Abstract
This article explores the sociocultural and political potential of touch-based somatic practices in relation to a performance by French conceptual choreographer Boris Charmatz entitled enfant (child) from 2011. By doing so it aims to bring together two seemingly incommensurable approaches to choreography: somatic and conceptual practices of dance. enfant is a piece for ten to 26 children (between the age of 6–12), nine professional adult dancers and two machines. The first half of the piece sees the adults manipulating the children, who seem to be asleep, in a doll-like fashion. Though some of the images are visually beautiful and virtuous, there is a sinister tone to the choreography. The piece explores the sensitivities and anxieties around the politics of touching children, addressing social taboos as the children seem vulnerable and helpless at first. As the piece progresses the tables turn, the children awake and start to play and manipulate the adults in a joyful explosion of activity, energy and power. In this article I’m interested in examining how somatic practices, as essentially the ‘undoing’ of learned behaviour, can be extended beyond the body of the individual to the collective and/or social body. Ultimately it questions what the status of children in our society is and how touch-based somatic practices can embody a critique of social, cultural and political norms in the twenty-first century.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 95-103 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyrightowners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study,
without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively
from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The
content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium
without the formal permission of the copyright holders.
This document is the author’s post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during
the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version
may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from
it.
Keywords
- Boris Charmatz
- children
- enfant
- soma-conceptual dance
- spectatorship
- touch