The Purgatory: A Dance That Embodies the Senses

Authors: Shannon Altman, Jonette Lancos

SUNY Campus: SUNY Geneseo

Presentation Type: Dance Performance

Location: UUW 325

Presentation #: 9

Timeslot: Session D 3:00-4:00 PM

Abstract: Purgatory is a state of the in between, in my piece it is a state of not being particularly happy or sad, but just somewhere in the middle. Being numb or in purgatory makes us feel overly aware of everything around us. To replicate purgatory as a choreographer, my dance needed to attack the essence of our senses. The question became: how does movement and dance embody the senses? I had my dancers begin to mimic the feelings and sensations of what they believed the feeling of the purgatory is in their body and see how their body naturally responds.. Our biggest finding through this experimental movement experience was that the emotional and mental state of the purgatory is internally loud and rich in self touch. We danced without music to enhance the sound of the natural body and how heavy we feel when we aren’t feeling mentally well. The dancer’s and I found that when we are overwhelmed or unsure how we feel or why we feel it we often touch our own hands or our thighs by giving light taps or rubbing on skin. This sensation is used to remind us that we are still here, we are alive, and by making contact with our own body we recognize our humanity within our bodies. As people we rarely discuss when we are unsure of how we feel when we are in our own purgatory state, therefore it is crucial to express and communicate ideas through movement.