Introduction

Site-specific dances have been practiced for more than 40 years, in various public places across the country. These dances are termed site-specific since they serve as the inspiration as well as the setting for the dance. Compared to other dances that are usually made in a studio and would conventionally be performed on a theater stage, the movement, costuming, theme, spacing, music, and other such fundamental elements to the performance are shaped and informed by the use of alternative spaces. Although these types of dances have already existed for a relatively long period, little attention...

Site-specific dances have been practiced for more than 40 years, in various public places across the country. These dances are termed site-specific since they serve as the inspiration as well as the setting for the dance. Compared to other dances that are usually made in a studio and would conventionally be performed on a theater stage, the movement, costuming, theme, spacing, music, and other such fundamental elements to the performance are shaped and informed by the use of alternative spaces. Although these types of dances have already existed for a relatively long period, little attention has been given either to the dances themselves or to those who created them. This book provides a forum for 16 well-known American site choreographers, and discusses their work. It also illustrates some of the important practical and theoretical information regarding this particular genre.