Expansionary engagements : Butterworth's didactic-democratic spectrum model in physical theatre choreography
type: CreativeWork
description: This study aims to identify my personal choreographic approach to physical theatre-making and then to experientially expand on it by engaging with Joanne Butterworth‘s five-tier Didactic-Democratic spectrum model for choreography. Being accustomed to, and trained predominantly in, one mode of approaching choreography has become limiting. Butterworth‘s model may aid me in expanding choreographically in the context of physical theatre-making. My research is located in a qualitative paradigm. I use an auto-ethnographic, practice-as-research approach to conduct my research. To apply my practice-as-research approach, I use concrete experience, reflective observations, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation as outlined by Kolb‘s Experiential Learning Cycle. Kolb‘s model provides an overall structure to this study, but is also the way in which I frame and read each of the three separate choreographic processes that I use in the study. The concrete experience I consider in this study is The Entertainer, a work which I choreographed in 2017. To establish a baseline for my research, I retrospectively reflect on The Entertainer to locate it on Butterworth‘s model by using units of analysis that link to the five tiers of the model. These units of analysis are the choreographer‘s role; performer‘s role; choreographer‘s input; performer‘s input; pedagogical positioning of social interaction; instruction methods; and the pedagogical positioning of performers. By using these units of analysis to consider The Entertainer, I position my initial approach to physical theatre choreography along the spectrum of Butterworth‘s model. I then use Kolb‘s abstract conceptualisation to plan how I will move beyond my initial approach to choreography as located on Butterworth‘s model. I do this by selecting tiers that lie to the extremes of my initial approach on the model. I employ Kolb‘s active experimentation, to choreograph two works, WALK and Swem, that each align with one of …
abstract: This study aims to identify my personal choreographic approach to physical theatre-making and then to experientially expand on it by engaging with Joanne Butterworth‘s five-tier Didactic-Democratic spectrum model for choreography. Being accustomed to, and trained predominantly in, one mode of approaching choreography has become limiting. Butterworth‘s model may aid me in expanding choreographically in the context of physical theatre-making. My research is located in a qualitative paradigm. I use an auto-ethnographic, practice-as-research approach to conduct my research. To apply my practice-as-research approach, I use concrete experience, reflective observations, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation as outlined by Kolb‘s Experiential Learning Cycle. Kolb‘s model provides an overall structure to this study, but is also the way in which I frame and read each of the three separate choreographic processes that I use in the study. The concrete experience I consider in this study is The Entertainer, a work which I choreographed in 2017. To establish a baseline for my research, I retrospectively reflect on The Entertainer to locate it on Butterworth‘s model by using units of analysis that link to the five tiers of the model. These units of analysis are the choreographer‘s role; performer‘s role; choreographer‘s input; performer‘s input; pedagogical positioning of social interaction; instruction methods; and the pedagogical positioning of performers. By using these units of analysis to consider The Entertainer, I position my initial approach to physical theatre choreography along the spectrum of Butterworth‘s model. I then use Kolb‘s abstract conceptualisation to plan how I will move beyond my initial approach to choreography as located on Butterworth‘s model. I do this by selecting tiers that lie to the extremes of my initial approach on the model. I employ Kolb‘s active experimentation, to choreograph two works, WALK and Swem, that each align with one of …
language: en
keywords: UCTD, Physical theatre, Didactic-Democratic spectrum model, choreography, choreographic approach
date published: 2019
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:52:53Z
provider: University of Pretoria
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Pretoria

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/76866