Go-Go Dancing in Japan as Performative Acts of Gender

Performative Agency Through Japanese Go-Go Dancers’ Moves and Costumes

Abstract

Female bodies have long been the focus of attention and regulation under male-dominant social structures, as societal narratives and norms have repeatedly constructed images of appropriate behavior for women. This study focuses on the genre of go-go dancing in contemporary Japan, where the female body is displayed provocatively. Through interviews with go-go dancers and members of their audiences, this paper explores how the female body of the dancer, combined with their costumes and shoes, can create an agency that generates alternative gender roles and performances beyond those expected in Japanese society. Drawing on Judith Butler’s theory of performativity and Alfred Gell’s concept of distributed agency, this study explores how performative and material agency contribute to the reconfiguration, and potential normalization, of gender narratives surrounding women’s bodies and sensuality.