Dance in light: A career documentation of choreographer Dana Reitz

This thesis seeks to establish that choreographer Dana Reitz is one of the most innovative voices in the recent history of modern dance, particularly in her work concerning structured improvisation and the relationship between light and movement. A systematic study of Reitz's artistic development is conducted to demonstrate that this originality is based on her investigation into a series of narrowly focused questions that seek to discover the nature of perception in relation to movement. Research consisted of interviews with Reitz, as well as of unrestricted access to Reitz's personal archive which included reviews, articles, correspondences, itineraries, press releases, photographs, drawings, videotapes, and other primary documents. A review of the general and specialized literature was also conducted. These materials were analyzed to conclude that Reitz's work, particularly her collaborations with lighting designer Jennifer Tipton, is so innovative as to constitute an entirely new mode of performance.