A Glossary item is a list list of key terms and concepts relevant to contemporary dance and performance studies, curated by the IMPACT consortium. It serves as a resource to clarify specialized vocabulary and facilitate deeper understanding within the community.
Impact on the IMPACT joint study programme The IMPACT joint study programme thrives on close collaboration between partner institutions, where each brings unique expertise in performance art and choreographic technologies. Through shared teaching, joint residencies, and co-developed modules, partners influence one another’s academic approaches and artistic practices. This dynamic exchange not only enriches the learning […]
Performance created in direct response to a particular location and its spatial, historical, or social context.
In dance, a score is a set of instructions, guidelines, or frameworks that structure a performance or movement exploration. Unlike traditional music notation, dance scores can take various forms, from written text and symbols to visual maps, graphic notations, or digital interfaces. Scores can be fixed (prescriptive) or open-ended (allowing interpretation and improvisation).
The study of movement within social and political contexts, beyond traditional dance settings.
Body-centered practices that emphasise internal awareness, sensory perception, and holistic movement approaches.
A method of interpretation and analysis of aspects of human cognition, behaviour, culture, and experience, which focuses on relationships of contrast between elements in a conceptual system. The doctrine that structure is more important than function.
An approach that crosses disciplinary boundaries to create new frameworks for artistic and academic inquiry.
Vernacular in dance refers to movement styles that emerge organically within specific communities, cultures, or social settings, rather than being formally codified or institutionally taught. Vernacular dances are often linked to everyday life, social interaction, and cultural expression.
Transnational in the context of contemporary dance refers to how dance practices, aesthetics, and collaborations move across and beyond national boundaries, often blending cultural influences, styles, and identities. It creates hybrid practices and decenters the “Western” canon.
Sustainability in contemporary dance is about creating a practice that is artistically, emotionally, physically and environmentally able to thrive long-term.
a style or movement in the arts that aims to depart significantly from classical and traditional forms.
Modern Dance emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a rebellion against classical ballet. Pioneers like Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and José Limón a.o. sought to create a dance form that was expressive, grounded, and free from the rigid structure of ballet.