“Dance on the Volcano” by Marie Vieux-Chauvet

The cover of "Dance on the Volcano" by Marie Vieux-Chauvet, translated by Kaiama L. Glover and published in 2017. Originally published as "La Danse sur le volcan" in 1957.

"Dance on the Volcano" (originally published as "La Danse sur le volcan") is a powerful fictional narrative of the events of the Haitian Revolution from the perspective of women of different backgrounds and identities. Written by author, playwright and poet Marie Vieux-Chauvet, the piece is one of the few that tells the story of this pivotal historical moment from a woman's point of view.

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About "Dance on the Volcano"

Dance on the Volcano tells the story of two sisters growing up during the Haitian Revolution in a culture that swings heavily between decadence and poverty, sensuality and depravity. One sister, because of her singing ability, is able to enter into the white colonial society otherwise generally off limits to people of color.

Closely examining a society sagging under the white supremacy of the French colonist rulers, Dance on the Volcano is one of the only novels to closely depict the seeds and fruition of the Haitian Revolution, tracking an elaborate hierarchy of skin color and class through the experiences of two young women. It is a story about hatred and fear, love and loss, and the complex tensions between colonizer and colonized, masterfully translated by Kaiama L. Glover (Penguin Random House).

Although there were over 200 published works that narrated the Haitian Revolution, few centered on women (Public Books). Vieux-Chauvet’s novel doesn’t just reflect her perspective but tells a story through women's eyes from a variety of social locations and identities. This is especially important because even now, so many of the real-life female revolutionaries from that time have been overlooked. You can learn more about them in this quick recap, offered by Marlene L. Daut, PH.D., Professor of African Diaspora Studies at the University of Virginia (Twitter).

It’s important to look at history not just through the lens of history books, but through a wide variety of narrative mediums. Although Dance on the Volcano may be a fictional work, its meaning and impression is nothing but. To explore more fictional works from this time period, visit haitianrevolutionaryfictions.com

About the Haitian Revolution

The Haitian Revolution was a successful rebellion led by the enslaved people on the French colony Saint-Domingue, now known as the sovereign state of Haiti. Through a series of violent conflicts from 1791 and 1804, the people ultimately won independence from French colonial rule. Haiti thus emerged as the first Black republic in the world, and the second nation in the western hemisphere (after the United States) to win its independence from a European power. The Haitian Revolution shook the institution of slavery throughout the New World, and inspired other national and Creole revolutions across Latin America. Recognizing its threat to slavery in the U.S., the government refused to acknowledge Haitian independence until 1862.

About Marie Vieux-Chauvet

Marie Vieux-Chauvet was a Haitian novelist, poet, and playwright who wrote prolific stories about the upheaval of Haitian political, economic and social society during the United States occupation of Haiti.

One of her other works, “Amour, colère et folie” (Love, Anger, Madness), was a sharp critique of the violence of Haitian dictator François Duvalier. Because of this book, Vieux-Chauvet went into permanent exile in New York City, where she died in 1973 at 57. At one point, her husband at the time, Pierre Chauvet, made an emergency trip to Haiti, where he purchased as many copies of the book already in circulation in order to destroy them and protect her livelihood (The Nation).

Reflection Questions

• What did you learn of the Haitian Revolution growing up? Consider how the perceived threat of independence abroad may influence what you learn about global events from your home country.
• Why is learning about history from the lens of women of color and other marginalized identities important? What may we miss from history told from a cisgender male gaze?

Learn More

• Read: “Black” Radicalism in Haiti and the Disorderly Feminine: The Case of Marie Vieux Chauvet by Kaiama L. Glover (Barnard)
• Read: “Femmes of Color, ‘Femmes de Couleur’: Theorizing Black Queer Femininity through Chauvet's ‘La danse sur le volcan’” by Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley (JSTOR).
• Explore other fictional works that illuminate the Haitian Revolution: haitianrevolutionaryfictions.com.
• Read: “Sheroes of the Haitian Revolution”, written by historian Bayyinah Bello and illustrated by Kervin Andre (Black Dot).
• Herstory: 11 Haitian Women to Celebrate During Hispanic Heritage Month (Remezcla)