Innovative Research Award
Ann David — University of Bonn, Germany
Ann David is an academic researcher associated with the University of Bonn whose documented scholarship centres on dance anthropology, South Asian classical and popular dance, heritage, migration, identity, embodiment, ritual, and postcolonial cultural studies. Her research profile connects performance, cultural memory, ethnography, and transnational understandings of dance within contemporary humanities scholarship.[1]
Abstract
Ann David is a scholar of dance, culture, heritage, and performance whose interdisciplinary research examines South Asian classical and popular dance through anthropological, historical, and ethnographic perspectives. Her work addresses identity, migration, embodiment, ritual, cultural memory, postcolonialism, and transnational performance. Her scholarship includes studies of Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Bollywood, diasporic communities, and Indian dance histories. She has contributed to edited academic collections and authored research on dance ethnography and the international circulation of Indian performance traditions. Her 2024 monograph on Ram Gopal further examines Indian dance, biography, modernity, colonial legacies, and intercultural representation, demonstrating the breadth of her humanities research and scholarly contribution.[1][2]
Keywords
Dance anthropology, South Asian dance, Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Bollywood, dance ethnography, embodiment, identity, migration, diaspora, ritual, heritage, postcolonialism, cultural memory, performance studies, Indian dance history, intercultural performance, dance studies, transnational culture.
Introduction
Ann David’s academic profile sits within the interdisciplinary study of dance, culture, heritage, and performance. University of Bonn records identify research interests including Asia, dependency, heritage, and postcolonialism, while other scholarly profiles describe specialisation in dance anthropology and South Asian classical and popular dance. These themes position her research across humanities disciplines and comparative cultural inquiry.[3]
Research Profile
Ann David’s research profile combines dance anthropology with ethnographic approaches to South Asian performance, emphasizing identity, embodiment, migration, ritual, diaspora, and cultural heritage. Her scholarship also engages postcolonial questions and changing representations of Indian dance, connecting lived performance practices with broader histories of globalization, cultural exchange, and transnational identity formation.[1][3]
Research Contributions
Ann David has contributed to scholarship examining dance as an embodied cultural practice shaped by history, mobility, community, and representation. Her research considers South Asian dance traditions alongside questions of ethnographic method, ritual practice, cultural identity, and performance circulation. This interdisciplinary approach strengthens connections between dance studies, anthropology, heritage studies, and cultural analysis.[2][4]
Publications
Ann David’s publications include the monograph Ram Gopal: Interweaving Histories of Indian Dance, published by Bloomsbury in 2024, and collaborative scholarship including Dance Fields: Staking a Claim for Dance Studies in the Twenty-First Century and Dance Ethnography and Global Perspectives: Identity, Embodiment, and Culture. These works reflect sustained interests in Indian dance, ethnography, embodiment, identity, history, and interdisciplinary dance studies.[1][2][4]
Research Impact
Ann David’s research has relevance for dance studies, cultural anthropology, heritage scholarship, and interdisciplinary humanities research. Her work on Indian dance history and performance provides perspectives on how movement traditions are represented, transmitted, and transformed across geographical and historical contexts. Her scholarship also contributes to discussions concerning diaspora, cultural identity, embodiment, and postcolonial cultural interpretation.[1][3]
Award Suitability
Ann David’s documented interdisciplinary scholarship provides a credible academic basis for consideration for an Innovative Research Award within the humanities. Her research connects dance anthropology, ethnography, heritage, postcolonial studies, and South Asian performance while addressing historically and culturally significant questions. The award assessment should consider verified publications, scholarly influence, research quality, and documented academic contributions.[1][3]
Conclusion
Ann David represents an interdisciplinary research profile linking dance anthropology, South Asian performance, heritage, ethnography, identity, migration, and postcolonial cultural studies. Her publications demonstrate sustained engagement with Indian dance histories and embodied cultural practices. Collectively, these contributions provide a substantial scholarly foundation for recognition through an academic award focused on innovative humanities research.[1][2]
External Links
References
- David, A. R. (2026). Looking into the mirror: Affective dance objects in the performances of Indian dancer Ram Gopal.
https://doi.org/10.3390/arts15070162
- David, Ann R., & Dankworth, Linda E. (2014). Dance Ethnography and Global Perspectives: Identity, Embodiment, and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan. https://roehampton.academia.edu/AnnDavid
- University of Bonn. (n.d.). Ann David — Members Directory and Research Profile. University of Bonn. https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/research-profile/transdisciplinary-research-areas/tra-5/members-directory/ann-david
- Whatley, Sarah, Huxley, Michael, & David, Ann, eds. (2020). Dance Fields: Staking a Claim for Dance Studies in the Twenty-First Century. Dance Books.
https://pureportal.coventry.ac.uk/en/publications/dance-fields-staking-a-claim-for-dance-studies-in-the-21st-centur/
- David, Ann R. (2024). Afterword. Mimesis Journal, 13(1), 75–79. DOI: 10.13135/2389-6086/10796.
https://doi.org/10.13135/2389-6086/10796
