Dance Dramaturgy
The reflective and structural work of shaping the meaning, context, and form of a dance work.
Definition
The practice and theory of shaping the conceptual, structural, and contextual coherence of dance works.
Scope
This topic covers dramaturgy as applied to dance and movement performance: the collaborative practice of questioning, researching, and structuring a work's conceptual and formal coherence. It addresses the role of the dramaturg in the choreographic process and the broader theory of how meaning is organized in non-narrative, movement-based performance.
Core questions
- What does a dramaturg contribute to the choreographic process?
- How is meaning structured in non-narrative dance?
- How do research and context inform the making of a dance work?
Key concepts
- dramaturgy
- the dramaturg
- conceptual coherence
- structure
- process
Key theories
- Dramaturgy as a mode of attention in process
- The view that dance dramaturgy is less a fixed role than a way of attending to and structuring the questions, materials, and meanings that arise during the making of a work.
History
Drawing on theatrical dramaturgy, the role of the dance dramaturg gained recognition in European and North American contemporary dance from the late twentieth century, and scholarship has since theorized dramaturgy as integral to the creation of movement-based performance.
Debates
- The role and necessity of the dramaturg
- Practitioners debate whether dance requires a dedicated dramaturg or whether dramaturgical thinking is a function distributed among collaborators in the choreographic process.
Key figures
- Katherine Profeta
- André Lepecki
- Cathy Turner
- Synne Behrndt
Related topics
Seminal works
- profeta2015
- lepecki2004
Frequently asked questions
- What does a dance dramaturg do?
- A dance dramaturg works alongside choreographers to research, question, and structure a work, helping clarify its concept, coherence, and context without prescribing the movement itself.