— The Unified Perception of Inner Feelings Through Body Language
About our project
In the world of performing arts, body language is a silent yet incredibly powerful form of expression. It goes beyond the limits of spoken language—actors can use a single gesture, posture, or movement to convey deep emotions, tell compelling stories, or present profound symbolism. For performers, the body is both a tool and a canvas—a simple motion can reveal joy, sadness, tension, or serenity. But the power of body language doesn’t stop at the stage. It reaches into the hearts of the audience, evoking emotional resonance and creating a shared experience that transcends individual perspectives.
"First of all, I am very curious about 'reaction', between people, between people and objects, between people and nature, when dancing actors and props, actors and actors, actors and choreographers, actors and audiences, actors and theaters, what is closer to the present is the air, humidity and temperature outside the actor and the actor, the actor and the audience, the actor and himself...... So I thought about the actor and the actor and the audience, because in the work there is no communication between the actor and the audience, so what emotional value will the audience get."
—— Han Dong,Hannah
"In my eleven years of studying ballet, I found that there are many symbolic movements in ballet, such as ‘I want to dance for you’ in the classic ballet ‘Giselle’ and ‘I propose to you’ in ‘Swan Lake’. However, when I watched modern dance for the first time, without a specific storyline, it often felt difficult to understand. Although modern dance does not have many metaphysical artistic styles like ballet, where the performers are often barefoot and wear everyday clothes, it seems to me that it is more abstract than ballet. Later, I studied drama acting, and in the process I learned that Stanislavsky's teaching system has a term called "Supreme Task". It means that when a person or character has a clear mental goal (or motivation), emotions arise and from this physical actions are formed. This got me thinking: can the actors on stage accurately convey emotions through their body movements or words? Or, do those emotionless actions have a meaning in their own right? So for most of the dancers who don't know the ‘Supreme Task’, can they convey their inner emotions to the opposite performers and the audience through their bodies?
—— Xuwen Yu,Ellie
Performers: Ying Zhang, Haoge Zhang
The initiator apologizes with guilt.
The receiver of action felt that the other party was carefully pulling her, but they were reluctant inside.
The audience sees the active side as a thief and the passive side as a child who makes mistakes
Performers: Ying Zhang, Xuwen Yu
The initiator wants the other person to follow them, but does not want to show their willingness, with a sense of arrogance in their heart.
The receiver of action feels conflicted by the other party and is unsure whether they are willing to take them with them.
The audience feels that both parties are like lovers.
Performers: Manlin Wang, Manqi Wang
The initiator wants to rush out, unable to control themselves and unable to stand steadily.
The receiver of action first feels the traction, and then feels the resistance between forces when rotating.
What the audience sees is a state of embracing games and having fun.
Our perspective: Although the twins did not anticipate their actions before taking action, they still trusted each other and provided mutual support even in very fast situations.
Performers: Mingxuan Gao, Johannes Olbrich
The initiator of the action was in a very aggressive state.
The receiver of action initially felt very surprised, and then felt the angry from the other.
The audience felt the other party's anger afterwards.
Performers: Han Dong, Haoge Zhang
The initiator is very anxious to let the other party follow them, but feels their unwillingness.
The receiver of action feels confused and unclear about the other party's actions, so they do not want to follow, accompanied by fear and dare not look directly at them.
The audience feels that the active party is very anxious while the passive party is unwilling.
Performers: Yulin Xin, Ziyi Tao
The initiator wants to lead the other person to follow them and wants the girl to obey.
The receiver of action feels pulled and goes to cooperate with the other party.
The audience feels that both sides guide each other with a sense of storytelling.
Performers: Jinyang Zhu, Kevin Rong
The initiator has no emotions and wants to take a circular path.
The receiver of action did not consider following only.
The audience feels that boys are tolerant of girls' actions but without any emotions.
Performers: Han Dong, Xuwen Yu
The initiator pulls the other party with an angry attitude of wanting to question.
The receiver of action is at a loss and very concerned about face.
The plot perceived by the audience is that the original supporting character is looking for a mistress.
Performers: Hongnyu Zhang, Yue Mao
The initiator to walk with the other party, but the anger that came from nowhere. She shook off the other party and sat on the ground.
The receiver of action was suddenly pulled away, feeling the other party's urgency, heavy steps, even rhythm, and inexplicably being pulled away.
The audience felt the passive party suddenly being pulled away and followed cautiously.
Conclusion
Our project aims to explore this fascinating phenomenon: How does body language bridge the psychological gap between actors and audiences, fostering a shared emotional perception? Why are certain movements universally understood across cultures and languages? And how do these physical expressions shape the overall impact of a performance? By combining the intuition of art with the rigor of academic research, we hope to uncover the hidden dynamics of body storytelling and its unique role in human connection.
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