Intense Bodily Presence: Practices of Polish Butō Dancers

244 Pages·2018·1.641 MB·English

by  Magdalena Anna Zamorska

Interdisciplinary Studies in Performance 14 14 Interdisciplinary Studies in Performance 14
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The author explores the practices of Polish buto¯ dancers. Underlining the M Intense Bodily Presence
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body-mind practices and so-called buto¯ techniques in order to produce a s
generalised account of buto¯ training. Her argument is underpinned by complex er
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Interdisciplinary Studies in Performance 14 14 Interdisciplinary Studies in Performance 14
a
k
s
r
o
m
a
Z
Magdalena Zamorska a
n
Magdalena Zamorska
e
Intense Bodily Presence al
d
g
a
The author explores the practices of Polish buto¯ dancers. Underlining the M Intense Bodily Presence
transcultural potential of the genre, she discusses in particular their individual
body-mind practices and so-called buto¯ techniques in order to produce a s
generalised account of buto¯ training. Her argument is underpinned by complex er
field research which she carried out as an expert observer and a workshop c Practices of Polish Buto¯ Dancers
n
participant. Drawing on a transdisciplinary approach, which combines insights a
and findings from the fields of cultural and performance studies, cultural D
anthropology and cognitive sciences, the book depicts the sequence of three o¯
t
phases which make up the processual structure of buto¯ training: intro, following u
and embodiment. B
h
s
i
l
o
P
The Author f
Magdalena Zamorska is a Ph.D. graduate in Humanities (2012) and an assistant o
professor at the Institute of Cultural Studies at the University of Wroclaw s
e
(Poland). Her research interests include movement, social choreography, issues c
i
of perception and reception in choreographic performances. She also explores t
c
the intersections of humanities and science. a
r
P
.
e
c
n
e
s
e
r
P
y
l
i
d
o
B
e
s
n
e
t
n
I
ISPE-14 276512_Zamorska_TL_151-214 A5HC Fusion.indd 1 08.10.18 15:10
Interdisciplinary Studies in Performance 14 14 Interdisciplinary Studies in Performance 14
a
k
rs Intense Bodily Presence
o
m
a
Z
Magdalena Zamorska a
n
Magdalena Zamorska
e
Intense Bodily Presence al
d
g
a
The author explores the practices of Polish buto¯ dancers. Underlining the M Intense Bodily Presence
transcultural potential of the genre, she discusses in particular their individual
body-mind practices and so-called buto¯ techniques in order to produce a s
generalised account of buto¯ training. Her argument is underpinned by complex er
field research which she carried out as an expert observer and a workshop c Practices of Polish Buto¯ Dancers
n
participant. Drawing on a transdisciplinary approach, which combines insights a
and findings from the fields of cultural and performance studies, cultural D
anthropology and cognitive sciences, the book depicts the sequence of three o¯
t
phases which make up the processual structure of buto¯ training: intro, following u
and embodiment. B
h
s
i
l
o
P
The Author f
Magdalena Zamorska is a Ph.D. graduate in Humanities (2012) and an assistant o
professor at the Institute of Cultural Studies at the University of Wroclaw s
e
(Poland). Her research interests include movement, social choreography, issues c
i
of perception and reception in choreographic performances. She also explores t
c
the intersections of humanities and science. a
r
P
.
e
c
n
e
s
e
r
P
y
l
i
d
o
B
e
s
n
e
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I
ISPE-14 276512_Zamorska_TL_151-214 A5HC Fusion.indd 1 08.10.18 15:10
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES IN PERFORMANCE
HISTORICAL NARRATIVES. THEATER. PUBLIC LIFE

Edited by Mirosław Kocur

VOL. 14

Zu Qualitätssicherung und Peer Review Notes on the quality assurance and peer
der vorliegenden Publikation review of this publication

Die Qualität der in dieser Reihe Prior to publication, the quality of the
erscheinenden Arbeiten wird vor der work published in this series
Publikation durch einen externen, is reviewed by an external referee
von der Herausgeberschaft benannten appointed by the editorship.
Gutachter geprüft.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES IN PERFORMANCE Magdalena Zamorska

HISTORICAL NARRATIVES. THEATER. PUBLIC LIFE

Edited by Mirosław Kocur

VOL. 14 Intense Bodily Presence

Practices of Polish But Dancers

ō

Translated by

Patrycja Poniatowska

Zu Qualitätssicherung und Peer Review Notes on the quality assurance and peer

der vorliegenden Publikation review of this publication

Die Qualität der in dieser Reihe Prior to publication, the quality of the
erscheinenden Arbeiten wird vor der work published in this series
Publikation durch einen externen, is reviewed by an external referee
von der Herausgeberschaft benannten appointed by the editorship.
Gutachter geprüft.
Bibliographic Information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the internet
at http://dnb.d-nb.de.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for
at the Library of Congress.
The Publication is founded by Ministry of Science and Higher Education
of the Republic of Poland as a part of the National Program for the
Development of the Humanities.This publication reflects the views only of the
authors, and the Ministry cannot be held responsible for any use which may
be made of the information contained therein.
ISSN 2364-3919 • ISBN 978-3-631-76512-8 (Print)
E-ISBN 978-3-631-76513-5 (E-PDF) • E-ISBN 978-3-631-76514-2 (EPUB)
E-ISBN 978-3-631-76515-9 (MOBI) • DOI 10.3726/b14546
Open Access: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 unported license. To
view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-nc-nd/4.0/
© Magdalena Zamorska , 2018
Peter Lang GmbH
Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften
Berlin 2018
Peter Lang – Berlin ∙ Bern ∙ Bruxelles ∙ New York ∙
Oxford ∙ Warszawa ∙ Wien
This publication has been peer reviewed.
www.peterlang.com
Acknowledgements
Bibliographic Information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the internet
at http://dnb.d-nb.de. This book grew out of my doctoral project completed at the University of Wroclaw

in April 2012. My thanks go to my then academic advisor Professor Mirosław

Kocur, who shared his expertise with me and gave me all possible support. I would
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
also like to thank the referees of my dissertation – Professor Anna Grzegorczyk
A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for
at the Library of Congress. of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan and Professor Dariusz Kosiński of
the Jagiellonian University in Cracow – for their insightful and useful comments.
My research would not have been possible without butō, dance workshops and,
The Publication is founded by Ministry of Science and Higher Education above all, without long and in-d epth interviews with Polish artists who practise
of the Republic of Poland as a part of the National Program for the
this art form. I am grateful to them for their openness, the time they gave me and
Development of the Humanities.This publication reflects the views only of the
their readiness to share their experience and knowledge with me. Last but not
authors, and the Ministry cannot be held responsible for any use which may
least, this book would not have come about without the support I received from
be made of the information contained therein.
my loved ones. A big thank-y ou goes to my husband Marcin, my parents and my
brother. The Polish version of this book was funded by the Institute of Music and
Dance in Warsaw.

ISSN 2364-3919 • ISBN 978-3-631-76512-8 (Print)
E-ISBN 978-3-631-76513-5 (E-PDF) • E-ISBN 978-3-631-76514-2 (EPUB)
E-ISBN 978-3-631-76515-9 (MOBI) • DOI 10.3726/b14546

© Peter Lang GmbH
Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften
Berlin 2018
All rights reserved.
Peter Lang – Berlin ∙ Bern ∙ Bruxelles ∙ New York ∙
Oxford ∙ Warszawa ∙ Wien
All parts of this publication are protected by copyright. Any
utilisation outside the strict limits of the copyright law, without
the permission of the publisher, is forbidden and liable to
prosecution. This applies in particular to reproductions,
translations, microfilming, and storage and processing in
electronic retrieval systems.
This publication has been peer reviewed.
www.peterlang.com
5

He is truly free because he is so thoroughly the Child of the Present. He lives from
moment to moment, taking life as it comes and giving it up as it passes. So completely
is his spirit of the Here-a nd- Now that he escapes altogether the crushing weight of
Time and Space. […] It is left to the Taoist to achieve the strange spirituality of ethereal
diffuseness, which seems to envelop the silhouettes of Time and Space, not by vainly
reaching for eternity and infinitude, but by breaking them into myriad atomic bits
and fusing himself with these one by one as he chances upon them. The result is the
attainment of a pantheistic repose, at once immanent and transcendental- like a fish
lying listlessly on the surface of undulating waves, or a bird resting its wings on the air
currents, rising and falling as the atmospheric pressure changes. There is an elasticity of
adjustment in the apparent stillness of position, which definitely makes the word “static”
altogether inadequate to describe the subtle relations involved.
Lin Tung- chi about a Taoist recluse (1947: 12–13)
7