KinaeSonic Frameworks: Practicing dramaturgical thinking in dance and music improvisation-as-performance from a Rhythm Tap practitioner perspective

This Doctoral practice informed research explores the intersection of dramaturgy, improvisation studies and dance and music collaborative practices, viewed from a Rhythm Tap practitioner perspective. A broad scope of dance and music improvisation-as-performance practices are considered through the lens of dramaturgical thinking to highlight the unique dramaturgical offers available and engage in creative processes that address ethical issues of agency, responsibility, authorship and ownership. This thesis proposes that improvisation-as-performance occupies a particular temporal relationship to creative process with implications for artistic direction, collaboration and facilitation of collective dramaturgical thinking during devising and performance creative processes. My practitioner-researcher standpoint as a Rhythm Tap improviser has informed the development of a kinaesonic approach to dramaturgical thinking in improvisation-as-performance, contextualised with reference to discourse and praxis in Jazz Studies, Dramaturgy, Performance Devising, Improvisation Studies and a range of dance and music improvisation- as-performance practices. The research outcomes include a series of three frameworks, a series of collective dramaturgical thinking strategies and this written thesis which are intended to be considered together as a body of praxis that can be applied in professional and education contexts. My Frameworks developed through practice research are original contributions to knowledge and include the Dramaturgical Qualities Map, Collaboration Spectrum Framework, and Dramaturgical Thinking Process Model. These are accompanied by a series of dramaturgical thinking facilitation strategies that have been developed through practice which form a contribution to practice. During the process of developing my Frameworks and facilitation strategies through multiple iterative practice case studies, I have developed two concepts: Horizontal Proxemics of Practice, and the Creation Timeframe Continuum that have shaped the research outcomes and are shared in this written thesis as contributions to knowledge.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Murray, Jessica

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/80b95223-17fc-4cea-b814-dbff62fd25c5/download