Methods of Surrealism and Intermedial Contemporary Dance

This thesis draws on the creative method of Surrealism referred to as automatism within the setting of contemporary dance. The research acknowledges the origins of the Surrealist movement, the use of automatism across various disciplines, and its application within the thesis research. The practice of automatism is used to generate unique movement that is organic to the individual. Interested in the unconscious mind as a trove of creative impulses, the performers are urged to communicate with their creative core, without the judgement of their logical, conscious mind. The visual aesthetic of the work aims to model Surrealisms goal to transcend from reality. To further support this, Jessica Stuart relies on the use of digital media to construct what she refers to as a "dreamscape" environment. Film and projections are significant mediums in this exploration of technology and dance. Choreography and technology are combined in order to augment the live performance space, and challenge concepts of reality. The results of this research are used to create Stuart's Master of Fine Arts thesis project, In Media Res: an intermedial contemporary dance, existing in both the physical and virtual planes.