On trial and error

Reflections on risk in the creative process in contemporary dance and circus

Abstract

Within contemporary artistic production and its creative processes, the concept of “risk” takes on different meanings and unexpected, phenomenal values, particularly in contemporary dance and circus performances. A body on the edge of falling, an error, a successful action, or its failure acquire dramaturgical and aesthetic signifying power, open possibilities for new relationships with the spectator. The risk also acquires a subversive political value - when read from a cultural perspective - against the economics of success and productivity, especially in today's artistic sphere. Different examples will be addressed in this contribution, drifting between dance and circus, to try to understand how “running the risk” is the way to harmonize to a more human dimension of the spectator.