I already worked with concepts such as cannons and juxtaposition in previous choreography but the use of spacing, speed and levels were more drastic than I had ever experienced them before. I enjoyed the last project where we took concepts from a piece of paper and had to pick two off the sheet. We took a dance we created from a picture and changed the dance to fit the two other concepts we chose. Our last adjustment to our original material was creating our own concept that was not on the paper. I now use this sheet of concepts in choreography to give my dances I create more variety.
Dance 166: Dance Composition
In Jurg's dance composition class, we used improvisation to build on material. We set improvisations with sections and themes but left room for creative development in each section. After the first improvisation, I still had trouble seeing how improvisation is needed in the composition process. I did notice that using improvisations helps your body just move and can be a good tactic if your stuck when trying to compose a dance. We basically spent seven weeks using improvisation skills and games to create different movements we presented each week. We did create dances to set scores, but I feel that too much improvisation was used for a composition class. This is because much of our class time was spent working through different improvisational techniques and playing games when I feel that I had already done much improvisation before I took dance composition one. Contact improvisation is another great skill to learn and know about, but this is another portion of dance composition that could be emitted.
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For the first improvisation, our group consisted of four girls who danced together. In studio 267 for the class Dance composition 166, our class split into three groups to experiment and combine our creative movements. After one week of improvisational tasks in class, we meshed some improvisational concepts we learned from class into one piece. Each group was directed to follow the same set of rules, but the order of events and execution varied between groups A, B and C. We were guided to dance behind white markings on the floor in the ‘studio space’ so we could be filmed at all times within the duration of the performance. All of the performers wore casual practice clothing. Each group danced to a different five minute recording incorporated one thirty second break at a sporadic point in middle of the song.
The set score for improvisation one was; to have each dancer exit and enter the stage at least once, begin and end the improvisation with clarity as individuals and as a group, and work off other dancer’s ideas and concepts they introduce. Also we had to set an ending and warm-up with Q and A and Accumulation before we began this 5 minute improvisation task. Accumulation was not part of the actual score but every group incorporated accumulation into their pieces because of a misinterpretation.
In improvisation two, our group consisted of four dancers, but this time we had a male dancer with three girls. Taking place in the same studio (267) for rehearsal and performance, we practiced different improvisational skills throughout the week to incorporate in our improvisations. Concepts of alone and together while using a variety of movement concepts were practiced in class to give us ideas of what to add to our improvisation two. On performance day each dancer wore practice clothing as they had in improvisation one. Our stage space consisted of the ‘studio space’ and each group was given around five minutes to perform. A difference in the second improvisation was that there was a minute of music in the beginning, a three minute and twenty second break in the music and then ending with a forty second sound bit at the end. The sound score added up to five minutes but we were allowed to find an ending after the music finished.
Improvisation two was set around the idea of incorporating concepts from class or other concepts we thought of. There was no limit as to how little of many concepts we used, but clarity and smooth transitions were important in having a clear score. Each group was given one concept on random to add to their five minute improvisation on the day of the performance. Our group chose dabbing, tapping and wiggling body parts.
The first improvisation we set starting off stage. We moved on stage to add on to an accumulation score. After we finished with our accumulation score we moved through one another in space incorporating both Q and A as well as introducing concepts. One concept that we clearly introduced was the tap, clap stomp section. Other movements throughout until the end were not set as all of us entered and exited the stage again in the middle. We ended walking of stage snapping our fingers simultaneously.
We called our first section the water bottle in the second improvisation. Our focus was on how the water bottle was manipulated by each dancer and we in turn tried to mimic those movements. We set the four concepts of throwing, spinning, being limp and tapping but each dancer could chose randomly out of the four concepts. Then, we moved into the second section using alone and together with our own interpretations. Everyone coming together transitioned into our third section using the flapping, folding, dabbing, tapping and wiggling body parts. We used random sounds with our movements and in the transition from one concept to the next. One concept that my group did not incorporate was contact in the first improvisation. Contact with one another was a concept that was not set but it was incorporated throughout our piece.
Our third section we called ‘ST’ or stillness. In the first improvisation, I never though about the kind of impact stillness could have especially if you are in a random body position. We each held our first pose for about thirty seconds and our second pose for fifteen or twenty seconds. Finally our stillness section led into our fifth section with the concept of pulling. Instead of just pulling our own body parts, we decided we could pull one another’s body parts as well as pulling clothing for other ideas to incorporate in this concept. We set our concept ideas in the second improvisation unlike the first improvisation where we introduced any concepts we wanted. Overall, I noticed more creativity in facings, use of body parts and smoother transitions in the second improvisation. Also the use of vocal sounds and words were another layer not found in the first improvisation.
Differences in the structure of the piece are clear in that the first piece we had to enter and exit the stage space at least once. I noticed that in the second improvisation no dancer in any group entered or exited the stage space. Also, in the second improvisation we had to set concepts to the dance and be able to introduce them clearly. I noticed that groups used verbal or sound cues to make transitions easier between concepts. Looking back at the first improvisation, I noticed that introducing concepts could also be done without verbal and sound cues which we should continue to explore.
In my group of improvisation two, we also used objects in our dance such as the water bottle and clothing that we took off. We used these objects as cues to other dancers for the section and what concept to explore. I noticed also that in the first improvisation the distal connection was clear and showed a sense of longing, but in the second improvisation we used touching instead of reaching and longing.
As a whole, the second improvisation was easier to follow along with then the first because every movement was in more of a sequence. In every group you could see a clear pattern in movements and transitions between concepts. With more silence in the music there was more room for conversations and interactions with one another. Our group, group 3, executed the piece as we had practiced and planned finishing all of our concepts and ideas within it. We tried to stay away from setting the piece too much because it would take it out of the improvisational state. With five sections we used different speeds in the first three sections until we reached stillness in the forth. But with the music still playing as we reached our second pose the viewers still knew we were not finished. The fight with pulling at the end brought closure to our piece in that we were all struggling together but we ending alone on the floor. No one really won the struggle, we just all pulled one another until we came to ends at random. I believe that our beginning and ending were both clear and our concepts were portrayed accurately.
Individually, I noticed improvement in my variety of styles of movement. I noticed more complex speeds, more facings, use of voice, variety in movement choices and strong interactions with the group while using contact. The biggest change was my fight away from repetition and from copying movements such as those around me. There was strength in my variety of movements as well as everyone else in my group. Clarity in what concept I was trying to portray I showed in many different ways unlike in my first improvisation where I would returned to the same pace and idea of movements multiple times. My development in the ability of variety and an increase of knowledge in my palette overall is clearer in my dancing now than it was at the beginning of the quarter.
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