Dance Practices as Research: Approaches to the Safeguarding and Transmission of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Dance

Description

This book contributes to the growing scientific literature on ‘intangible cultural heritage’ – determined by UNESCO to be particularly worthy of safeguarding and transmission – by advancing a theoretical-analytical framework for the (in)tangible cultural heritage of dance. By exploring the potential of the ‘intangible materiality’ of dance practice the book argues that implementing the concept of a ‘performative dance-archive’ creates a new analytic field: research in praxis. The concept of the ‘performative dance-archive’ draws out the potential for safeguarding and transmission of dance heritage, but also the challenges of the opposition between living heritage and the codifying of cultural inventories. This book uses the formal and contextual transformation of Argentine tango and German modern dance to discuss this ambiguity of intangible heritage and how the “performative dance-archive” creates a cognitive, empractical approach to determine, archive, and distribute dance knowledge. This is a timely methodological intervention in the context of the increasing importance of the intangible cultural heritage. It enables us to re-revise the concept of (im)materiality and the specific knowledges within cultural practice as a necessary fundamental category for research-processes and societal growth. This book is directed both to researchers in the field of intangible cultural heritage and to practitioners and researchers searching for new ways of investigating methods and perspectives to understand 'immaterial materialities'. Introduction References Bibliography Contents List of Figures Chapter 1: The Cultural Heritage of Dance and Research Practice 1.1 Insights into Intangible Heritage and Research Methods 1.1.1 Intangible Heritage – Developing a Vision as Concept and Convention 1.1.1.1 Intangible Heritage in the Context of the World Heritage Concept 1.1.1.2 Cultural Heritage and the Concept of the Intangible 1.1.2 Cultural Forms of Expression – Constitutive and Performative 1.1.2.1 Cultural Expressions in a Praxeological Understanding 1.1.2.2 Cultural Practices in a Performative Description 1.1.3 Performative Methods – Empractical Processes and Practice as Research 1.1.3.1 Cultures of Knowledge and Their Epistemes 1.1.3.2 Performativity, Empraxis and Dance Knowledge 1.1.3.3 Practice as Research 1.2 Intangible Cultural Heritage and Dance Practice in the German Context 1.2.1 Inscription Process for Modern Expressive Dance 1.2.2 Transmission and Further Development of Dance Heritage in the Present 1.3 Case Study on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Tango 1.3.1 Theory of Practice 1.3.2 Power of Practice 1.3.2.1 Tango as Popular Culture, Narration and Political Strategy 1.3.2.2 Changes of Meaning in Tango 1.3.2.3 Institutionalisation Processes Within the Framework of the Inscription Procedure 1.3.2.4 Archiving the Cultural Heritage of Tango 1.3.2.5 Ambivalences of the Evaluation 1.3.2.6 Responsibility of Actors and Political Authorities References Bibliography Chapter 2: The Intangible in the Context of Performative Situations 2.1 Perspectives on the Intangible 2.1.1 The Intangible in the Terms of the UNESCO Convention 2.1.2 The Intangible as Implicit Knowledge and Performative Process 2.1.2.1 Implicit Knowledge of Cultural Practices 2.1.2.2 Processes of Becoming and Change 2.1.3 The Intangible in the Perspective of the Performative 2.2 Dance Practices and the Designation as Intangible 2.2.1 Symbolic Value of Dance Practices 2.2.2 Attributes Assigned to the Intangible: Ephemerality and Presence 2.2.3 Snapshot Dance 2.3 Movement Material in Performative Processes of Becoming 2.3.1 Materiality and Mediality 2.3.2 Materiality of the Intangible References Bibliography Chapter 3: Performative Doing as a Living Archive of Cultural Practices 3.1 Movement as Value and Knowledge Order of the Intangible 3.1.1 A Moved and Moving Research Discourse 3.1.1.1 Discourses on Body Knowledge 3.1.1.2 An Emerging Sociology of Movement 3.1.2 Functional Modes of Movement Practices 3.2 Archiving Incorporated Knowledge 3.2.1 Archiving Concepts 3.2.1.1 The Concept of Archive 3.2.1.2 Archives of Movement 3.2.2 Notation Systems for Dance Movements 3.2.2.1 Notation of Courtly Dances 3.2.2.2 Dance Notation Ballet/Concert Dance 3.2.2.3 Benesh Movement Notation/Choreology 3.2.2.4 Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation 3.2.2.5 Labanotation/Kinetography 3.2.2.6 Recording Through New Media 3.2.3 Dance Literacy 3.2.3.1 Dance Literacy as a Research Approach 3.2.3.2 Dance Literacy as a Framework of Analysis for Video Recordings and Photographic Material 3.3 On the Value of Dance Heritage in the Present: Modern Expressive Forms and Contemporary Ways of Working References Bibliography Video Footage Chapter 4: Performative Methods as an Approach to Dance Practice 4.1 Dance Knowledge – Danced Knowledge 4.1.1 Concepts Related to Dance Practice 4.1.1.1 Positions Within the Discourse of Dance Studies 4.1.1.2 Approach to the Concept of Dance Knowledge 4.1.2 Importance of Dance Practices in the Social Context 4.1.2.1 Concept of Education and Transmission Processes 4.1.2.2 Effects of Globalisation: Heterology 4.1.2.3 Identity and Creativity 4.2 Approaches to Dance Practice 4.2.1 (In)tangible Implications of Dance Moments 4.2.1.1 The Cultural Materiality of Bodies 4.2.1.2 Ephemerality and Presence 4.2.1.3 Concepts of Change and Authenti(ci)ty 4.2.2 Physical-Aesthetic Qualities in Dance 4.2.2.1 Quality of Movement (Expressiveness) 4.2.2.2 Physical Signature and Bodywork 4.2.3 Dancing as Thinking Space 4.2.3.1 ‘Another’ Way of Thinking 4.2.3.2 Critical Potential 4.3 Safeguarding and Transmission of Dance Knowledge 4.3.1 Knowledge Within the Performative 4.3.2 Concepts for Archiving the Performative 4.3.2.1 Archives Internationales de la Danse 4.3.2.2 Performative-Artistic Archive by Susan Melrose 4.3.2.3 Dance Reconstruction Project Temporary Museum 4.3.2.4 SAPA – Dance Archives in Switzerland 4.3.2.5 TANZPLAN and TANZFONDS ERBE in Germany 4.3.2.6 Dance Archive as Exhibition: Performance, Documentation, Reconstruction 4.3.2.7 Dance Archive as Media Documentation References Bibliography Video Footage Chapter 5: The Living Heritage of Dance: Dance Archives in Practice 5.1 Dance Archives as an Approach to Dance Practices – Performative and Empractical 5.2 The Performative Dance Archive – Research in Practice 5.2.1 Theoretical Perspectives of Access 5.2.2 Empractical Experience 5.2.3 Reconstruction Work 5.2.4 Movement Analysis According to Laban 5.2.5 Research in Practice and Artistic Research 5.2.6 Choreographic Work 5.2.7 Reflection Matrix for the Empractical Approach 5.3 (Un)Critical Aspects in Terms of the Scientific Nature of the Approach References Bibliography Chapter 6: Conclusion: Perspectives for the Living Heritage of Dance 6.1 Arguments for a Living Heritage of Dance 6.2 The Oxymoron of the Intangible or What to Do with the Dance Heritage? References Bibliography Platforms, Document Portals and Film Files Platforms and Portals Video Footage