Dance Anima

Dance Anima, Volume 1, is a scholarly examination of the performing arts that explores the paradox of dance as both a human expression and a mechanized process. Hilary Bergen analyzes how choreography and technique transform the dancer into a body with porous boundaries, reflecting a more-than-human condition. This work of arts and photography research utilizes interdisciplinary case studies from robotics, cinema, and social media to track the kinetic energy known as anima.

Within this study of dance, Bergen investigates how this collective force serves as a resource for engineering life across digital and robotic bodies. By examining examples like Boston Dynamics robots and the legacy of Loie Fuller, the text proposes a new theory of dance as a cultural technique of ensoulment. This academic volume provides a critical perspective on embodiment and race within the broader context of the performing arts.