Paper short abstract:

To develop new kinaesthesia in modern dance, the Taipei Dance Circle used baby oil to alter the friction between dancers' bodies and the floor, bringing about different sensory modes, self-imagination, aesthetic and human-object relationship.

Paper long abstract:

Baby-oiled dance as an experimental dance genre stems from a playful idea of changing the floor's friction while it is usually taken for granted by many modern dance troupes. The slippery floor as a special surface that transforms dancers' perception and technique in time and space. The dancers re-learn and develop new movements such as pull, push, roll, slide, run, jump, fall and turn with principles different from practising on the dry floor. Their new perception leads to a distinct state of being not only from their daily life but also from the life in a modern dance troupe. Furthermore, the oil-suits worn by dancers, also form alternative aesthetic and a new sense of self in the process of becoming experts. Finally, the oily floor, the dancers' bodies, the oil-suits, the movements and the performances consist of a dynamic relationship and are highly related to each other all the time.