Violencia en Colombia: fenómeno configurador de cuerpos que danzan

Abstract

The monograph explores how Colombia’s armed conflict has influenced the configuration of the body and its expression through contemporary dance. The author begins by presenting the historical context of continuous violence since the formation of the Colombian state, which has deeply impacted the lives of its citizens, leaving physical, emotional, and social scars. Márquez argues that the body has been a direct victim of violence and, at the same time, a site of memory and protest particularly through art and dance. In this light, various artists and choreographers have used the national experience of pain to create performances that aim to re-signify collective memory.

The study focuses on analyzing two contemporary dance pieces created in Bogotá: 48.9 Pasado Meridiano and Cena de Cóndores, each approaching the theme of violence from different perspectives. 48.9 reflects on the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán and the events of the Bogotazo, while Cena de Cóndores refers to the Mapiripán massacre. Through interviews with directors and dancers, Márquez examines how corporeality is constructed on stage and how dance becomes a powerful language to narrate and reframe the conflict. The research concludes that the dancer’s body in Colombia cannot be separated from its sociopolitical context, and that contemporary dance serves as a tool of resistance and reflection in a country marked by a long-standing history of violence.