Dance < Architecture

Theoretical framework: Between dance and architecture. In Moving sites: Investigating site-specific dance performance (pp. 62–78). essay, Routledge. by Victoria Hunter

The text presents changes in the perception of architecture from a phenomenological perspective. The shift is that physical architecture is only one part of the perception of place and the other face of architecture is its ephemerality and mutability, a construct of the mind that can change based on situations (events) and uses. Kevin Lynch's theory, which is my main theoretical source, deals with a mental map that is shaped by history, personal experience, and the use of space in addition to the physical objects in the space. The individual personal experiences of people moving in the space changes the image of the city, K. Lynch writes in his book: "Moving elements in a city, and in particular the people and their activities, are as important as the stationary physical parts. We are not simply observers of this spectacle, but are ourselves a part of it, on the stage with the other participants. Most often, our perception of the city is not sustained, but rather partial, fragmentary, mixed with other concerns. Nearly every sense is in operation, and the image is the composite of them all." (Image of the City, p. 2). Lynch's theory and the text Between dance and architecture meet in that, "…in architecture our understanding of spaces always refers back to those places that we have experienced most...since the root of all our understanding comes from our personal experiences" (p. 65), the experience of place and personal relationship with place is the main measure of dwelling the space according to Lynch's theory and the text Between dance and architecture. The text adds the value of dance in the experience of architecture and highlights bodily sensation as a tool for experiencing architecture holistically.