Worlding Dance and Dancing Out There in the World

Dance and Place: Body Weather, globalisation and Aotearoa

“…'World Dance' breaks down and reframes what 'dance' is, opening up new territory and broadening the conceptual framework of how we see dance. Savigliano (2009) argues for a re-thinking of the umbrella term 'World Dance' and asks how choreography (a Western notion) can be used as "a processor of differences" (Savigliano, 2009, p. 175). She suggests that different cultures of dance can come together to engage in dialogue.…”

“…She says dancers need to enter into intercultural dialogue with producers, scholars, critics, students, or with other dancers (Savigliano, 2009 (Foster,p. 2).…”

“…Together, Foster (2009) and Savigliano (2009) question how 'World Dance' might replace 'dance'. They seek to expand 'dance', and ask us to consider new and alternative definitions of choreography, technique, a dancer, and performance-presentation.…”

“…Notions of belonging, identity and place are implicated in global changes, forming new concepts of belonging and 'place' within dance studies (Alexeyeff, 2009;Foster, 2009;Savigliano, 2009 He also experienced cultural identities embedded in the movement learnt from Indonesian choreographer Jecko Siompo and Congolese-born Andréya Ouamba (Gray, 2010).…”

“…Using the work of Body Weather (BW) practitioners such as Snow (2006), Grant &de Quincey (2006), andTaylor (2010), this article will explore their unique viewpoints and somatic approaches to engaging with place. Also the works of other scholars and movement practitioners will be used to investigate how place shapes dance practices (Alexeyeff, 2009; Brown, 1997;Gray, 2010;Mazer, 2007;Savigliano, 2009). BW threads within the Aotearoa/New Zealand contemporary dance scene will be traced, culminating in suggestions about the implications for practicing BW in an Aotearoa context.…”