Embodying theory

Abstract

In this paper I examine the way in which choreographic works can both embody and have a direct effect on theorising. My PhD research comprised a double-edged enquiry into philosophical issues of identity and individuation in relation to dance works, more specifically into 'open' dance works, integrating practical and philosophical thinking. I claim that the works I am presenting in my PhD portfolio embody the theoretical enquiry, and that there is a symbiotic relationship between theory and practice, with the philosophical notion of 'thinking in the work'' contrasted it to thinking about the work. I demonstrate that, during the course of my choreographic research, not only did my dance 'thinking', that is the thinking that takes place in and through my choreographic practice, undergo radical change but also that the changes in my practice demanded that I make a substantial epistemological shift in my philosophical thinking