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S C H O L A R

Decolonizing the Syllabus

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"Byrd’s current research, with a working title of “Decolonizing the Syllabus,” investigates the Eurocentric focus of the dance world, particularly within dance academia. Through this study, she plans to offer recommendations for enriching current dance history coursework in ways that support a more inclusive perspective and gives attention to a wider range of movement aesthetics (African Diasporic, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, etc.)."

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- "Byrd '21 Receives Inaugural Jamal Barzinji Award",

Shenandoah University News

In November 2019, Ashayla received the inaugural Jamal Barzinji Scholar Award for her research project, "Decolonizing the Syllabus," which interrogates the Eurocentricity of collegiate dance history education. 

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Black,
Dancing
Bodies
A Dance Senior Capstone Project

Ashayla's BA Dance Senior Capstone Project examines racism's presence in dance communities, the need for collegiate dance decolonization, and narratives from dancers who have navigated colonized dance systems. 

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