Abstract
This thesis investigates Antony Tudor's choreographic style through an analysis of the dances themselves. Firstly they are located in historical and artistic contexts. Secondly, drawing upon theories of meaning and aesthetic quality, the focus is directed towards the materials of the ballets, recognising the role of the reader in making ascriptions. This focus facilitates the exploration of the notion of choreographic style, and enables a parallel investigation into the ways in which meanings are constructed in dance, and the extent to which this itself relates to concepts of choreographic style. Tudor's ballets, it is argued, demonstrate ideas and concerns relating to the context in which he worked, as well as distinctive ideas which appear to be characteristic of the choreographer. The ways in which the materials of dance and music are manipulated show diversity across his oeuvre but also a degree of congruence. Thus a deeper investigation of his style is possible through which subtle complexities of 'mood' and 'character' in relation to human experience, emerge as central.