UDC 378.046.4:005.6(410)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59694/ped_sciences.2026.21.136
A CHOREOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION OF THE NOVEL «BLINDNESS» BY JOSE SARAMAGO AS A MODEL OF THE SPIRITUAL CRISIS OF MODERN SOCIETY
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KRAVCHUK Olena Gennadiivna
Candidate
of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of
the Department of Art Disciplines of the Municipal
Institution of Higher Education «Academy of Culture
and Arts» of the Transcarpathian Regional Council.
ORCID іD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1049-3155
SUKHAR Karina Mykhailivna
First-year
student of the second (master’s) level of higher
education, specialty B6 Performing Arts,
specialization B6.03 Choreographic Art of the
Municipal Institution of Higher Education «Academy
of Culture and Arts» of the Transcarpathian Regional
Council.
ORCID іD: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4001-517X
TURETSKA Yaroslava Vitaliivna
a firstyear
student of the second (master’s) level of higher
education, specialty B6 Performing Arts,
specialization B6.03 Choreographic Art of the
Municipal Institution of Higher Education «Academy
of Culture and Arts» of the Transcarpathian Regional
Council.
ORCID іD: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2547-0446
Abstract:
This article explores the specificities of interpreting José Saramago’s dystopian novel «Blindness» for choreographic adaptation, focusing on the theme of collective catastrophe as revealed through physical dramaturgy. The principles of transforming chaos into structured movement are identified, and key stage archetypes are outlined: the Doctor, the Doctor’s Wife, and the Crowd as a «collective body». A system of contrasts is substantiated: «disorientation – vertical», «isolation – contact», which shape the dynamics of the production. For the choreographic adaptation, a model of performative space is proposed, where spectators-as-«witnesses» interact with the physical score of states within a minimalist scenography.
The methodological basis of the article consists of a systematic examination of the literary text and the formation of a theoretical model of choreography as interrelated rhythm-time artistic systems. The study employs methods of theoretical analysis and the generalization of scientific approaches to the problem of the interaction between literary and choreographic dramaturgy; the comparative method allows for the identification of archetypal connections at the plot and imagery levels in the formation of a shared semantic field; an intermedia approach (interaction of the arts) is partially outlined in the consideration of issues related to corporeality; a practice-oriented approach is employed to comprehend the sensation of the conflictual clash between light and darkness through the prism of performance experience and choreographic practice.
The production of the novel «Blindness» reveals the physical loss of sight as a deep spiritual phenomenon, through which the process of dehumanization and gradual restoration of humanity is demonstrated. Bodily images and spatial interactions recreate the loss of landmarks, alienation and isolation of the characters, while the gradual restoration of verticality, contacts and synchronization of movements symbolizes a return to moral stability and responsibility. The performers act as carriers of these changes, transforming the primary chaos into a conscious system of transformative movements.
Keywords: dystopia, spiritual crisis, social chaos, archetype, metaphor, ethics of responsibility, plastic dramaturgy.
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