Creation and Reflection

Contemporary dance is characterised by the explorative and critical treatment of its own form of art, which is addressed both theoretically and practically in this thematic block. How and with which senses does one perceive dance, and how does dance in turn inform the way in which the body is perceived? What structures of desire are evoked by dance and how do imaginary worlds evolve in the process of producing pieces?
Different conceptions of the body are up for debate: Lectures and performances examine, for example, to what extent performance is also linked to images, notions and expectations on the side of the audience, as Véronique Fabbri and Julie Townsend discuss, and in which ways perception and experience are connected to bodily actions. Reflection is inconceivable without communication. What kinds of friction and possibilities result from the transition paths between dance, as a transient art form, and language or writing that leave traces considered to be permanent?
A further, practice-oriented focus is on master classes presenting a wide range of methodical approaches in dance education; a number of toolboxes are dedicated to conveying media-based choreographic procedures. They are commented on by experts who also give navigational assistance in dealing with digital paths. Dance as a profession often makes extreme demands on one’s own “working material”: The selected contributions seek to further the understanding of the body set in motion from a medical point of view.
Moreover, the question arises as to how dance influences other forms of art or is influenced by them. John Neumeier demonstrates the bridging of dance and music in ballet; researchers of the Parisian institute IRCAM discuss the specific relationship between movement and sound. A special focus in the area of architecture is on the work of William Forsythe, whose recent pieces have incited a series of research projects dealing with the body, spatiality and architecture. The genre of film shows how choreographic structures have an influence as aesthetic principles and can be set in relation to dance.