Echoes of Tranquility: The Fusion of Eastern and Western Aesthetics in Contemporary Dance
Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
MSU-Only Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
College/School
College of the Arts
Department/Program
Theatre and Dance
Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair
Maxine Steinman
Committee Member
Emmanuele Phuon
Committee Member
Kristen Bell
Abstract
I have long investigated the multiplicity of movement and expression embedded within contemporary dance. Beyond the visually perceivable body, I am particularly drawn to what I describe as “unseen expression”: movement shaped by Eastern philosophical thought, animistic sensitivity, and inner states of awareness. Building upon this embodied perspective, the present study identifies sixteen Japanese philosophical concepts and systematizes them as a framework for classifying movement and generating choreographic methodology. Recognizing that contemporary dance—like music and visual art—emerged at the crossroads of Western and Eastern aesthetics, this research reconsiders such influences not as abstract ideals, but as operational principles that shape bodily organization and compositional structure. These investigations culminated in Echoes of Tranquility, a performance work developed in collaboration with pianist Yuko Gordon, in which the philosophical concepts are embodied and examined from both choreographic and musical vantage points. Through the creation and performance of this work, the study seeks to examine how Japanese philosophical frameworks may actively influence the physicality, temporal architecture, and perceptual experience of contemporary dance.
File Format
MP4
Recommended Citation
Ishiguro, Yuki, "Echoes of Tranquility: The Fusion of Eastern and Western Aesthetics in Contemporary Dance" (2026). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 1652.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1652
written thesis
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Comments
The performance video is restricted to the Montclair State University community but the PDF file of the thesis, which is located at the bottom of the screen, is available to anyone interested in reading it.