Theories of Choreographic Practice

Building upon the work of Adshead-Lansdale (Dance analysis: Theory and practice. Dance Books, 1988; Blom & Chaplin, The intimate act of choreography. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1982; Smith-Autard, The art of dance in education. A&C Black, 2002; Dance composition: A practical guide to creative success in dance making. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2010), this chapter explores choreographic theory, drawing primarily from American modern dance traditions. It explores the fundamental principles of enacting space, time and dynamics to develop movement vocabulary to communicate meaning. This is represented by chapter opening figure. The creative explorations are all underpinned by the inter-relationship of these three theoretical aspects. Scholarship on the role of the audience is also considered as part of the impact of choreography. Lastly, shifts in choreography theory and research practice through advancements in digital technology (especially video) are traced as contemporary innovations in the onto-epistemological development of this artform. This chapter theoretically anchors the book by centring the theory of choreographic practice as a pivotal component for the teaching and learning of dance.