J. Rutgeerts, Performing Temporality in Contemporary European Dance : Unbecoming Rhythms, Bristol, Intellect Ltd, 2023, 216 p.
- Performing Temporality in Contemporary European Dance : Unbecoming Rhythms develops a new framework to understand how temporality is performed in contemporary dance. It combines an in-depth analysis of the choreographic practices of Jonathan Burrows & Matteo Fargion, Ivana Müller, Mette Edvardsen and Mårten Spångberg with a close study of the philosophical work of Bergson, Deleuze and Bachelard.
In the field of dance and performance studies the notion of ’unbecoming rhythms’ will stand out and spark the interest of a wide readership. Dance is still mostly associated with notions of flow and continuity. Dancers are supposed to create a continuous rhythm in which the different movements melt together. They should create the feeling of spontaneous renewal or becoming. Recently however, several choreographers have experimented with rhythms that create an experience of temporal unbecoming, a feeling of being stuck in time. This is the first book to develop an in-depth analysis of these rhythms and the unsettling temporal regimes they produce.
The book situates itself at the intersection of dance and philosophy. Its focus on temporality and its innovative methodological approach it will also prove to be an important contribution to the field, and will be a significant resource for students, scholars and practitioners.
- Jonas Rutgeerts is a dance researcher and dramaturg based in Belgium. He obtained his Ph.D. at the Institute of Philosophy (KU Leuven) in 2015, which analyzed how dance is performed in contemporary European dance.
