Robert Mitchell 
Ballet and Taiji in Practice 
A Comparative Autoethnography of Movement Systems

Starting from the unmistakable contrast of two socially developed »movement systems«, the aesthetic performing art of classical ballet vis-à-vis the internal martial art of taijiquan (aka tai chi), Robert Mitchell plunges into the depths of what it means to practise these two ways of moving, identifying commonalities and differences. This sociological study focuses especially on what these practices entail for the settings in which they are taught. Drawing on the author’s experience as a professional ballet dancer, the study has been over thirty years in the making, utilising (auto-)ethnographic methods to approach its subject matter from diverse angles.

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Robert Mitchell, born in 1977, works as a research assistant at the institute of sociology at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. After a brief career in classical ballet, he studied sociology and linguistics in Mainz, completing his doctorate in sociology at the Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg. His research focuses on the sociology of the body, practice theories, especially ethnomethodology, and (auto-)ethnograpy.