Exploring movement and gesture in contemporary performance: three case studies

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on movement and gesture within the blurred boundaries of physical genres in contemporary contexts. While dance emphasises aesthetic movement as design, acting centres around gesture infused with intentionality and meaning. In both cases, similar physical mechanisms are engaged. The performer’s body serves as a tool for narration, unlocking imagination and intellectual engagement through physicality in different contexts around the world. As such, this dissertation explores movement and gesture in contemporary performance, by examining case studies from Indian theatre, clowning, and physical theatre in the West, each presented with its own background, influences, and training methods, offering a diverse range of geographical and aesthetic practices. The first case study focuses on Soma Giri’s contemporary performance Silence, highlighting the influence of classical forms on Indian theatre. The second case study delves into James Thiérrée’s La Symphonie Du Hanneton, exploring gesture in mime, and clowning. The third case study analyses Gecko Theatre Company’s physical performance Kin, emphasising body control and movement as storytelling tools. The aim of the dissertation is thus to present an array of contemporary performance realities that rely on gesture and movement as an aesthetic and narrative device.