Current Trends in Contemporary Choreography: A Political Critique

Abstract

Can contemporary choreography claim to challenge the societal status quo by producing liberatory or transgressive work, or has it rather become enshrined in the logic of capitalism and establishment culture? This paper looks critically at twenty-first-century participatory, collaborative modes of performance to investigate how their corresponding aesthetic choices and working methods reflect (often implicit) political stances, such as manifestations of democracy. Using examples from several Western countries, current trends will be assessed against the backdrop of 1960s and 1970s performance theory and practice by assessing the ramifications of the shifting fault lines between dance/performance, the market economy, and political ideologies.