A Comparative Study of Contemporary Dance and Physical Theatre to Identify Their Nature

Authors

  • Fatemeh Musavi * Art Research Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.48313/pab.v2i2.42

Abstract

Dance and theatre have been present in human life since ancient times; however, the movement trends of physical theatre and contemporary dance are considered contemporary and global phenomena. Understanding these two movement approaches contributes to a better comprehension of contemporary arts and the role of the body in artistic expression. This study addresses questions such as how these two movement methods can be distinguished from one another and how their boundaries can be defined. One of the main objectives of the research is to analyze the similarities and differences between contemporary dance and physical theatre, and to identify elements that allow for their differentiation. The research method is documentary and has been conducted using a descriptive–analytical approach. Based on the results obtained, although contemporary dance and physical theatre share the use of the body as the primary means of artistic expression and sometimes overlap, they differ in their sources of inspiration and internal structures: contemporary dance finds its expression in harmony with music, whereas physical theatre relies on narrative and plot. This study indicates that contemporary dance can sometimes be incorporated within physical theatre and vice versa, yet each maintains a unique and distinct nature.

Keywords:

Comparative study, Movement approach, Contemporary dance, Physical theatre, History of dance and movement

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Published

2025-06-21

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Perspectives on Art and Beyond (PAB)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Musavi, F. . (2025). A Comparative Study of Contemporary Dance and Physical Theatre to Identify Their Nature. Perspectives on Art and Beyond, 2(2), 64-72. https://doi.org/10.48313/pab.v2i2.42

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