Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2026
Document Type
Master's Capstone Project
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Liberal Studies
Advisor
Prithi Kanakamedala
Subject Categories
American Studies | Asian American Studies | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Performance Studies | Playwriting | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies
Keywords
Metalepsis, Diaspora, Performance, Japanese Folk Dance, Hawaiʻi
Abstract
This capstone project traces the contours of the Japanese folk dance tradition of Bon Dance in Hawaiʻi through the nuances of public scholarship, diaspora, and racial capitalism by producing an original play which aims to perform the knowledge and praxis which the performance ritual puts forward. Treating Bon Dance as muse, the original play examines the necessity of turning to the past in order to disrupt a future made inevitable by oppressive systems; a fiction that comments on and critiques the predictive and generative technologies that have embedded themselves into society at large. Through intertwining conversations that explore prophecy and legacy, the narrative treats memory as a constant frame which shapes identity, connection, and home. Attending to concepts of queer temporality and queer narratology, the play aims to grapple with the stakes of invented fictions endorsed by systems of power; and the consequences of stories that attach to people and place.
Recommended Citation
Kim, Travis Robb, "Dancing in Circles: Bon Dance as Performance of the Past" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6839
Included in
American Studies Commons, Asian American Studies Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Performance Studies Commons, Playwriting Commons
