How Can We Know the Dance from the Dance?: Exploring the Complexity of Staging Dance Legacy Works

Authors

Elizabeth McPherson, Montclair State UniversityFollow

Author Credentials

Elizabeth McPherson, PhD

Associate Professor; BA and MFA coordinator, Montclair State University

Abstract

Staging works from our rich concert dance heritage relies on determining what the “real” dance is, particularly when the work is no longer currently performed. Because choreographers frequently alter their choreography, creating multiple versions of a dance, identification of a definitive version can be a complex process. Adding to the complexity, there is the involvement of the stager, performers, and the audience who are each active or passive participants in the ultimate performance of a work. Through conversations with prominent stagers, scholarly discourse, and personal experience, the author investigates some of the key concerns and questions regarding staging dance legacy works in concert dance.

Recommended Citation

McPherson, Elizabeth (2019) "How Can We Know the Dance from the Dance?: Exploring the Complexity of Staging Dance Legacy Works," Journal of Movement Arts Literacy Archive (2013-2019): Vol. 5: No. 1, Article 1.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/jmal/vol5/iss1/1