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06/10/23 - Exploring Movement Components

In this session we explored the different components we can use as dancers when creating movement.  We were asked to create a short phrase which was based off of the words bend, stretch and twist.  These were given to us as a starting point, as well as a focus for our movement.   We were then instructed to add more anatomical exploration and add more focus on our joints and skeleton.  This included using movements that involved flexion, rotation and extension.  Adding this onto the phrase already, I found myself beginning to make more abstract movements that had more depth to the choreography.  It allowed my body to make a ‘stretch’ movement, become more of an extension which really pushed me to use my core and hold this movement as long as I could. 'Extension as in the art of extending throughout the body along specific lines, planes and alignments during every movement in seemingly static poses' (Brocksom, D.P. 2016). The final task was to play with different dynamics.  This meant that we had to explore a new quality of our movement.  I decided to further develop the extension and stretch movement and make it a slow and heavy section.  I think that developing the movement and gradually adding these choreographic components was helpful because it helped me think of new ways to improve on my choreographic detail.  It allowed me to think more deeply about the way the movement looked.  I took inspiration from Whyte (excerpt) from Blak Whyte Gray by

Boy Blue. They use a lot of static movement and make them really sharp, but then in one section two dancers are popping and one dancer is walking forward in slow motion. I think that the contrast in dynamics was really effective and inspired me to contrast my movements. One thing I think I could’ve done better throughout this workshop was to experiment with different body parts.  I mainly focused on expanding the movement in my arms, but I think if I were to do this again, I would challenge myself more by using a different body part such as my head or hips.  I think this would really help me create some abstract movement and not just play it safe by using my arms.  This workshop has inspired me to really concentrate on the different dynamics I set my dancers when creating my CD3 piece this year.

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For our second project we completed in TB2, we were exploring physical theatre and how it differs from dance theatre.  Physical theatre is an emphasis on storytelling, and is the bridge between dance and drama.  The movement should be a lot more pedestrian and simple, it's the performance aspect that can engage an audience when using physical theatre. We were introduced to the 'Cost of Living' work by DV8 which is a dance film that uses physical theatre. I was really intrigued by the movement used in the first section but also confused at first as I have never studied a physical theatre work. The male dancers movement was very pedestrian and was mainly him just being free and dancing like he was in a club. He mainly just jumped and through his arms in the air, and it looked as though there was no set chores.  We were then split into groups, and asked to create a performance piece in the style of physical theatre.  We were shown a photo of a town square from a bird's eye view and all the pedestrians below.  In our groups, we discussed any themes we thought would suit the piece, and we liked the idea of power and hierarchy (someone looking down on those lower than them).  My initial expectations for creating this piece was that we would just be exaggerating our normal movement material and performing it more.  However after receiving our first bit of feedback, we realised that we were still very much doing dance theatre, and using complex movement for physical theatre.  After some reflections we changed a lot of the movement into every day gestures such as shaking hands with someone and tapping your card.  One thing that I think went well, was that we were really pushed out of our comfort zone, and shown how physical theatre can really engage an audience.  You don’t always need to have the most complicated movements to make a piece effective.  I think if we’d have focused more on pedestrian movements earlier on, our whole piece could've been more suited to the physical theatre style, however all of the duets which were supposed to be identifying the different relationships we could see in the photo, were all mainly choreo based and did not show the techniques we had learnt in physical theatre.

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(No date) Opposition | english meaning - cambridge dictionary. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/opposition (Accessed: 10 January 2024).

Brocksom, D.P. (2016) The Art of Extension, tdcps. Available at: https://www.thedancecentreperegiansprings.com/single-post/2016/06/07/the-art-of-extension (Accessed: 10 January 2024).

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Whyte (excerpt)

from Blak Whyte Gray

Boy Blue

The time is right to ask questions, to break free from a system that isn't working, to emerge on the other side to an awakening - a return to roots, a celebration of culture.

Internationally acclaimed hip hop dance company Boy Blue bring one section of their Olivier-Award nominated work, Blak Whyte Gray. This fierce, bold and galvanising dance work, set to a multilayered electronic score, reflects themes of identity, oppression and transcendence. The powerful choreography and staging make for an image-rich production with political bite.

Watch other dance works from Sadler's Wells and BBC Arts' acclaimed Dancing Nation series here.

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Whyte (excerpt) from Blak Whyte Gray - Boy Blue - Sadler's Wells & BBC Arts present Dancing Nation - Sadler's Wells Digital Stage

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Sadler's Wells & BBC Arts present Dancing Nation - Whyte (excerpt) from Blak Whyte Gray - Boy Blue - Sadler's Wells Digital Stage

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DV8 Physical Theatre - The Cost of Living

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For our final project, we were asked to create a short film in small groups based on the word opposition. 'Opposition means to strongly disagree and to oppose an idea' My group decided to take the idea of opposition and create a film based on unrequited love and relationships.  All 3 of us girls were wanting a relationship with the male dancer.  We started off by using the song ‘He Loves Me’ by Jill Scott as the words really helped us get across our points for the piece.  We decided to use a house as our main setting for the film, including a bed scene with choreo laying down from a bird's eye view.  We then shot some scenes in the studios using close up shots to show our facial expressions.  This was the project I was most excited for, as we had a lot of freedom.  I was also excited to create a dance film as it isn’t something I have a lot of experience in.  I think our final outcome explored our theme of opposition really well because we used 3 duets and all of them ended with rejection from the male dancer.  The movement style was commercial with a chair section at the end.  I think that if we’d have been more organised with our time, we would have been able to film the whole film in one take in the house.  This was our original idea, but due to the short space of time we had to create this film, we were unable to fulfil this idea.  Throughout this project, I learnt lots about how dance film can really help structure a story and did consider having a film section in my final piece.