(Arts Research Africa, 2022-09-16) Johnstone, Kristina
This paper discusses an artistic research project that challenges
representationalism in South African contemporary dance. The
author argues against the use of discursive methodologies that
reinforce colonial scripts and instead proposes an alternative
approach based on embodied practices. The paper explores
the concept of choreography as embodied research and its
potential to align with a decolonial praxis. The research project
involves tracing embodied practices and creating a digital
cartography to capture and explore these practices. The author
also discusses the emergence of a movement pedagogy that
unfolds in retrograde and disrupts conventional understandings
of time and pedagogical continuity.