Performance phenomenology: unpacking the notion of lived embodied experience

For my thesis project, I am interested in how lived experiences influence how performers create and develop the physical characteristics of a given character. This thesis will explore distinctive methods of phenomenological research that relate to one's identity concerning proposed themes, embodied characteristics, and those inherent complexities. As part of this research, I will examine the methods used to develop my interpretation of Iago's character in Jose Limon's, Moor's Pavane and the dichotomy of what makes that characterization similar and different from my own experience. To broaden the expression of lived experience, I am collaborating with other dance makers, Dhari Piekarska and Professor Alvon Reed, for a solo performance named Finis. This research which involves self-reflection, identity, physical practice, and social consciousness will assist me in discovering how distributed agency could ignite conversations for community engagement.