Chapter 6. The pantomimic origins of the narrative arts
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Steven Brown
Abstract
The evolutionary study of pantomime provides important insights into the origins of the narrative arts, including visual art, theatre, and narrative forms of dance (e.g., ballet). Drawing, as a motoric activity, shows a strong resemblance to tracing pantomimes. The main difference is that drawing generates an enduring image on a surface, whereas pantomime is “drawing in the air.” The theatrical arts – including dramatic acting, mime acting, and narrative forms of dance – take a more egocentric approach to pantomime than drawing, employing full-body mimicry of the expressive actions of a referent person. Overall, iconic gesturing through pantomime provides an evolutionary foundation for all of the narrative arts. On the flip side, a consideration of the narrative arts themselves provides many new avenues for the exploration of pantomime, including shedding light on gestural models of the origins of language.
Abstract
The evolutionary study of pantomime provides important insights into the origins of the narrative arts, including visual art, theatre, and narrative forms of dance (e.g., ballet). Drawing, as a motoric activity, shows a strong resemblance to tracing pantomimes. The main difference is that drawing generates an enduring image on a surface, whereas pantomime is “drawing in the air.” The theatrical arts – including dramatic acting, mime acting, and narrative forms of dance – take a more egocentric approach to pantomime than drawing, employing full-body mimicry of the expressive actions of a referent person. Overall, iconic gesturing through pantomime provides an evolutionary foundation for all of the narrative arts. On the flip side, a consideration of the narrative arts themselves provides many new avenues for the exploration of pantomime, including shedding light on gestural models of the origins of language.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction. Perspectives on pantomime 1
- Chapter 1. Pantomime within and beyond the evolution of language 16
- Chapter 2. The relations of demonstration and pantomime to causal reasoning and event cognition 58
- Chapter 3. Narrative and pantomime at the origin of language 78
- Chapter 4. Two types of bodily-mimetic communication 100
- Chapter 5. Can pantomime narrate? 115
- Chapter 6. The pantomimic origins of the narrative arts 139
- Chapter 7. The pantomime roots of Sao Tome and Principe Sign Language 159
- Chapter 8. Symbolic distancing in three-year-old children’s object-use pantomime 188
- Chapter 9. Gestural mimesis as “as-if” action 217
- Index 243
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction. Perspectives on pantomime 1
- Chapter 1. Pantomime within and beyond the evolution of language 16
- Chapter 2. The relations of demonstration and pantomime to causal reasoning and event cognition 58
- Chapter 3. Narrative and pantomime at the origin of language 78
- Chapter 4. Two types of bodily-mimetic communication 100
- Chapter 5. Can pantomime narrate? 115
- Chapter 6. The pantomimic origins of the narrative arts 139
- Chapter 7. The pantomime roots of Sao Tome and Principe Sign Language 159
- Chapter 8. Symbolic distancing in three-year-old children’s object-use pantomime 188
- Chapter 9. Gestural mimesis as “as-if” action 217
- Index 243
