https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112448 2026-04-12T11:57:54Z 2026-04-12T11:57:54Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/113322 2023-09-26T09:14:12Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Questioning the ideal female dancer body : past to present, east to west, folk to contemporary Abstract: This dissertation is about an issue that affects both women dancers and non-dancers: the yearning for the ideal body, a product of the patriarchal system that moulds and exercises power over women. Particularly for the case of the female dancer: is the body and its aesthetics or the artist as a human being more important for this profession and their audience? To investigate this topic further, I use feminist theories and philosophers that unpack notions of power and surveillance. I explore this issue in the context of the United States and Western Europe in comparison to the Eastern and Central European area and its dance life, from the twentieth-century perspective up to the 1980s. Based on my experiences growing up in Hungary, I will examine if the body ideals passed down in both folk dance and contemporary dance genres in Hungary are still relevant or discriminatory today through the examination of two performances. Description: B. Dance St.(Hons)(Melit.)

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/113321 2023-09-26T09:11:33Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: A case study on the minority group of Maltese male dancers Abstract: This case study delves into the experience of Maltese male dancers as a minority group, as an analysis and reflection of the construction and choreography of masculinity within Western theatre dance in the context of the Maltese Islands. A thorough review of statistical research on the percentage of male participation in dance education by the National Statistics Office of Malta contextualises the need for this study. Qualitative research is opted for as the methodology to obtain insight on Maltese male dancers' educational and professional dance experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four Maltese men who identify themselves as trained, studying or professional dancers. Significant themes within the findings are analysed and discussed alongside academic literature on men in dance. Similarly to findings of international research, Maltese male dancers experience marginalisation and negotiate their masculine identities accordingly, although they are also shown support from various persons and organisations. While the number of Maltese male dancers remains comparatively low to female dancers, it is increasing with time. Description: B. Dance St.(Hons)(Melit.)

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/113314 2023-09-26T08:58:17Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: My journey towards a pain-free experience in dance : embodied research on flow theory in dance Abstract: The main theme of the dissertation is the relationship between the sensation of pain and the experience of flow in contemporary dance practice, particularly in improvisation. Flow is described as ‘the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter' (Csíkszentmihályi 1990: 4). The aim of this dissertation is to find answers to the question: can the sensation of pain actually disappear while dancing in a state of Flow? I take a first-person research approach, in which I am the participant and conduct the embodied research from my own dancing perspective. The research is practice-based in which I created and completed tasks and then analysed them using phenomenology-based documentation tools. The research shows that the sensation of pain in the flow state is influenced by many factors. However, if the appropriate aspects are matched, it is possible that the dancer will not feel pain during flow. Nevertheless, the study is not intended to encourage dancers to be less concerned about listening to the sensation of pain. Injury prevention and treatment are essential. The findings will provide insight for dancers who have been injured and have gone through this experience, as well as an opportunity for dancers who are returning from rehabilitation to investigate the components and find their own pain-free flow experience. Description: B. Dance St.(Hons)(Melit.)

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z