A choreographic method of mis/fit in aerial dance

This article examines the disability studies concept of misfit applied to aerial dance choreography. Rosemarie Garland-Thomson defines a misfit as an incongruency between two things, as in a square peg and round hole. Thus, misfit is not a fixed attribute but rather arises from the interaction of those two things. In aerial arts, fit or misfit is located in the relationship between a particular dancer’s body and the aerial apparatus. The aerial hoop, a rigid metal circle, is rife with potential misfits. The dancers in this project are visibly non-disabled, yet Garland-Thomson explicitly invites a broad application of misfit, noting that it is an inherent aspect of all embodiment. The material reality of the aerial apparatus in relationship with each dancer’s particular embodiment reveals misfits that might otherwise go unnoticed, unacknowledged and unvalued in dance practices. In this practice-research, a misfit approach to choreography serves to re-examine virtuosity and highlight the context-specific abilities of the bodies involved. This method guided the research inquiry in three areas: movement invention, spatial design and costuming and provided insight into the particularities of embodiment and perceptions of virtuosity in dance and circus practices.