The Expression of Myth in Dance Images (eSingle)

Description

Our experience of love, as of war, these days, does not include a sense of the mythic dimension. In fact, when comparing the Indian Kṛṣṇa material [from the Gīta Govinda] with the European story of Tristan, we cannot but sense a certain depth of the former that is already lacking in our Western forms. But on the other hand, there is in our own tradition a tender human-to-human relationship between lover and beloved, which in a different way is as moving and profound as the oriental transubstantiation of the lover and beloved into deities. Our problem (and I have only occasionally seen it solved on the stage) is to bring the depth dimension of myth into view without losing our properly Western, earthly plane of vision. — Joseph Campbell

Drawn from The Ecstasy of Being: Mythology and Dance, this fascinating article allows Joseph Campbell to explore the ways in which dance — both traditional and modern — has served as a source for mythological content throughout the ages. From ancient Japanese, Chinese, and Indian dances to Martha Graham, Campbell looks at the way in which dance can serve as a medium for myth.