96430 - Performative Cultures of Asia (1)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student: acquires general knowledge of Asian performative cultures and the main traditional genres of dance-theatre in Asia, putting them in the correct historical and anthropological context; knows how to identify and analyze the fundamental components, linking them to the belonging culture; learns the basic methodological tools to interpret and explain the performative and theatrical phenomena in Asia.

Course contents

Theatres of India: From Performance Treatises to the Performer on Stage

The course will focus primarily on the theatrical traditions of India, examining their major genres and their historical, cultural, and performative development. Traditional theoretical sources, including the Nāṭyaśāstra, will provide the framework for understanding the aesthetic, philosophical, and technical foundations of Indian performing arts. Particular attention will be devoted to the role of the performer, training techniques, and the centrality of the body in shaping the theatrical relationship and conveying emotion. Alongside the Nāṭyaśāstra, Zeami's treatises on Japanese nō theatre and the Yueji (The Book of Music of China) will also be introduced, not for the purpose of direct comparison, but to highlight the role of codification in the formation and transmission of Asia's traditional performative languages.

Readings/Bibliography

-Daniele Cuneo e Elisa Ganser, Pensare l’attore. Le fonti sanscrite, Unicopli, Milano, 2024.

-Matteo Casari e Giuditta de Concini, a cura di, Danzare il Nāṭya. Permanenze e trasformazioni del teatro-danza indiano, in Arti della Performance: orizzonti e culture, n. 5, 2015, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Dipartimento delle Arti e ALMADL, Bologna (free download).

- Gioia Ottaviani, I fondamenti del teatro in Asia, Aracne, Roma, 2004.

Not attending students will also have to prepare on a text chosen from:

-Azzaroni Giovanni, Sguardi sul corpo tra Oriente e Occidente. Studi di antropologia filosofica, Bologna, CLUEB, 2019.

-Azzaroni Giovanni, Teatro in Asia. Malaysia – Indonesia – Filippine – Giappone, vol. I, CLUEB, Bologna, 1998, solo pp. 273-388.

-Azzaroni Giovanni, Teatro in Asia. Myanmar – Thailandia – Laos – Kampuchea – Viêt Nam, vol. II, CLUEB, Bologna, 2000, solo pp. 273-388.

-Azzaroni Giovanni, Teatro in Asia. Tibet – Cina – Mongolia – Corea, vol. III, CLUEB, Bologna, 2003, solo pp. 101-256.

-Azzaroni Giovanni, Teatro in Asia. Nepal, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, vol. IV, CLUEB, Bologna, 2006, solo pp. 149-338.

-Bharata, Nātyaśāstra. L’arte del teatro indiano, versione di Adya Rangacharya, Bulzoni, Roma, 2024.

-Matteo Casari, Teatro, vita di Mei Lanfang. Con la traduzione integrale di Addio mia concubina, CLUEB, Bologna, 2003.

- De Giorgi Margherita, "To be renewed again". Esperienze di butō in Europa: Yvonne pouget, Imre Thormann e Xavier Le Roy, in Arti della Performance: orizonti e culture, n. 2, 2012, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Dipartimento delle Arti e ALMADL, Bologna, solo pp.1-183.

-Di Bernardi Vito, Il Mahābhārata. L'epica indiana e lo spettacolo di Peter Brook, Bulzoni, Roma, 1989.

- Mastrangelo Matilde et al., a cura di, Il teatro giapponese. La macchina scenica tra spazi urbani e riforme, Roma, Aracne, 2014.

- Marazzi Antonio, Uomini, cyborg e robot umanoidi. Antropologia dell’uomo artificiale, Carocci, Roma, 2012.

-Zeami Motokiyo, Il segreto del teatro nō, Adelphi, Milano, 1987 (o successive edizioni).

Teaching methods

The teaching will be a balanced mix of theoretical and practical examples, in anthropological context, in order to allow all students to be able to reach the final target.

Assessment methods

During the lessons the lecturer will involve the students in an active discussion of the lesson topics. The exchanges will be addressed to bringing out any difficulties concerning the subject matter, but not to actually forming part of the final mark.
The final exam will consist of an oral test. The exam will be the chance for the student to prove his/her knowledge of the course books. Students attending the class may refer their answers back to the topics actually analyzed in class.
Students studying the course set books, especially the core text, should pay attention to the fundamental aspects of the topics and, of course, to the ways in which they are connected to one another rather than to learn by rote.

The exame will take account of the propriety and the adequacy of oral linguistic expression:

30 cum laude: excellent performance showing soundness of knowledge, rich discursive articulation, appropriate expression, interest of critical contribution;
30: Excellent performance, complete, and appropriate knowledge, well-articulated and appropriately expressed, with interesting critical contributions;
29-27: Good performance, more than satisfactory knowledge, correct expression.
26-24: Standard performance, essential knowledge, but not comprehensive and / or not always correctly expressed;
23-21: Sufficient performance, general but superficial knowledge; often inappropriate expression and/or confused articulation of speech;
20-18: Poor performance, sufficient expression and articulation of speech with significant gaps;
<18: Insufficient performance, knowledge absent or very incomplete, lack of orientation in the discipline, poor and seriously flawed expression.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives

Teaching tools

Performances videos relating to the topics presented during the course.

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Casari