Call for papers – thematic focus: “Dance and Ecology”

RED – Revista Estud(i)os de Dança is pleased to invite you to submit your articles for the thematic focus "Dance and Ecology".

Invited Editor: Daniel Tércio (Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa / INET-md, Polo FMH)

"Dance and Ecology"

The issue of environmental balance and ecological consciousness has permeated and progressively grown in the field of contemporary dance creation. Works such as "Anthropocenes" (2017) by Rita Natálio and João dos Santos Martins, "All you need is plankton" (2020) by Vera Mantero, and "Bom Anfirião" (2022) by Filipa Francisco, among others, signal a concern regarding environmental balances and denounce the imbalances resulting from current lifestyles and extractivism. In the climate emergency many creators find motivations and scenic and compositional materials to think and act ecologically. This action is usually framed within responsible citizenship and an ethical consciousness in line with the recovery of healthy relationships with the planet and all who inhabit it.

Paraphrasing Timothy Morton (2021), "all art is ecological." Dance, as an energetic mode that summons the body and movement, is especially endowed to underline its own ecological essence. Firstly it combines nature and culture inextricably. Secondly, in dance, the three ecologies outlined by Félix Guattari (1989) coexist: that of the environment, that of social relations, and that of human subjectivity. According to Guattari, a philosopher and psychoanalyst, a revolution is necessary that should not be restricted to large-scale power relations (such as the issue of CO2 emissions) but should reach the molecular domains of sensitivity, intelligence, and desire.

Institutionally, the issue of environmental balances has been a subject of deep reflection accompanied by the dissemination of legal instruments and recommendations. The DGArtes national agency, for example, states that "environmental preservation and mitigation of the effects of climate change are strategic priorities in our action with the artistic agents and the public with whom we relate" (DGARTES, 2024), sharing resources, tools, and information related to environmental sustainability and good practices for the artistic sector.

Artists also constantly face challenges regarding the latitude and impacts of their creative projects. Thus, for example, the French choreographer Jérôme Bell decided, from 2019, not to travel by plane with his company. It is therefore a new form of ethical engagement that may even shift the dance performance to new-old stages, such as clearings in forests, caves, lakes, trees, etc.

Following the above thoughts, this call aims to contribute to the intersection of dance with ecology, from social, cultural, ritual, therapeutic, and educational perspectives. Proposals may correspond to the area of dance studies or social sciences. They can be case studies, empirical essays, or hermeneutic and philosophical studies. Artistic proposals and personal narratives are also welcome, both as practice-led research or research-led practice.