Title: Semiotics: The study of signs Unit: PER008-1 Articulate Dancer Course: Dance and Professional Practice Institution: University of Bedfordshire Tutor: Louise Douse

1. Semiotics
The Study of Signs

2. … so where were we…?

3. Ferdinand de Saussure
• Ferdinand de Saussure
• Swiss Linguist 1875 -1913
• Father of Structuralism
• Key work Course in General Linguistics (Cours de linguistique
générale)
• Takes a synchronic rather than diachronic approach to the study of
language

4. Ferdinand de Saussure
Tree

5. Charles Peirce
Another theorist who extended on the ideas
of Saussure:
•Charles Peirce – American Philosopher
(1839 – 1914)

6. Charles Peirce
• Expanded on the definition of a sign – three
different and distinct relationships between the
signifier and signified.
• ICONIC SIGN: Signifier represents or
resembles the signified
• INDEXICAL SIGN: Signifier has a causal
relationship to the signified
• SYMBOLIC SIGN: Signifier has a
conventional/arbitrary relationship to the
signified

7. So…..
the type of relationship between the
signifier and signified (that constitute the sign)
• can change
• can be multiple

8. And again…

9. So…
…there are still types of signification (meaning
making) that we haven’t got a framework for

10. Roland Barthes
• Another theorist who developed on both
Saussure and Peirce’s ideas
• Rolande Barthes, French Theorist (1915-1980)
• Father of Semiotics

11. Semiotics
In his book Mythologies (1957) Roland Barthes:
• Applied Structuralist ideas beyond language to
other cultural communication forms
• Provided political agenda for semiotics

12. What’s the big idea?
Identified a paradox within Saussure’s formulation
of the sign

13. Task
= red rose-ness
….and what other meanings?

14. Signifier: Picture
of rose
Signified: Red
rose-ness
Signifier: Red-
rose-ness
Signified:
Romance
Polysemic Sign

15. Semiotics
The process and construction of ‘Myth’:
• First Order Signification: Denotive,
• Second Order Signification: Connotive,
Second order signification is Myth making

16. FIRST ORDER
SIGNIFICATION
Denotation
“red rose-ness”
SECOND ORDER
SIGNIFICATION
Connotation
“romance”

17. Semiotics
For Barthes then:
1. The sign is polysemic
2. Myth, second order signification is political and
therefore ideological

18. Another idea…
Roland Barthes identified two types of second order
signification:
Connotational Conjunction: when sign systems
work together to generate a mythologically
dominant meaning – female ballerina dressed in a
white tutu viewed as swan
Connotational Disjunction: when sign systems
work in opposition to generate a critical meaning –
male dancer dressed in feathers viewed as a swan

19. Roland Barthes
• Expanded the application of linguistic theory…..
• Therefore - idea of ‘the text’
• The ‘readerly text’ (passive)
• The ‘writerly text’ (active)
• And death of the author

20. Death of the Author
"[The text is a] multidimensional space in
which a variety of writings none of them
original, blend and clash. The text is a
tissue of quotations drawn from
innumerable centres of culture."
Barthes, R. (1977) Image-Music-Text, New
York: Hill and Wang.

21. So…

22. Reading
• Adshead, J. (1988) Dance analysis: theory and
practice. London: Dance Books
• Aston, E. (1991) Theatre as sign-system: a
semiotics of text and performance. London:
Routledge.
• Chandler, D. (2007) Semiotics: the basics.
London: Routledge.
• Counsell, C. & Wolf, L. (2001) Performance
analysis: an introductory coursebook. London:
Routledge.

23. Reading
• Elam, K. (2002) The semiotics of theatre and
drama. London: Routledge.
• Pavis, P. (2003) Analyzing performance: theater,
dance, and film. Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press.
• Preson-Dunlop, V. & Sanchez-Colberg, A. (2010)
Dance and the performative: a choreological
perspective: Laban and beyond. London: Dance
Books.
• Storey, J. (2006) Cultural theory and popular
culture: an introduction. Harlow: Pearson
Prentice Hall.