RESEARCH
Əmemoriam
a choreographic research project on memory & movement
definitions
[ə]: "schwa", origin Latin. a mid central vowel first used in Bavarian dialects of the 1820's. a sound produced by relaxing the articulators in the oral cavity and vocalising. embodied communication
[memoriam]: origin Latin. in memory of someone, remembering or honoring a deceased person. relation to "memory", the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information.
Questions
How do we remember through the body?Where do we store information, neurologically & physiologically?How does memory continue to live on through our embodied experiences?Can we trace memory to parts of the body in order to access deeper recollection?
BACKGROUND
Inspired by conceptual advances in somatic neuroscience research, this project aims to study the brain in relationship to embodied cognition & memory. Both a personal and academic endeavor, əmemoriam is an ongoing research project that centers the body in both data collection and dance creation; using electroencephalography (EEG), this study will measure brain activity in sensorimotor memory formation, processing, and recall patterns, using resulting data to inspire choreographic scores and visual concepts that represent the symbiotic brain-body relationship. This project draws from research on sensorimotor models of memory (SMM), the role of interoception on autobiographical memory formation, and how body-memory is formed through physical and neurological encoding. This work will culminate into written & video documentation, capturing the creative process alongside findings from research and literature review. This project is currently in development through my graduate studies with the University of Florida, and will be presented in 2025-2026.
METHODOLOGY
[research]: this project will take on multiple approaches to inform the choreographic process:1) a systematic review of relevant literature within the field of neuroscience & embodied memory2) analysis of electroencephalogramy (EEG) captured brain activity in relation to sensorimotor memory recall3) improvisational methods using somatotopy and multisensory stimuli to evoke movement
circa 2004, großmama
STATUS
I am currently in the process of designing the research study for this project, while continuing to review relevant literature on the topic. Choreographic research will begin this fall 2024 in Germany.
stay updated: check back for more updates & process recordings, coming soon.
