The Anatomy of Art: Unlocking the Creative Process for Theater and Dance - Hardcover

by Alexandra Beller (Author)

The Anatomy of Art is a field guide for artists working in dance, theatre and performance.

Twelve interrelated drivers of the creative process - including Time, Space, Relationship, Meaning, and Context & Culture - form a working map for inquiry.

Through more than 1,000 questions, scores and frameworks, the book activates rehearsal, teaching and performance, keeping choice alive in the body.

The book draws on three decades of devised dance and theatre and supports creative work of any scale that calls for bravery, personal vision and rigorous inquiry. It can be opened anywhere and used for a few minutes in the studio or throughout the life of a project.

A preface by Marisa Tomei and short offerings from artists across three generations - including Bebe Miller, Brenda Dixon Gottschild, Deborah Hay, Emanuel Gat, and others - add pressure, contrast and lived intelligence.

Author Biography

Alexandra Beller is a Brooklyn-based choreographer, director, performer and educator, and the Artistic Director of Alexandra Beller/Dances. A former member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (1995-2001), she bridges dance and theater with a focus on somatics, creative process and embodiment. She has created over 60 works for concert stages, regional and Off-Broadway theaters and university programs. She holds an MFA, is a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA), served on the faculty at Princeton University for seven years and is a sought-after teacher in higher-education and graduate programs. Beller founded Praxispace, an artistic community for creative process. Her work has appeared at institutions including the Lincoln Center, A.R.T., La MaMa, the Goodman and the Folger Shakespeare Library.