Conversation with the past in contemporary choreography

Abstract

My article examines the problem of the archival turn in scientific works and discourse that affects artistic practice, including the choreographic one. In recent years, we can find several attempts to reconstruct the performances of famous choreographers who worked in the 1920s and 1930s. Modern choreographers have recalled forgotten performances of the former era, but recalling these choreographic works, they want to give them a modern meaning. This attempt is similar to rewriting history. In this context of rewriting history, I want to emphasize the importance of bodily memory and bring the perspective of viewing the body as an archive. In my article, I pose questions about how to find traces of former works? How modern choreographers work with memory and with the body. The concept of the body as an archive and the experience of past generations associated with choreographic practice is at the center of my work. The body can hide the secret of trauma, the unconscious determination of behavior in bodily, physical play. The second problem raised in the article is about the relationship between the present and the past. Why do we need a turn in the past now? I consider Yanka Rudskaya’s biography and her approach to dance as an example. This article shows the role of feminine artistic practices in the space of choreography. Recent reflections concern the problem of transferring modern dance to modernity and its discovery.