Tyler Jo Smith
Revel Without a Cause?
Wednesday, November 5, 2014 · 4 - 5:30 PM
Ancient Studies Week
Revel Without a Cause? Dance, Performance, and Greek Vase Painting
Tyler Jo Smith, Associate Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Virginia, Director of the Interdisciplinary Archaeology Program
Greek vases have much to teach us about ancient dance and performance. But how do the figures decorating ancient drinking cups and mixing bowls relate to the dances documented by the ancient authors? This talk explores the unique connection between these two important art forms, and reveals the ways they have been understood by scholars over the past 100 years. From drinking games to party tricks, we will explore the context of ancient dance and the special place of vases in performance history.
Bio:Tyler Jo Smith is an Associate Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Virginia, and the Director of the Interdisciplinary Archaeology Program. A specialist in Greek vase painting and iconography, she is the author of Komast Dancers in Archaic Greek Art (OUP 2010) and the co-editor of the Blackwell Companion to Greek Art (2012). Her current research focuses on images of religion and performance in ancient Greek art and the history of vase collecting in Great Britain and America. She has received many honors and awards for her teaching and research, including fellowships from the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington DC and the Institute of Classical Studies in London, and the Award for Excellence in College Teaching from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.
Sponsored by the Ancient Studies Department and by the Dresher Center for the Humanities; the Visual Arts Department; and the Office of Summer, Winter and Special Programs.
