G.C.S.E Dance

1. G.C.S.E Dance Set works – Birdsong Swan lake, Rush, Ghost dances, Still Life and Swansong.

2. The dance space • Obstructions: • Is there anything on the floor that shouldn’t be there? (Water, paper, litter, etc.) • Is there anything around the side of the room that could be a problem? • Nature and placement of set design and props: • Lighting • Scenery • Props for dancing. • Temperature: • Ideal is between 18° and 24°C. • It is important to wear layers so the dancer can add or take away as needed. • Floor: • Ideal is sprung floor which is clean and non-slip.

3. Relationships – unison, canon, dancer to dancer, complementary, contrast, contact, mirroring Action – (elevation) Jumps (5) gesture, stillness, locomotion (travel) and rotation (turn) Dynamics – Speed, quality, weight, energy Space – Shape, size, direction, pathway, level

4. Repetition Choreographic Devices Climax Contrast Contrast Variation Development

5. Motifs • What is a MOTIF? • From the stimulus the choreographer creates the movement ideas, from this motifs are formed. • A motif is a short phrase of movements which embodies the style, content and IDEA of the dance. It must show an intentional connection to the dance.

6. Personal Safety • Correct Clothing/footwear • Removal of Jewellery • Check space is clear of obstructions • Full warm up is complete and cool down at the end of the class. • Tie long hair up • No spillages on floor • Correct temperature

7. Performance skills Musicality Focus and Projection Style Communication of Idea

8. Technical Skills • Balance Co-ordination • Flexibility Posture • Alignment Control • Strength Stamina

9. Why warm up? Injury prevention get blood and O2 to muscles increases flexibility mental preparation practice technique

10. Changes to the body after a warm up Sweating. CV level increased. Heart beats faster. Breathing is increased. Muscle tissue is warmed. Blood has O2 in it.

11. ACCOMPANIMENT FOR DANCE • The accompaniment for a dance is the music or sounds that the audience hear when seeing the movement. • There are different types of accompaniment for dance with music being just one… • Types of accompaniment are: - • Music • Sound - found & natural sound • Silence • Voice, words, poetry

12. TYPES OF COSTUME DESIGN • Costume is an important aspect of a dance as it can help communicate the dance idea and be used in many different ways. • There are a number of different types of costume designs that are used for dance. • Realistic/Everyday Wear • Dance Wear • Abstract • Character

13. Birdsong 8 dancers structure – started from middle and worked outwards - ripple effect Pied Butcher Bird Siobhan Davies Costume – Genevive Bennett Sound Score – Andy Pink In the Round Audience – close proximity 16 sections various electronic sounds used Experimenting with relationships to music

14. Sections of Birdsong Section 9: Bird Song Solo • Section starts when Henri kneels down and the trails disappear. • Sound: Australian Pied Butcher Bird. • One loud bird and other smaller ones in the background. • Action: use of fingers/3rd position/elbow gesture • Movement in the chest portrays how the sound is created by the bird. • Ideas: How is the song created? How do you breathe? What parts of the body do you use to breathe? • How does the bird move? – Rapidly/violently • How do birds take off? – one minute they are sat next they are air borne – Sudden movement. • Thorax work, pulsating, arm extensions • Goes back to beginning position, repeats movement to a new direction. • Ends with a dancer entering the space and a contact relationship.

15. Gill Clarke Solo 2 • Moving into the blue light • Softer and calmer than Solo 1 • Picking at the air – key movement Snake 2 • All 8 dancers • More leaders, more than 1 line that changes. • Running, walking and movements added into the following and leading device. • Builds in energy

16. Four Corners 2 • The snow angels duet now has contact • Fragmented parts of infinite monkeys is added. • Similar to Four corners 1 • Moves fluidly into end section. End Solo • Others remain on stage as solo begins • Big fluid gestures • Very ‘dancey’ phrases • Duet is slow and strong • Solo is free and fluid. • Solo moves around space, duet remains on the spot.

17. Physical Setting • Types of set design are… • Cyclorama • Realistic • Site Specific • Abstract

18. Lighting • Lightingis an important aspect of every dance. • It can enhance the dance idea by helping to communicate mood and atmosphere. • Lighting can also generate a variety of effects which we will discuss in more detail. • Different effects used are… a wash of light, spot lights and a corridor of light.

19. Birdsong Set Design • Simple setting: Davies wants the audience to focus on the movement. • Set ‘in the round’ • Audience are in close proximity • Dancers have to enter and exit through to one of the corners. • Audience members all get a different perspective depending on where they sit as there is no particular front.

20. Birdsong Cont: Lighting: Lighting: Adrian Plaut • Video projection creates many lighting effects: • Video projection from above • Side lights and lights above are used • The floor can be lit from above by a suspended a projector • Due to the overhead projection the dancers faces are shadowed and their outlines become unclear. To balance this lights were set above the audience. • The contribution of the lighting allows you to: • Notice the pattern or design of the dancers in the space • Notice the lighting effects • Notice the relationship between the dancers and lighting

21. The camera plays an important part in this piece. • Close ups • Angles • Interaction with the dancers • Top shot • Panning in and out of the action • Moving with the dancers • Using camera shots will change the way the viewer sees it compared to the person who sees it live, as a viewer seeing it live won’t see all the birds eye camera shots.

22. Still Life at the Penguin Café: Realistic set design to look like a café. • Setting – Proscenium arch, Lighting suits characters and time of day or mood. • Use of props. • Rush: Simple set design, sparse box, dance has one front performed to an audience sat on one side. • No props. • Lighting design is various blues and white, ovals are projected on the floor as are lanes of light that the dancers move in and out of. • Swansong: Simple set design, 1 light in top right corner of the stage. Performed in a proscenium arch. • Many props are used: chair which is constantly included as part of the set design. • Cigarette, red nose and canes • Lighting shows the atmosphere and mood of the theme which is interrogation. The overall lighting gets dimmer as the prisoners strength fades and the light in the window gets brighter possibly communicating the idea of heaven as he becomes closer to death.

23. How set design helps to communicate themes to audience. • Can help to tell a story: Swan Lake • Highlights certain body parts • Creates shadows using sidelights. • Spotlights to highlight specific characters. • Can show time of day • Can help the audience to picture a particular environment.

24. Swan Lake – Matthew Bourne (1995) • Costume – Lez Brotherston • Black paint on hair to form a beak like triangle tuft • White pale body paint on • skin to create ethereal • feel. • Arms are bare and free of • costume – showing off the • boisterous, clumsy and • flapping wings of the • young swans. • Creates a strong body design on top half contrasted with soft • and flowing lower half – reflects Swans nature gentle and soft • yet possible unpredictable and harsh. • White feathery shorts to represent the animalistic quality.

25. Ghost Dances – • Christopher Bruce (1981) • Costume – Belinda Scarlett • Ghosts: Figures of death. • Dehumanised skeletal creatures • Skull masks • Matted hair • Near naked bodies painted with • water based make up to outline muscle groups and emphasise bone structure. • Townsfolk: Flowing dresses, suits and shirts and trousers to shoe class of people. All clothes are ripped to show the struggle through life and into death.

26. Set Study • Control in the torso and centre (eg bars 1 and 2) • Ability to occupy space confidently (gallop, bars 4 and 15) • Finding power to rise out of floor work (bars 8 and 14) • Confident ownership of free section • Ability to shift accurately from parallel to 1st position. • Commitment to the energy of the performance through successful interpretation of the Varying dynamics. • Ability to perform stillness whilst maintaining a sense of dynamic engagement. (ending position)

27. Useful Essay Words • Like • Similar to • Also • Unlike, • Similarly • In the same way • Likewise • Again • Compared to • In contrast • In like manner • Contrasted with • On the contrary • However • Although • Yet Even though Still But Nevertheless Conversely At the same time Regardless Despite While On the one hand On the other hand

28. Points to remember • Always read the question and make sure you have actually answered what it asks, look at and highlight KEY words. For example describe the dynamics • Name 4 works and there choreographers in the essay • Always give an extra answer compared to how many marks the question is worth. • Fully explain your answers