The Voice of the Edit: an Interdisciplinary Exploration of the Communicative Properties in Dance / Kaila Holford (2019)

This thesis scrutinizes the use of dance as a communicative vehicle for discussing social/political phenomena, both in practice and performance.

To facilitate my research, I have drawn upon the fields of film/editing studies, sociology, cognatism, semiology, linguistics, and feminist theory. Beginning with theoretical investigation, my research has transitioned into a choreographic practice resulting in a performative output titled, Corpus Speculation, performed in the Laban’s Studio Theatre July 19, 2019. Through exploring the topics of identity, body politics, communication, female identity and experiences, Corpus Speculation aimed to create multiple lenses for a wider audience with which to engage with the previously mentioned themes.

This document will outline the scope of my theoretical research as it relates to my initial research inquiries; detail how that research has informed a series of studio investigations which formulated methodologies for the construction of the performance. Then critique the effectiveness of said methodologies as they served the final product of Corpus Speculation. Concluding by discussing the use of the edit express my artistic voice, through an interdisciplinary choreographic practice.