Performativity and improvisation: the artist Teresa Bandettini Landucci

Teresa Bandettini Landucci (1763-1837) was a dancer, poet, and above all amongst the most acclaimed composers of extemporaneous verse in the late 18th century. Yet her legacy is all but forgotten, her name virtually unmentioned in histories of literature. Such an omission is a result of the general dismissal of female writing in literary history; but, in the case of Bandettini, it is all the more pronounced because she was an improviser. The aim of this study is to show that, firstly, in the 18th century, the profession of improvisation was one of the few cultural fields in which women could attain celebrity; and secondly, that the Western emphasis on the written word over orality, on printed documents over ephemeral performances, has meant that improvisation as a performative art has received little recognition or cultural legitimacy. The art of improvisation experienced a golden age in the second half of the 18th century. This depended upon an expression of enthusiasm within an impromptu performance, characterised by physical presence, the staging of the self, and the involvement of the public. The immediacy of the performance and the authenticity of the artist were decisive elements of this type of performance, though they were rarely recognised within a culture of literacy. Moreover, the transcription and publication of improvised poems could never communicate the nature of these performances and their cultural impact, in part because the oral nature of these texts was considered to be subordinate to meditated poetry. The marginalisation of Bandettini in literary history can therefore be ascribed to the dismissal of categories such as performance, orality, and ephemerality.

Nowadays, there is a growing need for reflection on the role of drama therapy workshops because of an immense interest in art therapy in general in social or psycho-pedagogical work aimed to support the development of social abilities, in particular communications skills. Therapeutic aspects of art are connected with its impact on psyche, and thus the intensification of specific cognitive, emotional and motivational processes. This paper emphasises personal growth of the participant in relation with a group. In workshop activities, especially during improvisation, the ability to undertake and strengthen positive relations is developing. Reorganization and integration of participants’ attitudes, resulting in better interpersonal relationships, are shown to occur during drama therapy workshops. New attitudes or acquired skills may become for many of them an encouragement to further explorations, an indication of a framework for increased engagement in social interactions.