Interpreting the Intangible: Challenges to the Display of Dance Objects in Museums

This thesis analyzes Indigenous and non-Western dance objects in museums, examining the role of theory from material culture studies, critical museology and museum education on approaches to their interpretation and display. To explore this topic, I conducted a comparative analysis of Indigenous and non-Western dance object displays at four museums - Denver Art Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History in Norman, Oklahoma - investigating the use of Native voice, reflexive analysis and multisensory elements in the exhibits\u27 organization, narrative and representational strategies. The research findings indicate that while museums have made great strides in the application of critical museum theory, as evidenced by the broader incorporation of Native voice and reflexive analysis, more needs to be done to reflect the multisensory nature of dance objects in their interpretation and display