Routledge Dance and the Corporeal Uncanny: Philosophy in Motion

Dance and the Corporeal Uncanny takes the philosophy of the body into the field of dance, through the lens of subjectivity and via its critique. It draws on dance and performance as its dedicated field of practice to articulate a philosophy of agency and movement. It is organized around two conceptual paradigms - one phenomenological (via Merleau-Ponty), the other an interpretation of Nietzschean philosophy, mediated through the work of Deleuze. The book draws on dance studies, cultural critique, ethnography and postcolonial theory, seeking an interdisciplinary audience in philosophy, dance and cultural studies. Review ''In Dance and the Corporeal Uncanny, Philipa Rothfield wonders how we can think the body as a mobile formation, a multiplicity entangled in arrangements of forces. With stunning insight, Rothfield critiques any oppositional rendering of ecology, environment, and the dancing subject and audience. Rendering Deleuze and Nietzsche with unerring precision, Rothfield proposes a philosophy of action that can help us imagine what it means to move in ethical ways.Essential reading for philosophy, dance, and cultural studies.'' Thomas F. DeFrantz, Professor, Northwestern University ''This is an utterly original book on the corporeality of dance performance and the various philosophies that enable us to engage with and further elaborate its concepts and methods. In addressing dance and philosophy together, Philipa Rothfield brings to life the works of Merleau-Ponty, Nietzsche, Foucault and Deleuze through their encounters with the practices of global forms of contemporary dance. A wonderful, indeed breathtaking, work!'' Elizabeth Grosz, author of Volatile Bodies About the Author Philipa Rothfield is an academic, a dancer and a dance reviewer. She is an honorary staff member in Philosophy and Politics at La Trobe University, Australia, and honorary professor in Dance and Philosophy of the Body at the University of Southern Denmark. She is Creative Advisor at Dancehouse, Melbourne. She is co-author of Practising with Deleuze: Design, Dance, Art, Writing, Philosophy (2017).