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Authors
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
O presente projeto resulta numa criação performativa que pretende dar visibilidade e
compreensão ao que não se vê da prática Contact Improvisation (CI), e que, no entanto, se
sente e se vivencia por quem pratica. Steve Paxton, em 1972, preconizou uma pesquisa em
dança na busca de ancestralidade; cruzando muitas questões do momento, em conjunto com
os seus pares, foi desenvolvendo uma partitura de improvisação. O meu desafio com esta
pesquisa e criação artística é o de partilhar a essência desta partitura, como eu a recebi e como
a transmito, revelando o potencial desta prática de dança pós-moderna, enquanto treino para
uma cultura ecológica e sustentável. O praticante de CI, ao incorporar certos princípios e
questões, reencontra bases fisiológicas da sua natureza instintiva que lhe servem como
sabedoria peculiar, trazendo uma reavaliação de valores culturais, na visão e sua relação com
a sua natureza selvagem (interior e exterior). Através de uma prática pragmática e física, com
foco na regeneração, cooperação e interdependência, a prática continuada de CI transforma a
nossa posição em relação ao projeto humano, nomeadamente face ao que é transmitido na
cultura mainstream. A pesquisa artística ao longo deste projeto foi movida pela reflexão e
análise de várias fontes académicas e científicas, em particular pelo livro Ser Animal Ser
Humano, Uma nova história do que significa ser humano de Melanie Challenger, estudiosa da
história da humanidade e do mundo natural, e da filosofia ambiental. Nesta obra não-ficcional
a autora expõe e fundamenta uma crítica ao mito do excecionalismo humano, mostrando
como a negação ou repressão do fato de os humanos serem animais teve consequências
profundamente lesivas quer para a forma como vivemos, quer para todas as formas de vida no
planeta. Sublinha ainda a gravidade de vivermos coletivamente sujeitos a uma agenda para o
futuro que está a ser imaginada por um animal que não só não acredita ser animal, como
também não quer ser animal. Ao demonstrar que ser humano significa ser animal, e que esta
condição contém em si mesma uma imensa alegria de viver, venho revelar os aspetos que se
treinam na prática Contact Improvisation, uma prática que é na sua essência fisiológica e que
desconstrói questões e paradigmas sociais, psicológicos, políticos e ambientais que são atuais
e de grande relevância nas escolhas que estamos a fazer para as gerações futuras.
ABSTRACT - This project concerns a performative creation that intends to provide visibility and understanding to what is not apparent in the practice of Contact Improvisation (CI), but which, however, is felt and experienced by those who practice it. Steve Paxton, in 1972, advocated a dance research in pursuit of ancestry; having crossed many issues of the time, he developed, together with his peers, an improvisation score. My challenge with this research and artistic creation project is to share the essence of this score, how I received it and how I am transmitting it, thus revealing the potential of this post-modern dance practice as a training tool towards an ecological and sustainable culture. By incorporating certain principles and questions, CI practitioners rediscover physiological bases of their instinctive nature that serve them with a peculiar wisdom, bringing about a re-evaluation of cultural values, within a vision of their relationship with their wild (inner and outer) nature. Through a pragmatic physical practice with a focus on regeneration, cooperation and interdependence, the continued practice of CI transforms our position towards the human project, countering what is transmitted by mainstream culture. My artistic research throughout this project was driven by a reflection and analysis of various academic and scientific sources, in particular the book Being Animal Being Human, A new history of what it means to be human by Melanie Challenger, a scholar of the history of humanity and of the natural world, from the field of environmental philosophy. In this non-fiction work the author exposes and grounds a critique of the myth of human exceptionalism, showing how the denial or repression of the fact that humans are animals has had profoundly damaging consequences for the way we live, as well as for all forms of life on the planet. Her work also underlines the dangers of living collectively while subject to an agenda for the future that is solely imagined by an animal, that not only does not believe to be an animal, but also does not want to be an animal. By demonstrating that being human actually means being an animal, and that this condition contains in itself the immense joy of living, I reveal the aspects that are trained in the practice of Contact Improvisation, which are in their essence physiological and deconstruct social, psychological, political and environmental issues and paradigms that are topical and of great relevance in the choices we make for future generations.
ABSTRACT - This project concerns a performative creation that intends to provide visibility and understanding to what is not apparent in the practice of Contact Improvisation (CI), but which, however, is felt and experienced by those who practice it. Steve Paxton, in 1972, advocated a dance research in pursuit of ancestry; having crossed many issues of the time, he developed, together with his peers, an improvisation score. My challenge with this research and artistic creation project is to share the essence of this score, how I received it and how I am transmitting it, thus revealing the potential of this post-modern dance practice as a training tool towards an ecological and sustainable culture. By incorporating certain principles and questions, CI practitioners rediscover physiological bases of their instinctive nature that serve them with a peculiar wisdom, bringing about a re-evaluation of cultural values, within a vision of their relationship with their wild (inner and outer) nature. Through a pragmatic physical practice with a focus on regeneration, cooperation and interdependence, the continued practice of CI transforms our position towards the human project, countering what is transmitted by mainstream culture. My artistic research throughout this project was driven by a reflection and analysis of various academic and scientific sources, in particular the book Being Animal Being Human, A new history of what it means to be human by Melanie Challenger, a scholar of the history of humanity and of the natural world, from the field of environmental philosophy. In this non-fiction work the author exposes and grounds a critique of the myth of human exceptionalism, showing how the denial or repression of the fact that humans are animals has had profoundly damaging consequences for the way we live, as well as for all forms of life on the planet. Her work also underlines the dangers of living collectively while subject to an agenda for the future that is solely imagined by an animal, that not only does not believe to be an animal, but also does not want to be an animal. By demonstrating that being human actually means being an animal, and that this condition contains in itself the immense joy of living, I reveal the aspects that are trained in the practice of Contact Improvisation, which are in their essence physiological and deconstruct social, psychological, political and environmental issues and paradigms that are topical and of great relevance in the choices we make for future generations.
Description
Trabalho de Projeto submetido à Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Teatro - Especialização em Artes Performativas
Keywords
Contact improvisation Dança pós-moderna Ecologia Sustentabilidade Teoria animal Post-Modern dance Ecology Sustainability Animal studies
Citation
Publisher
Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa - Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema