Today, CAN reviews "Disability and Contemporary Performance" by Petra Kuppers. Choreographer Stuart Pimsler, who makes dance theater with healthcare professionals, discusses Kuppers' historical and cultural perspectives on the evolution of the disabled performer. "Along the way," says Pimsler, "the author contextualizes this discussion within a political format, demonstrating that the label of 'disabled' is but another cultural construct defined by the majority." Pimsler briefly surveys the contemporary history of community-based performance and its impact on the vernacular of concert dance. He shows how Kuppers uses Michel Foucault's concepts of "otherness," "normal" and "the blind spot," and juxtaposes those theoretical underpinnings with numerous examples of performance work created with and by disabled artists. [LINK]