Presentation Type
Oral/Paper Presentation
Abstract
The short story “Why the Dancer Laughs” explores the gradual mental and physical decay of a professional dancer, as she struggles to come to terms with a new life in which a chronic illness slowly takes the power from her legs. Weaving through her grief and regret in an introspective first person perspective, the story explores themes of change and holding onto the past, using a statue of a dancer in her family room as a foil between its preserved state and her deteriorating form. Overall, “Why the Dancer Laughs” aims to answer the question: How do we find the strength to move forward after the world has destroyed the things that centered us?
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Brandi Kellett
Recommended Citation
Summerville, Anna, "Why the Dancer Laughs" (2025). Student Scholar Symposium. 20.
https://digitalcollections.lipscomb.edu/student_scholars_symposium/2025/Full_schedule/20
Included in
Why the Dancer Laughs
The short story “Why the Dancer Laughs” explores the gradual mental and physical decay of a professional dancer, as she struggles to come to terms with a new life in which a chronic illness slowly takes the power from her legs. Weaving through her grief and regret in an introspective first person perspective, the story explores themes of change and holding onto the past, using a statue of a dancer in her family room as a foil between its preserved state and her deteriorating form. Overall, “Why the Dancer Laughs” aims to answer the question: How do we find the strength to move forward after the world has destroyed the things that centered us?