Toroidal Dance: A Yogic Perspective of Choreography, Transdisciplinarity, and Dance Dramaturgy

Positioning my thesis as a transdisciplinary weave, this thesis analyses some of the contributions yogic science can bring to the creative/choreographic field and how specific yogic concepts can be creatively translated and explored in choreographic practice. Through a practice as research and practice-based approach, in this thesis I am inspired by the cornerstone meditation of Kundalini Yoga, Long Ek Ong Kar, to use the physics and mathematical concept of the toroid/torus (doughnut-shaped pattern) to create a point of convergence between yogic science and choreographic/creative perspectives. Using the lenses of yogic science as a creative tool derived from my personal yoga and meditation practices and rooting myself in the framework of dance and spiritualities studies, I define my research as a toroidal fractal structure of seven layers, namely transdisciplinarity, yogic science (subtle nature), toroidal pattern, healing, dance dramaturgy (as subtle communication), multidimensionality, and wholeness. Through this toroidal structure I have engaged with concepts from multiple areas of knowledge such as yogic philosophy, somatics, physics, mathematics, geometry, neuroscience, and trauma studies to explore how dance and yoga are holistically intertwined. The toroidal pattern, such as the Long Ek Ong Kar meditation, describes a self-regulating motion which has been referred to in fields such as physics and science to analyse toroidal forces, from the micro to the macro, in all self-organising structures and scales of nature and the universe. Here, I use this concept to reflect on different aspects of the creative process, but primarily on the singular encounter between different areas of knowledge that I propose provoke new transdisciplinary perspectives that can contribute to the notion of wholeness in creative research and dance studies. Organised by elements of nature (tattvas) and interweaving seven different creative stages and their corresponding theoretical reflections in seven chapters, this thesis offers a reflection on the construction of minor and major dramaturgies in dance, and polarity, complementarity, and paradox as sources of creative thinking. It also provides a compilation of reflections that propose how the toroidal pattern can be seen to be a substantial source of creativity that can be applied in different ways in the creative processes of dance and performing arts.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Dance Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

ResearchSpace@Auckland

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Medina, Vivian

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Weber, Becca
• Willis, Emma
• Harvey, Mark

Statement dc:rights

• Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2292/63987

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchspace.auckland.ac.nz:2292/63987