Creativity as niche construction and some examples in theatrical dance

• Creativity can be regarded as a property of semiotic resource exploration and niche construction. More specifically, and according to this perspective, creativity is distributed, in cognitive niches, as opportunities for niche-construction. Artistic cognitive niches represent established ways to exploit available artistic semiotic resources. When such opportunities are explored so that new relations between cognition and artistic semiotic resources are established (i.e., the artistic cognitive niche is constructed), then creativity is observed. This process of niche construction involves the transformation of problem spaces ("a branching-tree of achievable situations") through the exploration of cognitive artifacts (in dance, for example, softwares, techniques, equipments such as dance shoes, stage, dance and music notations). Our approach is supported by specific examples in history. In each of these examples, the introduction of artifacts changed not only how to make dance, but also the very concept of dance, opening opportunities for the exploration of new niches.

Subject headings

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion -- Filosofi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion -- Philosophy (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Humaniora

Humanities

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)