School of Contemporary Music - Theses

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Start date: 2005 × End date: 2009 × Type: Masters Research thesis ×

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    Dialogical dancing: illuminating dimensionality in solo dance practice
    BRYANT, FIONA ( 2009)
    This research manuscript directly pertains to and partially documents my practice-led solo investigation Dialogical Dancing as undertaken toward the Masters of Choreography (by Research). It has been composed to support and co-exist with the two live performance works presented in a season at The Victorian College of the Arts and Music toward the end of these investigations.
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    The art of presence: contemplation, communing and creativity
    O'Keeffe, Anne ( 2009)
    The Art of Presence: Contemplation, Communing and Creativity reflects on the making of a dance theatre work called Song of Longing presented at Victorian College of the Arts in 2008. Song of Longing was made in collaboration with the cast, who participated in a process centred on improvisation. The resulting performance was a synergy of dance and unaccompanied singing. The thesis is an investigation of the choreographer's ongoing exploration of movement, singing and improvisation, informed by Buddhist philosophy. Both the writing and the performance mirror an embodied practice - making tangible themes and concepts that have emerged into consciousness. Central interests include the ‘life-world’ of the artist and its influence on the creative process, the concepts of spirituality, spirit and ‘flow’, the experiential focus of the inquiry, improvisation as presence and the value of art as healing and therapy. While the perspective of the writing is drawn from the subjectivity of the practitioner, the aim of the work is to draw on the broader fields of research in these areas and to connect with the creative practices of other artists. To this end, a conventional survey of the literature has been augmented by writings and teachings on Buddhism and other spiritual practices, documentaries and visual art. Interviews with artists in Australia and India and thoughts from the performers of Song of Longing are also included.