Artistic Landscapes: Dancing Beyond the Stage; An Investigation of 1960s Site-Specific Dance Through the Chorography f Anna Halprin, Trisha Brown and Twyla Tharp
Graduation Date
Spring 2006
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program Name
Humanities
First Reader
Leslie Ross, PhD
Second Reader
Patricia Dougherty, OP, PhD
Abstract
Site-specific choreography is dance intended to exist outside the traditional stage of the theatre. This type of choreography became popular among the post-modern dance artists of the 1960s. These artists raised questions about the basic principles of dance such as: who could dance, why and for what audience. Dancers were not alone in this quest to understand their art; their intrigue was part of a larger questioning involving conceptual art in the art world. Many of the choreographers’ work involved site-specific dances placed in environmental locales, but were not limited to such locations. This thesis will focus on the contributions made by three of the most dedicated site-specific choreographers during the 1960s: Anna Halprin (b. 1920), Trisha Brown (b. 1936) and Twyla Tharp (b. 1942). Also included will be descriptions of my own site-specific choreographed works as displayed on a DVD component to this thesis.