how dance has emerged as a prominent and integral aspect of urban life in Guinea. What makes this narrative even more surprising is the fact that Guinea is known for its authoritarian political regime, characterized by repressive measures and violent excesses.

Despite this backdrop, Cohen reveals how dance has flourished under the socialist state, which ruled from 1958 to 1984. The socialist government strategically employed staged African dance, often referred to as "ballet," as a political tool. By tapping into indigenous conceptualizations of artisans as powerful figures capable of transforming the social fabric through their manipulation of vital energy, the government sought to harness the power of dance for its own purposes.

However, it is important to note that ballet did not die with the socialist revolution. In fact, it continued to thrive in Conakry after economic liberalization in the 1980s. The connection between dance and transformative power was retrofitted for a market economy and a rapidly expanding city. Young dancers and percussionists in Conakry, driven by their passion and creativity, invested in the present by using their bodies to build a vibrant urban environment and to perform and redefine social norms and political subjectivities inherited from the socialist generation.

Cohen's innovative ethnography seamlessly weaves together the political and the aesthetic, placing dance at the center of a captivating story about dramatic political change and youthful resourcefulness. Through her detailed observations and intimate portraits, she sheds light on the lives of young dancers and percussionists as they navigate the complexities of urban life, striving to make a mark in a city that has often been overlooked in academic studies.

Infinite Repertoire offers a fresh perspective on Guinea, a country with a rich cultural heritage and a complex history. It highlights the resilience and creativity of the Guinean people, who have found ways to adapt and thrive in the face of political and social challenges. The book also raises important questions about the role of art and creativity in shaping society and the potential for artistic practices to drive social change.

Overall, Infinite Repertoire is a must-read for anyone interested in African dance, urban culture, and the power of the arts to transform societies. It is a testament to the resilience and creativity of the human spirit.

\n Weight: 376g\n
Dimension: 158 x 236 x 20 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780226762845\n \n