Embodying Milwaukee Communities: Explorations at Sherman Park

This research is a continuation of Professor Simone Ferro’s three year ethnographic study of various districts in Milwaukee exploring the interdisciplinary forces of community studies and dance. Each year, undergraduate researchers venture to different misrepresented locations in Milwaukee and perform case studies by engaging with the diverse population. Concentrating on the Sherman Park neighborhood, the research conducted during the 2018-2019 academic year was attained through analytical and experiential means. The first method involved analyzing scholarly texts ranging from social issues regarding minority oppression, site-specific performance, and community engagement through movement. The experiential approach entailed direct engagement through interview conduction and communication with residents as well as site-specific modern dance performances. Discussions concerning ethical principles determined that entering a foreign community with the intention of disturbing it with movement required developing a comprehensive understanding of the society to approach the community in an educated and respectful manner. Improvisations were performed at the Tricklebee Café, a local pay-what-you-can restaurant. Inspiration for movement was influenced by the physical environment and was later transcribed along with the participant’s intrinsic internal and external experience. The information acquired from our field research was then utilized to guide movement generation that manifested in a full length concert performance. The assessment of these findings concluded that despite the negative portrayals of certain regions of Milwaukee in the media, it doesn’t define those individuals. By providing them with a voice and relaying their stories through movement, we are working to transforms perceptions. Our engagement with community members allows us to bring dance and arts to the community, working to alter its connotation as an elitist art. These findings were synthesized and then transposed to a website allowing a concise documentation of research findings to one platform