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2/251
Philosophical
Approaches
to
Classical
Ballet
and
Modern
Dance
by
Marina - Georgia Tsoulou
A
thesis
submitted
in
partial
fulfilment
of
the
requirements
for
the
degree
of
Doctor
of
Philosophy in
Philosophy
University
of
Warwick Department
of
Philosophy
September
2003
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To Lysandros
and
Bella
my parents
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Table
of
Contents
Acknowledgernents
.............................................................................................................
Declaration........................................................................................................................I
Abstract
.............................................................................................................................
II
1.
Introduction
....................................................................................................................
1.1
Some
Remarks
n
Methodology
...........................................................................................
1.2.Distinction etween
TheatreDance
and
other
orms
of
Dance
.............................................
1.3.ThePeculiarity
f
Dance
-
Dances
an
Ad
as
elusive
as
t is
great
.
....................................
1.4.
TheArtistic
and
he
merely
Aesthetic
What
makes
a particularmovement
equence
piece
of
dance
ather
han, or
example,
piece
of gymnastics7)
............................................
3
1.5.
The
Notion
of
Art (Good
and
Bad
Art)
................................................................................
5
1.6.
The
Notion
of
Context
........................................................................................................
7
1.7.
The
Notion
of
Tradition(s)
..................................................................................................
9
1.8.FromLa
Sylphide
o Tanztheater
...............................................................................
.....
22
2. The
Creation
of
Dance
-
Choreography
................................................................................
2
2.1.
Physical
ersus
Symbolic
DanceSpace
............................................................................
32
2.2.
Methodology
......................................................................................................................
33
2.3.
Physical
Space
FirstAnalytical
Step)
................................................................................
34
2.3.1.Dance
Space
..................................................................................................................
35
2.3.2.
StageSpace
...................................................................................................................
6
2.3.3.
Movement nalysis
.........................................................................................................
8
2.3.3.1.Movement evelAnalysis
............................................................................................
0
I
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2.3.3.2.
Curved
nd
Straight-and-Angular
ines
.......................................................................
1
2.3.3.3.Symmetrical
nd
Asymmetrical
....................................................................................
1
2.3.3.4.
Focus
...........................................................................................................................
42
2.3.3.5.Turning........................................................................................................................43
2.3.3.6.Floor
Pattern
................................................................................................................
43
2.3.3.7.
Stillness
.......................................................................................................................
4
2.3.4.
On
Physical
Space
.........................................................................................................
5
2.4.
Symbolic
Space
Second
nd
Third
Analytical
Steps)
........................................................
6
2.5.TheActualTransformation
-
HowSymbolicSpaces transformedntoPhysicalSpace
Synthesis)
...............................................................................................................................
53
2.6. The Role
of
the
Choreographer
-
The Role
of
the
Dancer
.................................................
6
2.7. The Role
of
the
Spectator
..................................................................................................
9
2.8. The Notion
of
Communication
...........................................................................................
61
2.9.
Dance
ersus
Everyday-Life
ovement
.............................................................................
62
2.10.Concluding emarks
.......................................................................................................
63
3.
Dance
as
Mimesis imitation/Representation)
......................................................................
5
3.1.
Introduction
........................................................................................................................
65
3.2.
Aft,
Imitation
nd
Representation
.....................................................................................
6
3.2.1.Plato
and
Aristotle
on
Mimesis
........................................................................................
67
3.2.2.
MoreRecent
Approaches
o
the
Theory
of
Art
as
Imitation
.............................................
69
3.2.3.Representation
ersus
mitation
.....................................................................................
2
3.2.4.The Neo-Representational
heory
of
Art
.........................................................................
3
3.3.Dance
and/as
Mimesis
......................................................................................................
7
11
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3.4.
The Dances
nd
Mimesis
..................................................................................................
82
3.5. The
Case
of
Jean-Georges
overre
..................................................................................
86
3.6.
Concluding emarks
...........
..............
..............................
........................................
89
4. Danceas Beauty.....................................................................................................................92
4.1.
Introduction
........................................................................................................................
92
4.2. Beauty
and/or
Grace
..........................................................................................................
93
4.2.1
TheCollapse
f
Transcendental
rguments
n
Science
...................................................
96
4.3. Beauty,
Grace
and
he
Dances
........................................................................................
100
4.4.
Art
and
Beauty
.................................................................................................................
107
4.5.A
FurtherAnalysis
f
Beauty
...........................................................................................
109
4.6. Concluding
emarks
.......................................................................................................
112
5.
Dance
as
Expression
............................................................................................................
115
5.1. Introductory
emarks
......................................................................................................
115
5.2.Aft
and
Expressivism
.......................................................................................................
117
5.3.
Tolstoy s
Account
-
EverydayExpressivism
....................................................................
118
5.4.
Croce sAccount
..............................................................................................................
124
5.5.
Collingwood s ccount
.....................................................................................................
133
5.6.Expressionnd he
Dances
.... ........................................................................................
143
5.7,
Dance
and/
as
Expression
...............................................................................................
146
5.7.1.
John
Martin sAccount
f
Expressive
Modern)
Dance
..............................
..................
148
5.7.2.
Objection
o
Martin s
Account
.......................................................................................
149
5.8.
Concluding
emarks
.......................................................................................................
150
6.Dance
as
(Pure)Form
...........................................................................................................
153
III
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6.1.
ntroduction
.................................................................................................................
53
6.2.
Formalism
...................................................................................................................
56
6.3.Clive
Bell s
Formalism
- Significant
orm
.......................................................................
58
6.4.Neoformalism- Formistheveryshape f content.BenShahn.....................................64
6.5.Form
nd
he
Dances
....................................................................................................
71
6.6.
Dance
s
(Pure)
orm
...................................................................................................
75
6.7.Concluding
emarks
.....................................................................................................
82
7.
Towards
a
Philosophy
of
Dance
..........................................................................................
85
7.1.Introduction
......................................................................................................................
85
7.2.
Dance
as
Language
.........................................................................................................
90
7.3.
The
Question
of
ArtisticMeaning:
Does
Artistic
Meaningie
beyond
he
Sayable?
..........
195
7.4.The Medium
f
Movement
........................................................
.....................................
99
7.5. DanceNotation
................................................................................................................
02
7.6.Analysis
f
Classification
.................................................................................................
04
7.7.
Dance
ersus
Gymnastics
...............................................................................................
08
7.8.
ModernDanceVersusClassical
Ballet
............................................................................
12
7.9.Application
nd
Validation
................................................................................................
16
7.10.
Concluding
emarks
.....................................................................................................
24
Bibliography
and
References
..................................................................................................
28
IV
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Acknowledgements
I
would
ike
o
expressmysincere ratitude
o
my
supervisor
r
Gregory
unt
without
whose
onstant
upport
ncouragement
nd
nsightful
uggestions
he hesis
would ot
be
as
it is. I wouldalso ike o thankeveryonen thePhilosophyepartmentf theUniversityf
Warwick
ith
whom
discussed
his
project s
t developed
nd
whowere
kind
enough
o
read
parts
f
t
especially
rMartinWarner rofessor
tephen
oulgate r
Angela
Hobbs
r
Tim
Thornton rPeterPoellner
nd
Professor ichael untley.
I
thank
also
he University
f
Warwick
nd
n
particular
he
Department
f
Philosophy
for he inancial
upport
hat heyhave
provided
or
me
duringhe
years
of my
esearchswell
as
or he
opportunity
o
present arts f my
work
n front
of wideraudiences.
I
amextremelyrateful
o
JaneHunt
whovery
kindly
ndpatiently roof
ead
he
whole
thesis.
also
hank
MiltiadisMakrymichalos
ho
helped
with
the
drawing
f
the
grids
and
tableshat
appear
n
Chapter
.
Of
the
many
riends
o
whom am
ndebted
or
their
support
nd
who
cannot ll
be
named
here
should
particularly ention
oannisVogiatzisor discussing
ith
me
various
aspects f
the
hesis
nd
or
encouraginge
n times
f
difficulty.
Lastbut
not
east
would
ike
o
thank
my
amily
nd
n
particular
yparents
o
whom
this work is dedicated
or
alwaysbelievingn me. Withoutheir constant upportand
encouragement
ouwouldnot
be
holding
his
book.Special
hanks
o
my
brother
ostis or
being
here
or
meat all
imes.
All
of
the
above-mentioned
eople
ave
made
his
a
better
work
han
t
would
ave
been
without
hem
although
t does
not
ollow
rom
his
act
hat
any
of
them
are esponsible
or
any
remaining
laws;n his amentirely n myown.
V
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Declaration
I
declare
hat
all
he
workpresented
n
his hesis
was
undertaken
y
myself
unless
therwise
acknowledgednthe ext)and hatnoneof theworkhasbeenpreviouslyubmittedorany
otheracademic
egree.
ll
sources
f quoted
nformation
ave
been
cknowledged
y
means
of references.
Marina
-
Georgia
soulou
September
003
vi
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Abstract
My
primary
concern
n
this
thesis
is
to
develop
a
framework n
which
classical
and
modern
dance
can
be
analyzed
and
assessed
n
philosophical
erms.
This
should not
be
understood
s
an
endeavour
o
createa
system
of
valuesaccording
o
which
dance
should
be
criticized.What is being attempteds to describeand characterize ancewith the tools
provided
y different
aesthetic
heories.Moreover
ance,
and especially
allet due
o
its
more
solid
and concrete
structureand
form), s
used
as
a
test
-
p6aavo
vasanos)
n Greek
-
to
help
discern
he
limitations
f
existing
aesthetic
heories.At
the
same
ime
he
different
riteria
that
each
heory
puts
orward
o
identify
a
work
of art
are
related
o
the
notion
of movement,
which
s
central
o
dance.This
process
not only enables
us
to distinguish
he
elements
f
this
complex
orm
of
human
action,
but
also
becomes
he
starting
point
for
the
elaboration
f
a
reconfiguration
f aesthetic concepts
that
will
enable
a
sophisticatedanalysis
of
the
phenomenonf
dance.
The
underlying uestion
hroughout
s
What
makesa
particularmovement
equence
piece
of
dance
rather
than, for
example,
a
piece of gymnastics?
complemented
y the
question
What
makesan everyday
ife
movement
dance
movement?
These
ssues
are
addressed
y
considering
ow
the
variousaesthetic
heories
can
help
us
make
he
above
distinctions. hedifferent
orms
of
dance
are
correlatedwith
he
aesthetic
heories
presented.
The first
notion
consider
n
this
context
s
mimesiswith
special reference
o
Jean-
Georges
Noverre's
account
of
dance,
which
has its
roots
n
Aristotle's
Poetics.Secondly
consider
he
notionof
beauty
-
its independence
rom
suchnotionsas
purposiveness',
ts
lack
of
'interest'-
as analysed
n Kant's
Critique
of
Judgment.
he
expressive
lementof
dance s
explored
n the
context
of
R.
G. Collingwood's
xpressivism
nd
JohnMaftin's
nflection
f
it
in
relationo dance.Attentiono movementeadsdirectlyo thenotionof form,which s explored
in dialogue
with
Andn evinson
nd
Margaret
H'Doubler.
The thesis
concludes
by
sketching
an
outline
of a
new way
of
approaching,
understanding
nd
hence
potentially venexperiencing
ance
as
a
viewer).
Dance
s
a carrier
of
a multiplicityof
meanings
with various contents.
In
the
majority
of cases
a
dance
performance eeks
o
communicate
message
o
an
audience.
It is
being
suggested
hat
dance
constitutes
a
type
of
language,
a
communicational
ystem, which
has
mimetic,
expressive nd
formal
elements.
The
notionof
language
s
understood
n
later
Wittgenstein
terms.
t is
argued
hat
dance
comprises
'form
of
life. The
elements f
this
system
are
facial
expressions,movements f
hands
andarms,shiftingof the body;all thesereveal
o
us
the
qualityof
experience
nd
feelings
of
the
moving
persona.
Dance
should
be
understood
nd
appreciated
n
this
particular ontext.
Vil
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... Youhaveo lovedancingo
stick
o it. It
gives
ou
nothing
ack,
no
manuscripts
o
store
away,no
paintings
o
showon
walls
andmaybe
ang
n
museums,
o poems
o
be
printed
andsold,
nothing
ut
hat
single
leeting
moment
henyou
eel
alive.
t
is
not
or
unsteady
souls.
And
hought
appeals
hroughhe
eye
o the
mind,
he
mind
nstantly
ejects
ts
meaning
unless
he
meaning
s betrayed
mmediately
y
the
action.
The
mind
s
not convinced
y
kinetics
lone,
he
meaning
ust
be
clear, r
he
anguage
amiliar
nd
eadily ccessible.
Merce
Cunningham
I
7/26/2019 Wrap Thesis Tsoulou 2003
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I.
Introduction
The
primary
oncern f
this
thesis
s
to
develop frameworkn
which
classical
nd
modern
ance
an
be
analyzed ndappreciated
n
philosophical
erms.
This
should
ot
be
understood
s
an endeavour
o
create
system
f
values
ccording
o
which
dance
ould
be
criticized.
What
s being
attempted
s
to
describe
nd characterize
ance
with
the tools
provided
ydifferent
esthetic
heories.
Moreoverance,
nd
especially
allet
due
o
ts
more
solid
andconcretetructurend
orm),
s
used
s
a
test
-
A (7avK
vasanos)
n
Greek
-
to
help
discern
he
imitations
f existing esthetic
heories.
At
the
same
ime
he
various
onditions
that
each
heory
uts
orward
o
identify
work
of art are
related
o the
notion f
movement,
which
s
central
o
dance.
his
process otonlyenables s
o
distinguish
he
elements
f
this
complex
orm
of
human
ction,
ut
also
becomes
he
starting oint
or
the
elaboration
f a
reconfiguration
f aesthetic oncepts
hat
will enablea
sophisticated
nalysis
of
the
phenomenonfdance.
It
should
e
noted
hat
he
philosophical
pproach
o
dance
presented
n the
current
thesis
s
simply
esthetical
nd
notontological.
he
author
s
aware
f
the
variety
f
nteresting
issueshat
would risewerewe
o
follow
phenomenological
ine
of exploration,
ut
his
s
not
being
ntroduced
ere,
or
reasons
f
space
and
ocus.This
area
s
enormous
nd could
constitute
he heme
f
a completely
ifferent
esearch
roject.
My
underlyinguestion
hroughout
s 'What
makes
particular
ovement
equence
pieceof
dance
ather
han,
or
example,
piece
of
gymnastics?complemented
y
the
1
As
a
matter
f
act
he
philosophical
xplorations
f
he
art
of
dance ave
o
ar been
mainly henomenological.
The
main epresentative
f
his
approach
s
Maxine
heets-Johnstone
n ThePhenomenology
f
DanceMadison
and
Milwaukee:
niversity
f
Wisconsin ress,
1966)
and
n her
collection
f
essays
lluminating
ance,
(Lewisberg,ewYork:Bucknell niversityress, 984). hehasalsowritten numberf articles n hesubject
The ssues
oncerning
ime,
pace nd
he
body
hat
arise
hrough
uch
an
approachre
very
nteresting
ut all
outside
he
scope
f
he
current
hesis.
Moreover,
s
will
become
bvious,
ur
approach
ere s
analytical.
2
7/26/2019 Wrap Thesis Tsoulou 2003
13/251
question
What
ransforms
neveryday
ife
movement
nto
a
dance
movement?
These
ssues
are
being
addressed
y
considering
ow
he
criteria
such
as expression,
orm,beauty)
hat
the
various
esthetic
heories
ut
orward
or
he
distinctionetween
rt
and
non-art an
help
usmakehesedistinctions.hese riteria/abstractedotions re hen elatedo thedifferent
dance
enres
nd
he
extent
o
which
hey
constitute
mportant
lements
f
various
ypes
of
dances
s discussed.
Towards
his,
t is
suggested
n
Chapter
that
what
akes
place
n
the
process
f
creation
nd
performance
f a
dance
s
a
transformation
f
whatwecall
he
symbolic
pace
f
the dance the ideas
and
feelings
of
the
choreographer)
o physical
pace
thespecific
movementsxecuted
y
the
dancers)
nd consequently
he
reverse
ransformation
f
the
physical
pace
o
symbolicpace
by
he
spectators
-
in
otherwords,
o the
nterpretation
nd
understanding
f
dance.
The
elements
hat
constitute
he
context n
which
dancebecomes
intelligible
realso
highlighted.t is
argued
ater n
the
hesis
hat
a major
ontribution
o
the
distinctionetween
ance
ndeveryday ovementnd
dance
nd
gymnastics
s
the
different
symbolic
pace f eachof
these
ctivities.
Chapter
deals
with
he
first
notion onsidered
n
this
context,
mimesis, ith
special
reference
o
Jean-Georges
overre s
ccount f
dance,
which
has its
roots
n
Aristotle s
Poetics.
he
second otion,onsidered
n
Chapter ,
is beauty
-
its
ndependence
rom
such
notions
as
purposiveness
nd
its
lack
of
interest
-
as
analyzed
n
Kant s
Critique
of
Judgment.
he
expressivelement
f
dance s
discussedn
the
context
of
Collingwood s
expressivism
nd
JohnMartin s
nflection
f
it
in
relation
o
dance
Chapter ).
Attentiono
movement
eads
directly
o the
notion
of
form,
which
s
explored
n
dialogue
with
Andr6
LevinsonndMargaret DoublerChapter). The hesis oncludesyoutlining newwayof
3
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approaching,
nderstanding
nd,
hence,
potentially
ven
experiencing,
ance.
Dance s
a
carrier f
a
multiplicity
f meanings
ithin arious
ontexts.
n
the
majority
f
casesa
dance
performanceeeks
o
communicatemessage
o
an audience.
t is being
suggested
hat
danceconstitutes typeof language, communicationalystem,whichhas mimetic,
expressive
nd
formal
elements.
The
notion
of
language
here
is
understood
n
later
Wittgensteinianerms.
t is
argued
hat
dance
omprises
'form
of
life
The
atter
onsists
n
the
variety
of elements
hat
are
discussed
hroughout
he thesis,
suchas
the
abstracted
notions
f
mimesis,
eauty,
orm
and
expression
s wellas
he
acial
xpressions,
ovements
of
hands
ndarms,
music,
ighting,
ostumes
ndscenery;
ll
hese
eveal
o
us
he
quality
f
experience
hat
we
call
dance.Dance
hould
e
understood
nd appreciated
n
the
context
which
s
created
y
all
these
elements,
hich
at
the
same
ime
constitute
ndications
f
the
distinction etween
ance
and othermovementctivities, uchas
gymnastics.
ables
nd
gridsare also
used
n
Chapter
to illustrate
he
family
esemblance':
he
way
he
different
dance
enreselate
o
eachother
and
areall partof
the
orm
of
ife
of
dance.
Within
he
confines f
the hesis his
approach
o
dance
an
be
only
a preliminary
tudy.
In
another
work
intend
o
create
a
more
developed
onceptual
ramework
or
this
dance
language'
n
the
ight
of
a
deeper
ndmoreextensive nalysis f
the
concepts
nd
heories
sketched bove.Thepresentworkconstitutes n analytical ssayout of whichdifferent
'philosophies
f
dance'
an
be
generated.
4
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1.1
Some
Remarks
n
Methodology
Webegin
he
philosophicalxploration
f
dance,
y
accepting
he erm
dance
s
t
is
usedand understoodn everydayanguagewithoutbeingexplicitly efined;whether, f
course,
ance
an
be ullydefined,s
an altogether
ifferent
uestion
hat
will
concern
s
ater
in
the hesis.
An
mplicit efinition
f
dance
anonly
be
givenat
this
point
by describing
ts
different
spects, amely
ts
creation
i.
e. choreography),
ts
execution
i.
e.
performance)
nd
its
aesthetic
ppreciation
nd
critique.
Distinctions
ndclassifications
hat
are made
n
the
sectionsofollow lsocontributeoour
understandingf
the erm.This
way
he ermdance s
at
east
learenough
o
serve
sa working
asis
or
he
ntended
nalysis.
What
we are
trying o
do
with
the
expositionf
the
various
esthetic
heories
s
to
provide
clarification
f
the erm
and
consequently
f
the
phenomenon
f
dancehat
will
ead
us
to
a
better
understandingf
the
atter.
As
Rudolf
Camap
would
say
we
are
aced
with
a
problem
f explication.
We
try to
describedance n
a
way
that
will
contribute
o
its
understanding
ndpotentially
ts
appreciation
ith
he
help
of
the
criteria/indications
ithwhich
the
discussed
heories
f
art provide
s.
For
example
n
ouranalysis
f
formalism
e
discuss
the
notion f
significant
orm
put
orward y
CliveBell
as a
criterion
or
art
and
we go
urther,
examining hether
significant
orm
can
help
us
distinguish
ance
rom
non-dancend
whether,
more
enerally,
orm
s the
most
undamental
haracteristic
f
dance.
or
his
eason
we
are
not
nterestedn
giving n
exhaustive
ccount f
the
heories.
We
present
hem
n
order
to
abstract
he
proposedharacteristics
f
the
works
of
art andsee whether
hese
can
be
applied
o
dance
and contribute
o
the
distinction
hat
we want
o
draw
between
ance
I
Rudolf
Carnap,
ogical
Foundation
f
ProbabiW Chicago:
niversity
f
Chicago ress,1962)
h.
1,
On
Explication .
5
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movementsnd
everyday
ife
movementsn
he
one
hand,
nd
between
piece f
dance
nd
a
pieceof gymnastics,n
the
other.
Such
an approach
oes
not
provide
s
with
an exact
definition
f
dance
nor
with
a
comprehensive
uideline s
to
how dance
should
be
appreciated;tonlygivesus ndicationshatcancontributeothedistinctionsewantodraw.
In
otherwords,
here
s
no
clear-cut
nswer.
All
hat
s
claimed
s
that hrough
escribing
nd
characterizing
ance,
nd
n
particular
theatre
ance,
we can
acquire
better
understanding
f
the
phenomenonf
dance
without
aiming t or evenattemptingn
extensive
efinition.
s
will
be
argued
n
the
inal
chapter f
thethesis,
ur understandingf a
term
can
be
satisfactory
ithout
definition. ut
still
we
should
e
able
o
determine
hether urexploration
as,
at
least
o
some
extent,
uccessful.
The
capacity
y
the
endof
the
hesis
o
distinguish
ith espective
ertainty
etween
piece
of
gymnasticsnd
a piece
of
dance
as
well as
between
ance
movementnd
everyday-life
movement
ill
be
a
measure
f
success
n
our
ask.
1.2.
Distinction etween
heatre
Dance
nd other
orms
of
Dance
Before
we
begin
our exploration,
fundamental
larificationeeds
o
be
made:
n
this
projectwe aresolely
nterested
n
analysinghat
s
calledheatre
ance.
rancis
parshott4
introduceshis
erm
or
the
sakeof
the
distinction
hat
ollows
-
it
refers
mainly
o
classical
3
This
can
be
compared
ith
he
way
Carnap
resents
he
problem f explication
n
the
caseof scientific
erms.
...
f
a
solution
or
a problem
f
explication
s
proposed, e cannot
ecide
n
an exactway
whether
t
is
rightor
wrong.
trictly
peaking,
he
question
hether
he
solution
s
right
or
wrong
makes
o
good ense
ecause
here
is
no
clear-cut nswer.
he
questionhould
ather
e
whether
he
proposed
olution
s
satisfactory,
hether
t is
more
satisfactory
han
another ne,and
he
like. (Carnap, 962,
p.
4).
According
o
Carnap
here
are
our
requirements
or
an
adequatexplication:
.
similarity
.
exactness
.
ruitfulness.
implicity
although
his
s
of
lessermportance).
4
Francis
parshott,
Measured
ace
-
Toward PhHosophicalnderstanding
f
the
Arts
of
Dance
Toronto:
University
f
Toronto ress,
995).
6
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ballet
and modern
ance.
The
philosophical
nderstanding
f
the
phenomenon
f
dance n
general
ould
ave
been
he
subject f a completely
ifferent
roject.
As
a consequence,
t is
important
o
illustrate
s clearly
as possible
he
distinction etween
heatre
ance
and
he
other
orms
of
dance,
uchas social
dance,
olklore
r
religious
ance.
Dance
an
exist
outside
he
context
of
art: people
dance
on
varioussocial occasions,without
being
professional
ancers.
Dance
s
a
kind
of social
behaviour. ance
an
also
be
related
o
religious eremonies
nd can
be
part
of ritual practices.
Many
eligions
ncorporate,
or
example,ircular
ances,
hich
mitate
he
cosmos
ndaresaid
o
depict
he
harmony
nd
thedeterminismf a well-organizedniverse.Ofcourse,his ypeofdancesdistinctrom he
theatre
ance
hat
we
are
nterested
n, despite
he
act
hat
elements f such
eligious
nd
ceremonial
ance
ractices
an
be
raced
n
ballet
performances.
hese
lements
hen
used
in ballets
ose
heir
original
meaning s
they
are
ncorporated
nd presented
n
a
different
context.
Some
echoes
of
their
primary
ignificance,
hough,
mightsurvive.
For
example,
kneeling,
n he
majority
f cases,
s
a signof
prayer
r submission.
Furthermore
e
areexplicitly
nterestedn
exploring
hilosophicallylassical
allet
nd
modern
ance
mainly s
performed
n
stage.
And
whenwe
say stage we
o
not
only efer
o
a
theatre
tage
but
to
anything
hat
s
used
as a
stage,sincemanycontemporary
ance
performances
ake
place
n
parks, n
the
street,
n industrial
ites
or other
sitesappropriately
converted.
From
he
above
onsiderations
t
should
e
clear
hat
we
are primarily
oncerned ith
dance
s performancendnot
as choreography.
The
notion f performance
s
central
o the
5
e.
g.
whirling
ervishes.
6HoweveraneWinearlsn Choreography
-
TheArt
of
theBody,AnAnatomy
f
ExpressionLondon:ance
Books,
990)
tates
...
view
he
choreographers
rt also
as
a performance.
(
p.
106).
There
recontradictory
7
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proposed
ayof
appreciating
nd
understanding
ance,
nd
he
process f
the
creation
f
dance
nd
he
oleof
the
choreographer,
hich
s
being iscussed
n
a
separate
hapter f
the
thesis,
s includedn
order
o
encompass
he
aft
of
dancen
its
wholeness.
n
addition,
he
descriptive
ccount f
the
creative ctivity
f
choreography
s
presented ith
he
aspiration
f
enlightening
he
form
of
ife
of
dance
nd
o
support ursuggested
ay
of approaching
t.
7
We
need
also
o
state
hat
we
are
nterested ere
n
the
dance
orms
of
the
Western
world
andnot
n
African
r
Asian
ones.
This
distinctions
complementary
o the
irst
one,
The
fundamental
ifference etween
Western
nd
Eastern ances,f
we are entitled
o
sucha
dichotomy,
ies n
their
relation
o tradition, astern
ance
s
closely onnected
o tradition,
religion ndmetaphysical
oncerns
-
in
the
eastern
enseof
the
erm,
.
e.
the
possibilityf
reincarnation,
r
ife
after
death
-
and
characterized
y
stability, hereas
Western
ances
the
product
f
the
artistic
expression
f
the
choreographer,
culturaleventof
each epoch,
characterizedrimadlyychange, ither radual r abrupt.
A
more
general uestion
hat
arises
within
he
ramework
f
this
research nd equires
an
answer
s
In
what
does
a philosophy
f
dance
onsist?
A
straightforward
nswer
ould
be
The
philosophy
f
dance
consists
asically
f attempts
o
make
senseof
dance
.8
This
essentially
ummadzes
hat
is being
attempted
n
this
thesis,
namely
o
descdbe
nd
characterize
ance,
and
particulady
heatredance n
a
way
that
will
contribute
o
our
understanding
nd
hus
our
appreciation
f
t.
views
n whether
he
choreographers
ct
can
be
seen
as
a
performance.
he
view
aken
here
s
that
as
ar
as
ballet s
concerned
he
choreography
s
distinct
rom
he
performance,
hough
n
terms
of
modern
ance,
nd
especially
n
the
caseof
improvisation
he
distinctions
not entirely
lear,since
he
creation
f a
dance
s
integrated
ith
ts
executions
he wo
happen
lmost
imultaneously.
Consequently,henhe ermdances usednthis hesis,t should eassumedhat t referso dance s
performed
to the
product
f
he
choreographyandnot
o the
creative rocess
nvolvedn
producing
dance
-
i.
e.
choreographyunless therwisetated.
horeography
s discussed
n
Chapter
.
8
Sparshott,
995,
.
3.
S
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1.3.The
Peculiarity
f
Dance
-
Dances
an
Art
as
elusiveas
t
is
great
It s
puzzling
hat
he
various esthetic
heories
ut
orward
ver
he
years
ave
ailed
o
incorporate
ance
n
their
account.
first
approach
o
hese
ssues
will
ead
us
o
an
answer f
the
sort:
dance
s
not
ike
he
otherarts:
dances
unique.
What
differentiates
ance
rom
he
other
orms
of ad
so
deeply
s
that
here
s
an ambiguity
oncerning
he
artistic alue
of
a
dance
erformance.
Dance
an exist
within
a
varietyof circumstances,part
rom
he
artisticone.
0We
mentionedocial, eremonial
nd eligious
ance. he
confusion,
or
example,
etween
ocial
and
heatre ances
oneof
the
most
ommon.
ance
s
a
human
ractice
ppears
n
many
aspects
f
our
ife
and
he
context
n
which
t
emerges
nfluencests
characteristics.
t is
very
closely elatedo humanactionsince ts fundamentallements movement.Dance s
pervasive
nd
ntrinsic o
our
human
way
of
being n
a way
that
other
arts
are
not', as
Sparshott
loquently
uts
t. At
the
same
ime there s
controversy
s
far
as
dance
s
concerned.
espite
ts amiliarity
-
because
f
oureveryday ovement
-
it
is
at
the
same
ime
elusive.
2
So
whatmakes particular
ovement
dance
movement?
5'
This s
the
irst
concern
hat
Francis
Sparshott
aises
n his
entry
Dance'n
MichaelKelly
et
al eds.,
The
Encyclopedia
fAesthetics
Oxford:
xford
niversityress,
998).
In
general,
wo hings
make
ance istinctive
as an
object
f
nquiryn
aesthetics.
ne
s
he
complete
uman
resence
f
he
dancern
the
dance;
he
other
s
the
elation f artistic
ance
o
rituals
ndceremonies
f
direct
ocial
ignificance.
(p.
91).
10
Sparshott
ifferentiates
ocial
ance
rom
heatre
ance
y
making
distinctionetweendance,
onceived
n
a givensocial ontext
s
a
specific rt a specializedet of
skills
hat
have
o
be learned
nd
developed,
conjoined
in
most
ases)
o
an
nstitution
o
which ne
stands
n
some
efinite
orm
of membership
elation,
nd,
on heotherhand, ancing,formofactivityhatanyone anengagen. (Sparshot 995,pp. 9-40).
11
bid,
p.
6.
12
ts
elusiveness
s
also
elated
o
he
act
hat
a
dances
never erformed
n
he
same
wayno
matter
ow
hard
the
dancers
ry.
This
point
s urther iscussed
npp.
1-12
elow.
9
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There
are at
least
wo
moreelements,
hich
n differentiatingance
rom
otherad
forms,
make
ts
casea peculiar
ne,
The
materials
f other
orms
of ad, suchas
painting,
sculpturer architecture,
hat s to
say,
he
visualarts
are
ifeless
bjects, amely
olours,
marble,
ronze,
ocks
etc.
The
artist
has
hem
n herdisposition
ndshe
can
do
whatever
s
naturally
ossible,
ith
hem.
By
using
hem
n
all sortsof
ways,
by
combining
hem
and
by
altering
heir
natural ppearance,
he
can
achieve
he
effect
hat
she
s
ookingor, n
order
o
create
er
work.
The
case
of
dance s different. he
actual
material
f
the
creator
s human
beings,
who,of
course, annot
e
entirelymastered,s
they
are
ndividuals
ith
heir
own
distinct
haracteristicsndpersonalities.
he
material
s
given,and
he
choreographer
as
o
workwith
t. The
problem
f course
s
not
hat
he
potential
f
the
dancerss
limited;
o
s
the
potentialf
the
various
ifeless
materials.
hats mportants
that he
choreographer
s
dealing
with
iving,
onscious,
uman
eings,
ith
heir
ownpersonalities
nd
eelings.n
otherwords,
thecreation,hechoreographicpecification,sactivelynterpretedy hedancers,uiteunlike
paint ncanvas.
Admittedly dance
erformance
as
more
similarities
o
a music
performance
han o
paintings
n
an aft gallery;music nd
dance
reperforming,
otvisual,
ds.
The
composerf
musicencountersimilar roblems
o
those
of
the
choreographer.
er
primary
materials re
the
musical
ones,
he
syllables
nd
he
potentialitiesf
the
musical
nstruments,ut the
musical iece an
only
be
perceived
ndappreciatedhenperformed;
he
responsibility
or
the
actualoutcome f
its
performanceests upon
he
competence
nd
the
talent
of
the
individual
usiciansnd
heir
conductor.
large
part
of
what
we perceive
s a
musical
iece
has
to
do
with
its
execution, lthoughas
with
the
case of
dance (performance
nd
10
7/26/2019 Wrap Thesis Tsoulou 2003
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choreography),
t
can
be
argued
hat the
process
f composition
s
also art.
3
The
main
difference
etween
hese
wo
performingrts
s
that
a music erformance
s
technical/
rtificial,
while
ance
s
ultimately
rounded
n
everyday
ovement.
The
second
lement,
hich
ifferentiatesancerom
many
ther
orms
f ad,
s
that
we
do
not
have
an
accurate
ecord f
dance.
Every
erformance
s
different
rom
another.
his,
of
course,
s
notonly
rue
or
dance
ut
or
all performingrts,
distinguishing
hem
rom
he
visual
ads.
Dance
s
not
something
tatic,
t
constantly volves nd changes.
here
are always
different
erformancesf
the
same
dance
piece.
4 With
a
painting,
or
example,
he
work
s
always
here
or
us whenwe
try
to
analyze
ts
distinct
lements
nd
givean
nterpretation.
t
does
notchange;
nlyour perspective
ay
be
modified.
ut
his s
not
rue
or
dance.Even
when
a
dance
performance
s
recorded,
he
taped
material
s
not a
reliable
epiction
f
the
actualperformance,
ince
he
camera
nly
recordswhat
s
being
performed
rom
a
certain
angle ndcannotaptureheoverall ffect.Evenfthecamera ereableocaptureheactual
performance
n
all
its
aspects,
he dance
hanges
rom
one
night
o the
next.
The
matinee
performance
an
be different
rom
he
evening ne
andso
on,
Every
erformance
s
different
from
another; ach
performance
s
unique.
Dance
xists
at a perpetual
anishing
oint
or
at
the
moment
f
its
creation
t is
gone'15.
e
shallnot elaborate
n
the
reasons hy
these
changes
ccur
or onwhich
actors
an
nfluence
dance
erformance,
6The
mportant
ssue
See
also
ootnote
,
above.
14
Consider
he
example
of
Marius
Petipa's Swan Lake'
set
to
Tchaikovsky's
music:
he
ballet s
still
being
performed
based
on
the
original choreography
y Petipa,
but there
are
certainly
differences
and
variations
betweenhe first and he contemporaryersionsof its performance,part romthefact that thereare alsonew
a
,
pproachesichoreographies
o the
same
narrative
ndmusic.
MarciaB.
Siegel,
At
the
Vanishing oint
New
York:SaturdayReviewPress,1972)
16
Most
of
these
actors
are
discussedn Chapter
2.
II
7/26/2019 Wrap Thesis Tsoulou 2003
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here s
that
in
the
case
of
dance
he
objectof
our aesthetic
udgmentss in
constant
modification.
7
But
what
about
music?
s dance
ot
similar
o
music
n
his
espect?
he
caseof
music
-
classical
music
s
the
obvious omparison
ere
-
is
significantly
ifferent
ecause
he
musical
vocabulary
s
better
establishednd
wider anging.
here s
a
notational
ystem
n
music
widely
ccepted
hat
allows
s
o
compare
ifferent
erformances
f
the
samepieceagainst
the
original core.
n
that
sense
we
can
argue
hat
a score
s
an
accurate
ecord
f music.
Moreover,
e
can ecord particular
usic erformanceithout
ncountering
he
problem
f
different
amera ngles
nd
ncomplete
isual overage.
8
At this
point
we
canpose
gain
he
question
Whats the
philosophyf
dance
ll about?
and
he
answer, iven
o
us
by FrancisSparshotts 'We ook
now
not
what
ed
people
o
dance,
hich
s history,
or
what
psychic
orces
mpel
hem
o
do
so,
which
s
science,
ut
why
dancessomethinghatmakesenseodo.19
17
Graham
cFee, ndeistandinganceLondon:
outedge, 992)
lso
makes
his
point.
First
n
general,
he
idea
of performingrt
mplies
he
possibilityf a number
f performances.
econd,
he
work
of
art
s
encountered
only
when
neattends
performance,
or
only
hen
s
he
work
nstantiated.
n
particular,
ne
s
notconfronted
with
a
work
of art
when
neconfrontsnlya
notated core
r
a
film
or a
video.
... In
contrast
o
visual
rts
ike
painting nd
sculpture,
hich reatemporal,
erformingrts
ike
dance
ake
ime,
not
ust
n the rivial
ense
hat
it
takes
ime o
seeor
experience
hem,but
n
the
moreprofoundense
hat
hey
entrally
nvolve
vents, hich
are
n
he
low
of
ime,
ccurTingt
a
particular
oment
ndso
on.
Moreover,
isual
rtsare
ixed,
s
t
were,
fter
their
creation, hereas
erforming
rts
are
nherently
ndetermined
y
heir
creation:
hey
must
be brought
nto
completenessas
he
name uggests
-
by
being
erformed.
(pp.
8-9).
One
could
argue
hat
istening
o
a
recordedmusicperformance
s
not
the
sameas
attending
he
same
performanceiveandhatheresalwaysomething issingn he ecording,o n hissensewecannotave n
accurateecord
f music ither,
ut
at
east
we
cansay
hat
we
can
have
a
more
ccurate
ecord f
music
han
of
dance.
'9
Sparshott,995,
A
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1.4. The Artistic
and
the
merely
Aesthetic (What
makes
a particular
movement
sequence
piece
of
dance
ather
han,
or
example, pieceof
gymnastics?
)
A finaldistinction
-
admittedly
ne
hat
may
bedifficulto delineate
recisely which
needs
o
be
made
efore eginning
ur
nvestigation
f aesthetic
heories
n
relation
o
dance,
is
between
he
notion
f
the
artistic nd
hat
of
the
aesthetic.
raham
McFee20
istinguishes
judgmentshat
we
make
about
worksof aft
intentionally
reated
y
man
rom hose hat
we
make
aboutobjects
hat
are naturally
eautiful,
r aboutnaturally raceful
movements.
he
first udgments
re
characterizeds
artistic,
he
secondas
aesthet ,
1
This
reflectsour
appreciationf
two
different
ypes
of objects: ur appreciationf works f
art
s
not
he
same
as
our
appreciationf otheraesthetic bjects:
unsets,
irdsong
r
firework isplays.
McFee
explores
his
distinction
s
ollows:
...
It
makesa
difference
hetherwe see
the
object
before
us underconcepts
appropriate
o
art
(that s,
make
an artistic
udgment
bout
t)
or under
concepts
appropriate
o
the
merely esthetic.
he
clearestway
o
articulate
his
distinction
sharply
s
to
consider
case
where spectatoronfronts
work
of
art
but,
hrough
lack
of
knowledge
r
understanding,
rings
o
bear
on
t
merely
estheticoncepts.
And
his
means
hat he
spectator
s
not
able
o
bring
o
bear
on
that
object
he
concepts ppropriate
o
the
appreciationf
art; concepts uch as
form,
style,
meaning.
ypically,
istening
o
music
nvolves
ringing
o
bear ust
these
notions:
form,
onal
tructure,
nd,
perhaps,
sense
f content.
dditionally,
e
ypically
ee
the
music s
he
product f
someartist.
By
contrast, ur
appreciationf
the
beauty
ofbirdsongssimplyaestheticppreciation.2
20
McFee,
992.
21
DavidBest
Philosophy
nd
HumanMovementLondon:
eorge
Allen
and
Unwin,
1978)
also
draws
a
distinction
etween
he
artistic
nd
he
aesthetic.
e
contributes
o
the
discussion
ver
what
makes particular
movement
equence piece f
dance
ather
han
a piece f gymnastics
y
saying
hat'unlike
ance,
n
these
sports
here
s
stillanexternallypecifiable
imeven
hough,
or nstance,
t
is impossible
ntirely
o
specify
hat
the
gymnast
s
trying o
achieve part
rom
he
way
n
which
e s
rying o
achieve
t
Perhapshis
s
what
ome
physical
ducationistsre
getting t
when
hey
say, ather
aguely,
hat
a
distinctionetween
ymnastics
nd
dance
s
hat
he
ormers
objective
hile
he
atters
subjective
p.
13).
"
McFee,
992,
.
92.
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It
seems,
n
a sense,
hat
when
a
work
of ad
is treated
s merely esthetic,
t
is disparaged,
because
he
spectator
s hereby
ailing
o
acknowledge
he
details
rucial
o
its
meaning.
Thisdistinction
s
important
ince
we are
nterestedn
exploring
ance
as
art,
and
not
danceas a socialor religious ctivity.t alsohelpsus answerhequestion hatmakes
series
f movementspiece f
dance
ndnot
gymnastics
y
pointing
o the
actor
f
intention
in
the
process f artistic
reation s
well as
the
mportance
f context,which
ndicateshe
understanding
ne
brings
o
a
dance
performance.
avid
Best
supports
his
view
by
claiming
that
gymnastics
o
not produce erformance
ust
for
artisticpleasure s
dance
does.
The
pleasure
hat
one
maygain
rom
gymnastics
s
incidental
o
its
main
purpose,
ymnastics
re
only
concerned
ith
displayingechnical
ompetencend
accuracy
n
movement.
his
may
partly
e
rue
about
allet
swell
but
his
s
not
he
primary
im.
The
significance
f
the
distinction
ketched bovewill
be discussed
gain
n
Chapter ,
in
relation
o
Kant s
notion
of
disinterestedeauty . t
is
also relevant
o the
underlying
questions
f
the
present
hesis,
amely
he
relation
etween ance
movementnd
everyday
movementnd
between
ance
andgymnastics.
hen
we
say someone
moves racefully
even
when
hey
are
not
dancers
-
aesthetic
ppreciation
s
involved,
ut
our
appreciation
s
artisticwhenwe
say
the
same
hing
about
dancersn
a
dance
performance.
he
contexts
withinwhichhegracefulmovementsakeplace elpusdistinguishetweenhenotionsf the
artistic nd
he
aesthetic.
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1.5.The
Notion
of
Art
(Good
and
BadArt)
Before iscussinghenotion f context wehouldirstconsiderhe ermart.Sincewe
are
arguing
hat
heatre
ance
s
a
form
of
art
we
need
o
saysomething
bout ft
n
general.
Consideration
f what
constitutes
rt
is
central
o
aesthetics nd
t is the
question
hat he
various
heories
f
art
attempt
o
answer
y
suggestingcriterion
hat
will
help
us
distinguish
between
rt andnon-aft.
or
example,
live
Bell s
ormalism
uggested
hat
significant
orm
is
the
common
haracteristicf all
works
of
ad and
he
criterion
hat
distinguishes
hem
rom
other
estheticbjects.
As
will
become
bvious
n
the
ollowing
hapters
3-6),
all
the heories
hat
provide
s
with
a
definition
f aft
based
n a single
riterion
ave
ertain
laws.There
ppears
o
be
an
inherent
ifficultyn finding
criterion
hat
distinguishes
d
rom
non-art,
nd,consequently,
n
providing
n
explicit
definition
f
art,
Yet it
may
be
that
this
is
impossible
s well
as
unnecessary,
d
is
complex nd
appears
n
a variety
f
fdrms/genres.
e
do
not need
a
definition
f
art
in
order
o
understand
hatart
s.
It is
not
necessary
or
all
objects
hat
we
characterize
s ad objects
o
have
a common haracteristic
n
order
or
us
to
be
able
o
distinguishetweend andnon-art.
One
way
out
of
this
is
to
adopt
he
Wittgensteinian
erms
form
of
life
and
family
resemblance .
n
other
words,
ft
constitutes
form
of
life
and
he
different
rt genres re
related
o
eachother
n
a
family
esemblance
ay.
Moreover,
e claim
hat
he
orrn
of
life
of
ad
ncorporateshe
orms
f
ife
of
dance,
ainting,
usic, rchitecturend
other
enreswhich
are elated
o
eachother
by family
esemblance.
he orm
of
life
of
dance
hares
ome
f
the
15
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general
characteristics
f
the
form
of
life
of
art
as
well
as overlapping
ith
the
form
of
life
of
painting.
For
example,
n
the
form
of
life
of
art as
well
as
in bothdance
and
painting,
here
s
the
creator
of
the
work and
the
receivers
i.
e.
the
audience),
The
medium
of
the
creation
s
different;n dance t is movement,n paintingshapedcolours.That s why we are ustifiedn
arguing
hat
dance
and paintingare
both
arts
but
of
different orms. n
the
sameway, we
can
claim
hat
dance
and
gymnastics
haresome
common
haracteristics,uchas movement,
ut
the
otherelements
hat
constitute
hese
ife orms
are
different.
3
Another
debate
hat
is
related
o the
questionof
What
s
aft?
is
whether
bad
works
of
aft are
works
of aft
and
whetherwe
should
allow
or
the
possibility f
bad
ad at all.
24 It
has
been
suggested
hat he term
work
of aft
is
an
honorificerm,
a
value
erm,
which
means
hat
to
speakof
bad
ad
is
contradictory.
here
s
no
doubt
hat the
term
work
of aft
is
used
n
manycases
honorifically. ut
this
is
not always
he
case,
or it
seems
hat
we
can
speakof
worksof
art
in
a neutral
way
as
well
(i.
e.
thefts
of
works
of arl:
5).
So
he
term work
of
art can
be
used
n both
an
honorific
and a
neutralway.
It
appears
hat
n
order
o
determine
whether
the
erm
s
used
honorifically
r neutrally,
we
have
o take
nto
account
he
context
n
which
he
term
s
used.
If
we
are
o
accept
he
usage
work
of aft
in
an
exclusively
onorific
ense
we
shallneed
to providean analysisof the phrasebadworkof ad . Suchanalysiswill depend n turnon
what
account
of art
we
have n
mind.
That s, if
there
s
a set
of
characteristics, hich
nclude
success
n its
aims
he
possession f which
makessomething workof
art,
then
o
say
hat
a
work
has
hese
characteristics
nd
at
the
same
ime
s
artistically
ad, s
contradictory.
t
may
23
The
similarities
nd
dissimilarities
etweenance
ndother rtsandpractices
re
llustrated
n
he
ast
chapter
of
he
hesis.
2 Themain eferenceor hesessuess CyrilBarretts rticleAreBadWorks fArt Works fArt ,nPhilosophY
and
heArts,
Royalnstitute
f
Philosophyectures,
ol.
(London: acmillan,973)
p.
82
-93.
25
Example
aken
rom
Barrett
p.
U.,
p.
183.
16
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be
bad
n
some ther espect
ut
notas
a workof ad.
But f
we
hink
hat he
whole
ndeavour
to
find
a
criterion
r a
set
of criteria
or
ad
s impossible
nd
unnecessary,e
do
not
seewhy
one
s
not
ustified
n
speaking f
bad
worksof an.
After
all,
the
term
can
be
used
n
an
honorificenseo showone sparticulardmirationf a certainworkbysayingThatswhat
call
a work
of ad.
So,
as a consequence
e
consider
n
aesthetic
heory
s
being lawed
when
t
does
not
allow
or
he
possibilityf
bad
ad.
This
will
be
explored
n
more
etailn ater
hapters.
1.6.TheNotion
of
Context
The
erm
context
as been
alreadymentioned ore
han
once
andas
the
thesis
s
developed
he
mportance
f
the
notion
f
context
n
ourapproach
ill
become
ore
nd
more
evident.
In
accordanceith
he
methodological
emarks
made
n
Section .1,
a
working
efinition
of
the term
context s
needed.
Context
as
a
variety
of uses
n
English
and
to
avoid
misunderstanding
s
o
how t is being
sed
n
this
hesis
we
shall
describe
hatwe
mean
by
context
f
the dance/performance.
ontext
s
used
here
as
a
technical
erm
and efers
o
all
theexternaleatures/indicationshathelpus makehedistinctionetweenwomantrollingn
the
park,
or
example,nda
woman
ancing,
dancer
n
a
theatre
tage or
anything
hat
s
used
s a
stage
-
moves
ntentionally;
here
s
also,
n
the
majority f cases,
music, ostumes,
lighting,
cenery nd
other tage ffects nd,of
course,
n audience.
hese
xternal
lements
constitute
he
contextor
the
form
of
life
of
dance. t is
thus
suggested
hat
he
different
17
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contexts
n
which
movement
equence
akes
place
ifferentiatesancerom
gymnastics
nd
dance
rom
everyday ovement.
Movements
the
basis
f every
ance. he
ypes
of
movements
hat
constitute
dance
arenotsodifferentromeveryday ovements.particular ovementhatappearsnadance
can
be
padof
some
ctivity ther
han
dance.t
seems
o
be
rue
hat
no
movement
equence
will,
on
ts
own,
be
uniquely
istinctive
o dance.Dance
movements
reoften
more
omplex
andsophisticated
han
everyday
ife
movements
ut
his s
not
nvariably
o.
Even
a precise
description
f a movement ill not
ead
us
to
realize
hat
whatwe
are
watching
s
dance
nd
not somethinglse
a
ritualor
a
habit,or
example).
t
can
hereforee
argued
hat
what
makes
particular
movement
dance
movement
s
the
fact
that
he
latter s
a
performed
movement;
hat
s
to
say,
t
appears
ithin
he
ramework
f
a performance.
ontext
lso
helps
here.
The
external
eatures
-
costumes,
ighting,
he
stage,
he
act
hat
here
s
anaudience
cancontribute
o the
ealization
hat
what
s taking
lace
n front
of
us
s
a
dance
erformance.
But
hese
xternal haracteristicsreprobablytillnotsufficient
o
assure
s
hat
what
we
are
watching
s
a
dance
performance
ndnot somethinglse.
We
shallgo on
to
argue
hat
he
symbolicpace
f
the
dance
lso
contributes.
6
We
note
he
caseof
modem
ance
works,where
he
external
haracteristics
f
dance
performancesreconsciouslylurred,ocreate aguenessbouthenature fthemovement.
What
hen
ndicates
he
context
f
the
dance? he
notion
f meaning lays
a
vital
ole
at
this
point:a
movement
cquiresmuchof
its
meaning
rom
he
context
n
which
t
appears.
movement
n
isolation
means
ittle. n
different
ontexts
he
samemovements
cquire
ifferent
meaningsndare
understood
n different
ays.
n
order
o
be n
a
position
o
determinehat
a
See
Chapter
on
Symbolic
pace.
18
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particular
movementequence
s dance,
we need
irstly
o
describe
he
movements
nd
secondly
o take
nto
account
he
place
and
he
circumstances
n
which
hey
ake
place.
We
shouldalso
be
aware
o
a
greater r
lesser
extent
of
the codes rules)
with
which
most
membersf
the
audience ill
be amiliar
whenattending
dance
erformance.
his
ssue s
addressed
n
detail
ater n
he hesis.
7
On
he
other
hand,
we
could
suggest
hat
dance s
a
special
ind
of movement
nd
what
makes
t
special tems
rom
he
act
hat
we
udge
andappreciate
t
as a
work
of
art.
n
otherwords,whatwe
are
doing
ere s
to
aestheticize
ertain
inds
f movement
ndcall
he
result ance. ut hat stocommithe allacyhatwedescribednthepreviousection: e ail
to
discem
he
differenceetween
he
artistic nd
he
aesthetic.
We
now
return
o the
ssue
of
knowledge
f
the
codes
and elaborate
he
view
hat
some
nowledge
f
the
radition(s)
ithin
which
ance
works
areconceived
oes
-
even,
must
-
contribute
o
our
understanding
nd
appreciationf a
movement
equences
dance.
1.7.
The
Notion
of
Tradition(s)
How
are
we
supposed
o
understand
traditions)? What
o
we
mean
y
dance
radition
and
how
does
the
knowledge
f
the
tradition(s)
ontribute
o
our understanding
nd
appreciationf
dance?
By
tradition
we
refer
o
dance
history,
o the
genres, tyles
and
performances
hat
were
produced
eforehe
dance
piece
which
s
nowperformed
n
front
of
us,
and
which
nable s
o
compare nd
differentiate
he
current
ork
rom
previous
nes.
The
27
Mainlyn
the
inal
chapter,
hapter
,
where
t
is
suggested
hat
dance
onstitutessystem f communication
and
s
a carrier
f meaning.
ne
of
the
points
made
n
our
attempt
o distinguishancerom
gymnastics
s to
suggest
hat
dance
as
meaning hilst
ymnastics
as
significance.
19
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knowledge
f
an
existing
radition
ontributes
o
the
better
utline
f
the
orm
of
life
of
dance
and
o the
reconstruction
f
the
network f
family
esemblances
hat
connect
he
different
dance
enres.
Despite eing
aware
hat
manywould trongly bject
o this
suggestion,
t
seems
hat
we
cannot
eny
he
role
hat
some oft
of
knowledge
-
even
f
merely
mplicit
-
of
tradition
r
history
lays
n
ourappreciationf
a
workof art.
Works
f art
do
notexist
n solation;
hey
are
part
of
the
culture
n
which
hey
have
been
reated
nd
o
a great
extent
he
atter
s
reflected
in
them.
They
re
he
productsf a particular
istoric
eriod
nd
hey
should
e
appreciated
s
such.Thisdoesnot meano implyhat hesocialor cultural ackgroundhould e heonly
ground gainst
which
a
work
of art
should
e
understood.
hat
we aresuggesting
s
simply
that
eachwork
of art
belongs
o
a particular
ra
which
has
a
bearing
nour
esponse
o
t.
Willingly
or
unwillingly,
onsciously r
unconsciously,
e
are
influenced
n
our
appreciationnd
understanding
f a workof aft
by
our previous xpedenceS.
8
Our
approach
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