Day 4

This morning, the choreographers used a really interesting technique to get the dancers to move in a certain way. They played some “extreme music” like heavy rock, and told the dancers to close their eyes and react to the music, perhaps like they would in a nightclub; to just do what felt natural. It was developed into bigger, faster movements. Then the music was switched off and the dancers had to carry on, then the dancers danced without any music at all. It was a very effective way of getting such extreme, over the top movement and performance out of the dancers. Instead of the music, speech is used over the top; a dancer goes to the microphone and speaks a passage, which is about some kind of scientific idea. The science, the choreographer explained, was to represent chaos and the whispered Lord’s Prayer in another section represents order because religion is very certain and absolute; everything is black and white, whereas science is complicated and encases many ideas; nothing is very concrete. I think this is a really clever way of getting the ideas of order and chaos across to an audience.

Next the dancers worked on gestures based on compliments, which I mentioned on day one. I talked with some of the dancers as they did this, I was able to watch and give feedback on their phrases, which I hope was useful to them. One dancer said that they found it difficult to make it convincing because you weren’t actually being complimented so it was hard to act like you were and do the little habitual movements you would do when being complimented. These phrases were put together so that one person would stand in a spotlight and repeat their phrase, dancers would then filter into the light and do their own phrase; this gets faster and more desperate as the shyness fades and the dancers become more competitive. The idea being that the dancers are jostling for attention and secretly enjoying the spotlight. I think it was difficult for the dancers not to be nervous in the spotlight and act as though they were desperate for the attention, but after a few times it became easier for them. 

The end of the piece was then arranged, the dancers come one at a time to the microphone and say their name. This draws on the group vs individual identity idea. The dancers are being identified as individuals rather than just a group of dancers. The sections were then pieced together and were rehearsed as a whole dance which ended up being about 22-minutes, but talking to the dancers afterwards they felt it went really quickly. After a full run through, there was a lot of feedback from the choreographers, the more general points were to remember that the stage is smaller than the studio so not to travel so far, to respond to things naturally so that it doesn’t look choreographed; for example not to hold out your hand for someone to help to up, wait for them to reach down first. Also, when walking, the attention should be up and out, into the distance almost, and when you’re still in the dance don’t fidget, which is good advice for any dance because in stillness little movements are really obvious. Finally to be aware of those around you and be prepared to move a little to give them space. These points mostly apply to any dance work so I can take these in, even though I’m not dancing in this piece. In any case I’ll be helping in rehearsals, so it’s probably a good idea for me to note these points so I can make sure that through rehearsals they don’t get forgotten. 

This is my last day as I have my hospital appointment tomorrow. I have gained a lot from these last few days, even though I haven’t actually been dancing. The experience of just being able to see choreographers work in a different way to what I have seen before is experience in itself and may give me ideas for when we do group choreography later in the course, or even in solo choreography this term. The new ways of creating movement from the tasks that were carried out has been very interesting for me. The experience doesn’t end this week though, because, as I’m not dancing in the piece, I’ve been given the task of making sure the tech people in the university theatre know the lighting arrangements and to prompt them on the night as I will know the piece back to front by then after all the rehearsals. I’ve done back stage work in little school productions when I’ve not been well enough to learn the dances but I’ve not done lighting or anything on this bigger scale so I’m looking forward to that. I’m quite obsessively organised so it will probably be a good job for me. The week as a whole has been very interesting and enjoyable, a shame I couldn’t dance but that’s the way life is, and I’ve taken a lot from the experience all the same and maybe a bit more in some areas as I was able to observe the work between the choreographers and dancers as well as being able to watch and think about the piece as a whole. I think I’ve been helpful to the choreographers too as I was able to film and time sections, while they were able to watch and give cues and corrections freely. I’ve been really enthusiastic about the week as a whole and I hope the piece will be amazing when it’s performed near the end of the term.