Blog Post One - ‘A reflection of choreographic Tasks/Processes’
Introduction to choreography - Stimulus Exploration -
For our first lesson into choreography as a class we were split into groups and looked at six different image stimuli. I annotated each image with thoughts, feelings, and interpretations each image provoked for me. This led me to begin to think of themes that could potentially develop from this into choreography. We were asked to select the image we were most inspired by and were put into smaller groups to discuss the image further.
Clement. M, (2007), 'Sensuous Lady'- The Winter Of Black, (Accessed - 23/09/2021)
The image I selected consisted of a monochrome glamourous lady behind a small glass of water with a distorted reflection projected underneath. The image for me made me think of something quite sinister for example the glass perhaps representing a camera lens or a mirror suggesting themes of how women portray themselves on the outside in society versus how they are feeling on the inside. This led me to think further into potential themes of perspective and reflections as a possible choreographic avenue. For instance, I noted how the glass in the image created a distorted reflection of the woman, this led me to think about how something can seem beautiful on the outside but not what it seems. I also interpreted that in the clearer image the glass can be seen as half full, where as in the distorted reflection it may be half empty, perhaps a suggestion that online, people only show the highlights of their life whereas underneath you may not know what is going on and this could have a negative effect on how younger generations view themselves. In terms of movement ideas I thought about the use symmetry and asymmetry within the body and movements to communicate the image of reflection. I also thought about incorporating a fluidity behind the movements to represent the state of the water, however perhaps embellishing a contrast of sharp direct actions to highlight the disformed image of the woman.
Choreographic Techniques - Merce Cunningham and 'Chance Choreography'
In our second practice lesson as a class in groups we began to look at different ways of choreographing and started to research into practitioner Merce Cunningham. Cunningham was known to be one of the most influential American modern dance practitioners and created his own company in 1953. He challenged traditional dance conventions and was one of the first to believe that the movement and music could exist separately and work along side each other instead of being dependent on one another. He liked to isolate every part of the body and used his chance choreography technique as a way of freeing his imagination of its own cliché's. (Walker, 2017)
Chance Choreography - In groups we began to explore chance choreography by writing down six actions, such as travel, jump, turn, five devices such as cannon, contact, repetition, and finally five ways of performing the movement such as direction, pathways, and levels. We then numbered them randomly and our teacher called them out in a order based on what was rolled on a dice. We then created a sequence based on the order, finally creating a small phrase of chance choreography. I really liked this process as sometimes it can be hard to know where to start so this is a great exercise to get your mind in the swing of creating movement phrases.
References -
N.A, 2014, The Six Sides of Merce Cunningham, Walker Art Centre, (Accessed 23/09/2021)
Clement. M, (2007), 'Sensuous Lady'- The Winter Of Black, (Accessed - 23/09/2021)
Bibliography -
N.A, 2014, The Six Sides of Merce Cunningham, Walker Art Centre, (Accessed 23/09/2021)
Clement. M, (2007), 'Sensuous Lady'- The Winter Of Black, (Accessed - 23/09/2021)
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