THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SUBJECT OF CULTURAL MEMORY IN CONTEMPORARY CHOREOGRAPHY DURING THE WAR FOR UKRAINE’S INDEPENDENCE

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the dynamics of the subject of cultural memory in contemporary choreographic
works, as shaped by the russian-Ukrainian war. The study is based on materials from the «Let the body speak» project (2022–
2024, NGO «Contemporary Dance Platform»). The methodological framework adopted is a cultural studies approach, combining
methods of structural-semiotic, hermeneutic, comparative and terminological analysis, which enabled the examination of
choreography as a cultural practice of commemoration. Results. The subject of cultural memory is defined as the author and their work, which, through artistic imagery and bodily reception of war, transform individual experience into collective testimony. The legislative framework on national memory has been analysed, and the difference between the normative-functional capabilities and the conceptual significance of subjects of national memory in Ukraine has been demonstrated. The connection between the individual experiences of specific communities and the social frameworks of art in contemporary choreography as a commemorative practice that ensures the continuity of identity and is future-oriented is emphasised. This paper examines the expressive potential of choreographic art in representing cultural memory, using the works of the «Let the body speak» project as an example of how the artistic interpretation of the bodily experience of war is combined with the digital dimension. The article highlights the ability of contemporary choreography to promptly capture the emotional states and wartime experiences of the Ukrainian community both within the country and in forced emigration. It is noted that the media component has determined the representation of the experience of war by the community of choreographers within the cultural sphere. The dynamics of the subject of cultural memory in contemporary choreography are traced as the transformation of the initial physical reaction to the experience of war as trauma into a lasting source of collective testimony. It is noted that the subject of cultural memory in contemporary choreography emerges as the creator of a new identity, which is achieved through the combination of the bodily experience of war, its artistic representation, and cultural resistance as a strategy for the nation’s self-preservation.
The scientific novelty lies in the study of the artistic representation of the experience of war as a practice of constructing cultural memory by a community of choreographers, using the works of contemporary choreography from the «Let the body speak» project as an example. The practical significance lies in the application of the research findings in the fields of teaching, research, outreach, artistic projects and choreography.