Abstract
The article explores the tendency of inviting non-professional artists to contemporary theatre and dance performances. From the examples of the Rimini Protokoll, Jérôme Bel, Nicole Seiler, Tatyana Gordeeva, Vsevolod Lisovsky and Dmitry Volkostrelov performances it is shown how the participation of “ordinary” people serves aesthetic and ethical purposes of the stage directors and choreographers. Ordinary bodies, gestures and voices in contemporary theatre are valued as manifesting the extra-institutional identity of the participants, namely, a professional or social one, with which the spectators could easily identify themselves. The non-virtuosity of movements and speech, making mistakes and even fatigue, become specially constructed “signs of naturalness”. Participatory projects in which the main action is expected to be performed by the audience can be seen also as a performance with non-professional artists. The borders between artistic and non-artistic in such projects are blurred. Likewise, the community creation, the attention paid to other people and the inclusion of “everyday” life becomes its main aesthetic feature.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have