The Aesthetics and Politics of Stillness as a Dramaturgical Practice in Contemporary Dance

Abstract

This thesis examines the choreographic practice of stillness in contemporary dance performances. The meaning of stillness in dance is explored in the arena of postmodern dance era which expresses a warm approval of the slowing down movement techniques. Moreover, I focus on how the political meaning of stillness in dance is explored in the broader framework of the theories of André Lepecki, Nadia Seremetakis, Randy Martin and Emma Cocker. For my analysis, I use two public dance performances, by examining how these performances disrupt everyday activities and establish temporary communities among performers and audience. In the conclusion, I summarize the multidimensional character of stillness able to override the expectation of what is dance and capable of causing social turmoil when it is publicly performed.