Choreographing Dirt: Movement, Performance, and Ecology in the Anthropocene

This book explores the significance of dirt in performance and dance studies by placing them in conversation with ecology. It demonstrates how the choreography of dirt makes biological, geographical, and cultural meaning, what the author terms biogeocultography. Examples include Suzan-Lori Parks' The America Play, Pina Bauschs' The Rite of Spring, Eveoke Dance Theatres' Las Mariposas, and Iván-Daniel Espinosas' Messengers Divinos.

Format: Hardback
Length: 104 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This groundbreaking study seamlessly intertwines performance and dance studies with ecology, delving into the profound significance of dirt in artistic expression. By examining a diverse array of 20th- and 21st-century performances, including modern dance, dance-theatre, Butoh, and everyday life, the author unveils how the choreography of dirt generates biological, geographical, and cultural meanings, coined as "biogeocultography." From the Foundling Father's excavation in Suzan-Lori Parks' The America Play (1994) to the aerial peat hurling in Pina Bauschs' The Rite of Spring (1975), the frantic shoveling of dirt in Eveoke Dance Theatre's Las Mariposas (2010), and the mesmerizing dance with fungi in Iván-Daniel Espinosas' Messengers Divinos (2018), each example showcases how the incorporation of dirt unveils intricate micro-level interactions between species, such as the delicate interplay between microscopic skin bacteria and soil protozoa, as well as macro-level interactions, such as the transformation of peat into a greenhouse gas. By highlighting the ethical implications of moving dirt, this book posits that performance serves as a vital platform for addressing the multifaceted ecological challenges of the Anthropocene. This captivating work will captivate scholars and practitioners alike in the fields of theatre, performance studies, dance, ecocriticism, and the environmental humanities, offering a profound exploration of the ecological dimensions of artistic practice.

Weight: 371g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367758400