Finding common ground through language and movement: examining the role of the writer in Rosemary Lee’s The Suchness of Heni and Eddie

Since the development of interdisciplinary practice, dance has fashioned and cultivated many relationships with other art forms. In this search to uncover new territory choreographers often merge art forms to facilitate the broadening of their field. Writing has always been a successful tool in the communication and critique of dance performance. However, writing has also played a considerable role in the process of creating dance, yet this association remains under-represented. This writing aims to demonstrate some of the ongoing and recent perspectives that dance and writing have nurtured, paying particular attention to the act of creative writing and dance in a collaborative partnership. This investigation concerns itself with the act of writing as creative discourse, presenting the argument for the writer to be considered an invaluable partner in the creative process. Through practical research, a case study was carried out examining the ongoing collaboration between choreographer Rosemary Lee and writer Niki Pollard. The findings from this research provide evidence of how modes of writing can contribute to choreographic investigation, providing a performative research bridge between practical and theoretical negotiations.

Archived with thanks to Research in Dance Education