Dancing images, imagining dances:

studies of imagery as a tool in dance improvisation

Abstract

Adopting an exploratory approach focused on the relationship between image and movement in contemporary dance, this article articulates theoretical-practical research based on the recollection and experimentation of images within improvisation practices. The study investigates the role of images in the organization of gesture in dance improvisation, drawing on references from neuroscience, somatic practices, and improvisation. The article engages with concepts proposed by António Damásio, Maércio Maia, Tim Ingold, Ciane Fernandes, Cristiane Paoli Quito, and the publications Contato Improvisação – Conceitos, princípios e ensino (Tradução de textos da revista Contact Quarterly) and Contato Improvisação – Conceitos, princípios e ensino (Tradução da parte II do livro Dancing Deeper Still, de Martin Keogh), published by the Núcleo Improvisação em Contato, which, when considered together, highlight processes in which image, sensation, and movement are articulated as an integrated triad. It is argued that, within a context marked by the predominance of pre-coded images, improvisation constitutes a privileged field for fostering active imagination, expanding the sensory repertoire, and contributing to the development of autonomy both in performance and in pedagogical settings.