Processual constructions: towards a non-representational poetics of choreography

The thesis advances the notion of non-representational poetics positioning this as a genealogical extension in the field of conceptual dance. Concerned with “the genesis of the act of thinking in thought itself” (Deleuze, 2004: 176) the thesis focuses on modes of thinking by choreographers and performers in developing and performing the works addressed. Acknowledging Dance4’s as yet under articulated support of challenging and experimental choreographic practices in the UK, a non-representational poetics is elaborated through an analysis of works programmed in Dance4’s Nottdance Festival 1999-2003, and through practical and written articulation of works by the author developed while Research Artist at Dance4. Chapter one introduces the multi-modal methods and positions the three text-based elements of works examined - the score for Schreibstück by Thomas Lehmen, The General Rules Score for Project by Xavier Le Roy and Fiona Templeton’s text for Invisible Dances by Bock & Vincenzi - as more-than archival remains. Chapter two presents the contextual and theoretical premise taking Jerome Bel’s critique of representation (Lepecki, 2007: 45) in the work Jérôme Bel as departure point. Chapter three argues that Thomas Lehmen’s Schreibstück expands Bel’s critique by exposing the structural and agential processes of a system that is not representational. The following four chapters are dedicated to four works that operate through the activation of agential relational processes: Xavier Le Roy’s Project, Bock & Vincenzi’s Invisible Dances and the author’s two works what remains and is to come (in collaboration with Katrina Brown) and Perception Frames. Chapters four to seven respectively argue that: what remains and is to come operates through intra-relational material processes, Project through social processes that generate collective decision-making, Invisible Dances through an ongoing embedding of perceptual sensing processes and Perception Frames, through processual instructions for giving attention in perceptual sensing. The research contributes new knowledge through its articulation of a non-representational poetics that operates in the conjoined and processual operations of agency and relations to produce the choreographic work.