This video demonstrates Arnold Van Gennep and later, Victor Turner’s liminality theory through a dance. This theory was originally used to describe the stages of a rite of passage, however it can also be applied to other transformative life experiences. Van Gennep and Turner suggest that there are three stages that occur during this process – separation, margin and aggregation. During the separation phase, the lead dancer begins to be physically and socially separated from the group. During the margin phase, the lead dancer is in a liminal state in which there is an inversion of normal life because she is not who she was before, nor is she transformed into her new self. During the third aggregation phase, the lead dancer is reintegrated back into the group, however she has a new sense of self and a new role within the group.
Contributor Biography: Grace Hart
Grace began dancing at the age of four in Ottawa, Ontario. She trained in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and improvisation. She joined the competitive dance team at Leeming Danceworks at the age of fourteen until the age of eighteen where she continued to train vigorously in these styles. With Leeming Danceworks, Grace competed at regional and national dance competitions where she won numerous high scoring awards. Grace attended Canterbury High School in the Arts Canterbury Dance Specialization Program. There she trained in modern, ballet and choreography alongside her training at Leeming Danceworks. Grace has worked with notable choreographers such as Alvin Collantes, Emma Portner, Eryn Waltman, Hani Abaza, Kelly Shaw, Kevin Howe, Kristen Carcone, Linda Garneau, Stephanie Rutherford and many more. Grace is currently studying at Queen’s University to receive her B.A. (Honours) in Political Studies and her Certificate in Business.