Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

During the last two decades, a generation of disabled dance artists working in contemporary dance have challenged the concept of ‘compulsory able-bodiedness.’ It has challenged audiences and also the field of the performing arts and its ‘gatekeepers’ to think beyond the notion of access in the ‘normative’ cult of the body in dance. When looking at the dominant contemporary dance scene, the parameters of contemporary dance aesthetics are to a great extent fixed and based on ‘ableist’ preconceptions. Both disabled choreographers and dance artists are redefining barriers in dance through their personal work, in which they question the ‘normative’ representation of the body. While the desire to question binary preconceptions of disability and dance has been increasing during the last decade, the presence of disabled dance artists within the professional contemporary dance field remains relatively low. Although the professional dance field is perceived as self-reflexive, innovative and intersectional, it nevertheless mirrors the position of ‘normative’ bodies within our society. Within dance communities, the notion of the ‘disabled’ body has made it possible to shift pre-conceived ideas about the ‘ideal’ body, particularly in dance. This thesis will explore how disability is defined in contemporary dance. This study will examine how various notions of ‘able-bodiedness’ are challenged within the field of contemporary dance in relation to disability and will question the dominant hegemony of the ‘ideal’ body with particular reference to the disability. The categorisation of different bodies as ‘other’ bodies has led to the marginalisation of dancers with disabilities, how then might we imagine possible futures within the field of contemporary dance by including ‘other’ possible bodies? This study explores how the role of the disabled dance artist has shifted throughout the history of dance. The first part of my research examines how models of disability are framed to understand disability in a broader societal context. The analysis of each model will then focus on the role of models of disability in relation to dance. I will explore the theory of ‘compulsory able-bodiedness’ by Robert McRuer (2016) to engage with the ongoing debate around dance and disability. In the second part of my study, I focus on the development of postmodern dance, particularly the emergence of contact improvisation. I will argue that postmodern dance has explored other possible movement sources, which led to the democratisation of not only movement but also of bodies themselves. I will look at how postmodern dance pioneers began to collaborate with people involved with disability rights movement. Finally, I will give an overview of the current developments and research undertaken by established dance theorists. This study will incorporate my personal experiences as a choreographer within the context of both disability and dance. This thesis offers a useful view on the role of the disabled dance artist to inform traditional ontologies of the dancing body within contemporary choreography.