Dance Syntax in Practice: The San Felipe Dance Group Performs the Cumbia Cienaguera

Limón Silicéo M.; Medina J.F.M. · Martor (2025) · DOI: 10.57225/martor.2025.03

Resumen

This study builds upon the theoretical proposal of dance syntax introduced by Miranda and his colleagues (2023), which defines syntax as the set of principles governing the spatio-temporal sequencing and the variability of dance movements. Central to this approach is the application of Finite-State Automata (FSA), a computational model adapted from computer science, used to formalise the structural and combinatorial possibilities of movement sequences within a choreographic practice. In the present work, we extend this method by integrating FSA with Motif Notation—a symbolic system derived from Labanotation—to systematically document and compare motif variants within a traditional Colombian folk dance. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with the San Felipe dance group in Cali, Colombia—an intergenerational community ensemble of older adults—we examined 23 instances of the choreography of Cumbia Cienaguera across rehearsals and performances. Five participants with diverse mobility profiles served as case studies. We classified motifs into three categories according to their function: traveling, staying in place, and turning. Movement analysis of the video recordings revealed that each of the participants performed the same kind of motif consistently. Therefore, we transcribed a total of 15 motif variants into Labanotation (five participants and three kinds of motif ) and subsequently abstracted them into Motif Notation. We then constructed FSA models to represent the structure and permissible transitions among the three categories of motifs. This methodological integration enables a formal representation of movement variants as an inherent and systematic component of dance syntax. Our findings demonstrate that combining symbolic documentation (Motif Notation) with computational modelling (FSA) offers a robust framework for capturing the adaptability, inclusivity, and creative potential embedded in community-based dance practices. This approach contributes to ethnochoreology and dance anthropology by providing a novel analytical lens to foreground the syntactic richness of embodied movement.

Instituciones: Universidad Católica San Pablo