This groundbreaking book moves beyond the conventional association of dramaturgy with plays to consider the substance and process of dramaturgy for dance and movement performance. Focusing on text and language, research, audience, movement, and interculturalism, the author provides vivid, practical examples from her collaboration with renowned choreographer Ralph Lemon.
Introduction
There is Room for You
The Great Break into a Million Pieces
An Overview
How to Use This Bookandmdash;Getting the Most from your Companion
Composing as Companion?
More Notes on Semantics
You Say Impro, I Say Improv
Chapter 1 Materia Prima
Introduction
Using What's Available: Forti, Dilley, Campbell
Dancing with All You've Got:and#160;Sgorbati, Duck
Going Beyond What You Do:and#160;Martin
Playing with What's Given:and#160;Bull, Reitz, Topf, Overlie, Forsythe
A Closing Thought about Material
Interludeandmdash;So many influences, so little time . . .
Chapter 2 Form:and#160;Dancing Takes Shape
Introduction
Ritual: Anna Halprin
Performance Practice:and#160;Deborah Hay
Ancient Memories:and#160;Eiko and Koma
A New Form of Dance: Steve Paxton
Studying Form:and#160;Richard Bull
From Chaos to Form through Play:and#160;Keith Hennessy
Articulating Forms:and#160;Nina Martin
Fostering Form:and#160;Penny Campbell
Emerging Forms:and#160;Susan Sgorbati
Frames as Forms:and#160;Mary Overlie
The Senses as Composers:and#160;Lisa Nelson
Forming a Dialogue of Spirit, Nature, and Culture:and#160;Suprapto Suryodarmo (Prapto)
Investigating Open Space Improvisation: Barbara Dilley
A Closing Thought about Form
Practices for Further Research
Interludeandmdash;Notes to myself:and#160;andquot;No room for form with love this strong.andquot;and#160;(Rumi)
Chapter 3 Time Machines
Introduction
Aand#160;Chance Encounter:and#160;Katie Duck
Options to Glacial Time:and#160;Nina Martin
Time Warp:and#160;Mary Overlie
Surprise:and#160;Min Tanaka
Shaping Time:and#160;Dana Reitz
Epic:and#160;Nancy Stark Smith
Time to Digest:and#160;Nancy Topf
Through the Looking Glass:and#160;Steve Paxton
Compressing Time: William Forsythe
A Sense of Time:and#160;Barbara Dilley
Back in Time:and#160;Lisa Nelson
Aand#160;Closing Thought about Time
Practices for Further Research
Interludeandmdash;Notes to myself:and#160;Living Backwards
Chapter 4 Spacial Relations
Introduction
Palindrome: Richard Bull
The Grid:and#160;Barbara Dilley
Spherical Space:and#160;Paxton
The Global Underscore:and#160;Nancy Stark Smith
The Hot Spot:and#160;Nina Martin
Listen to the Space:and#160;Dana Reitz
Architecture:and#160;Mary Overlie
Room Writing:and#160;William Forsythe
Exit and Dance:and#160;Katie Duck
Aand#160;Closing Thought about Space
Practices for Further Research
Interludeandmdash;Ma
Chapter 5 The Dancing Image
Introduction
The Red Square: Barbara Dilley
The Single Image Score:and#160;Lisa Nelson
Complete the Form and Neuro:and#160;Nina Martin
Poetic and Anatomical Imagery:and#160;Joan Skinner and Marsha Paludan et al.
Dynamic Anatomy:and#160;Nancy Topf
Becoming Butoh:and#160;Kazuo Ohno
Body Weather:and#160;Min Tanaka
Disappearing:and#160;Mary Overlie
A Closing Thought about the Dancing Image
Practices for Further Research
Interludeandmdash;Invisible Dances with Mary Overlie
Chapter 6 The Possibilities of Music
Introduction
Equals in Process: Judith Dunn and Bill Dixon
Integrated yet Independent:and#160;Penny Campbell
An Emerging Duet:and#160;Susan Sgorbati
A Dialogue of Forms:and#160;Richard Bull
Minimalists:and#160;Nancy Topf and Jon Gibson
Magpie Music Dance:and#160;Katie Duck
The Music in Movement:and#160;Dana Reitz
Carrying the Music:and#160;Kazuo Ohno
86 Aspects:and#160;Nancy Stark Smith and Mike Vargas
A Closing Thought about Music
Practices for Further Research
Interludeandmdash;Notes to myself:and#160;Listening
Chapter 7 The Eyes
Introduction
The Five Eye Practices:and#160;Barbara Dilley
Engaging the Eyes:and#160;Katie Duck
The Kinesthetics of Seeing:and#160;Lisa Nelson
The Eyes as an Image of Depth:and#160;Nancy Topf
Playing the Field: Nina Martin
Peripheral Vision: Steve Paxton
Cleaning the Windows of Perception:and#160;Suprapto Suryodarmo (Prapto)
A Closing Thought about the Eyes
Practices for Further Research
Interludeandmdash;Notes to myself:and#160;Catch It Out of the Corner of my Eye
Chapter 8 Partnering Science
Introduction
Comparative Anatomy of a Moving Body:and#160;Jennifer Monson
Embodying Complexity:and#160;Susan Sgorbati
Physics for the Body:and#160;Steve Paxton
A Research Proposal:and#160;Simone Forti
Aand#160;Closing Thought about Partnering Science
Practices for Further Research
Interludeandmdash;Notes to myself on not knowing
Chapter 9 The Magical Object
Introduction
Taking Instructions from Objects:and#160;Lisa Nelson
Re-reify:and#160;Mary Overlie
Animate Dancing:and#160;Simone Forti
Drawing Dances: Dana Reitz
Wiggle Room: William Forsythe
Bytes:and#160;Pooh Kaye
Objects in Space:and#160;Nancy Topf
Not Only for Yourself:and#160;Min Tanaka
A Closing Thought about Objects
Practices for Further Research
Interludeandndash;The objects begin to speak . . .
Appendices:
Who's Who and What's What in the Improviser's Companion
Dance-Maker Biographical Sketches and Contextual Information
Bibliography
Dance-Maker Selected Bibliographies and Further Reading