Traces of History: Jonathan Burrows' Rethinking of the Choreographic Past

Abstract

The work of the British contemporary choreographer Jonathan Burrows is characterized by a questioning attitude towards conventional approaches to making dance. This often involves a rethinking of the traces left by his eclectic training. From his 1980s pieces through to his latest trilogy created and performed with the composer Matteo Fargion (Both Sitting Duet, The Quiet Dance and Speaking Dance, 2002-06), his choreography develops a dialogue with the contexts and texts that have informed his background, from ballet to folk dance, from minimalist art forms to conceptual performance. Through references to his creative past, Burrows' choreographic language raises questions regarding his aesthetic and theoretical positioning in relation to the complex dialogue with history articulated by contemporary artistic practices. Through an analysis of the last two duets of Burrows' trilogy, the author reflects on the ways in which his dances rethink their own history. She suggests that this relationship is embodied, respectively, by an almost literal walking over past routes (The Quiet Dance) and by an opening to unexpected encounters with choreographic antecedents (Speaking Dance). Through this discursive practice, references are woven into two idiosyncratic compositions, whose formal qualities are inextricable from the narratives they create. By making history explicit, these two works open themselves up to an innovative form of communication with the spectators, allowing them to see beyond the ‘story’ and its tellers and into the audience's own imaginative world.