Methodologies Dialogue: Complexity

Different experiences, archives, and ontologies create complexity that must be addressed in archival (historic) and ethnographic (contemporary) contexts in order to assess and curate data, whether early twentieth-century vocal recordings of Jewish performers, transnational records reflecting colonial Mexico, or African dancers’ performances in Korea. Ruthie Abeliovich, Leo Cabranes-Grant, and Soo Ryon Yoon discuss the ‘messiness’ of research and advocate for an affective ‘listening’ practice that can lead to fresh directions when operating with little or no archival material, working multilingually, and developing reciprocal performance ethnographies. Conceptual shifts can occur that demand rewriting and sometimes starting over, revising foundational research questions, and clarifying approaches.