The transmission-translation-transformation of Doris Humphrey's 'Two ecstatic themes' (1931)

Book chapter

Main, L. 2017. The transmission-translation-transformation of Doris Humphrey's 'Two ecstatic themes' (1931). in: Main, L. (ed.) Transmissions in Dance: Contemporary staging practices London Palgrave MacMillan, Cham. pp. 85-107
Chapter titleThe transmission-translation-transformation of Doris Humphrey's 'Two ecstatic themes' (1931)
AuthorsMain, L.
Abstract

The notion of transmission is gathering momentum in the dance field, and beyond, in relation to staging the work of another. This chapter considers how a process of transmission can operate via a staging of Doris Humphrey’s signature solo, Two Ecstatic Themes (1931). From a directorial perspective, arguably, the essential task is transmitting knowledge from a range of sources to form a coherent whole for the performer’s artistry to inhabit. The performer, likewise, goes through a process of transmission, making sense of the received knowledge intrinsically and being able to then convey that knowledge outwardly, to the audience. To examine how the transmission process unfolds to the point of performance, the chapter considers the interconnecting ideas of transmission, translation and transformation; and the performing of Two Ecstatic Themes, including reflections from dancers with a long performance history of the work.

KeywordsDoris Humphrey, Two Ecstatic Themes, transmission, staging, performance, dancer, translation, transformation
Research GroupDance group
Page range85-107
Book titleTransmissions in Dance: Contemporary staging practices
EditorsMain, L.
PublisherPalgrave MacMillan, Cham
Place of publicationLondon
ISBN
Hardcover9783319648729
Electronic9783319648736
Paperback9783319878911
Publication dates
Online24 Nov 2017
PrintDec 2017
Publication process dates
Deposited12 Aug 2019
Output statusPublished
Copyright Statement

© The Author(s) 2017

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64873-6_5
LanguageEnglish
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