Abstract
This paper investigates the embodiment of infinite mathematical sequences through concert contemporary dance, examining how choreography can serve both as an artistic and analytical tool for exploring numerical patterns. Grounded in interdisciplinary literature on mathematical visualization in choreography, the study centers on two original choreographic works presented and performed at Missouri State University: Golden Ratio Sequence (Spring 2025), which maps the Fibonacci sequence and the natural applications of the Golden Ratio onto a spiral floor pattern, and Tetrahedral Numbers (Fall 2024), which employs an accumulation score to embody three-dimensional number growth through layered movement motifs and body created tetrahedra. The methods include the spatial mapping of proportional relationships, the development of motif-based scores corresponding to numeric values, and the rehearsal strategies that translate abstract numerical concepts into kinesthetic experiences. The research highlights the creative potential of mathematical frameworks in generating unique choreographic scores and suggests choreography as a performative interpretation of mathematics. The paper concludes by proposing further explorations of sequences and mathematical topics—such as alternate diagonals and combinatorial paths—to expand the dialogue between dance and mathematics.
Creative Commons License
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Recommended Citation
Wolfe, Caroline
(2026)
"Interactions of Dance and Mathematics: A Closer Look at Mathematical Sequences as Scores for Choreography from a Choreographic Lens,"
The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal:
Vol. 6:
Iss.
1, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/steam/vol6/iss1/7
Author/Artist Bio
Caroline Wolfe is a junior Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at Missouri State University and treasurer of the Mo State Dance Company. Deeply interested by mathematical patterns, she was recently admitted to Missouri State’s accelerated master’s program in mathematics. Her creative work bridges her two passions—her choreography has been featured in the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 Dance Concerts, where she embodied Golden Ratio spirals and Tetrahedral structures through original movement research. Another piece she choreographed based off of the infinite nature of Pascal’s Triangle was performed at the Spring 2024 Dance Concert and at the American College Dance Associations Informal Concert in the Central Region in January, 2025.