Spanish dance at the Museo Mariemma: Material embodied memory of living cultural heritage

Abstract

The expansion of dance into the museum allows for the contemplation of the debate between the uses of heritage and the staging of the dance event in spaces that challenge disciplinary, representational, and performative boundaries. Although choreographic manifestations are traditionally conveyed through contemporary dance in museums with very diverse thematic areas, here the novelty lies in the interaction within a museum dedicated exclusively to dance and from a performative approach to the artistic act. The object of reflection is the Museo Mariemma de Íscar (Valladolid, Spain), one of the few museums dedicated to the performing arts linked to Spanish dance as a legitimized artistic field. A detailed analysis of one of its events, Dancing on the Runway, Shaping Mariemma (2024), functions as a tool for exploring the dynamics of representation and its potential meanings within the context of fashion, music, and dance. It further reveals a strategic framework through which the museum is positioned as an ideal site for social interaction, intellectual exchange, and the promotion of cultural development.