History, memory, and the virtual in current European dance practice

Focusing on current European dance, this essay identifies two recent phenomena among virtual dance pieces: calling upon beholders to use their imaginations and evoking histories and memories. Such works have the potential to transform society by creating time for a belief in the impossible. This account of virtual dance draws from Susanne Langer's dance theory and Henry Bergson’s ideas about memory and the virtual, particularly as developed by Gilles Deleuze. The theoretical matrix that results allows lucid readings of works by New Art Club, Raimund Hoghe, and Janez Janša.