Activities
5. Choreography
Neil says "I want people to understand what I'm saying but I want them to work for it. I don't want them to just sit there and have it all."
Go to the dance Activities and view film clip one.
Now move away from the computer and with a small group invent your own "sitting down" dance using body percussion. First establish the idea that your want the audience to "work for".
Begin with a steady beat made by the first two people sitting on chairs.
Next person adds a slapping pattern that fits in with the beat.
Next person adds a stamping pattern that fits in with the two patterns established.
Remaining people add in clicks or claps which decorate the rhythm patterns established.
Keep this pattern going for about six to eight cycles, then as a group decide how you will finish this dance.
Refine your "sitting down" dance by using some of the ideas about movement, relationships, shape and rhythm used in the dance choreographer list.
Perform your dance to an audience.
6. Planning and making a dance
"I get ideas from improvised movement. You start off telling a story, and you begin to take words out of the story and replace them with movement, so that it becomes like a sign language, and that's the first step." Neil
Using the dance choreographer on the computer create your own dance about an idea.
Print out your dance choreographer's plan then locate a suitable space away from the computer for making your dance.
Define your dance space and practice each individual movement from the plan. e.g. What do you mean by "turn"?
Follow your plan and figure out how best to make this dance by answering the following questions:
- Will you include others to make this a group dance? How?
- Where is the best place to begin the dance?
- Will you dance to music? What piece of music would suit your movement ideas?
Practise your ideas and write any changes on your draft plan as you go.
When you are satisfied with the dance, return to the dance choreographer on the computer and rewrite the plan for future reference. Print.
7. Improvisation
Improvisation is about using imagination and just saying or doing the first thing that comes into your mind without thinking too much about it . Actors play a lot of improvisation games during rehearsal, and these games can be used to create a performance around an idea, a character or situation." (Drama - Michael Hurst).
Actors use improvisation to explore and develop the control and use of their bodies (physical), voice (vocal), and imagination (mind).
Find out what Neil says about improvisation in dance and compare those ideas with improvisation in drama. How is it the same? How is it different?
8. Black Grace have to think about many things before a performance including:
- floor space or stage
- costumes
- backdrop and lighting effects
- music
- audience
- programme
- costs
- training and rehearsal
- publicity
Before your dance performance have you considered the above? Which ones are more important for you?
