Commodifying Identity: The workings and consequences of hyper-subjectivity in the neoliberal capitalist dance industry

Abstract

This thesis researches hyper-subjectivity in contemporary dancers in Europe, and the intersection with neoliberal capitalism. It dives into the workings of the phenomenon as well as researching the cycle of precarity, emotional and affective labour it bolsters and maintains. The research expands on the commodification of dancer's identities through oscillating between flexibility and their identity and does so through a combination of auto-ethnography and qualitative interviews with contemporary dancers working in Europe. Hyper-subjectivity is defined as a skill in which dancers oscillate between their identity and their flexibility to remain as employable as possible and meeting market demands. The necessity to adhere to feeling rules, manage anxiety induced through precarity, and the pervasive nature of these negative feelings into the private lives of dancers since the boundaries between work and private life is blurred, require a significant amount of emotional and affective labour to deal with these consequences. It creates a cycle in which dancers are constantly placed in a vulnerable position, because the concept of hyper-subjectivity impacts the stability in one’s understanding of their own identity, making them vulnerable to unequal power dynamics. As well as imploring them to increase their investments in all aspects of their lives to remain competitive on the market. The concept of “cruel optimism” is used as a framework for analysing the connection between the affective attachments of dancers to the promise of stability, while this promise remains out of reach, allowing for further exploitation. Furthermore, the study reveals how the field demands and praises authenticity making is seemingly empowering, while disguising the restraints placed by neoliberal rationality that reinforce capitalist ideology. The demand to conform to capitalist values while also remaining authentic further strengthens the need for affective and emotional labour. The need for the commodification of hyper-subjectivity intensifies the amount of emotional and affective labour, which in turn intensifies the inequalities. The inequalities then result in more need for hyper- subjectivity and thus a perpetual loop is created. The loop keeps dancers in a constant state of precarity and puts them at a risk to suffer serious mental harm.