Denison University will host Americanist Jane Desmond to discuss "Performing Sexuality in the Public Sphere: Gay/Lesbian Marches and Political Effectivity." This convocation, set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday (Oct. 10) in Slayter Auditorium, is free and open to the public.

Desmond, an associate professor of American and women's studies at the University of Iowa, addresses dances such as tango and hula, and the position as well as political economy those dances hold in their native culture, in the appropriate culture and in the process of transmission from one culture base to another in her work. She has also taught dance, theater and American studies at Duke University, Cornell University and E?tvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. She worked as a modern dancer and choreographer from 1975 to 1990 and is the author ofStaging Tourism: Bodies on Display from Waikiki to Sea Worldand editor ofMeaning in Motion: New Cultural Studies of Dance.

Desmond also will visit three classes during her residency: "Artist and Autobiography," a first-year studies course; "Cultural Studies in Dance;" and "Partnership in Politics."

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575