Choreography for Solo Performance (MU40370O)

My Starting objectives for creating choreography first came from my interpretation of the image stimulus. I analysed the contrasting elements of the harsh lines and the fluidity of the water, as well as looking further into themes of perception influenced by the two contrasting images of the woman in the image; the 'normal image' and the 'distorted image' seen through the reflection. To communicate these feelings of not being happy with the way we look and perceive ourselves I used a significant mirror motif to emphasize the symbolism of mirrors and reflections in the choreography. I made sure to incorporate this motif and used motif development throughout the piece beginning to end as an overarching theme running throughout the choreography. As the choreographic process developed I began to research further into perceptions and came across the mental disorder of body dysmorphia. I feel this topic fit well with the themes I had already been exploring through the choreog...

Zero Degrees, first premiered in 2005, at Sadler's Wells in London. (Mackrell, 2005) The piece is a 75 minute duet performed and co-choreographed by Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. ( Akram Khan Company, 2015)  When the two choreographers met in 2000, they recognised strong connections and resemblance in their work. (Mackrell, 2005) Both originated from Islamic families and were brought up in Europe. ( Scherr, 2008)  They explore this dual identity and meeting of different cultures through the intricate Indian kathak dance combined with the stealthy, precision of the contemporary movements. (Mackrell, 2005)  When Khan and Cherkaoui came together to plan a joint work in 2005 cherkaoui asked khan to tell him something he had never told anyone before this conversation was recorded and was the beginning idea for the piece, this conversation was translated into a dialogue that is used to open the work.  (Mackrell, 2005) The piece begins with the two performers sittin...

The structure of the solo is cyclical as I decided to use retrograde at the end to repeat the significant beginning motif at the end of the piece. I consciously choose to structure the solo like this as when researching further into body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), I was able to understand with more clarity, how this never really goes away. Common treatment for BDD is cognitive behavioral therapy which is a type of talking therapy in which you can challenge the way you think and behave. (NHS, 2020) An addition to this can be a type of antidepressant. However this is an ongoing condition that you have to somewhat learn to control. The first section of our piece is about exploring our body and being very inside our own minds about how we perceive ourselves. The movements at this point are very enclosed and minimal, there is a contrasting use of dynamic that works with and against the rhythm of the music to emphasise the beauty on the outside but business of the controlling thoughts within...

'Dust' - Akram Khan Morgan. D, (2014), Akram Khan and ENB dancers in Khans 'Dust', Accessed: 20,11,21 'Dust' was first performed in 2014 at the Barbican, London. The piece is part of The English National Ballet's production 'Lest We Forget' Which commemorates the anniversary of the First World War. Akram Khans 'Dust' is about women's roles and the empowerment of women, as they became the main workforce in the country. (Akram Khan Company, 2015) Khan said "I didn't want to show the men dying in the trenches literally. I wanted to reflect that even though people are dying, the women working in the factories still have to build weapons for the war." (Sherstiuk, 2017) Khan wanted to show the strength of the women during this time and found the shift in gender roles an interesting choreographic avenue. He realised the women would have known they would be letting go of fathers, husbands, sons and brothers yet were making weapons t...

To begin creating movement I looked at the choreographic process of using imagery inspired by Wayne McGregor. I analysed the stimulus in detail looking at different shapes and how this could be translated into movement in the body. This really helped me think about the contrast of sharp angular lines to the soft malleable state of the water. I created small phrases of movement that used contrasting dynamics whilst finding asymmetry in the body to communicate our theme of reflections and perspectives. Throughout this creative process I also asked myself questions such as, what if this movement was a certain colour - this helped me think about different emotions I could implement behind the movement. 1 November 2021 - YouTube 8 November 2021 - YouTube I also workshopped chance choreography in our lesson and explored how I could use this to create movement I wouldn't have thought of other...

Akram Khan's KAASH was created in 2002, and is a 55 minute piece with a cast of five international dancers one male and four females (the piece also includes Khan himself). Khan chose not to use dancers classically trained in Indian dance as he feels they already have boundaries that can be difficult to break away from. (Burt, 2016) The musical score was commissioned by Nitin Sawhney and set design by sculptor Anish Kapoor. The word 'KAASH' in Hindu translates to 'what if' and the piece explores themes of aspects of the Hindu God Shiva. The piece is split up into three different sections that explore these aspects such as Shiva's meditative nature, cosmic violence, and the eternal cycle of creation and destruction which he initiates. (Burt, 2016)The piece takes themes from Indian mythology but through development also draws upon European and Indian dance traditions. 'KAASH' is a piece aimed to continue building the bridge between the worlds of contempora...