A stimulating analysis of acting as a psychophysical phenomenon and process across cultures and disciplines. Taking an 'enactive approach' to understanding acting as a process, the authors discuss psychophysical acting and performance within the Stanislavsky lineage, in dance and devised theatre practices, and in performance in India and Japan.
Bollywood and Bhangra in British Theatre
Exploring the impact of Bollywood films and bhangra music on British theatre, this book examines their significance within British South Asian communities. It investigates the reasons behind the integration of these cultural forms into stage productions, highlighting their popularity and influence on contemporary performances. The analysis sheds light on how these elements reflect and shape the identity of British South Asians, offering insights into the broader cultural dynamics at play in the UK's theatrical landscape.
Jatinder Verma is a key figure in British South Asian theatre, advocating for greater diversity among playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and producers in the mainstream British stage. His work emphasizes the significance of representation and inclusivity within the arts, highlighting the need for varied voices and perspectives in theatre.
This book was awarded a Special Mention Citation in the 2010 competition for the ‘de la Torre Bueno Prize’ by The Society of Dance History Scholars. In the region of Salento in Southern Italy, the music and dance of the pizzica has been used in the ritual of tarantism for many centuries as a means to cure someone bitten by the taranta spider. This book, a historical and ethnographic study of tarantism and pizzica, draws upon seven hundred years of writings about the ritual contributed by medical practitioners, scientists, travel writers and others. It also investigates the contemporary revival of interest in pizzica music and dance as part of the ‘neo-tarantism’ movement, where pizzica and the history of tarantism form a complex web of place, culture and identity for Salentines today. This is one of the first books in English to explore this fascinating ritual practice and its contemporary resurgence. It uses an interdisciplinary framework based in performance studies to ask wider questions about the experience of the body in performance, and the potential of music and dance to create a sense of personal and collective transformation and efficacy.