The idea of each pair or individual student choreographing their own section, then merging them together to create one dance is called ‘collage’. ”The dance form known as collage consists of pieces of movement that are often unrelated but have been brought together to create a whole.”
During the rehearsal process we studied several dancers/choreographers and their methods were used in warm-up sessions and practical classes based on their style and methods of choreography. The first of which was Merce Cunningham, Merce Cunningham “eliminated dependence on music by allowing the dance to coexist with the sound; he has developed “chance” choreography which avoids usual or expected movement sequences” Although a lot of choreographers new dance techniques breaking away from the traditional, on the whole, they still had “retained the formalistic values first established by ballet” He had a belief that ‘anything can follow anything’ rather than that a dance should have a strict beginning, middle and end.
He explored the idea of indeterminacy and was the founder of the dance by chance method. This is “based on the idea that there are no prescribed movement materials or orders for a series of actions” by using this method the choreographer will give up a controlled action and will allow the chance method to determine the content of a piece. Cunningham was known on occasion to let a throw of a dice decide what move to use in a dance.
Another dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham, provides the basis for most of our contemporary dance warm ups. Graham developed a highly individual and expressive style. She would use angular and severe and severe movements, which often caused some bewilderment and antagonism. It was this distinctive style that gave her immediate recognition. She was most famous for her ‘contraction’ and release of different parts of the body.
Grahams works show a close relation of breathing to feeling and movement, angular bodylines and close contact with the ground. “The principle of contraction and release are concepts related to exhalation and inhalation.” Important factors to be noted of Graham’s work are that control of dance movement should originate in the centre of the body, which is believed to display more emotional content of the works. “Breathing as a basis implies phrasing of movements into ‘sentences’ rather than a series if skills, and finally that that contraction and release connote introversion and extraversion qualities of movement”. Her pioneering technique, designed to express inner emotion and intention through dance forms, represented the first real alternative to classical ballet.
The third dancer and choreographer that I will make reference to Doris Humphrey. Another pioneer of modern dance, her movement technique was based on the shifting imbalance of weight, either falling toward or a recovering from two absolute positions - the upright or horizontal. . "Humphrey was fascinated by the interactions of the interactions of the individual and the group" She created the theory of fall and recovery, which she named 'the arc between two deaths'. One extreme is horizontal like a complete defiance of gravity, and at the other extreme, that of stability and balance. By itself she considered neither to be particularly interesting, but the emotion and motivation behind the movement of the dancer showed through their determination to fight the forces of gravity, and willingness to take risks.
Once the necessary research had been completed we could concentrate on the choreography for our dance. The choreographic structure used for the performance is very important, as it is what makes the dance flow, and seems like a succession of movements rather than seven separately choreographed pieces stuck together. The structure we used was collage, which I briefly discussed before. This choice of structure is the most appropriate because of the different sections choreographed by different students; other structures just would not be workable due to the very different styles of each section.
Once the necessary research had been completed we could concentrate on the choreography for our dance. The choreographic structure used for the performance is very important, it is what makes the dance flow, and seems like a succession of movements, rather than seven separately choreographed pieces stuck together. The structure we used was 'Collage', which I briefly discussed before. This choice is the most appropriate because of the different sections of choreography devised by the members of the group. Any other structures would just not be workable due to the differing styles of each section.
When it came to the actual choreography for my piece I first looked at shape and volume. I wanted to start my section with everybody very close together in a group, so close that it would appear uncomfortable. I wanted to create a feeling of suffocation and a fight to get out of the enclosed space. The idea was to achieve a slow sustained moving arms, and legs, and then a more frantic desperate attempt to break free of the group. There is great potential for each dancer to achieve different shapes with their body and the shape that they form will express the emotion.
I liked the idea of each dancer within the group to creating a variety of shapes, curled, straight, wide, and twisted. I didn't want to have to sculpt each of them into a position, I think each performer was able to mould themselves and not feel inhibited, they can differ each performance so long as the movement is still in keeping within the timing. The curved patterns are more lyrical, gentle and continuous, and when they break out of the group the straight more rigid movements tend to come across as bold, and stronger. Each dancer in the group created an over all asymmetrical shape. This helps to produce tension and a dynamic quality that is lost if everyone is positioned symmetrically. This theory applies even in stillness, because the asymmetrical design has a pull and thrust on weightiness, it still implies movement, and projects excitement, and in some cases, when taken to extreme, even danger. I wanted to achieve a vision of distortion, pain, and the grotesque or deformed manic movements in contrast with the slow sustained opening.
Secondly for this first section I thought about the focus of the dancers. In this case, the focus was on wherever they were facing. Some face outwards some into the group, and at different levels. Focus and facial expression are another important factor in conveying different meanings to the same movement.
My main concern with having a clump of dancers was that it would not look like mess of people. But because of the different heights I do not believe that it did look messy. I wanted to create a look of germs in a petri dish under a microscope, or as an audience member commented, we look like maggots.
After several changes out of the group and then back in again, each dancer then disperses across the performance space. They reach there destination by shuffling, the patterns created on the floor by travelling on the floor and the gestures made by each dancer, be they curves, zig zag, spiral or squiggles, will provoke different responses. Whilst they travel to there space they are frantically rubbing and brushing themselves down, as if trying to get dirt off. It is now that they fall to the ground. This is a timed movement so that everyone reaches the ground at the same time. The method in which each dancer reaches the floor was up to the individual. At the point of contact with the ground, the idea was to make use of floor work. There were two styles of movement available to the dancer, either, leg swings and frantic arm movements, or a contraction with arms and legs pushing toward each other and then apart. This is a very high-energy section of the dance, and the dynamics are very important at this stage. The timing of this movement is sudden and almost snappy, the weight should be strong and forceful. The focus is not on any particular point. This scene is supposed to look very uncomfortable, giving a feeling of antagonism, and appear quite disturbing. The dancers should appear bound and confined, then sudden and forcefully struggling.
The pace of the piece changes. Each dancer, with their focus being the audience, pulls themselves up stage. This should appear intimidating and almost scary for the audience. Each dancer must use the bubble of space around them by doing a full turn on their bottom every count of eight, four times. This is alternated with the travelling forward. After four counts of eight everyone jumps to their feet and disperses to either side of the stage. It is at this point that the contact improvisation begins.
Contact Improvisation is when spontaneous actions are performed and “motivation is taken from a dancers reaction to being in contact with another moving body, or bodies.” This can involve counterbalance or lifts.
During the rehearsal period I went to see Matthew Bourne’s ‘Cinderella’. This was a modern ballet version of the fairytale classic. This was a very interesting version of the story and although not a direct influence on my piece, deserves mention for his fantastic use of stage and exciting lifts and group work. Another dance that I saw was ‘El Penitente’ choreographed by Martha Graham. (See Appendix 2)
I did not directly use motif in my section of the dance, although any of the sections that enabled each dancer to use a different dynamic for the same move could be considered a motif. There must be a foundation for logical development or form. The foundation of a dance is its initial motif. In our case it was the feeling of being dirty. And trying to get the dirt off your body. The motif emerges through improvisation and through the influence of the stimulus, the choreographer’s artistic imagination, and the interpretation of the two. The beginning motif starts to communicate the idea and the subsequent moves go on to further the statement.
A member of the class made the choice of the costume. The material in which we had either a top or bottoms made from was a silver stretch material, which had a mercury look to it. This material is very effective with the light on it and it shines and looks almost slivery or slimy. The make up was a white face with dark eyes and cheeks to give a withdrawn and gaunt look. The costume and make up was very important to the overall look of the dance. The only difficulty that the costume proved was that the material was very difficult to sew due to the sheen on the material.
I think that this project was a very valuable learning experience for me. I had my first taste of choreographing, and found the experience very difficult, yet thoroughly rewarding on the whole. The over all performance went very well. The sections in which we all were in time with each other, and sections where there were very different things happening on stage were extremely effective. This project has not only given me new experiences, but I believe it has improved by movement memory, stamina, and ability.
On the whole I think we as a group worked very hard to achieve a thoroughly original and innovative piece of theatre. It was high energy, dynamic, and very effective. There was good team spirit through out and this was a very important factor in the smooth running of the process. There is a great amount of talent and wonderful ideas produced in a relatively small group, and this makes the project a delight to participate in.
I learnt that I should trust in myself more, and not feel inhibited. There is so much free expression in dance, and it is an excellent medium of performance. This has been an exciting, tiring, yet thoroughly enjoyable module.
Bibliography
Au, S. 1988, Ballet and Modern Dance, Thames and Hudson Ltd
Hastin Bennet, A.M & Brown, J.A.C Brown, 1991, Pears Medical Encyclopedia, Sphere Books Ltd.
Kostelanetz, R, 1992, Merce Cunningham – Dancing in Space and Time, Dance Books Ltd
Lloyd, M, 1949, The Borzoi Book of Modern dance, dance Horizon Ltd
McConnell, J, 1977, Ballet as Body Language, Harper & Row
McDonagh, D, 1974, Martha Graham – A Biography, David & Charles
Minton, C.M, 1997, Choreography – A Basic Approach Using Improvisation, Human Kinetics
Morrison Brown, J, 1980, A Vision of Modern Dance, Dance Books Ltd
Salter, A, 1977, The Curving Air – Dance and it’s making, Human Factor Assoc.
Smith-Autard, J.M, 1994, The Art of Dance, A & C Black
Smith-Autard, J.M, 1988, Dance Composition, A & C Black
Spernberg, R.J, 1995, In search of the Human Mind, Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Morrison Brown. J., Pg.89
Smith-Autard, J.M., pg. 126
Smith-Autard, J.M., pg.126
