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Mardi Gras Mambo: A Dance History of NOLA Carnival (Tuesdays, 9:00am-11:00am)

From its inception, New Orleans has been deeply linked to European Carnival practices. Interestingly, many of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras rituals involve dance. This course will examine that relationship and highlight the cultural and aesthetic contexts surrounding the presence of Carnival in the Crescent City. We will begin with an overview of pre-Lenten colonial and Creole parades, fetes and balls and then delve into the mysterious, masked balls of the most elite and exclusive Mardi Gras organizations, the Old-Line Krewes. Finally, we will examine the counter-narrative of the Mardi Gras Indians, including examples of dance practices often intertwined with Indian identity: the Baby Dolls, jazz funerals and second line parades. Class size limit: 30.

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