Interrelating Contemporary and Greek Traditional Dance – Observations on the Choreographical Procedure
In my research project I am concerned with two different styles of dance: Greek traditional and contemporary dance. In my investigation I aim to create choreographies that deal with Greek Traditional Dance on the one hand and Contemporary Dance on the other, analyse the artistic product and the process of development, and compare them with selected, already existing repertoire. This type of movement research and interrelation is in its preliminary stage, as in the last few years some choreographers started creating artistic pieces related to these two worlds.
My research questions refer to how Greek traditional and contemporary dance interrelate during the choreographical process and how the dancer’s body archive affects the development and synthesis of the movement material. I use Labanotation scores and kinotypes of the morphological method of Greek traditional dance as an initial matrix for the movement synthesis combined with contemporary dance movement vocabulary and my movement improvisation. I draw data from observation, interviews, images and videos from my choreographical procedure and performance, as well as those of selected already existing repertoire.
With my research I aim to contribute to the better understanding of the choreographical practice, while exploring the limits of what is ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’. This will possibly lead to the creation of a tool for movement synthesis of these two styles of dance.
First supervisor: Univ. Prof. Rose Breuss, ABPU
Second supervisor: Univ. Prof. Dr Nicole Haitzinger, Universität Salzburg
Third supervisor: Assoz. Prof. Dr Kendra Stepputat, Kunstuniversität Graz
Biography
Athina Androulidaki is a dancer and teacher of various dance and movement styles. She grew up in Heraklion, Crete and graduated from the professional ballet and contemporary dance school Horohronos of the Ministry of Culture in Athens. She studied Physical Education and Sports Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, majoring in Greek Traditional Dance, and conducted her master’s thesis research on body image in classical dance at the same institute.
Androulidaki also studied Labanotation Movement Analysis as part of a correspondence course at the University of Surrey and was a member of ‘Laografikos horeutikos omilos Horopaideia’ for Greek Traditional Dance.