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Article
Somaesthetics and Dance
Contemporary Pragmatism
  • Curtis L. Carter, Marquette University
Document Type
Article
Language
eng
Format of Original
16 p.; 22 cm
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Publisher
Rodopi
Disciplines
Abstract

Dance is proposed as the most representative of somaesthetic arts in Thinking Through the Body: Essays in Somaesthetics and other writings of Richard Shusterman. Shuster- man offers a useful, but incomplete approach to somaesthetics of dance. In the examples provided, dance appears as subordinate to another art form (theater or photography) or as a means to achieving bodily excellence. Missing, for example, are accounts of the role of dance as an independent art form, how somaesthetics would address differences in varying approaches to dance, and attention to the viewer’s somaesthetic dance experience. Three strategies for developing new directions for dance somaesthetics are offered here: identify a fuller range of applications of somaesthetics to dance as an independent art form (e.g. Martha Graham); develop somaesthetics for a wider range of theatre dance (e.g. ballet, modern and experimental dance); and relate somaesthetics to more general features of dance (content, form, expression, style, kinesthetics) necessary for understanding the roles of the choreographer/dancer and the viewer.

Comments

Accepted version. Contemporary Pragmatism, Vol. 12, No. 1 (2015): 100-115. DOI. © 2015 Rodopi. Used with permission.

Citation Information
Curtis L. Carter. "Somaesthetics and Dance" Contemporary Pragmatism (2015) ISSN: 1572-3429
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/curtis_carter/281/