Dance and Archive. Some Debates on the Body, Time, History

Algunos debates sobre el cuerpo, el tiempo, la historia

Abstract

Abstract

This article aims to establish a state of the art regarding the concept of the archive, focusing specifically on its relationship with dance. It draws on what researchers in the performing and scenic arts have problematized concerning this notion and its possible connections to embodied knowledge or knowledge from or about the body. Addressing the question of the archive from Dance Studies as a discipline brings a broader debate about what we understand by "history" and what we mean by "dance." Initially, we propose that these two instances or practices should not be seen as antagonistic or separate. Furthermore, we invite a reconsideration of the permanence associated with History (with a capital H), which encompasses the history of texts that are signed and affirmed in writing and thus can be archived, as opposed to the perceptions of the ephemeral—those things that do not last or that disappear—qualities often associated with dance, with bodies in motion, and with choreographic practice. In this sense, the question of the archive constitutes a pivotal point of debate; therefore, we will outline a brief overview of the term and its uses, particularly from its delineation as an object of a specific disciplinary field stemming from archival science in the 19th century, before engaging with the discussions surrounding the archive that have emerged specifically in relation to the performing and scenic arts.