Juggling Dancers: Passing Props and Partnering Paths
Karl Schaffer

Proceedings of Bridges 2022: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Culture
Pages 229–236
Regular Papers

Abstract

Prop and object manipulation by dancers bears resemblance not only to juggling but also to the ways that performers in duet or trio dance forms often adroitly switch partners, and we examine examples of both. “Juggling” here is interpreted broadly to refer to all forms of prop manipulation, as well as to the fact that dancers are also “juggled” from one partner to another. We analyze the signature work of choreographer Charles Moulton, “Precision Ball Passing,” which involves movement choruses of large numbers of dancers virtuosically passing balls back and forth in a manner demanding cooperation and community. We also examine how geometry and combinatorics are often intrinsically embedded in such dance works and discuss several examples.

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