Oct 30 - Week 11 - Meeting 20 / Story & Title - Solos, Duets, Ensembles
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I
Unit: Narrative
Theme: Story and Title (Solos)
II
Introduction
As stated before, a dance solo is a deeply personal performance. The choreography, the music and the emotion are just elements that support the story you try to tell through movement. Today, we will work on articulating a story that will serve as subtext to your choreography.
III
Learning Objectives
Understand the need for a story to back your movement structure
Gain awareness of the importance of the story as subtext
Experience the process of articulating the text that becomes narrative
Reflect
on the work done in class
IV
Main Lesson
1
(3:20 - 4:40)
Question 1
According to Crystal Pite, why do we need stories in dance?
Mention the steps necessary to tell a story through dance and briefly explain each.
-------------------------------
V
A Note to Remember
Storytelling is crucial in dance because it
allows dancers to communicate emotions, ideas, and narratives through
movement, offering a powerful and expressive form of art that can evoke a
deeper connection with the audience. Remember that in Modern Dance, there is always a story being told.
Question 3
Why is storytelling crucial for dancers?
VI
Case Studies
Catherine Dunham - Barrel House Blues
The
piece is based on the slow drag a couple stands common to the Juke and
the honky tonking. It depicts the time in Chicago when it was cold.
This lonely woman who felt a little beat up went on in a barn and had
the time of her life just for a moment. She finds this young man and
fantasizes.
https://youtu.be/UcN0G7xItwo (9:00)
Lester Horton - The Beloved
The Beloved (all 1948), based on a newspaper article about a man who suspected his wife of infidelity and beat her to death with a Bible. The Beloved,
co-choreographed with Lewitzky, is widely regarded to be a classic
example of modern dance and one of Horton’s masterpieces.
https://youtu.be/NZZ8RP8cTcs
Martha Graham - Appalachian Spring
The story tells of a spring celebration of the American pioneers of the
19th century, after building a new Pennsylvania farmhouse. A young farm
couple ruminate
on their lives before getting married and setting up house in the
wilderness. An itinerant preacher delivers a sermon. An older pioneer
woman oversees the events with sympathy and wisdom. The newlyweds muse
on their future as night falls. The couple will
face a future that will not be all sweetness and light, but they will be
able
to survive the challenges.
https://youtu.be/XmgaKGSxQVw
Question 4
In which way are the stories above relevant to the audience and which way are they important to the choreographer and dancers?
VII
ACTIVITY
Written Component: Tell Your Story
Go over your
piece and think about the story you are telling.There is no right or wrong
answer. Your story is yours to tell. Please write a few sentences in which you
summarize the story you are telling through your ensemble piece and your solo
piece.
Review I Concepts Developed by Rudolff Laban Choreutics: Laban defined choreutics as “the practical study of harmonized movement.” Latter day colleagues of Laban’s, such as Valerie Preston-Dunlop and Vera Maletic, have delineated Choreutics respectively as the “spatial organization for dance” and “the theory and practice of ordering movement in space.” Kinesphere : “the sphere around the body whose periphery can be reached by easily extended limbs without stepping away from that place which is the point of support when standing on one foot” (1966, p.10). This spherical space around our body shifts as soon as we shift our weight. It is also the first area of movement exploration before going into “space in general”. It follows anatomical limitations, being actually more elliptic than spherical as constitutionally, the average body has a wider area of reach forward than backward. Visibly speaking the kinesphere stays invisible until the moment we mo...
1 Dance as a way to express emotions Actavius J. Jones My take-aways are that I met wonderful people. Just been around them made me learn different things. How different people have different ways of dancing. How different people can use dance as a way to express emotions. Just, the professor dancing and doing the activities with us made learning very fast. Lucy was a big part of helping me go through this class. They way she brought energy to the work. I felt relaxed because of the stretching. Not having music felt calming because I was more focused on my thoughts. After class, I felt very good because the activities made my body feel good. Team work was crucial for this class as it is for my sport. I could alternate between being a leader and a cooperating team member. I also got flexibility which is essential to avoid injuries. I also gained coordination with my body parts, b...
Please, answer the following questions in your own words, using: common sense, previous knowledge, class experience and the content of our blog posts. QUESTIONS 1. How was partnering a useful experience in the creation of your duets? 2. Mary Wigman developed expressionism in dance. How did expressionism improve self-expression through dance? 3. Isadora Duncan used Greek statues to create her dance languaje. How did Duncan style affect your ensemble work? 4. Bound and free flow are both at opposite ends of the spectrum of flow. Explain how they both contribute to a well balanced movement phrase? 5. In which way compositional forms aid dancers in their choreographic work? 6. Frame and portraiture helped you with the beginning and the end of your pieces? How so? 7. Why is it important to have a title and a story for your dance pieces? 8. How does music influence the audience's perception of your piece? 9. How does dancing full-out make the dancer feel when performin...
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