Abstract
Comparative literature has been constantly drawing inspirations from other disciplines to revitalize itself. This article proposes a comparative study of the two seemingly different but affinitive disciplines — literature and dance — in the interdisciplinary context. By analyzing the reasons why comparative studies of literature and dance have been neglected by the academia, this article investigates the possibility of such kinds of comparisons, and provide four approaches: firstly, to compare literary works and their dance adaptations; secondly, to unravel the textual functions of dance elements in portraying characters, creating plots, and developing themes; thirdly, to investigate dance’s engagement with literary creation in terms of generating new terms and concepts; fourthly, to examine the role of dance in ethnic literature concerning identity crisis and representation. Interdisciplinary studies of literature and dance, with its focus on literary criticism, can complement the theories of comparative literature, and shed new light on its theoretical reconstruction.
Keywords
literature and dance, dance adaptations of literary works, imagery of dance, vocabulary of dance
First Page
120
Last Page
127
Recommended Citation
Chen, Huafei, and Mingwen Xiao. 2022. "Comparative Studies of Literature and Dance: An Interdisciplinary Approach." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 42, (3): pp.120-127. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol42/iss3/13
