Dance Spaces

This book takes as its point of departure diverse conventions of and perspectives on practices and discourses in dance. The anthology is strongly motivated by the fact that space continues to be explored and debated within dance practices and studies as well as the human sciences more generally. Yet, there are still only few publications offering a contemporary view on how the relation between movement and space can be tied to the descriptions and analyses of actual movement practice. Already owing to its embodied nature, dance is essentially spatial. It forms, produces, and takes place in space. It is thus no coincidence that dance studies have increasingly begun to address the complex issue of movement and space. This anthology aims to link conceptual descriptions that concern space as process and in process to the undertakings of specific movement practices in dance. The articles in the anthology address how historical and geopolitical influences impact our understanding and practice of dance art. In them, the kinds of spaces and interrelationships, which different forms of dancing generate, are considered. Aspects of embodied space that dancing relies upon are likewise discussed. Through case examples, the articles take a closer look on how recent artistic practice in dance utilises given environments and constructs space.