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Abstract

This thesis presents a processual Practice as Research (PaR) project in dance-making. Exploring personal experiences as a source of creativity, this research develops through three phases that involve solo and collaborative studio-based somatic movement explorations with professional dancers and dancers-in-training.

Drawing on Authentic Movement, as connected to Active Imagination, and phenomenological methodologies, this study recognises commonalities between these frameworks and adopts them as a foundational methodological approach. Throughout the development of the investigation, this approach evolves into the articulation of generalisable methodologies for dance-making.

This study focuses on personal experiences, exploring their tacit and unconscious aspects through somatic movement practice. Following work with personal memories, dreams, imaginative activity, and responses to external stimuli, this research utilises the deeply personal and the sedimented historicity of those exploring in the creation of artistic articulations. These include a short film, two devised dance performances, and several paintings. Presented in this thesis as insights into the creative process, these articulations are accompanied by the distillation of distinctive approaches to movement exploration and follow the integration of explorative and generative artistic activities into the development of the Collective Imagining Process—a model for dance-making, choreography, and somatic research.

This thesis takes the form of a multimodal document, presenting video materials, images, and questionnaire forms. It suggests that Authentic Movement combined with phenomenological methodology forms the foundation of a generalisable creative methodological approach applicable to artistic PaR, collaborative devising and performance-making processes, and suitable not only for dancers but also for creators in different artistic fields. It further addresses the potentially beneficial role of aspects of Authentic Movement and phenomenological methodology in the higher education of dancers and transdisciplinary artists.

Publication Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > M Music
Departments:	Doctoral Theses

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