‘Dancing As If Language No Longer Existed’: Dance in Contemporary Irish Drama (Reimagining Ireland) - Softcover

Ojrzynska, Katarzyna

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3034318138 ISBN 13: 9783034318136

Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing, 2014

Synopsis

This book offers a comprehensive study of the role of dance in a wide range of contemporary Irish plays and argues that dance can be perceived as exemplifying the re-embracement of bodily expression by the local culture. The author approaches this issue from a cultural materialist perspective, demonstrating that dance in twentieth-century Ireland was particularly prone to ideological appropriation and that, consequently, its use in contemporary drama often serves to communicate critical and revisionist approaches to the social, economic and political concerns addressed in these plays. The book makes a valuable contribution to current debates about the nature of Irish theatre, investigating recent changes to its traditional, text-based character. These are examined within two important contexts: firstly, transformations in the perception of the human body in Irish culture and, secondly, changes in the attitude of the Irish towards their past and their cultural heritage.

About this title

About the Author

Katarzyna Ojrzyńska is an assistant lecturer in the Department of  Drama and Pre-1800 English Literature at the University of Łódź. Her research interests include drama and performing arts, Irish studies, body culture studies and disability studies.

Edition details

• Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3034318138
• ISBN 13: 9783034318136
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 310