Case Study 1: How to analyse dance choreographies: an illustration through contemporary works of Pina Bausch and Maurice Bejart Case Study 2: A study of motor creativity when dancing contact improvisation Case Study 3: The aesthetic appraisal of contemporary dance using a motion capture system Like the physical and aural materials used by artists and musicians, body gestures and creative movement constitute an expressive language that human beings use to project themselves symbolically through art. Furthermore, when the body is the protagonist its vast range of expression paves the way for a multiplicity of aesthetic resources and creative possibilities. In contemporary society there is an increasing emphasis on the visual and the idea of spectacle that surrounds not only sporting events but also other activities involving the moving body, such as dance. Unlike sport, however, which is universally understood within the same parameters, dance, as a cultural manifestation, is not a universal language. This cultural specificity of dance derives from the fact that it is both an expression and an emotion; it is not merely an action in the broadest sense. This chapter presents three examples of research that uses mixed methods in relation to dance. Specific observation systems, semantic differentials, body motion capture and interviews are used in the context of mixed method designs capable of analysing professional choreographic works, contact dance improvisation and contemporary dance.
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