School of Creative
Industries

T1

BA(Hons) Arts Management

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U.N.I.T.Y – Exactly what the Queen meant! A study on hip-hop feminism placed in the contemporary landscape of Singapore's hip-hop dance scene.

This study aims to examine the Singapore hip-hop dance scene through the lens of feminism. It serves to answer the research question of how hip-hop feminism is practised in Singapore's hip-hop dance scene of today. The theoretical concepts of hip-hop feminism that were coined by Joan Morgan in 1999 along with Asian feminism theories will be applied to determine a hip-hop feminism ideology in Singapore. Although hip-hop has its own history and cultural heritage that has evolved outside of Singapore, it has been assimilated locally and its relevance and unique identity as hip-hop feminism in Singapore warrants further investigation from current hip-hop dancers.

Hip-hop feminism defined in this study follows a combination of Judith Butler's feminism theory, Lyon's Singaporean feminism theory and Morgan's hip-hop feminism theory. It aims to end sexism by acknowledging and responding to the unfair representation of genders. The embodiment concept theorised by Maxine Sheets-Johnstone will be employed to analyse the practises of hip-hop feminism among current hip-hop dancers. Two semi-structured focus groups and four interviews with dancers and educators ranging from 18 to 40 year-olds were conducted. An autoethnography recount on a hip-hop dance course was also performed.

The findings were analysed through cross-tabulation, which identified three key findings on the practices of hip-hop feminism in Singapore. They are seen through the initiatives by the hip-hop community to create a more inclusive hip-hop dance scene, the conscious and intentional choice of music and movement styles following different dance settings (competitions, battles etc.) and the safe learning environment provided by dance educators. In spite of Singapore's small scale, existing hip-hop feminism practices are a testament of the local hip-hop dance scene’s significant contributions to the hip-hop ecosystem.

Keywords: hip-hop feminism, hip-hop, feminism, Singapore, dance, embodiment

Subtopics: sexism, inclusivity, dance education

Nur Arianty Binte Djonaede

Nur Arianty Binte Djonaede

Arianty is a practitioner of the arts with a strong passion for hip-hop and a deep interest in the culture and mythological tales of the Malay Archipelago.

Work experience

2022 – present
Bahri & Co
Associate producer