Dance Company 1

This course allowed students to understand the role of a dancer in relation to specific choreographic approaches and to different dance company structures. There was a final performance for the course. Video will be uploaded soon!!!

What did we do?

• Understood the different ways of approaching the role of a dance performer through specific examples
• Practiced responding to different tasks and requests by the choreographer
• Went through the process of preparing for a performance
• Experienced performing in front of an audience

There are few tasks that helped to create the choreographic material:

1. Merce Cunningham's approach. In front of you are two piles of 8 papers. One pile is with 8 different body parts, second pile is with 8 different directions. Choose each time 1 paper from each pile and see what connection you will have. For example mine were: left shoulder - side right, right finger - down, chin - up, left heel - back, thigh - diagonal right, head - front, belly - diagonal left, lower back - side left. We had to create a short solo following this directions. CHANCE PROCEDURES
2. Lloyd Newson's approach. How this society I live in opresses me? Question to think about... Being a foreign person in different country? Be not allowed to smoke everywhere I want? There is so many factors to consider in nowadays society. Discussion and sharing of ideas was followed by short duets. Me and my partner had a duet showing a fight for a place to stay. Use of pop dance.
3. Pina Bausch's approach. Choose 1 sentence and finish it: My favorite object is... If I was the opposite sex... My favorite dance is... 2 things I like... 2 things I do not like... Firstly, talk according to your sentences. Secondly, add a movement, short sequence while having a monologue. I have chosen sentence which starts - If I was the opposite sex... In a performance I had a short monologue which can be heard in a video.
4. Trisha's Brown approach. Choreographer has given us a combination. Everyone has learnt original one and later we were given a task: to change 2 directions in that sequence, to make a pause, to make one movement faster that it is, to make one move slower than it is, repeat movent four times, create 2*8 end and hide yourself in space but be visible... 

All these approaches helped us to create an amazing piece where everyone had a chance to express themselves in different ways.