Dream choreography: a unique expression of the subconscious mind, framed by elements extracted from the dancers’ dreams. / Chunyi Cai (2024)

This article investigates the potential of utilising dreams and the subconscious as a foundation for dance production, drawing upon the theories of Freud (1900) and Jung(1964). Dreams are abundant in symbolism and metaphor, providing numerous opportunities for expression through dance (Rizzuto, 1979). This research examines different methods for translating abstract psychological concepts into tangible dance language while preserving a level of ambiguity to facilitate varied audience interpretations. It also tackles the difficulty of reconciling artistic expression with audience understanding and advocates for the utilisation of technology to augment the immersive nature of dream-like experiences. Investigations have been undertaken with many methodologies, including those utilised in 1999 and those incorporating interdisciplinary collaboration (Lepecki, 2006). These strategies have been employed to convert abstract psychological concepts into tangible dance language while preserving ambiguity to facilitate varied audience interpretations (Reynolds &McCormick, 2003). Nonetheless, obstacles persist in adequately reconciling artistic expression with the audience’s comprehension of the work and in augmenting the immersive nature of dreamlike images via technical advancements (Birringer, 2008). These challenges present opportunities for future research.