Choreography of horror

Compositional approaches and their influence on generating fear in the spectator

Abstract

The results of a practical experiment in the field of performing arts are presented here, framed within a mixed-methods study with a concurrent design. In the first phase, the staging of the same dramatic plot has been carried out through two distinct choreographies, each aligned with divergent compositional methods. These methods stem from a theoretical development introduced in this study: one based on the compositional characteristics of Pina Bausch and the other on those of the Judson Dance Theater company. In the second phase, the research focuses on analyzing the effects produced by both stagings on the audience through a graphological study and the Lüscher test. The aim is to explore a possible cause-and-effect relationship between the constituent elements of the performative phenomenon, based on an initial hypothesis suggesting that the choreographic component, in itself, can generate fear in the spectator. The most effective method would appear to be the one rooted in Pina Bausch’s compositional approach.