What is the importance of "dancing" in the play, Fairview?

Throughout the play, dancing is both presented and seen as a fundamental expression of black identity. The black characters in Act One dance, and the non-black characters in Act Two comment on different aspects of black dancing, and offer perceptions on what it means. As Act Two reaches a point of peak intensity, the dancing of the black family plays out in the background of a racist rant by one of the non-black characters, dancing that becomes as extreme, and in some ways as exaggerated, as the rant itself. In that context, the quality of the dancing reflects the quality of the white character's perceptions - twisted, and based on false perception.