Lily's Dance GCSE Stuff

My dance GCSE was hellish but I thought I'd share the stuff I wrote incase anybody else wanted it because it's not going anywhere else! Plagiarise me I don't care, most of it's a load of shit anyway! #organic #earthy #retrograde #canon

[lilybtaylor3]

Artificial Things Qs p. 5

the final part also for some reason I call the davids by their surnames sometimes now idk but makes sense I guess or just only hire one fcking david idk 

Artificial Things Q5

Describe the pathway/ direction that Amy and David W wheel Laura back to.

David and Amy wheel Laura out in a circular but diagonal pathway from USC towards downstage right before curving round to DSC to go back to USC. They then travel straight back down the same pathway from USC to DSC before turning in two small anticlockwise circles so that they are facing DSR.  

Amy repeats and develops the circling arm gesture and the group perform a high release in unison. Amy then wheels Laura back from DSR and USL. Laura repeats a series of reaching movements. How is Amy then supported by Laura in her chair?

The trio are centre stage and Amy is kneeling in front of Laura’s wheelchair. Laura has her right hand on Amy’s right shoulder. She then pulls on Amy’s right hip using the same hand so that Amy puts her weight on Laura’s lap as David rocks the chair backwards. Amy is in the same exposed, mannequin-esque position seen before between her and David in their duet. Laura’s neck is supported by David’s right hand; David is sitting with his legs folded behind the chair to rock it towards him.

Describe in detail the movement phrase performed by David and Amy in terms of Action, Space and Dynamics up to the point where David W makes contact again with Amy’s chair?

As David corrects the chair, he uses his left foot to manoeuvre himself into a deep lunge facing DSL with his right foot forward and palms on the floor.  Meanwhile, Amy comes down from Laura’s lap and slowly turns anticlockwise to face USR. David stands to join Amy as they  shift to travel upstage; they step onto their left leg and hold their arms out to the side at shoulder height with their focus to USL before pivoting on that leg and descending into a plié, keeping the other leg straight as performs a rond de jambe using that leg to bring it to the side so that they are in a sideways lunge as their arms move in front of them. Their focus is switched as the pivot is performed to be over the left elbow. Then, they transfer weight on their extended right leg and pivot once more so that they face DSL with their left leg behind them so they are in a shallow lunge. As this is carried out, they straighten the left arm out to shoulder height and swing it down anticlockwise whilst increasing flexion at the right knee. They join their feet together and stand straight while the momentum of the arm swing continues so that their arm reaches almost 180 degrees before it falls passively to the side. Following this, the right leg is tucked into the chest at the same time as the right shoulder rises. They both step back with a slight body ripple towards USR with the right leg which brushed past their left supporting leg to repeat the shift and following actions. However, instead of passing their right leg back, they step forward and place their hands on Laura’s shoulders.

As Laura turns her chair, describe the pathway performed by Amy as she runs.

Amy runs in a wide circular pathway.

Describe in terms of action, space and dynamics, the phrase performed by David.

David is stood at USL and is facing stage left. He hops on his left leg crossing his right leg over the top relaxed, with his right arm reached out to stage right and left arm bent at shoulder height  towards stage left. He then steps onto his right heel and switches focus to stage left. He then switches his focus again to USR as he turns on his right leg, bending his left leg as he brings it over his right to step into a lunge, facing stage right. As he pivots, his arms switch to mirror what they were before. He then turns so he is facing upstage. He continues his turn so he is in the same lunge on the other side. Finally, he leans back with his upper body, keeping his legs still before moving to lift Amy.  

Describe how David lifts Amy.

Amy is wrapped in a fetal position around David’s back and right side with his right arm around her waist and his other hand holding her legs from behind her knees. They are USL and move in a wide arc towards USC.

Laura, David and Amy regroup upstage right. Describe the gestural phrase performed by David. Where have we seen a similar image before?

The trio regroup upstage right and David brings both his arms up sideways so they are parallel above his shoulders. He then holds this position, reminiscent of the when he performed a similar gesture in a restrictive manner around Amy earlier in the piece.

Describe the accompaniment at this point and the rocking image that Amy performs.

The accompaniment is falling piano notes over a low, clinical humming. There are sometimes a few higher notes which brings an atmosphere of eeriness and fragmented calm. Then Amy performs a rocking gesture when she is stood USL; she pitches forward and swings both arms and her right leg behind her with flexion at the knee and elbows. She then swings both forward using the momentum of the first swing in a pendulum-like fashion as she contracts her arms and right knee into her chest and brings her body upright.  

Describe in detail the phrase performed by Amy or the phrase performed by David.

After she has finished her rocking motion at USR she does a step-ball-change forward towards DSR and extends her right arm as if propelling Laura forward along the diagonal from USR to DSR as Amy loosely brings her right leg with flexion at the knee behind her in opposition. The relaxation in her leg then goes as she swings it passed her supporting leg into a high kick with a straight leg as her left leg bends into the motion of the kick. As she kicks her leg her right arm circles in a anticlockwise circle parallel to the floor from being directly in front of her at shoulder height to behind and at a 45 degree angle to her body; she also contracts her body as she kicks. She steps onto the ball of the foot she has just kicked and keeps her focus and body facing downstage left before changing her focus and alignment to stage right as she pivots on the ball of her right foot and flicking her left leg over the top with flexion at the knee. She steps towards USR before performing a hitch kick with a bent right leg coming up first before her extended left leg. During this jump her arms swing up above her head with flexion at the elbows; similar to the prone, mannequin-like position from earlier. After this kick, she replaces her right leg with her left in a soft low sideways gallop and, as she step to the right, circles her body and arms to the right as well and bends her knees to allow her to enter a backbend on the floor. She continues this circular motion so she exits the backbend by removing her right arm and twisting to the left before bending her knees so she drops her pelvis. She then stands up and spins on the flat of her right foot and draws her left foot in so her feet are shoulder width apart and she has moved from facing USR to DSL.  

Amy and David perform a phrase in unison. Describe this phrase in terms of action, space and dynamics.

They both run on a diagonal pathway from USR to DSL before doing a plié in second, relaxing their body over their legs with their right arm sweeping the floor and left arm held up slightly. They transfer their weight to their left foot as they straighten their legs from the plié without raising their upper body as their left swings up behind them in an illusion with flexion at the knee and a straight supporting leg and their bodies come up and their focus goes to USR as they come out of the illusion into a single turn on a flat left foot with the right leg relaxed straight down next to the left. They finish the turn with their feet towards USL but twist so that their body and hips are facing USR and their arms wrap around their waist before they put their weight onto the back of their right foot before turning their head over right shoulder and turning that way so that they can run on a diagonal pathway from centre stage to DSR.  

Describe Laura’s translation of this movement phrase.

Laura’s translates this movement phrase as she travels on a slightly rounded diagonal pathway from downstage right to USC and, as David and Amy plié, she begins to gracefully turn her chair so she is banking from facing between USC and USL to facing more towards USR. As David and Amy move into the illusion, Laura releases her right arm and sends it behind her in mimesis of the movement of David and Amy’s legs. As David and Amy come up and pirouette, Laura tilts her head to the left and circles it round to the back before whilst slightly moving her upper body so she is performing the same head roll as David and Amy.  

Describe the direction that Amy and David perform a forward roll.

David and Amy perform a forward roll on a diagonal from DSR towards USL and finish their roll centre stage.  

The music builds in pace and the dancers move around the space in a chaotic manner. Describe the lift that the dancers perform to take Laura’s weight. How does this echo the earlier lift with Amy?

David and Amy lie on their backs DSR with their feet towards USL with David lying to the right of Amy who lies down first. Laura leans backwards towards Amy who supports her with her left hand on Laura’s left shoulder and right hand in the centre of the back of her chair. David rapidly slides to the floor next to Amy to help support Laura with his right hand on the back of her neck and his left next to Amy’s on the back of Laura’s chair. This echoes the lift between the trio at the beginning of the section where Amy sat on Laura’s lap as they both leaned back into David who supported, once again, Laura’s neck and her chair.  

The counterbalance lift is then repeated DSL. The dancers move into and out of the space. David W repeats the perpendicular lift again, close to David Toole. How does David move as they recreate the portrait?

As they create the first portrait David T shifts slowly to the left so he is directly above the trousers that match the jacket he is wearing that are on a stool in front of the centre of the vitrine that is overturned USL.  

Describe in detail the various tableaux that are created. They are very powerful. How do you think the audience feel at this point?

In the first tableau, Willdridge is sitting on the stool that is furthest stage right, the next stool towards stage left is occupied by the suit trousers that Toole is sitting directly behind. Amy is sitting on the next stool along and Laura is to Amy’s left. Amy, Willdridge and Laura all have their hands resting on their thighs and their focus straight forward and out towards the audience while Toole is using his hands to support himself on top of the vitrine and his focus is towards DSR. For the next tableaux, Amy moves forward so she is crouching on the floor in front of the stool she had been sitting on with her left knee into the floor and her right slightly raised and Toole moves onto the seat she had been on; Laura and Willdridge both turn out so they are facing away from the rest of the group. Amy, Laura and Willdridge all have their hands resting on one thigh, one hand on top of another but Toole has one hand on the stool next to him and his right arm resting in a relaxed way on the vitrine above the trousers where he had been during the first tableaux. For this tableau, all the dancers have their focus to separate places; Amy’s focus is up and out towards left side of the audience, Willdridge’s eyeline is raised towards DSR, Laura’s eyeline mirrors Willdridge is the same way as her position does as her eyes are raised towards DSL and David T has his focus lowered to DSC. The third tableau depicts Laura centre stage left, straight on to the audience with her left hand on the left wheel of her chair and her right hand resting on her right thigh. Her eyeline is straight forward to the audience and there is a determined set to her face. Willdridge stands behind her with his body facing DSL and his head out to the left of the audience. He has his left arm folded into his chest with his elbow out to the side and hand fisted by the buttons of his shirt in the centre of his chest and his other hand is pressed behind his back at the same height with the elbow to the side. Toole is still sitting on the same stool as he was on during the second tableau but has repositioned himself so he is turned towards DSL with his hand crossed in front of him on the chair with his right on top of his left and his focus in the same direction of his body; past DSL to the audience. Amy is standing slightly separated from the rest of the group as she is standing by the edge of the vitrine closest to stage left with her body tilted slightly away from the audience. Her focus is to DSR and she is the only one to not have their focus towards the audience in some way. Her hands are resting on the corner of the vitrine. The next tableau shows Toole centre stage left with his hands in front of him as they support him. His body is straight on and his focus is lowered towards the audience. Laura is closely behind David T and slightly to the right of him and has her chair parallel to the front of the stage and her hands resting on either side of her on her chair. Her head is turned towards the audience and her focus is raised towards the left of the audience. Amy is standing behind and to the right of Toole and has her body towards DSR but her head turned so it is raised directly to the audience. She stands very upright and has her arms folded behind her back as she stands in a powerful and commanding stance. This is juxtaposed to the proprietary left hand that Willdridge, who is standing behind her and to the right of her, slides into the crook of her arm. His body is angled straight on to the audience and his focus is to the top corner of DSL. The final tableau shows Toole centre stage left facing DSR with his arms bent at right angles with his forearms resting palms down on the floor in parallel next to his body. Everything, including his focus, is to DSR. Laura is in front of the stool that Willdridge was sitting on in the first tableau and is angled towards DSL. She used her hands to cross her right leg over the top of her left and has her hands resting one on top of the other on her right knee. Her body is relaxed and her spine is slightly curved in and her head is tilted towards her left shoulder with her focus to DSL. Amy is back on the stool she was on in the first tableau and has her legs relaxed and spread slightly apart with flexion at both knees. Her legs are towards stage left but she has twisted her upper body to face more towards centre stage so her legs are at an angle to the audience. Her back is curved in so she is sitting in a relaxed manner and she has her right hand resting across her right thigh and her left hand resting over her right wrist. Her head is twisted and leant slightly backwards so her eyeline is towards DSR. Willdridge is stood in front and to the left of her with his back turned towards the audience. He has his hands in the same position as during the third tableau; his left hand is folded into his chest with his elbow out to the side and his right hand is in the same position just behind his back rather than in front of his chest. His chin is lifted and his head is turned so his focus is lifted towards DSR. The lighting across all the tableau has been cold, blueish side lighting with a white spotlight over the vitrine where the tableau takes place.  

[lilybtaylor3]

Artificial Things Qs p.4

here we go again

Artificial Things Qs Part 4 

1) Describe the gesture performed by Laura Jones as she reaches for the floor. 

She is facing upstage and tentatively reaching towards the floor with her right hand, eyeline also focused on her hand. 

2) Which dancers run and slide to the floor to reach her DSR? 

David Wildridge and Amy. 

3) Laura Jones turns by circling the wheelchair twice. Where and by whom have we seen a circular pathway being executed? 

David Toole moves in a circular pathway at the beginning of the piece before he starts to perform his contact duet with Laura. 

4) Laura Jones wheels herself towards USL. Describe the gesture that she performs with her arm. Where is her focus and how do David and Amy complement/ translate her movement? 

As she rolls forward she sweeps her left arm in front of her with her finger pointing forward but her wrist relaxed and weighted. Her focus follows her wrist as it rises upwards. Although both Amy and David are crouched behind Laura on the floor, they both have their right arm outstretched and their heads and focuse follow that of Laura's focus. 

5) As Laura wheels back in retrograde towards DSR- How does David W travel backwards? (i.e. what is his translation?) 

David has both hands on the wheelchair wheel and without impeding its motion, he allows it to guide him in a roll along the floor. He keeps the movement very fluid and smooth whilst focusing on the centre of the wheel and then rolling up into a crouch. 

6) Laura develops the reaching hand gesture. What has changed in terms of pathway/ use of additive/ incorporative as a choreographic device? 

Laura is rolling towards USR and this time she sweeps her left arm over her shoulder in a wide arc as if reaching for something.  

7) David W rotates the wheel of Laura Jones’ wheelchair to travel. Describe the accompaniment at this point. 

Very wistful and dreamlike but still in the minor key. There are repetitive piano notes, reminiscient of a waterfall or pouring motion. 

8) Laura repeats the gesture and David W repeats the rolling. The dancers are upstage centre and then move the wheels of the chair to move to DSC. Describe the development of the arm gesture at this point. 

The gesture is now a literal reach towards Amy or David Wildridge alternating each reach. It s used to weight share and promote relationship. 

9) All three dancers roll/ spin picking up on theme of a circular pathway. Describe the gesture that they all perform. 

Both Laura and Amy perform the looping sweep gesture with their right hands, Laura's lingering slightly longer as she follows her hand down with her eyeline. David Wildridge simply rolls his left shoulder as he spins backwards with the wheelchair. 

10) Laura travels towards DSR and Amy and David repeat a position from earlier. Describe this. 

They are both crouched in a lunge behind Laura with their right arms outstretched and focus just beyond Laura's head. 

11) David pulls Laura towards him in a counterbalance. Describe another moment in the work when there is a counterbalance.  

There is lots of counterbalance between Amy and David Wildridge during their duet. 

12) Where do the trio travel to next? 

They travel to USR facing the front on a light diagonal towards DSL. 

13) The levels of Amy and David have changed. Describe how they develop through instrumentation, the reaching gestures. 

As they travel forward, David kicks his right leg up behind him in attitude and slowly controls it back down and Amy and Laura both repeat the left arm sweep in an arc above their heads. 

14) They reach towards DSR and then travel Upstage Centre. Describe the gesture that Laura traces behind her back.  

She has both hands flat on her lower back, palms facing outwards then traces them back to her front past her hips as she rolls forward upstage. 

15) Describe the lighting change as the performers continue to move Upstage Centre.  

It gets a lot darker, casting shadows over Laura Amy and David. 

[lilybtaylor3]

Artificial Things Qs p. 3

omg I can’t remember where in the dance it is, near the beginning I think but THE HAND THING omg I can't its so creepy if u know u know but THE HAND fuck I hate it watch it and you’ll know what im talking about the haND uugggh shivers run down my spine

Questions on Artificial Things 3

As Amy steps down from the set, where does David move to sit?

On a stool, imitating the mannequin next to him.

Before Amy walks towards Laura, where does she look?

She slowly turns her head back towards David.

How does Amy move to sit next to Laura?

She walks calmly and purposefully and crouches momentarily next to her before simply stretching out her legs.

David T travels in a circular pathway and David W crouches to the floor. David T performs a movement that we have seen earlier. Can you describe this?

He uses his arms to lift himself off the floor and onto Wildridge's back, placing his right hand on it and heaving himself sideways as Wildridge turns towards the front.

David W then spins. Where does David T move to?

He slides off Wildridge's back and uses his slight momentum to roll away from the group to stage left.

David W and David T then perform a counterbalance and David T moves in closer to David W.  

Okay.

Where does Amy then manouevre Laura to?

She helps Laura position herself on top of Wildridge then assists her in rolling down him to end up lying in front of him.

Laura then rolls between the two David’s. How does this echo an earlier image?

This echoes the image earlier in the duet between Toole and Laura when they lie next to each other with their hands on their chests

Amy takes Laura’s chair and sits on David W’s back. Who does she then pass the chair to?

David Toole.

Describe the contact improvisation section that then takes place between all four in terms of Action, Space and Dynamics.

Amy also 'rolls' over Wildridge but it is more controlled and she is not rolling on him she is actually leaning on Laura and carrying herself over him. Amy pulls herself to sit up by holding Laura's wrist and Amy, Laura and Toole clump together as Wildridge rolls over them on his back with Toole supporting his head into a passive standing position facing diagonal DSL.  

As David W rolls up to stand, we see quite vividly the costume design/ colour. Where is the influence of the blue/ green taken from and how does it relate to the Stimulus?

The blue/green colours are taken from the paintings of an artist called Djurovic and are supposed to present paint running as is stuck in one of his paintings, similar to the other main stimulus that the dance is taking place in a snow globe.

David W rolls back down to the group and maneovres Laura’s chair. How does Amy travel over his back?

Helped and pushed over by Toole and Laura she does a back walkover onto him and over his back.

Describe the accompaniment at this point.

There is and underlying constant cold, ambient drone sounding like static at times with 'The sunshine of your smile' playing over the top.

We hear the sampled song, The Sunshine of my Smile. How do the group move into a tighter cluster and how is David T supported?

Laura and Amy move to sit back to back and then Wildridge lies on his back behind them with his legs folding into his body and poised by Amy and Laura's heads. Toole clambers up the cluster using Amy and Laura's shoulders to support him and then Wildridge's feet lift him up by his armpits and he soars upwards as Wildridge moves into a shoulder stand.

How does David T fall?

Wildridge carries o his shoulder stand until he is rolling backwards, causing Toole to fall and catch himself on the ground with his hands.

How has the image of mirroring been developed in terms of gender?

The two women, Amy and Laura, both lie on their elbows facing USL towards where the two men are, Wildridge and Toole, who are crouched looking at them.

Where is the focus at this point and the intention of the movement?

The focus is on eachother then it shifts to face USL as the two men move towards it.

Where does David move to and what does he pass to David W?

Toole climbs onto the black table from earlier on in the piece and Wildridge crouches and picks up a wheelchair wheel to hand to Amy. He is then handed the second wheel by Toole and hands that to Laura who is lying on her back.  

What is the symbolism of the image here as David W and Amy put Laura’s chair back together?

Working together towards a common goal and putting differences aside.  

How do Amy and David W lift Laura?

Laura rests her amrs on both Amy and Wildridge's shoulders and they support her by her legs as they lift her into the wheelchair, facing USR.

How does the lighting change at this point and what has David put on?

The lighting becomes brighter and warmer, positioned so that it doesn't cast shadows over the dancers facial features and Toole puts on a brown coat.

There is a still tableau image. Describe this in detail.

Toole is the highest, supporting himself on the table/ledge at the back and Laura is in front of him on her wheelchair, On Laura's left, Amy sits on a stool and on her right Wildridge also sits on a stool. They all face DSR.

How does the lighting and focus change as Laura exits the tableau?

It becomes dimmer and colder.

[lilybtaylor3]

Artificial Things Qs p.2

Questions on Artificial Things Scene Two 

 this was acc my least favourite out of all of the case studys ngl its so boring

Describe how a mirror image seems to be drawn by the two dancers (Amy and David Willdridge) who enter Upstage left and Laura Jones and David Toole sitting Downstage right. Look closely at their focus. Do both couples connect in any way? 

As Laura sits up, Amy enters from USL and Willdridge enters when Toole sits up, echoing the actions of the dancers on stage. Both pairs crumple in towards each other at the same time and as Toole and Laura are already on the floor, Amy and Willdridge also collapse down momentarily. 

 As the dancers move further upstage, we see the set including the mannequin in a suit. Describe how the music changes at this point. 

The music becomes more random and spiralling, switching to a minor key. It is mostly high piano notes in succession creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and underlying fear.    

 Amy and David use very expansive gestures which explore the idea of leading and following. Describe in detail their pushing and pulling movement sequence as they focus towards Stage Right. 

They come out of their crouch position and Amy's left arm follows David's right arm as they flow into an abrupt pause, in a position that initially looks like a typical waltz then they both extend their arms up and out in two fragmented jerking movements. They then follow each other's back hand downwards with intense focus to the floor then soar up in unison with David performing am wide arc with both arms outstretched to the ceiling the Amy echoing this using only her left arm. David's arms split away from their parallel position and push down into a slight arabesque. Amy seems to be affected by this and she turns to the right whilst David leans backwards and they seem to balance with David's right arm on her left shoulder with his focus down and Amy passively looking towards the ceiling.  

 The male dancer (David) nestles into Amy’s neck. Where have we seen this image performed before? 

Previously in Scene one between David and Laura, when they share an elongated pause with David nestled into Laura's shoulder, before he hoists himself up onto the wheelchair for the first time.  

 A piano chord comes in to the soundscape. How does that change the focus and orientation of the duet? 

The two dancers almost seem reluctant to look at each other and instead all of their focus is put to their surroundings, constantly looking just past the other or over their shoulder.  

 A higher lift is performed. Describe this lift in detail (Action, Space and Dynamics) 

Amy backs towards David as he backs towards DSR and Amy floats into David's arms as the transition is very calm and seamless. Amy is facing the audience with a blank expression and her arms and legs are splayed outwards yet still relaxed and David makes no reaction to her. She pauses there almost wafting slightly in a breeze as if weightless. 

 There is a gesture as the music becomes more discordant and Amy lifts David. Describe how David is lifted. 

The movement is swift but still very present, David has his right arm down Amy's back over her right shoulder and his left arm clenched in a fist around Amy's right forearm. His right leg is already bent against Amy and as the pair bend and Amy lifts him, David's left leg bends momentarily upwards to join his right. 

 David then lifts Amy, high above his head. What affect does this have? 

Amy is upside down with her legs poker straight in the air and still. This could be seen as a moment of clarity as David slowly rotates himself with Amy to face the audience.  

 David then lifts Amy onto what as the wind howls in the accompaniment? 

He lifts her onto a black table at the side of the stage. 

 We then hear which song being interwoven into the accompaniment? 

Sunshine of Your Smile. 

[lilybtaylor3]

Artificial Things Qs p. 1

why are there two Davids could they not have found somebody else

Questions on Artificial Things Scene 1

Describe the soundscape/ accompaniment at the start of Artificial Things. How does it make you feel?

At the very beginning, the first sound is a droning windy sound, reminiscent of an empty desert with tumbleweed giving the audience a sense of being alone or cast away. It could also be interpreted as an ongoing sigh, a really long exhale also evoking images of loneliness and/or sadness.

Describe in detail the physical setting- theatrical setting/ set/ props.

Laura is sitting alone on the floor with a wheelchair upturned behind her that she rests an arm on. There is also what looks like sand or sawdust scattered on the ground to her left, reiterating the desert imagery created by the wind. The wheelchair being upside down gives the impression of disarray and unkemptness, highlighted on stage by the solitary spotlight on the dancer.

How does David travel towards Laura?

He pulls himself across the floor towards her from USL however his lack of legs lifts the movement, presenting it as more of a walk instead of a drag.  

Laura reaches out to David. How would you describe the dynamic quality of their movement and how does it mirror the music?

It is very intimate yet hesitant. Both dancers seem wary or afraid but not of each other, perhaps of some other external stimulus. The music is also hesitant, comprising mainly of broken piano cords over an ongoing violin underscore in a minor key.  

Describe the spatial pathway of David before he moves onto Laura’s back.

David steps using his hands to the left, away from Laura and coaxes Laura's legs along with him with him right hand. He then turns to face USL and slowly makes his way upstage, whilst watching Laura. He holds the gaze as he walks on his hands in an incomplete circle around her in a manor that could be considered predatory, especially considering Laura's apparent disability compared to David's ability to walk on his hands.

David performs a gesture with his right hand. Describe this gesture in detail.    

David has his arm resting on Laura's wheelchair with his hand in a fist then on the piano note he unfurls it slowly, stretching his fingers whilst keeping his hand and arm tense. He then curls his fingers back but around the wheelchair.

Laura leans onto David. Where is he facing at this point?

Down Stage Right.

As David moves onto the wheelchair, what gesture does he repeat?

The unfurling of his left hand.

Laura looks happy to have his support. What do you think the intention is of the movement at this point?

The movement is slow but deliberate, creating an intimate atmosphere of silent affection. They make use of eye contact and nuzzling into each other to portray an almost primitive nature to their relationship.  

How does David move over Laura?

David hinges his body over Laura's back then transfers his hands from the wheelchair onto the floor behind Laura and he slides off her head first towards USL.

The dancers then change facing. David then retracts back to his initial starting position and Laura moves herself to face DSR. She creates a ‘ramp’ for David who manoeuvres himself back onto Laura and then onto her upturned chair. Where is his facing?

Up Stage Right.

How do Laura and David Move the chair between them?

They use a counterbalance with David behind the chair using his body weight to pull the chair downwards and Laura holding onto the chair with her left hand but not putting any weight onto her side so the chair tips upwards.

The duet then quickens in pace. Describe the focus of Laura and David as he moves onto her chair.

Laura is intensely focused on David's face and eyes. David is at first focused on Laura's legs then his gaze wanders up to meet her eyes.  

Laura pulls herself closer to David and lowers herself to the floor. Where does David touch her to support her?

He touches the right hand side of her face with his right hand and gentely lowers her head to the floor.

Laura lays herself down and David rests on top of her. How does he move her legs and where does he move to next?

David tenderly sweeps Laura's legs down in an arc to rest them in a position more parallel to her body. He then slides down her back to rest between her and the wheelchair and rolls onto his back, prompting Laura to follow suite.

Both dancers roll upstage. Where do they place their left hand?

In the centre of their chests.

There is a music change and a lighting change. Describe this.

The lighting warms and USL is lit brightly from USR. The music becomes more sombre and deep then continues at a slow but irregular tempo instating a dreamlike quality to the start of the next scene.

[lilybtaylor3]

essay on the cost of living that we did for no reason

okay we spent a full term on this dance and its not even in the spec like okay we get it, background for artificial things right but REALLY A TERM that is time WASTED this is useful to NOBODY but its here anyway

The Cost of Living 

The Cost of Living is a dramatic arts piece by DV8 Physical Theatre. One of the more thought-provoking scenes is when David, a lead character, is in an open grassy area and a man with a camera comes up to him. Most of the scene is filmed from the point of view of the man's camera. This gives the feeling that the audience are playing the part of the camera and the man. The man neglects to even introduce himself before launching into his 'interview' gives the impression that he doesn't care about formalities or the politeness that you would usually associate with meeting somebody new. Just because David looks different it means that he doesn't have to treat him with the same level of politeness as he does a 'Normal' person. Given that David is on the ground and the man standing upright, the view from the camera is looking down on David. This reflects back to the audience metaphor, society is always looking down on David (and 'the disabled'). The questions that the stranger asks are also incredibly personal, for instance, 'Were you born like this? Or did you get your legs amputated?'. These are questions that are a big aspect of David's life and it wouldn't be acceptable to ask a physically able person deep in depth questions about their mental health state when they are a complete stranger. Those questions are the type of questions that David may not feel comfortable answering even to somebody he does know. The stranger has no idea but again, its like the normal rules don't apply. 

        Also, the general manor and demeanor of the camera man is very aggressive towards David. He approaches him from every angle with the camera, almost trapping him even though the area he was in is out in the open without shelter. The man tries to prod and touch David like he's something to examine and analyse. It's a metaphor for society in that we are always trying to explain things or find a reason for things or find something or somebody to blame. Often, including this case, the reason isn't something that you could draw in conclusion from just speculation. David is not a problem that needs solving he is a person and this man just acts as if he in helpless or an inanimate object. In actual fact, David in an incredibly capable man with enormous strength and agility that the stranger just isn't seeing because he cannot look past David's deformity. 

        Throughout the scene, David is wearing these dark sunglasses that shield his eyes from us. This can be interpreted in a number of ways . Perhaps it is so he himself doesn’t have to look and deal with this persistent man but I think its showing us that we may project our views onto David but we cannot see his views, his eyes, and this is because he chooses not to show us. It gives the impression that this has happened to him before and that he is just waiting for it to be over and not bothering to try to correct the man. He just takes it like he doesn't care. The whole point of this scene I think is to make the audience question themselves and their actions around disability and people who for one reason or another are not classified as 'normal'. It is designed to make them feel uncomfortable and to consider whether they share any behaviors or actions with this man who is obviously making David feel uncomfortable by being really invasive. 

   Another important scene in the piece is a duet that David performs with a ballerina in a dance studio. The feel and mood of this scene is almost the opposite to the interrogation scene. The relationship between the ballerina and David is equal as apposed to David being 'attacked' and 'below' the other man. The whole duet revolves around weight-sharing and working together as an equal partnership. They support each other and move like they are in some kind of harmony. As in the interrogation scene, this scene is also very intimate however the intimacy between the dancer and David is consensual, soft and gentle not hard prodding. This is also supported by the accompanying music. 

        In the other scene, the camera man is shown to be dominant and completely in control, but in this scene David doesn't have control over the dancer but controls some of her movements, for example, he takes her foot around and through and they explore different levels and pathways. David showcases his immense upper body strength with aerial pathways over the dancer, contradicting his appearance of helplessness in the interrogation scene. Also the angle of the camera in this scene is level with the dancers as opposed to looking down on them like in the other scene. This supports the feeling of peacefulness and calm. As they are dancing, it's like their bodies are molded together as the movements are fluid and flowing.   

[lilybtaylor3]

duo/trio programme note based on shadows as if we hadn’t had enough already

if I ever watch schindlers list I won’t be able to not think of this and it will ruin my experience

GCSE Dance Programme Note 

Duo /Trio 

   Name: Lily Taylor                                                                   Candidate Number: xxxx 

Centre Name: nopeity nope                                          Centre Number: xxxxx 

________________________________________________________________ 

Title of Dance: Shadows 

Title of Accompaniment: Theme from Schindlers List 

Composer: John Williams 

Running Time: 3 minutes and 35 seconds 

Names of Dancers: A person, a nother person and meeee

  __________________________________________________________________________________ 

The main idea or theme was to produce a duo / trio to the theme from Schindlers’ list composed by John Willliams and inspired by the subject matter of ‘Shadows’ choreographed by Christopher Bruce. The contemporary trio portrays ‘a family waiting for a knock on the door, because they are going to be on the next train and if not the train after on a way to a concentration camp.’ The trio explores the concept and meaning of a family unit, inspired by portrait photographs of families who travelled to Auschwitz: these structure and form the choreography through still salient positions and tableaux and the idea of leaving and parting is explored as a foreshadowing of the inevitable future. 

The trio is sectioned into 5 parts and we incorporated Flux and Shift specifically into parts 3 and 4. Part three consists primarily of our development of Flux as we have integrated the handstand with one leg bent and we also used the many extended arms in Scoop as a basis for our choreography throughout the piece as primarily it is about a family being torn apart and the extended arms help perpetuate a sense of longing.  

Our dance follows the narrative of a family that could be torn apart at any given moment but the parents maintain a convincing façade for the child to remain innocent and free of the perils of war. One of the first key sections in our dance is in section one when we have just intertwined ourselves around each other then we morph into a pulsing picture of the parents and their child suggesting that the child is the heart of the family. A specific highlight is at the transition between sections 4 and 5 when the child runs towards the mother, who catches her with help from the father from behind and they lay her down gently on the floor. They then proceed to perform a very short contact duet behind the child where she cannot see, suggesting that they have to stay strong for the child however behind closed doors, they look to each other for support.   

[lilybtaylor3]

endless Shadows Qs p. FUCKING 7

so part 6 has been lost and I literally have negative fucks to give so just deal

Shadows Part 7 

13. The daughter looks towards the source of light and then takes the hand of her brother and walks    upstage. How does this reflect the choreographic intention of the work? 

This represents the light at the window that Christopher Bruce talks about, signifying a soldier at the door and the daughter is seeking comfort from her brother whilst also trying to get back to the rest of the family, perhaps representing the theory of strength in numbers. 

 14. Describe the duet performed by the son and the daughter. What images have been repeated from earlier? 

The daughter starts towards the family table before sharply whipping back around again to face the brother, momentarily reprising the ballroom position held by their parents before she hops up onto the son with her feet on his hips and her arms around his neck. This echoes the fetal position that was common in her own solo whilst also bringing up images of a little animal like a monkey, perhaps representing the instinctual animalistic need to protect one's own. The daughter rises up higher and the son holds her and she forms a position very similar to one performed by her mother, Martha Graham's pleading position. She is then lowered down and she and her brother run back to the table.   

 15. They return to the table and there is a reprise of the earlier tableau. Describe this. 

The whole family is sitting down facing each other and they all slowly turn their heads towards downstage right, towards the light. 

 16. The mother stands and looks back at her family. What does she do next? 

The mother walks towards stage right and the coat stand. She is lit from the side in a harsh white light as she reaches the coat stand and begins to help each of her family in putting on their coats. 

 17. The son and daughter then reach for what? 

They both reach for their shoes, symbolising the time to leave and adding to the somber melancholy atmosphere. 

 18. How does the father join them? 

He also reaches out and puts on his coat then the whole family pause together, the intense screeching music representing their inner turmoil whilst contrasting their calm exterior.  

 19. Describe the position that the daughter sits in. Where have we seen this before? 

The daughter sits facing downstage with her legs in a wide open second. This position has been seen many times before throughout the dance as it is a bare, complacent position. A variation of it is seen from the mother and father's duet as well as it being an integral vignette of the Daughter's solo that she repeats at least three times during the piece. 

 20. All four turn upstage. What do they reach for? 

They all reach for their suitcases, the daughter clutching hers to her chest as a reflection of her age and representation of the family unit. 

 21. How do they then stand. How has the lighting changed? What effect does this have?  

They stand in a neutral position facing downstage in a final moment of solidarity. They are lit from the right and from above, casting shadows across their faces not only implementing the title of the piece, 'Shadows', but also emphasizing the ambiguity of the situation and how this was the story of so many families in eastern Europe as Christopher Bruce explains in his choreographic intent. 

 22. How many steps forward do they take? 

They take three steps in unison starting with the right leg at first, then they pause and the lighting flickers, perhaps representing a search light or the flickering light of the family's resolve, then they take another three steps as the stage darkens. 

 23. How does the piece end? How does the music contribute to the end of the piece? 

The piece ends on a freeze frame of the family walking as the stage darkens. The music plays the final notes which previously in the dance represented the end of a section/solo/duet and in this instance now represent the end of the dance. This reflects how the family knew that the time was coming, how the ongoing uncertainty and fear lead them to believe that the end was around every corner, hence the repetitive nature of these particular notes throughout the aural setting. 

 24. How does this make the audience feel? 

The notes are very pensive and denote a sense of condemnation and finality that really bring out the solemn mood felt in the audience, who are in effect witnessing a funeral march.

[lilybtaylor3]

endless Shadows Qs p. 5

…

Shadows Part 5 

The mother stands in parallel. Describe how many times she shakes her shoulders from side to side. 

The mother shakes her shoulders 6 times with varying degrees of anguish then the 7th shake takes her round into a shallow side plie towards upstage left. 

 Describe the movement performed as she travels backwards on the diagonal. How are the movements performed seen to be broken/ fractured? 

The mother's movements are stationary and emotionless with no fluidity. She appears in a position like the one where her daughter was previously in on the table with her family around her then she buckles her knees and runs around keeping a straight back. This puts forward the idea that she is broken when separate from her family unit and that they bring life into her movement and existence. 

 The movements that travel from side to side have a wistful quality and appear weightless. Can you describe these movements in detail? 

The mother performs a wistful circular spring whilst taking her arms up to a high release. She uses the weight of her head more as it is less static and her movements are more extended and fluid as a whole.  

 The mother moves back into the second position plie and her arms move into a high V. She then performs a cradling gesture before falling to stage right. Describe the gesture as she moves to the plie in first position? 

She lingers then uses her right arm to swing her around to face stage left where she skips round into a deeper more expansive plie with her arms in another high release. Her arms swing whilst she does a rand de jambe then steps from side to side doing a series of cradling gestures and finally swooping forward. She then lowers herself down in a plie in first position with her arms open and complacent in front of her. This position is very reminiscent of Martha Graham's 'Pleading' with slight flection at the elbows.  

 She then performs a broken and static movement phrase that moves from Stage left to stage right. Describe this in full in terms of action, space and dynamics. 

The mother sharply drops her left knee then her right to the floor and then brings her arms down stiffly one after the other as her focus shifts to the floor. She circles her arms around her head as she rolls to face the back and lies on her side. She unfolds her left arm coinciding with a note of the music then scuttles back around on the floor, echoing the daughter's solo again. This brings her to another deep plie in first position where she almost mechanically repeats the phrase until she rolls again to stand up. 

 The dancer then rolls to the floor and performs a gesture with the hands clasped. Describe where in the space, the hands/arms move to. 

The arms are clasped straight and awkward, brought up high to the right of the mother's head. She then shakes them to the left then pulls them down and whips them over her right shoulder, pulling the rest f her body into a tight twirl and expanding back out into another deep plie. 

 The second position plie is performed again. How has the use of the arms and the body been developed? 

The mother is much more liberal with her arms and body as they are in the same position as before but she leans deeper and further forward and her arms are much less regimented and stiff.  

 Earlier moments are repeated in a floor section. Describe this in detail in terms of action, space and dynamics. 

The mother repeats the nose dive and backward kick movement towards upstage left then kneels on the floor in a pause facing the family, showing a moment of recollection or reflection.  She then sweeps her right leg around which pulls the rest of her body around to face the front, echoeing the circular leg sweep with her left arm. She then uses the momentum to bring her body around to calmly stand up, pausing to face the audience. 

 The mother’s solo is in ternary form. Describe in detail the movement material that the mother returns to. 

The mother repeats one of her first movements, the shaking of her shoulders, 6 times again then she performs another turn slowly into the neutral position standing facing diagonal downstage right, like her daughter on the table. She repeats the buckling of her knees and then statically strolls back towards the father and places a hand on his shoulder. 

 Included ^^ 

[lilybtaylor3]

endless Shadows Qs p. 4

you know the fucking drill

Shadows Questions Part 4

The dancers resume the position from the start of the duet. What elevated movement do the mother and father perform after she has run around?

The father grabs the mother's right hand and as she is pulled up they join left hands as well in a way that echoes the previous ballroom position. The father effortlessly swings the mother up sideways towards downstage left and whilst she is elevated, the mother performs a fleeting entrechat quatre before the father places her back down in one fluid motion.  

The dancers perform a counterbalance movement reminiscent of the beginning of their initial duet. What has changed?

The mother steps through the father and she turns so they are facing one another and links by the right hand. The father has his weight placed on his back left foot whilst the mother is strong on both feet and pulls him towards her. At the beginning of their first duet a similar position is met however they are facing away from each other, still linked by the right hand. This could represent how their relationship has changed since then and their ability to be open and support each other.  

Describe how leading and following is employed as a choreographic device as they head towards DSL.

At first, they exit the counterbalance and the mother leads towards DSL in a pose, with the father doing a similar movement towards USR. Then he runs after the mother with purpose, who is darting towards DSL and grabs her right arm, pulling her back towards him. This results in an abrupt change in direction for the mother who is pulled with momentum in a circle back round the face the father. She then leans on him in another ballroom position and as he pulls her round she whips her legs up behind her.  

The mother performs a lift and then is led back to the table. She stands on the table. How is this a development in terms of structure, from an earlier image that we have seen? Describe the focus of the mother as there is a change in the music. Where does she turn to face? The father then reacts. Where does his focus move from and to?

This image reflects the daughter's solo back at the beginning when, towards the end of her solo, she's hops up onto the table and rolls into a foetal position with the whole family focused on her. However this time it is the mother who is on the table and her position starts out a lot stronger with her standing defiantly, facing stage left. She then starts to crumple, first jerkily, as if fragmented and breaking, with the family visibly recoiling as she falls to lie on the table.  Throughout this she shifts her focus first to the father then to the table as she makes a subtle hitting gesture, without glancing at her children.  

^^^^

The mother crouches low. How do the son and daughter react?

As the mother is on the table , reflect the previously presented  image of the daughter on the table , she crouches down to represent a sheltered and vulnerable position , and almost look as if she needs protection , the son and daughter , passively tilt to opposite to  sides symmetrically . This shows that they are unaware and unaffected by the mother’s pain and grief.

The mother rolls onto her back and performs a high release. How does this movement relate to the choreographic intention?

This powerful movement of high release, reflects the mothers feelings of isolation, she is alone and vulnerable and in turn, has to lift herself up without aid from her family. When the mother has turned and is facing above her, she is open and revealing herself and her worries, almost like a breath or intake of all that is to come.

There is a pause in the music and the mother sits on the table. The son then turns to face front in a Jazz fourth position. The daughter then turns in canon. What does the mother do as she slides off the table and moves forward?

The mother puts her arms on each of her children, uniting the family unit, the daughter and son stand up in synchrony and and then role back away from the mother. The mother is attempting to keep the family together and to get their attention but fails in doing so as they flee from her, leaving the mother alone once again  

The son and daughter then drop away and sit back down at the table. Describe the lift as the father and mother move toward DSR. How is this an example of repetition? Why do you think that the choreographer has repeated this image?

The father doesn’t directly lift the mother, he aids her as she is in a position with her legs out in parallel, this is repetition of the beginning movements that were centres toward down stage right , a very prominent part of the dance , the choreographer may have repeated this movement to present the significance of this area , it seems to be the door of the house / a place that the family are all drawn to  

The mother and father perform two phrases in juxtaposition/ counterpoint to each other. Describe these phrases in terms of action, space, dynamics and relationship and explain how this section of movement relates to the choreographic intention.

The father is performing slower, more contemporary movements , as the mothers are more technical and balletic . The mother performs much more challenging movements in comparison to the father which can reflect how hard she is working towards the family TO BE CONT.

[lilybtaylor3]

endless Shadows Qs p. 3

the third part I hate this

Shadows Questions Part Three 

1)The mother leans into the father and he then leans into her. She pushes against him and he pushes against her. They then strike a counterbalance. Where is their focus at this point? 

The mother is focusing toward downstage right, and the fathers is toward the children at upstage left, showing concern for the children as the mother looks to the light source by the ‘door’, this light could represent a person coming with a flash torch to take the family, they then change their focus towards each other which presents the emotion and connection between the, as they seem united when they stare into each others eyes, the movements and music in this small section connote a playful nostalgic ambience as they reminisce to simpler times when they were first in love and they did not have the stress and tantalise about the war and calamity they are yet to face. 

2) How does the father then lift the mother as he travels towards Down Stage left? 

The father lifts the mother up in a supportive and concerned manner by holding her under the lead and around her waist , lifting her above his head, giving a sense of flight , as she is in a passive position with her legs out parallel and bent at the knees, she appears fragile and like a china doll and he is guiding her, this presents the childish and vulnerable ways that the mother feels as she is unable to reveal her true feelings , keeping a passive, unphased cast. 

3) The mother seems fairly passive as she is being lifted. What do you think the choreographer is trying to suggest? 

The mother is passive as she is being lifted by the father , this can suggest her shock and fear as to what is going on but can also represent her resistance to seeking help and assistance from the father, it also presents the fathers role in assuring and aiding the family. 

4)After this, the mother rocks side to side and as she reaches downstage left, she plunges to the floor. The father tries to support her. She turns and her focus comes back to the father. He then holds her by the head which seems a little forceful. How does this reflect on the situation that they are in? 

The rocking movement that the mother performs is a development of the rocking movement the daughter performed in her solo, showing their connection and similarities. The mother does not want to accept help from the father and he is attempting to gain her trust and let her know he is there to protect her , when he holds her head he is almost holding her up and attempting to take control of the situation they have been put in  

5)The father then rolls around the mother and they end up on the floor looking towards their children who are sat at a higher level on the stools in front of the table; a powerful image. What do the different levels suggest? 

it presents the idea that the children are unaware of the hardship that the parents are having to face and how when the children are not looking the parents can return to their childish, care free selves as they do not have to put up a front of strength and safety and are able to be more vulnerable and playful within their relationship.The children are on a higher level than the parents because they are of such great value to the parents and their main priority , the mother and father may have differences but they share one thing in common , and that is twelve they have for their children   

  8) The mother performs a step turn step movement and then falls. How has the fall been developed from the moment when the husband supported her head? (Question 4) 

Previously in the piece the mother falls stiff and rigid with a straight back. The father supports her, which on the surface is imagined as a loving, tender moment, a cradling hand supporting the neck but in reality is more emotionless and detached. This time, instead of the father controlling the mother, it is the mother reaching out the hang off the father, whilst still maintaining the rigidity she shows around him. However I don't think this situation that the mother and father are in is supposed to be seen as oppressive, I think that they are simply trying the be strong for one another whilst simultaneously letting the other know that they don't have to be strong. In this moment they are exploring the boundaries of their relationship and testing the support of each other. 

9) The mother turns, tilts and links arms with the father. She is then supported in a jete as they move towards Downstage Right but appears passive once more. How is this ghostly image further enhanced by the lighting? 

The mother is illuminated from the stage right, the way she is travelling, by a pale white light. Her position, in a jete, is very open and uninhibited however it still seems self-enforced as she pauses there for a moment. The lighting is harsh and unforgiving, again reiterating the feeling of the mother being exposed. There is also a slight contrast to this as the light seems concentrated on her face which in turn also denotes the expressionless mask she wears, honing in on the aspect of her rigid body most likely to crack. 

10) The music has two beats and the mother performs a brushing gesture. She turns towards the father, placing her right hand on his shoulder. Where does the father face at this point? 

The father faces the mother who is intensely gazing at him, however this time it is almost like the tables have turned and it is the mother who is exerting an invisible power over the father. Their position and stature is almost reminiscent of a tango. 

11) The dancers perform some scooping embellishments with the arms and legs and end up with the plie in second position and the mother sitting on his knee. Arms are outstretched. Where is her focus at this point? 

The mother's focus is out towards downstage right and her position is again very bare but the father's focus is all on her and it' like he will support her whether she thinks she needs it or not. The mother's position evokes the feeling that she has the ability to fly but will only get there with the help of the father. 

12) The mother lays back and open her arms like wings as if in flight. Her feet are flexed which gives the image and feeling that she is being dragged down. How does this image relate to the stimulus and choreographic intent? 

Christopher Bruce originally choreographed this piece to be about an eastern European family and how they coped in the time of war waiting for the proverbial 'knock on the door'. The position of the mother and father reflects this as the mother is held in perpetual suspense in the air whilst the father cannot let go or she will come crashing down. Christopher Bruce does this to show the ceaseless fragility of the situation.  

13) The dancers move into an arabesque en plie and then spin together in a ballroom hold. What might this spinning suggest? Relate to back to the choreographic intent. 

The spinning represents the feeling of hopelessness felt by the family as the parents know realistically that the walls around them are closing in and sooner or later a soldier will come to their house. The ballroom hold emphasizes the fact that when there's nobody left to turn to, they turn to each other for a sense of normality and comfort as they have to try and shield their children from the harsh realities.  

14) There is a chord in the music and the mother lifts her right hand and tucks her hair behind her ear. What might this symbolise? They continue to turn and then end facing upstage, kneeling low. How does this echo the start of the duet? What has changed? 

The mother's action is almost nervous and the parents are still in the ballroom hold. The chord signifies a change in the pace of the music and the dance echoes this  in that there is a shift in the dynamic of there relationship. They are rediscovering themselves, remembering the earlier days of their relationship when thigs perhaps weren't so dark and melancholy. The ballroom hold also shows this as at the time many couple would go out for an evening of ballroom dancing and this moment seems reminiscent of perhaps their first or second date. The end position very much echoes the beginning as it is the same however the starting chord is in a different key, again showing a change in pace and dynamic. 

[lilybtaylor3]

endless Shadows Qs p.2

heres the second part looking at these again gives me flashbacks brrrr

Shadows Questions Part Two

At the end of the previous section, the daughter is lifted by her mother and father. They walk in a pedestrian manner to USL. Describe the still position as they place their downstage arm on each other’s shoulders. What does this suggest? Who remains stationary and is isolated from this image?

They mother, father and daughter in that order are in a freeze frame showing them walking away with their downstage arm on the shoulder of the person in front of them. It is only held momentarily but the image suggests caring and unity within the family. The fact that it is led by the daughter is also significant as it shows perhaps the reluctance of the parental figures in letting the daughter lead the way and be the supporter. They all have their backs to the son, isolating him as he remains sitting stiffly at the table staring straight ahead without even looking a his family.  

How has the music in this section changed from the first section in terms of tempo, pitch, metre and melody?

The music has become calm and dreamlike. The tempo is much slower but the notes are played almost spontaneously and seemingly without any forethought however at the same time deliberately like a playing child. The music goes from high intensity strings to softer piano singular notes in a minor chord. These are also held for longer which adds a sense of  

How is the image of support developed? The daughter falls but the mother and father remain steadfast and strong in their stationary stillness. What might this suggest?

The previous image of support showed the daughter leading spreading her childlike innocence and hope to the parent however this is then developed to her being between the parents. This emphasizes her vulnerable position as the child and the parent's need to protect the child. As the daughter falls with no reaction from the parents it presents how the parents are so infatuated within their own stress and worries that they slightly disregard their daughter and show a delayed response to her call for help.  

An action/ reaction sequence follows instigated by the mother. Describe this in detail (Action, Space and Dynamics) up to the point where the daughter moves back to the table and then re-joins the mother and father by stepping between them and clasping their hands.

As the mother attempts to wrap her left arm around her daughter the father greets it as a reaction and responds to this by folding inwards in a crouch towards the child, presenting a split second of unison within the family. The mother seems to be guiding the father as he goes into a sideways plank position with his knees and elbows flexed stiffly which brings the image of a soldier relating to the stimulus of the dance. The mother continues to guide with a hand placed on his shoulder , meanwhile the child appears to be in a 'trans' as she walks back to the table and regard her brother who makes no reaction and focus does not change, the father rises and the daughter steps back between them to clasp their hands which shows unity.

They walk towards DSL. How does the father then lift the daughter? What does the mother do? (Describe in terms of contact and leading and following as a choreographic device?)

The father lifts the daughter in a stereotypically alpha-male disposition, the daughter shoots her right leg out to be grabbed by the father and later brings her left leg to meet it as she gets placed down, the father ha his left arm wrapped around her waist .The mother maintains contact with the daughter (as the father drags her )away and almost seems hesitant to follow but as she connected to the daughter , is drawn towards the other family members.

The mother slides to the floor in front of the father and daughter. Describe the Grahamesque position (contracted torso and flexed feet) that she lands in. How is this a ‘planes and levels’ development in terms of foreground and background and in relation to the son?  

The mother remains in this flexed still position facing downstage toward the audience in the foreground. As this happens the father piggy backs the daughter directly behind the mother, and looks worn out , the daughter seems frightened. The mother appears lifeless as the father and daughter place their hands on the mother as if to see if she is well. The brother remains unfazed in the background , looking upstage and seated. This sequence of movements presents a variety of levels which engages the audience and adds texture to this emotional section.

The father turns with the daughter and she moves into a piggy back. What does this image suggest and how is it made more powerful in the use of focus? (Looking downwards towards the mother who lays on the floor.) What might this suggest?

This position shows the fathers paternal duties that he feels towards his child, in contrast to previously when the daughter seemed to be more independent and rebellious, she opens up and allows her father to care for her in this time of struggle .As the mother focus is concentrated in a steely gaze towards the audience , the child and father look mournfully toward her , the child seems frightened to touch her mother as the father reaches out longingly, this gives the daughter reassurance as she imitates his gesture.

The father and daughter perform a caring gesture in direct correlation with the chords in the music. What do they do?

The gesture that is performed is a hesitant reach of the arm and then placement of the hand on the mothers shoulder, echoing the previous actions performed by the family. The music in correlation with the gesture adds emotion and a sense of poignant hope .

A rolling sequence follows instigated by the daughter who rolls over the mother. Describe this in detail. (Action, space and dynamics)

The father shrugs the daughter off him onto the stationary mother and the daughter follows her natural movements into a sitting position as the mother rises to hold her , (leaving the long held grahamesque position), these movements are slow and oozing as the family flow together performing a sequence of movements leading the daughter to be stood staring wistfully towards DSR, the mother is facing DSL on her knees and is regarding the father who is purposefully walking towards her .

Planes and levels provide pictures/ photographs in an image of a sense of foreboding: the mother kneels, the father takes her hands, the daughter looks towards DSR. What might this image suggest?

This image strongly suggests the child being left to her own devices as the father attempts to repair his broken family , the mother looks hopeful into the fathers eyes and he stares back giving them both a full sense of security. The brother continues to be isolated in the background.

The mother and father walk back towards the daughter. How do they lift her as they move towards USL?

The mother and daughter show a head till connection as the father simultaneously spirals them to face USL, the mother then imitates the alpha male qualities of the father which shows that she has been strengthened by the support of the father who imitates the mothers previous actions by lightly gripping the daughters outstretched wrist and elbow .

The piggy back image is repeated. What has been developed/ varied in terms of space and relationships?

Unlike before, the mother is now reaching out towards the father and daughter who face away from her , she emanates a strong female role , previously not shown in this piece, they face the back which projects the brothers constant position.

How many steps are performed as the mother and father walk upstage? How does this image draw the son back into the picture?

They walk four steps before the father places the daughter down to the floor and she immediately scurries feverishly off to the brother, meanwhile the mother and father take one more step and continue to kneel onto the floor, still facing downstage.

The daughter turns under her father and runs back to the table. What do the mother  

and father do at this point?

The mother and father kneel in unison very calmly in a resigned manor. They pause facing the back and then the mother suddenly keels to the left, grabbing the father on the arm for support. The father does not immediately react to this, a stark contrast to the emotions conveyed through the contact performed between them earlier on in the piece. However this then launches the into a duet.

[lilybtaylor3]

endless Qs on Shadows p. 1

omg good luck w these I think I almost committed whilst completing these goddamn qs

Shadows Questions 

The piece begins with 4 dancers sitting around a table, upstage right. They represent a family unit, with the mother and father sitting together on a bench and the son and daughter sitting opposite them on stools. They all have both arms laid very angular, with their palms down on the table. They are spotlighted from above and the side creating shadows across their bodies. The spotlights slowly flicker in a way that depicts an undefined shadow walking across a window.  

 At this point the dancers all turn only their heads, changing their focus from the person sitting opposite them to something unknown to us at downstage left. As they turn back to focus on each other, the lighting warms and becomes slightly brighter, almost as if we as audience have entered their home. 

 The music used (Arvo Part’s ‘Fratres’) and has a very fast tempo with no breaks, which adds a feeling of breathlessness and anxiety to the piece. The main instrument used is a violin which again signifies a highly strung, tense atmosphere and makes the audience feel on edge, something that is shared with the family, planting the idea that the audience and the dancers are present in the same moment. 

  The first dancer to move is the daughter and her movements are darting and almost uncertain, as if she cannot make up her mind which direction to go or what limb to move so she does them all at once. She is never still for very long and her focus is fleeting and interchangeable, but it often stays looking one way whilst her body has already changed direction which shows a reluctance and perhaps hesitancy that is very present throughout this dance. 

 The first definite movement she performs is an extended lunge with one arm placed on the stool that she had just vacated and her focus being dragged from upstage right to her stool as she changes to a different plane into a plank position elevated by her stool and her brother’s, which he jumps up from as she moves. She runs towards downstage left as her brother sits back down on his stool and she then crouches in a foetal position, emphasizing her position as the child.  

 The dancer whips her leg around and places it onto her brother’s stool as he calmly steps up and she waits in a plank position with one arm on the table and one on her own stool. Her brother’s movements and demeanour are considerably more collected and peaceful than her erratic manor. 

 She takes a low, scurrying run towards downstage left in a diagonal pathway across to the middle of the stage.  As she crouches, she brings her arms up in front of her lower face and chest, shielding herself. Her hands are clenched in strong fists by her mouth, creating an air of defiance but also fear. 

 Beforehand, the dancer’s arms were placed with the palms down on the table in front of her, like the other dancers are positioned. This time her arms her beaten down on the table in a thudding gesture, left following right with the palms facing upwards then folding down onto the table as the dancer pushes off with a kick. This ‘placement’ is much more open and aggressive than the sort of artificial calm that we saw at the beginning. 

 The dancer has just scuttled around her stool after kicking away from the table and she performs a fragmented hop facing upstage right into an extended lunge with her right leg back towards downstage left. Her right arm is also raised with her elbow angular to upstage right before it swings down as the dancer turns towards downstage left and travels. The dancer then throws herself into a deep plie but with her right foot flexed upward, leaving her left to take most of the weight. Her head leans towards the right and her arms are fairly relaxed and free, dropped down between her knees. As soon as she reaches the deepest point she rebounds back up into a momentary standing position. 

 Following her first plie, the dancer takes a step towards the left with her left foot, momentarily facing the back before she throws up her arms in an elevated hop, swinging them freely round as she herself spins to face the right. The dancer then takes her left foot and slides it backwards, whilst mirroring that with her right arm, keeping her left arm firmly down. Her head follows her right arm as it swings upwards, then she steps out from and turns back to face the front. She repeats the plie in second, this time on both feet and with added arms resting on her thighs and hands on her knees with the palms upwards in a questioning manor. 

 Rather than having the crouched position as a pause whilst the dancer is still, it has been developed following an arabesque ponche with a series of crouched movements travelling to upstage right including a hop where the dancer brings her right knee up and places it down back towards downstage left resulting in a brief shift in weight and direction before the dancer carries on and performs two hesitant , low walks whilst switching her head direction then bringing her knee up again, repeating the shift in weight then morphing into a stretched lunge facing the right. The dancer holds her arms in a stiff, compressed first position before swinging them around to the back and using the momentum to spin down onto the floor, relating back to the original crouch. 

 The dancer uses her right arm to pull her left arm and leg round to meet her right but with her leg bent. Her head follows her right arm but lingers on the spot where her leg used to be before rolling back round to the right, just as she scrambles back up whilst turning into a run. 

 When she arrives at the upstage right corner, the dancer pointedly steps onto her right heel with her foot flexed then her left and pauses with her head looking upwards and her arms relaxed down in front of her. She slowly overbalances backwards towards downstage left as if the weight of her head is dragging her back. 

 Following the third crouch, the dancer stands up facing the back and then almost robotically turns to face downstage left. Her facial expression crumples and she reaches her left arm slightly forward and bent, more like a punch before following it with her right arm extended up higher. She reaches her right arm slightly to the right and follows it with her head and then body, galloping into another turn whisking her left arm in a high arc and then following it with her right arm and head, emphasizing the high point of the hop.  She emerges out into a fixed position that she pauses in. She faces upstage and is standing on her right leg with her left leg held up sideways towards stage left, slightly bent at the knee as if ready to kick out. Her arms are held in wide release out either side of her head but are tilted on a diagonal so that the dancer looks down into her right hand. She then performs a series of movements using her arms and legs to reach out in all directions, switching her focus and direction from upstage right back to downstage left. The dancer jumps off two feet, staying in a crouched position but still with elevation, and pumps her arms and legs, angling her elbows and knees to accentuate her hunched position, then lands one foot after the other, like she was running but not travelling anywhere.  

 Her landing is developed into a deep lunge, extending her left arm up and using her right arm on the floor to propel her around and around into a rolling sequence. She seems to slip on the floor and fall onto her back and roll to the right circling her arms around the top of her head as she rolls and clambers up onto her right knee, wilding gesticulating with her hands and arms, punching or pummelling the air. Repeating the roll to the left, instead of rising onto her left knee she pushes her right leg back down and drags her left around and leans up onto it, repeating the pummelling gesture.  Another roll takes her back towards upstage right and the table. She runs up from the roll towards her chair, more focused than the rest of her dance and purposefully sits down as a melancholy piano chord plays. 

 As the sombre chord is played, her brother turns calmly to look at her and the next, higher note played has the sister returning the look sharply. Another deep chord is played and the sister hops up onto the table and sits there with her hands placed on the table either side of her, palms down. She sits there for probably the longest length of time she has been still since she started to dance and she blocks the view of her parents from the audience.  

 The music is a lot more melancholy and dark. There are much less notes played and long drawn out pauses between each one. The notes themselves are deeper and mournful, reflected by the few movements by the dancers onstage. In contrast to the music and movement before which denoted anxiety and panic, the movements by the dancer here are almost out of body like the dancer has fallen asleep or given up and this is the mood presented in the music as well. 

 On the surface, the sister lying on the table coupled with the sombre and dark tones of the music is reminiscent of a mortuary table. However the sister is curled up in another foetal position and comforted by her father, who places his hands on her hip and leg which I think is more implicative of her being either asleep, with her family keeping vigil, or sad in need of comfort. This is also supported by a shift in the tone of the music at this point as the notes become higher, slightly more frequent and melodic, creating a more dreamlike or poignant atmosphere. 

 The daughter is lifted by her mother and father above their heads whilst they are still seated at the table. She has her left arm flopped over on her abdomen and her right arm relaxed down. They lift her so gently that you can barely see the shift in her weight placement and they then placed her down to stand on the floor, their movements very soft and forgiving.  

 There are echoes of other works by Bruce- movements are pedestrianised, there is the idea of being summoned, an eerie stillness. 

[lilybtaylor3]

random rambert review

this is another part of the ghost dances review on the two other dances that were performed alongside ghost dances so of course this wasn’t fucking marked either FUMING

Rambert Performance Analysis 

Choreographed by Malgorzata Dzierzon, the opening piece was 'Flight'. This is a relatively new piece, with central themes of migration and travel. It started with one woman kneeling on the floor with her back facing the audience. She performed a sequence of quick, interconnecting movements creating a motif that she repeated a number of times. She made use of lots of circumduction and her movements were often inverted or reversed, creating a sense of fragmentation. Then, slowly other dancers started appearing on stage from behind screens or the wings, introducing more of a group dynamic to the stage. The piece soon goes from being built on simplistic soloists and wide, stretched movements that make use of space to multiple duets reciting jolted, intricate steps, falling in and out of canon and unison. The dancers combine groups to split half and half, then meld back into more isolated, smaller groups, developing the motif. There is lots of contact work and weight-sharing, with the dancers interlacing limbs and supporting one another illustrating the idea of having to rely on others and relating to the theme of travel. One particular movement that was very present throughout the dance was arm circumduction and reaching and the creation of fleeting transient pathways was also common. This reflects the traveler on a journey to somewhere always out of reach, a migrant in light of the current refugee crisis in Syria, never able to stay in one space. From the beginning of this work, the staging is relatively simple with blank screens standing upstage then somewhere towards the middle suddenly the dancers maneuver the screens into almost a star-like formation. Somehow, the screens link together in the middle and then the dancers are standing in different segments of the star whilst it is rotating. As it rotates, a new segment is revealed that contains either a group of people performing a complicated motif or one person seeming to be pushing the screen round with great effort or lots of dancers in such close proximity that they seem to be bouncing off the walls. It gives an effect of an ever changing landscape, again reflecting the ongoing themes of travel and migration. The accompaniment all through the piece was high-pitched, high tempo strings, creating a tense, agitated atmosphere at points and echoing the short, sharp movements onstage. It also at times managed to lift the atmosphere and make it more lighthearted but for the most part, it emulated apprehension and stress, mirroring the feelings that may be felt by a traveler going off into the unknown. The costumes started out as being plain, drab and grey then moved into more bright colours for the female dancers, and the male dancers were wearing coloured t-shirts under their gray suit jackets. Seeing as the introduction of colour coincided with the arrival of more and more people to the group, it may represent different cultures in the world and new possibilities opening up if you explore the world. This is also supported by the great range of ethnicities in the cast at Rambert which includes dancers from Cuba, Singapore, Denmark, Spain and many other origins. The lighting choices in this piece added some nice depth as well and the way the lights were positioned created shadows of the dancers on the backdrop, promoting the idea that you leave a mark on the world wherever you travel. 

The next work of the evening was 'Tomorrow', choreographed by Lucy Guerin celebrating Shakespeare's legacy and anniversary of 400 years in May 2016. This work was very visually effective and engaging due to the various choreographic devices, staging and lighting set up used. The music score used was both simple and complicated, consisting of clicking noises and percussion. It was quite unremarkable which was a good thing as it didn't detract from the dance. The stage was split in half with a hanging black lighting rig that projects a strong beam of bright white light throughout. This creates shadows on the wall and floor surrounding the dancers and adds to the strangeness and feeling of supernatural. The backdrop consisted of tall black pillars but other than that, the staging was relatively minimalist, drawing all attention to the dancers. On the left hand side of the stage, there were seven figures in all black and dressed masculine with androgynous hair styles and sharp suits. They were performing a muted down, emotionally void version of Macbeth in reverse, a subtle nod to the title of the piece, ironically 'Tomorrow'. It consisted mostly of gestures and not much dancing. There were no props and a distinct lack of any passion or emotion that you may get if you were watching Macbeth as a play. They performed as if they were in a trance, an aspect that touches upon the deep psychological themes of the play itself. On the opposite side of the stage there are the other seven dancers that are said to represent the witches and also the states of mind of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth throughout the performance of the play. In contrast to the actors, they were dressed in flowing white sack-like dresses that end just above the knee with ripped white rags attached to the backs. The piece starts with one of the witches' hands appearing from behind a pillar then slowly the rest of the witch emerges, soon joined by the other witches, an ominous image to start the piece capturing all the attention. Everything about the witches is unnatural and robotic, their movements consisting of jerking, shaking, trembling and lots of expression through the hands. For somebody that knows Macbeth, this ties in very much with the story as Lady Macbeth believes her hands are covered in blood and she cannot get them clean, a side effect of her madness, so hands hold a symbol in the actual play. The Witches tend to use their movement to reflect what was happening across the stage during the story, for instance when Macbeth kills Young Siward, the witches all lurch to the side and when the lords are having dinner and all take a sip of wine, the witches do too. Another defining moment in the piece is towards the end when the centre beam is removed and the two sides come together back at the beginning of the play when Macbeth meets the witches for the first time and the actors and witches dance together in duets, representing the interaction between the witches and Macbeth and Banquo that would lead to Macbeth's spiral into insanity. The piece also finished with Macbeth, before he met the witches, standing alone downstage, whilst upstage, the witches are marching in front and behind the pillars, creating an illusion of them appearing and disappearing. Their movements are much more measured and calm, reflection Macbeth's mental state as he hasn't actually met the witches yet. This dance was quite a difficult one to understand at times and needed a lot of concentration with the added story element, the only familiarity, reversed.  

[lilybtaylor3]

some research on Frederick Ashton

honestly you could find all of this on Wikipedia bc that 100% where its copy and pasted from but lol gal’s gotta do what she’s gotta do still don’t know why this was relevant to my gsce

Born: 17 September 1904 

Died: 18 August 1988, 

Choreographic style: 

Ashton's style is very animated and light hearted, his works such as fille ma Garrdee have a narrative 

Choreographic debut for Marie Rambert in 1926  

He then went onto be resident choreographer at The Royal Ballet and in 1963 took over as director of the company.   

Founding Choreographer of The Royal Ballet Frederick Ashton (1904–88) was one of the most influential dance figures of the 20th century  

Key influences: 

Ashton had a passion for French culture which he used to enrich the repertoire of the company.  He also had Russian 19th century ballet influences in his dance. Over Ashtons time in the company as well as classical pieces American stylee classical ballet was being introduced into the repertoire of the Royal ballet. Ashton was inspired to dance at the age of 13, when he saw a performance by the legendary Anna Pavlova. He then became one of the distinguished choreographers of the 20th century he then created more than a hundred ballets over an illustrious 60 year career. 

  Key works: 

• Five Brahams waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan - Isadora Duncan was an iconic figure dance known for her movements and musicality - Ashton  

• La Fille mal Gardée, recently screened live around the world as part of the Royal Opera House Cinema Season. A quintessentially English ballet based on Ashton’s beloved Suffolk, it is famous for its clog dance and choreography involving ribbons. 

Sir Frederick Ashton's choreographic style is very distinctive with rounded and controlled arms, hip level arabesques so that the line is not contorted, and sometimes some very fluid motion. Iain Webb, who is excellent with different styles in ballet and dances many of Ashton's ballets, recalls being coached by Ashton in Façade: "He got hold of my hair at the front - very gently - and said "Now Follow Me." and he just made me go, so there was a flow of movement through the body." Indeed if you watch early footage of Ashton dancing you see an amazing fluidity in his arms, upper body, and head which probably came from his growing up in South America. Ashton's use of movement in the body and epaulment are blended with very intricate footwork make an interesting contrast with the very controlled arms and low arabesques and all together it creates the Ashton style. 

In choreographing pas de deux's Ashton showed his timeless belief in romantic love. The low skimming lifts suggest gentle love and support between the two dancers. 

After eighteen years of retirement Sir Frederick Ashton passed away on August 18, 1988 in Sussex, England. 

During his life ballet brought Sir Frederick Ashton halfway around the globe to England where he was indispensable in building one of the world's greatest ballet companies, and helped to create the English style of ballet. Ashton choreographed over one hundred ballets of which over thirty are still in the repertoire of the Royal Ballet alone, it is this work upon which the Royal Ballet was built. 

[lilybtaylor3]

pointless mini review of Ghost Dances by Christopher Bruce

my teacher never marked this and I was SO STRESSED about it bc I fell asleep during the performance and so had to do some strategic in depth googling to find this much info and I DIDN’T EVEN GET A MARK am FUMING

The last performance of the night was Ghost Dances, choreographed my Christopher Bruce in 1981.  

This dance relied heavily on atmosphere with every visual element complementing the accompanying music and choreography.  

The backdrop sets the scene as a beautiful tranquil view of mountains, then contrasted by the three skeletal figures. They bring a chilling sense of foreboding to the stage as they rise up from seemingly nowhere.  

The piece structure is an ABAC etc,  with the skeleton's always returning to bring death and despair on the villagers, who provide comic relief at times. The villager's dances range from celebratory and jovial, to mourning to duets of love. They use repetition of motifs that include lots of swirling and changes of direction that is accentuated in the women by the long, full skirts that they wear.  

The skeleton's costumes are minimal, consisting of just a loin cloth and black and white paint highlighting muscle and bone structure. They present a nice contrast as their bodies are incredibly exposed however it is impossible to tell which dancer is which due to the mask covering their face resulting in anonymity.  

The music also plays a big part in this dance, a mixture of airy Latin American panpipes and shrill melodic tunes. It really brings the piece to South America and the celebrations of the 'Day of the Dead' that the piece is loosely based on.  

Choreography and set:   Christopher Bruce 

Music:   arranged by Nicholas Mojsiejenko 

Costume design:   Belinda Scarlett 

Lighting design:   Nick Chelton 

[lilybtaylor3]

A Linha Curva Adjective Bank

I mean up until primitive I get it but I don’t know where I’m getting the rest, ‘shoals of fish’ honestly what the fuck

Expressive 

Carnival 

Animalistic 

Predatorial 

Aboriginal 

Colourful 

Jutting 

Aggressive 

Competitive 

Narrative/Call and Response 

Raw 

Celebrative 

Cultural 

Visually engaging 

Testosterone fueled 

Macho/ alpha male 

Primitive 

Symbiosis 

Aquatic 

Elegant 

Shoals of fish 

High velocity 

Neo-classical 

Reflective 

Density 

Symmetrical 

Gymastic/balletic 

Collaborative/trusting 

Mechanical/Robotic