To what extent do structured indeterminate procedures in musical composition share fundamental creative synergies with choreographic processes, and how do these influence the perception of time in performance?

Abstract

Working together on a collaborative composition/choreographic project –Soundpoints Finding a Place to Be –choreographer Jo Breslin and composer Dr Chris Fosterexplore the potential of contingency as a creative procedure in music and dance. This paper will detail the process and some of the findings of this research and will suggest possible new avenues for exploring the relationship of the roles of makers and performers in the creation of work. Drawing on Derridia‘s concept of ̳hospitality‘, we arguethat the performer‘s contribution to work creation is crucial and that indeterminacy should be acknowledged as an inextricable and inevitable component of performance, and that makers of performance work should embrace and develop it both in theory and in practice as a valuable compositional/choreographic resource.