Kinesemiotics: Modelling How Choreographed Movement Means in Space

Kinesemiotics is an interdisciplinary field that explores how movement-based communication, like dance, uses a codified language shared by a community of users. It employs the genre of ballet to understand and analyze key concepts such as space as a semiotic dimension and motivated movement. Supported by automated movement recognition tools, kinesemiotics argues that ballets capacity to extend beyond sequences of physical movements to become a meaning-making practice.

Format: Hardback
Length: 102 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This groundbreaking work introduces the interdisciplinary field of research known as kinesemiotics, offering a novel and versatile model for understanding forms of movement-based communication, such as dance, that utilize a codified language shared by a community of users. It begins with a theoretical overview and comprehensive review of existing literature on the primary approaches to movement-based communication, particularly dance, which form the foundation of kinesemiotics as a field of study. It reiterates previous research that establishes dance as a form of embodied communication, as it encompasses a wide range of semiotic styles and forms shared by communities of speakers. In collaboration with the English National Ballet, Maiorani employs the genre of ballet as a means through which to understand and analyze some of the key concepts of kinesemiotics, specifically the notion of space as a semiotic dimension and motivated movement, or movement with meaning.

Supported by automated movement recognition tools derived from the fields of bio-robotics engineering and computer science, Maiorani argues for ballet's capacity, when movements are projected into meaningful space, to transcend the realm of mere physical movements and evolve into a practice of meaning-making.

Kinesemiotics represents a significant advancement in interdisciplinary research, encompassing social semiotics, media and communication, multimodality, linguistics, and performance studies. It holds particular appeal to students and scholars engaged in these fields.

Weight: 284g
Dimension: 156 x 236 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367272470