Reconsidering Originality in Dance: Innovation as Repetition and Positioning
Panorama Scholarly Group, Germany
Abstract
This article critically reexamines the concept of "originality" in dance creation by applying the theoretical frameworks of Gilles Deleuze and Pierre Bourdieu. Challenging the conventional notion of originality as absolute novelty, the study argues that originality should be understood as a process of differentiation within repetition and as a positional strategy within the socio-institutional field of art. Through analysis of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s choreographic work and the development of contemporary Chinese dance, the paper illustrates how innovation is context-dependent and institutionally mediated. The findings call for a reconceptualization of artistic creativity, emphasizing process, cultural continuity, and the politics of recognition over the myth of isolated genius.
Keywords:
originality; repetition and difference; field theory; contemporary dance; cultural productionCopyright Notice & License:
All articles published in Global Review of Humanities, Arts, and Society (GRHAS) are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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