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Research Seminar: Towards a Choreographic Approach

What power and impact does the spoken word have when we do not know its exact meaning? Can we understand and connect with each other if we set aside the logical elements of language and rely on sensations, as well as the musical and non-verbal elements of communication? How can this shared "musical language" support understanding, self-expression and creative collaboration?

This presentation introduces the Choreographic Approach (CA), an inclusive pedagogical framework for the performing arts that challenges conventional views of language and communication, advocating exploration and openness to uncertainty. Drawing on my recent practical research, it presents the principles and practical applications of CA, emphasising communication through collaborative and interdisciplinary somatic practice, including exercises with music and sound. By moving away from traditional language-based training systems, CA supports more flexible modes of expression, making it particularly valuable in multilingual and culturally diverse learning environments.

Dr Melinda Szuts is a lecturer in drama and theatre studies, and a freelance theatre director. She is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, conducting research on accessible performance pedagogies using movement and sound. Melinda lectures in performance studies, history of drama and theatre, directing and dramaturgy, and regularly holds workshops in embodied practice and interdisciplinary performance. Her fields of research are the relationship of physical theatre and dramatic text, musical performance, interdisciplinary performance and space dramaturgy.