Teaching Dance: a complementary approach for modern actor training

Abstract

This interpretive qualitative research aims at understanding the corporal work in the class Dance for actors taught by Melanie Demers, invited artist during the 2014 winter semester at Ecole superieure de theatre in Universite du Quebec a Montreal. Using the concept of experience (Dewey, 2005) and the Activity theory (Engestrom, 1987; 1999), I studied how this class leads students to open themselves to their own bodies, to create a corporal writing, to develop internal and external conscienceness, to confront personal challenges related to the corporal work and to accept the vulnerability of their bodies in artistic expression.

Keywords

• Physical Work
• Dance
• Actor Training
• Activity Theory
• Experience