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Dancing all the way to the stage by way of the stadium : on the iconicity and plasticity of actions

Sonesson, Göran LU orcid (2022) In Semiotica 2022(248). p.321-349
Abstract

In the sense of phenomenology, actions are special cases of acts of consciousness. Within semiotics, first Jan Mukařovský and then A. J. Greimas have established, in different terms, a distinction between instrumental actions and actions which carry their meaning in themselves. But this is insufficient to account for the variety of actions which comprises everything from the creation of artefacts, dance, sporting events, theatre, rituals, and much else. Already those actions mentioned relate in different ways to instrumentality and intrinsic meaning, as well as to (depictive) iconicity and plasticity. In this paper, I will be particularly concerned with dancing, especially classical ballet, trying to delimit it from sporting events and... (More)

In the sense of phenomenology, actions are special cases of acts of consciousness. Within semiotics, first Jan Mukařovský and then A. J. Greimas have established, in different terms, a distinction between instrumental actions and actions which carry their meaning in themselves. But this is insufficient to account for the variety of actions which comprises everything from the creation of artefacts, dance, sporting events, theatre, rituals, and much else. Already those actions mentioned relate in different ways to instrumentality and intrinsic meaning, as well as to (depictive) iconicity and plasticity. In this paper, I will be particularly concerned with dancing, especially classical ballet, trying to delimit it from sporting events and theatre. Apart from the sign function and the spectacular function, I will notably have recourse to what I have elsewhere term secondary (depictive) iconicity as well as to plasticity. In the process, I hope to be able to throw some light also on the nature of sport, by comparing and contrasting it to dance, as well as to the theatre as well as, more incidentally, to some other types of action. In a wider perspective, my ambition is to contribute to a general inquiry into the semiosis of actions.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
basic action, dance, depiction, frames, iconicity, intentionality, plasticity, sport, theatre
in
Semiotica
volume
2022
issue
248
pages
321 - 349
publisher
De Gruyter
external identifiers
  • scopus:85136190854
ISSN
0037-1998
DOI
10.1515/sem-2022-0070
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f5194839-b9dc-478d-8f96-c1e5b76a189a
date added to LUP
2022-09-07 15:10:30
date last changed
2023-12-05 20:05:44
@article{f5194839-b9dc-478d-8f96-c1e5b76a189a,
  abstract     = {{<p>In the sense of phenomenology, actions are special cases of acts of consciousness. Within semiotics, first Jan Mukařovský and then A. J. Greimas have established, in different terms, a distinction between instrumental actions and actions which carry their meaning in themselves. But this is insufficient to account for the variety of actions which comprises everything from the creation of artefacts, dance, sporting events, theatre, rituals, and much else. Already those actions mentioned relate in different ways to instrumentality and intrinsic meaning, as well as to (depictive) iconicity and plasticity. In this paper, I will be particularly concerned with dancing, especially classical ballet, trying to delimit it from sporting events and theatre. Apart from the sign function and the spectacular function, I will notably have recourse to what I have elsewhere term secondary (depictive) iconicity as well as to plasticity. In the process, I hope to be able to throw some light also on the nature of sport, by comparing and contrasting it to dance, as well as to the theatre as well as, more incidentally, to some other types of action. In a wider perspective, my ambition is to contribute to a general inquiry into the semiosis of actions. </p>}},
  author       = {{Sonesson, Göran}},
  issn         = {{0037-1998}},
  keywords     = {{basic action; dance; depiction; frames; iconicity; intentionality; plasticity; sport; theatre}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{248}},
  pages        = {{321--349}},
  publisher    = {{De Gruyter}},
  series       = {{Semiotica}},
  title        = {{Dancing all the way to the stage by way of the stadium : on the iconicity and plasticity of actions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/sem-2022-0070}},
  doi          = {{10.1515/sem-2022-0070}},
  volume       = {{2022}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}