Human mechanics

In the early 1630s, René Descartes developed a speculative treatise on the functional structures of the human body and brain. His work, The Treatise on Man, constituted the first attempt at a complete human physiology, inspiring a generation of scientists and physicians who deve…

The body functions as both the primary medium for human experience and a powerful semiotic instrument. These two dimensions of the human body intersect with particular clarity in the realm of acrobatic performance. In this thesis, I argue that acrobatic performance, which is exp…