Description
Dancing in the Age of No-Future
Book Summary
This essay proposes a radical reflection on contemporary experimental dance as a practice of resistance against the neoliberal regime. Choreographer and researcher Paz Rojo analyzes how the art of movement can decouple itself from the logic of self-performance, entrepreneurship, and the production of subjectivity imposed by capitalism. Through a dialogue with political philosophy, dance studies, and key cultural references, the author proposes a dance that does not project itself toward a productive future, but rather asserts itself in the present as a destituent act. An essential book for understanding the intersections between body, politics, and artistic creation in contemporary times.
What is it about?
Dancing in the Age of No-Future is situated in two key historical moments—May '68 and May 2011—to explore how experimental dance can embody a new relationship with the contemporary. The author begins with the concept of destitution to question the performative regime that governs the production of subjectivity under neoliberalism. Throughout these pages, Paz Rojo traces the conditions necessary for choreographic movement to detach from the scheme of self-management and future projection, proposing a dance that is already occurring in the present. The work combines critical theory, performance analysis, and audiovisual and literary references to construct a solid argument regarding the political potential of the body in motion.
Main Themes
- Contemporary experimental dance as a political and destituent practice
- Critique of the neoliberal regime of self-performance and entrepreneurship
- Relationship between body, subjectivity, and capitalist production
- Political philosophy applied to the performing and choreographic arts
- Analysis of the social movements of May '68 and May 2011
Who is it recommended for?
This book is intended for artists, choreographers, performers, and performing arts students interested in the political dimension of movement. It is also of great value to readers of political philosophy, critical theory, and cultural studies who seek to understand how art can resist neoliberal logics. Researchers in dance and performance, as well as professionals in the field of contemporary creation, will find in this work a rigorous and provocative theoretical framework.
What this book contributes
- An original perspective on dance as a practice of resistance against contemporary capitalism
- An interdisciplinary dialogue between political philosophy, dance studies, and cultural references
- Conceptual tools for rethinking the relationship between body, time, and the production of subjectivity
- A critical analysis of self-performance and entrepreneurship in the artistic sphere
- A proposal for understanding choreographic movement as a destituent act in the present
Technical Specifications
- Author: ROJO, PAZ
- Publisher: EDICIONES LA UÑA ROTA
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Literary essays, Philosophy, Social and political philosophy
- Collection: Libros del apuntador
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: March 2025
- Number of pages: 208
- Weight: 364 g
Editorial Assessment
Dancing in the Age of No-Future is an essay that brilliantly connects critical theory with artistic practice, offering a necessary reading for those seeking conceptual tools to challenge the status quo. Paz Rojo manages to articulate a profound reflection on the political potential of the body in motion without falling into empty abstractions. Her interdisciplinary approach and ability to engage with philosophical and cultural benchmarks make this work a relevant contribution to both the academic and creative spheres. Recommended for readers who want to explore the possibilities of an art committed to its time.