Body as Instrument: Crafting a Spatial Representational Language for the Dancer's Body

This project explored the intersection of dance and architecture using choreography, photography, and architectural principles through the development and application of a graphic notation system. Focused on the works of modern dance pioneer Martha Graham and photographer Barbara Morgan, the study tested the representation of the body in space through the use of Graham's choreography as captured by Morgan. The results of the study demonstrated the effectiveness of the representational language in capturing the spatial dynamics of the human body in Martha Graham's choreography through the notation of “frame” and “plane”. Through a comparative analysis of the selected dances, the study highlighted the similarities and differences present in the representation of the body in motion through the different choreographed dances. Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the expressive potential of dance and its implications for spatial representation, offering insights into the interdisciplinary intersection of dance and architecture