Entre o eu e o nós : identidade cultural sergipana na dança e na educação

Abstract

This study examines Sergipe's cultural identity in dance and education through the stage works SobreViva and A Óleo Cru, seeking to understand how artistic and educational practices contribute to the construction and strengthening of cultural belonging in the state of Sergipe, Brazil. To do so, it draws on the author's experiences at the Museum of the People of Sergipe (Museu da Gente Sergipana), Tobias Barreto State School (Colégio Estadual Tobias Barreto), Coletivo Cidade, and the Adupé Dance Ensemble (Corpo Coreográfico Adupé), viewing identity as a social, cultural, and historical construct shaped through the relationships among individuals, the body, place, and community. Using a qualitative, autoethnographic approach, the study positions the author's own body as the primary site of inquiry and combines lived experience with a review of the relevant literature, engaging with the works of Silva (2014), Moura (2013), Chauí (1986), Hall (2006), Vargas (2020), Souza (2022), Alencar (1998), and Nogueira (2008). The findings indicate that Sergipe's cultural traditions, together with the creative processes behind SobreViva and A Óleo Cru, function as sites of memory, resistance, and knowledge production, reaffirming dance as an artistic, educational, and political practice. In educational settings, the study demonstrates that incorporating Sergipe's cultural traditions into dance education strengthens recognition of local culture, fosters a stronger sense of belonging, and contributes to the appreciation of Sergipe's cultural identity.