Bessenger attends conference in Sri Lanka

Suzanne Bessenger

Suzanne Bessenger, Randolph’s Barbara Boyle Lemon ’57 and William J. Lemon Associate Professor of Religious Studies, attended Movement Rhizome: International Conference on Dance Studies this winter in Kandy, Sri Lanka. 

In botany, a rhizome is a non-centralized plant that spreads underground through both roots and shoots. 

Conference organizers drew on philosophers’ use of the rhizome as a metaphor to describe non-hierarchical knowledge-creation, and conceived the event as a way to share findings, perspectives, and philosophies on space, body practices, movement, and cultural practices. 

“Dance in Sri Lanka is intimately tied to religion, and one of the main religions in Sri Lanka is Buddhism,” said Bessenger, who spoke during the conference’s opening ceremony. 

“The organizers were using the metaphor of the rhizome, this idea of humans organizing and creating new projects as a rhizomatic activity and not a hierarchical activity,” she added. “They were interested in having somebody who could speak to similar principles in Buddhist philosophy.” 

The event, held in February, grew out of a graduate class at the University of Peradeniya taught by Sudesh Mantillake, who will be on campus as Randolph’s Quillian Visiting International Scholar next year. 

“It was supposed to be a small exercise in putting on an academic conference for the experience of the students, so they would know what goes into organizing such an event,” Bessenger said. “The students just got so excited by the project and with the leadership of Sudesh, it just got bigger and bigger.”

The event included oral and poster presentations—with topics ranging from the evolution of gender roles in dance to its mental health benefits—as well as performances of both traditional Sri Lankan dance and modern interpretations of it. 

“In addition to my opening talk, I attended all of the talks and presentations, which were put on by faculty and students at the university and other neighboring universities,” she said. “It was a really remarkable experience to share ideas in such an interdisciplinary environment. The conference itself was, I think, a rhizomatic activity, and I can’t wait to see what grows from it.”