choreography class

Today in class we used improvisation as we created movement using opposites such as up and down for example, and then took it in turns to travel across the space. This to me was a valuable experience as it allowed me to create new movement material, that was out side my already established movement vocabulary.

We then developed this to become a group piece using each other and our movement qualities to get across the room. The movements we had to work with were movements that used as much space as possible, and then movements that took up minimal space.

 I found that this made it a longer process to get across the room but was more interesting dynamically, making it more enjoyable to watch. It also made me think about using the space around me for effectively in my solo and how I could manipulate it to best benefit my narrative. As my solo was about over coming the difficulties a person faces when they have impaired vision. I decided to travel around the room in a circle to represent the eye, and then to dance in the middle which would then act as the pupil.

choreography class

Today we showed back our solos again, and the group gave fed back on the developments we had applied since the last viewing. I liked doing this as it is always is interesting to here other peoples opinions, also it makes a good process of elimination for material you are working with.

I was told to slow movements down and also to become more hesitant within my movement. This really helped me develop the way in which I was going to perform my piece. However sometimes peoples comments would contradict each other, so I found it was important to take both opinions into consideration and see what works best.

choreography that caught my eye

Free illusion got my attention as they merge dance and technology together, making for an interesting watch. I really like how it up's the performance level and engages me as an audience member.

choreography class

In this class we looked into how to structure a dance with a narrative, we were told to give the choreography a beginning, middle and an end. The stimulus for our narrative was a picture that was chosen by random, my photograph had a lion on with colours bursting out of it.

 I decided that my narrative would be a lion catching its prey, I enjoyed this task as it has we hadn't had the chance to be creative in this way before. I found working with a narrative refreshing and when we showed back our choreography I enjoyed watching and was interested to see what other people had came up with.

Using a narrative allowed me to be more creative with my work and I was able to make a better connection with the audience Now that I have studied Laban's efforts and other ways of choreographing, I was able to apply this to my choreographic process naturally. Making me think about the dynamics of the movement and not just the movement itself. Below is the image I had to work with.

Fact file

Review

             My review on the performance “Beauty of The Beast” by company Chameleon

Personally I really enjoyed this performance, it appealed to me because it was a very modern piece.  I was able to understand the narrative based on male dynamics within groups and gangs, making the performance very accessible to me. The work was controversial highlighting the behaviour within gangs but not done so in an overwhelming way, I felt that they had a nice balance between comedy and narrative content.

 The fact that it was an all male dance company gave the performance a diverse range of dynamics as they were more masculine and strong which was interesting to see. Especially within the duet as in most cases it is a male and a female dancer. So in this case the dynamics complimented each other, giving it a refreshing feel of equal status. Also I liked the movement vocabulary as in one section the dancer was manipulating 2 other dancers in a way that represented them as dogs. This created strong imagery and it was made up of pulling and throwing each other giving a very rugged and intense performance. I felt that the change in narrative throughout the performance was represented clearly to the audience through the appropriate range of movements and dynamics used, as the first section used sharp dynamics and the end soft but some movements remained the same.

Lighting used enhanced the work and helped the audience understand what was going on for example in one section they used the disco balls to simulate a party , then in another they used darkness and isolated a part of light on a performer so we could focus on him . A point of interest was that the dancers also held the lighting during the final stage of the performance and it came across that they were witnessing the end of the narrative.

The accompaniment was very dark in places and this suited the narrative, I felt that if they only used classical music they would of struggled to of created the build up that they needed to compliment the performance. I liked that they included indie rock as again it made me want to engage with the performance, helping reveal the darker side of the narrative. The performance really pushes the boundaries with its comical elements and using different genres of music such as indie rock that is not often seen in the same light as contemporary dance, however is beginning to prove more popular as contemporary dance continues to evolve.

The performance is not for everyone and appeals to a niche audience however really pulls in its target audience. The only thing I would do to improve the performance, would be to show some sections for a longer duration so the audience can soak up that section of the narrative so nothing is lost. I also felt that an interval was needed so there are no distractions for the audience such as needing a drink. 

friday 6th November- choreography class

Today we shared back our 1 minute solos based on the performance we was shown. I really found this interesting how individuals picked out different movement qualities, as those that stood out to me may of not of been so strongly recognised with other people.

 It reminded me to think twice when choreographing and that I should ask my self what would other people would think, as just because I like it doesn't mean that other people will. Also I felt that we all had the same theme running through choreography but our individual personality's manipulated the movement also making them different.

 We then developed this movement into duets adding in contact work, I felt that this worked nicely as there was now more to look at. Both dancers could begin to initiate movements , meaning each others pathways effected the other. I also liked working in a two as it allows me to choreograph more efficiently, as I am able to bounce of and become inspired by my partners ideas.

Tuesday 3rd November- choreography class

In this class we looked into using different timings and how it affected our work, we were taught a phrase in counts of 3 as a group. I noticed that by doing this it kept us all in time which worked well, I think that this is because it is very close to the 4 beat count that is most commonly used.

To contrast this we then used 2 beat counts, I felt that we were out of sync with each other as individuals counted faster than others. When we put the two phrases together I felt that it created a strong switch in the dynamics as the 3 count was soft and flowing and the 2 count generated sharp strong movements.

 I also found that when I changed the beats to my motif the feel of the movements became very different, from when I first choreographed in a 4 beat. So by combining the 2 and 3 together, it developed my motif giving it a change in speed and dynamics. I found this choreographic tool useful and I will continue to look at changing the beat patterns within my work, instead of keeping the same beat throughout as I feel it gives the dance more layers and adds interest.

Friday 30th October chorography class

Today we were asked to research "The Afternoon Of a Thaun" and also to create movement out of the qualities we discovered within the piece. I enjoyed working in this way as it gave me a set style, because I picked out the free flowing movements within the chorography and the sudden pauses. I felt the contrast of the flowing and stillness drew audiences in so this appealed to me.

 I also selected the curves that were made using the body, as it showed masculinity which was an important part of the narrative. These influences helped spark movement material and I then adapted it to make a one minute piece.

I adapted well in working in this way, as I ended up mixing those movement qualities with my own take on the piece which was interesting to see. It stopped me from using any pre- choreographed movements that I felt comfortable with, so it also developed my range of movement that I could access.

choreography class: Tuesday 27th October

Chorography class: Tuesday 27^th October

Today we started our own choreography so this was an exciting step. To begin with my theme was blindness however it was pointed out to me that this is a large subject matter. So I then took the time to compress my idea, I am now focusing on the physical changes of being blind and the emotions that would be experienced. I am aware that we are getting marked on the choreographic devices I use and if do so effectively, so I will make sure that my narrative does not take over the choreographic process.

 In this choreography lesson I focused on Labans efforts trying to incorporate them into my choreography, for example I used “Dabbing” instead of just placing my hands down. This helped me become more experimental with my movements, in turn making them much more interesting for the audience to look at.

I liked working with this technique in the intense two hours choreographic lab, as it helped me get over any mental blocks I experienced as I had no choice but to work around them. During this time I also came up with some motifs such as the circling of the eye and  the patting of hands. I found it useful how we showed back the work  and got feedback, that we could then take away with us and work on.

choreography class friday 23rd october

In the choreography class today we looked at structured improvisation, we jumped back into looking Rudolf Labans kinesphere. we used our own kinesphere and reached out in directions within it .E.G :"Right, diagonal, back". we did this by creating a score and then randomly added a body parts to the direction it gave us.

 I found that this was useful as it gave you a predetermined direction to travel in, pushing me to use the space. I found that it gave me unusual movements, as the direction that the body parts had to travel in were not always straight forward. However I found this challenging and an effective way to create new movement material.

His method made my dynamics jerky and sudden, as I had to dash to one direction to the other giving it a manic style and feel. It also manipulated my levels as I was following the score I couldn't stay on the floor for long periods of time, again adding in extra level changes that I wouldn't of put in without using the score.

We then developed this to add travelling sequences in, I found that I used the space a lot more. This will be helpful when choreographing my solo, as It will aid to use the space as effectively as possible.

my thought shower based on my solo

"In this short film I really understood the psychological distress that going blind can put a person through. I would like to use some of the emotions shown, such as anger and frustration into my solo."

 

This video however demonstrates the physical aspects of going blind, it shows how they have to adapt to the world around them once they have lost their vision. It shows the distinction of what he sees and what the majority of the world can see. This is something to think about when choreographing, as with limited vision the movements would become a lot more hesitant and slower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday 20th october-choreography class

Manifesto on Mana

I went to watch Mana by ACE dance company it contained two interlinked 30 minute performances. I thought they used alot of strong dynamical movements within their motifs, so it was clear to the audience that they were  fierce individuals.

whilst I was watching Mana I did wonder why they had to be so powerful and strong? I'm not sure if anybody else in the audience felt that this could of been developed on a little more, or maybe just a brief text  given before to explain this.

 In the first half the dancers used sheets of white fabric and performed a shuffling movement on them, whilst this was interesting and added diversity to their motif, again I could not work out what they were supposed to represent. It would of been helpful if they performed a small motif around the cloth indicating to the audience what they are representing.

  One thing I would like to take from this performance is their use of props, it has allowed me to look into how I can incorporate them into future work as it seems the audience find it refreshing.

choreography class friday 16th october

In this class we looked into structured improvisation we were given 3 words to right down on a sheet, then we had to write a contrasting word on the other side.We had to give them numbers going down the middle of the two words, then again on the other side.

 my group used this score to choreograph the dance, I thought that this was an effective way of creating a piece of work because it gave a variety of movements. However I struggled being told what move had to come next and felt that the free feeling of choreography had been restricted.

To improve I would try to not over think what moves fit the words I was given, as this slowed the creating process down. Also I would demonstrate a clear difference within the movement material I choose, so it is clear to the audience that the dynamics are contrasting to each other.

This choreographic tool as it allowed me to explore areas of choreography that I wouldn't normally, and this help to develop me as a choreographer. As I would often focus on an emotion or theme not the dynamics that the score is telling me to use, it expanded my range of movements and I would use it again in the future.

Research into Judson Dance Theater

Motif Developement

I found the motif development very unusual in this performance as it develops the motif using: unison, cannon, changing the speed of the movement and the levels of the movement.This is effective as it signals to the audience what the key movements are. But also they use a voice overlay manipulating the motif on stage during a performance this, then makes it absolutely clear what the motif is meant to represent. It is almost a challenge for the dancer to fit the description given, this is extremely effective as the voice is also very engaging and the motifs create imagery for his words.
(The Place 2013 11 09 Flexer + Sandiland)

Motif developement research

In this work by Anna Teresa De Keersmaeker it is clear that the motif has been manipulated multiple times, this is so that the choreographic intension is clear to its audience. The message here is to demonstrate the sexual frustration that women are experiencing in prison.

To begin with the motif is manipulated through accumulation, signalling to the audience that the emotion is getting louder and stronger. In sections of the dance the motif becomes disjunctive and broken up, as the dancers all perform different elements of the phrase giving the connotations of it becoming overwhelming and hectic.

The same movements are repeated to reinforce the issue however sometimes movements are made bigger E.G: standing out of the chair. This is done to again give the motif dominance and the audience more understanding.

The use of camera in this piece also helps the motif development as it zooms in on singular movements that the dancers perform, meaning that it cannot be missed making it symbolic to the dance. The camera also speeds up the pace of the motif making it look as if the feeling of frustration is out of control. The motif is developed in many different ways but it is delivering the same message throughout.

Theme Research

variation research

Manifesto -seeta patel

                                             Seeta Patel

I enjoyed watching this performance as I thought it was unique and vibrant. Whilst watching this performance I felt that the intentions of the choreographer, was to bring Indian culture into the world of Contemporary dance. This was done through movement such as hand symbols and music as a live percussionist was present, this complimented the dancer well and added to the ethnic feel.

 However as this was a cultural dance I often felt my self ask the question what do the hand signs mean? With little knowledge of this style of dance I got lost in the movement and struggled to interpret it. I think it would of been more beneficial to the audience if they had more audio overlays giving droplets of information, or even a backdrop with text or photographic images to reinforce the storyline. This would make it more assessable and individuals would get a greater understanding of what is being presented.

Space research -"Richard Alston Dance Company - Overdrive"

I like how the dance is performed in such a big space however this does make it harder to use all of the space effectively. Also I couldn't help but notice how each set of dancers use the space differently as some do the same movements but stay alone in the space and others join together and engage in contact work filling the space with different dynamics.

space research- Motion Control

Out of all the performances involving space I found this the most abstract, but then in turn it made me as a viewer wanting more. I liked the way that they used the camera to reduce the space that we saw the performer in.

 

At one point in the box the performer actually runs out of space which was very unusual but worked well. The turning of the camera gave the choreographer the opportunity to explore all areas of the space, as it was made for camera so they had more flexibility in the way things can be perceived. In the end section I found it gave a surreal feel, that the dancers space was restricted by being stuck to the floor. All of the different expressions of restricted space gave me the connotations of claustrophobia.

Space research -"Martha Graham - Lamentation"

This piece does not show the space but shows how the dancer is using the cloth as a symbol of being restricted in the space. The slow bound movement enhances this feeling of being enclosed by the space, almost looking like a struggle to be free.

Choreography research-"Beach Birds for Camera (1993) - Merce Cunningham Dance Company"

In this work I like how all of the dancers are performing something different in the space, as it fills the space up and it looks crowded. However the way the dancers leave the space of the camera lenses is most interesting to me, as we gradually see the space become more vacant.

Space research -"KINEMATIK Dance Theater: Measures - Site Specific Performance at DUMBO Dance Festival"

This was a very unusual piece, the fact that they used a Site Specific stage really gave the imagery that they were actually measuring the space around them. The use of the Tape measure continues to amplify this, serving to be a quirky prop that engages the viewers and gives them a better understanding of what is going on.

 

 As the piece continues the amount of space they use gets bigger, I particularly like that they also explored space that was not in their performance area. As they look into how much space there is from the bottom of the towers to the top.

 

It is interesting to see that they also verbalise the space into measurements as it adds another element reinforcing the idea of space. The measuring of people is risky but works well in getting the audiences attention. Overall I thought that this was a fun choreographed way of looking into the space around us in everyday life.

Space research "Wild Space Site-Specific Dance Excerpts"

When watching this piece I could not  help but notice that they used all of the space, no space was left untouched and this gave the viewer plenty to look at. The use of shadows filling the stage vertically I thought was clever, as it is something we struggle to accomplish when their is just a few dancers on the stage.

The camera zooming in and out also gave different perspectives of space. As it restricted the space when the choreographer wanted us to look at a specific part, then also when zoomed out it allowed the viewer to look around the space freely.

The different use of Site -Specific Stages also gives each dance its own feel and a sense of character, giving the performance more depth. The use of the dancers upper body on the balcony I also thought was a excellent use of space, as it is so unexpected  you initially think that it is the dancers on the chairs who are being manipulative but really it is the ones above.

Tuesday 13th october chorography class

What is a Stimuli?

What is a motif?

why did Ballet shoes develope into pointe shoes?

Word swap Laban

                                    Press or  flatten

                 Dab or Prod

Punch or whack

Flick or Stab

Slash or Rip

Wring or Mangle

 Float or Hover

Glide or sweep

 

Monday 5th october choreography class

Friday 2nd October choreography class

Tuesday 29th septembper choreography class

 

Labans Efforts - all images are from google images

"Laban is named after Rudolf Laban, "

　

"He was a choreographer movement theorist, and a dancer".

　



　

"Laban categorized the movements of humans into four different parts":

Direction Weight Speed Flow





　

　
"Direction is either direct or indirect". "Weight is either heavy or light." "Speed is either quick or sustained"




　

"Flow is either bound or free."
　
Laban then put these parts together to create The 8 Efforts:

Wring

Press Flick



                                                                                            Dab
     Glide
                          Float
        Punch



Slash


　

　

　

　

　




　

Rudolf Laban

research

Sergei Diaghilev fact file.



was born in 13th march 1872 and died in1929 on the 19th August.

Sergei founded the Ballet Russes and he transformed Ballet into modern art.He worked with the most highly rated choreographers of the 19th century such as;Michel Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, Leonide Massine, Bronislava Nijinska and George Balanchine, their input helped to shape the choreography and the direction it headed in.

He used combinations of art forms such as musicians and choreographers working together for the first time.many of his dancers continued to teach his work in the west.The company its self formed in Russia but yet never performed in Russia.His aim was to bring Russian ballet to France. 

He subscribed to Folklines choreographic methods this meant he had to pay out large amounts of money to recreate the original selling point.
 
He was homosexual this meant that many doors closed on him but also many opened at the same time as he was now able to network with a large range of individuals in the dance industry.

The Daily mail states that exchange of telegrams were leaked purposely to create stigma around his company.
 
It was said that when individuals delved into his life with curiosity, he would reply "I, personally, can not be of any interest to any one: It is not my life that is interesting but my work"

 He was religious but not heavely he delved more into superstition.

Although he was a successful business man he was often low on funds and had an expensive lifestyle that he did not like to give up.

He brought a criticism of Ballet that did not exist before his time.



Books used "Serge Diaghilev" "his life ,his work, his legend" an intimate biography by  Serge Lifar"
and Diaghileos  Ballet Russes by Lynn Garafola.

space

choreography class 2

my first choreography class

what caught my eye

The dancer in this video is called Sergei Polunin. He danced to "Take Me To Church" composed by the artist Hozier. The dance was made for film on a site specific stage and so was directed by David Lachapelle.

The choreography was by Jade Hale-Christofi, it intrigued me as the dance has been choreographed with Ballet technique all the way through. However we see bursts of Contemporary. In stages of the dance, often when emotion is being shown we see the movements become less rigid and more free and not constricted to the foundations of Ballet.

 They have created a hybrid style that allows the two styles to work together effortlessly. By doing this people have took an interest and Sergei Polunin now has the reputation as the "Bad Boy Of Ballet."  This is because they have merged the line that separates the two styles and pushed ballet to its extremes. I would like to take inspiration from this choreography and make my work not set in a certain style so it appeals to a wider audience.

what is choreography to me ?

choreography to me is a great tool for communication, as I believe that you can share an emotion  that  can be anything from joyfulness or anger. Also to be able to communicate without words and with visual images, it allows people who speak all languages to understand the intentions of the choreographer without it being altered in translation.

choreography can also be used to entertain which is also a element I focus on when creating. As I find that the more interesting and unique your choreography is, the larger the stigma you create around it bringing in larger audiences.

I understand that every individuals interpretation choreography is different, but the definition I would give choreography is the translation of ideas through a connection of movements.When I choreograph my main aim is for it to make people want to watch.

introduction

Hello my name is Natasha and I am 18 years of age. I have just moved to Derby and I am now in my first week of the BA Hons dance course at Derby university. I am enjoying my time here and this blog is to keep track of my choreography, and to allow me to reflect on what I have learnt during class.