Liminal consumption of “the cosmic ballet”: an autoethnography

Abstract

This study explores the consumption of dance during the identity transition of a homosexual man as a means of appreciating the role of dance in identity management. The account explicates how consumption of a transcendental and paradoxical form of dance called Tandava, or “the cosmic ballet,” empowers an individual to deal with his homosexual identity issues at key liminal junctures. Specifically, the study explores how the homosexual body mobilizes the movements and symbolism in the dance to negotiate identity issues. The study employs the first author’s lived experiences as the research material and depicts his Tandava against the backdrop of his “moments of marginalization.” In particular, autoethnographic writing is fused with the first author’s dance performance to serve as a method of inquiry into his homosexual identity formation. The study shows how dance facilitated the first author’s identity transition from a state of confusion to acceptance. In so doing the study contributes both to the literature on homosexual identity formation and on dance in consumer research.

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