Artificial Things

Question 1

Choreographer

Answer 1

Lucy Bennett

Question 2

Company

Answer 2

StopGap Dance Company

Question 3

Dance style

Answer 3

Inclusive Contemporary Dance

Question 4

Dancers

Answer 4

4
2 x M
2 x F

Question 5

Structure

Answer 5

Narrative

3 scenes (we only study scene 3 - the aftermath)

Duets/Contact/Solo

Question 6

Aural Composer and Overview

Answer 6

Worked with Andy Higgs interested about his Piano composition.

He used both inside + outside of piano.

Collaborative process in making music, he improvised when dancers did.

Recorded snowy soundscapes (paper snow)

‘The sunshine of your smile’ - song, extracts feature throughout

Final section uses full song at the end

Question 7

Costume Designer and Overview

Answer 7

Anna Jones in charge of designing.
Sparse + washed-out.
Lots of skin on show.
Paint dripping down → refers to stimulus.
Colour scheme is wintery.
Females in dresses, men in formal trousers + formal tops.
Jacket worn at end

Question 8

Lighting Designer and Overview

Answer 8

Designer = Chahire Yavrovan.
Filmic look
Gradual build of light → side Light.
Not many sharp changes.
Warm sunrise builds throughout piece → side light.
Spotlight at end for solo
Yellow, white, blue.
Sepia tones

Question 9

Performance Environment

Answer 9

Proscenium arch stage.

Question 10

Choreographic approach

Answer 10

Collaborative approach with the dancers. Ideas taken from Laura in the wheelchair are translated by the standing dancers.

Question 11

Set Designer and Staging

Answer 11

Goran Djurovic influence.
Set within artificial world.
Display cabinet on stage.
Framed within stage.
Vitrine = display cabnet + 2 stools.
Anna Jones = designer.
Paper snow on floor.
Headless mannequin.
Crudely painted backdrop

Question 12

Starting point/stimulus

Answer 12

A snow covered urban landscape with an isolated figure on a collapsed wheelchair
View from far away - snow globe
Dancers personal experiences
The paintings of Serbian artist Goran Djurovic also influenced the costumes

Question 13

Choreographic intention/theme

Answer 13

Characters coming to terms with life’s limitations
Living with confinements + being subject to the gaze of ‘the other’
Being restricted by a snow globe
Sorrowful but peaceful scene + finding resolution by coming together - live with individual regret

Question 14

AT link staging/set to stimulus

Answer 14

Snow on floor and snow in vitrine support the snow covered landscape and the snow globe idea
Gorman djurovic = backcloth inspired by his paintings + border on floor could suggest a picture frame

Question 15

AT link staging/set to season

Answer 15

Snow on floor and snow in vitrine suggests winter

Question 16

AT link staging/set to lighting

Answer 16

Colours on backcloth are faded and washed out - supports low intensity of lighting, nothing vibrant in either

Question 17

AT link staging/set to location

Answer 17

Centre stage and stage right could suggest outdoors due to snow
Stage left suggests indoors due to furniture

Question 18

AT link staging/set to mood

Answer 18

Washed out colours on backdrop and odd nature of furniture set an uncertain + downbeat mood

Question 19

AT link staging/set to movement

Answer 19

Dancers sit on and stand by stools in Family Portraits to create a variety of levels and ‘photographic’ positions - Dave sits on display cabinet

Question 20

AT link staging/set to costume

Answer 20

The streaks of paint on backcloth are mirrored in costume designs

Question 21

AT link staging/set to aural setting

Answer 21

Snow on floor is echoed in music with wind sounds and crunching noises
Music also has ‘tumbling’ piano notes which suggest snow flurries

Question 22

AT link costume to stimulus

Answer 22

Gorman djurovic - the streaked costumes were inspired by his painting - they are painted

Question 23

AT link costume to set

Answer 23

Streaks on the costumes match the streaks on the backcloth

Question 24

AT link costume to highlights dancers

Answer 24

Each dancer has a different costume

Question 25

AT link costume to movement

Answer 25

Amy’s dress is short and has side splits to help her move freely Laura has sleeveless top to show off her arm movements

Question 26

AT link costume to climax

Answer 26

Dave wears the suit jacket for his solo at the end - marking the climax

Question 27

AT link costume to gender

Answer 27

Costumes are gender specific

Question 28

AT link costume to aural setting

Answer 28

Dave’s suit jacket is traditional and old fashioned matching the old fashioned song he performs with

Question 29

AT link lighting to stimulus

Answer 29

White pools of light on the floor suggests snowballs or the snow globe itself

Question 30

AT link lighting to season

Answer 30

Blue wash is a cold colour and supports winter theme

Question 31

AT link lighting to mood

Answer 31

White and blue suggest a cold stark mood Amber sidelights suggest a warmer, more intimate mood

Question 32

AT link lighting to structure

Answer 32

There is a different lighting design for each section of this dance

Question 33

AT link lighting to restricts space

Answer 33

Pools of light encase the dancers link to snow globe from stimulus Wash opens up space for more travelling

Question 34

AT link lighting to divides space

Answer 34

Colder whites and blues are reserved for centre stage and stage right Warmer amber is used stage left

Question 35

AT link lighting to highlights dancers

Answer 35

Eg Dave is lit with a white spotlight/pool of light for his solo at

Question 36

AT link lighting to theme

Answer 36

Limitations + resolution - dance starts with cold white but ends in warm amber

Question 37

AT link aural setting to stimulus

Answer 37

Wind sounds at beginning + crunching sounds (footsteps in snow) suggest snowballs or perhaps covered landscape Gliding; ‘falling’ notes add whooping piano sounds suggest sliding (like on ice) Dancers’ personal experiences: ‘Sunshine of Your Smile’ for Dave’s solo is the song his father used to sing

Question 38

AT link aural setting to season

Answer 38

Wind + crunching sounds suggest winter + sleigh bells

Question 39

AT link aural setting to location

Answer 39

Wind + crunching sounds suggest outdoors

Question 40

AT link aural setting to theme

Answer 40

Limitations and resolutions have the idea of time passing - chiming piano chords in Family Portraits suggest clock chimes

Question 41

AT link aural setting to mood

Answer 41

Wind suggests cold lonely mood Sunshine of your smile is a love song and so suggests a warmer, loving mood - link to limitation and resolution

Question 42

AT link aural setting to movement

Answer 42

Close relationship in Gliding where David and Amy move Laura in her chair to and fro, forwards + back - music also has a falling and climbing melody to match Distant relationship in Dave and Laura’s duet which works in parallel to the soundscape

Question 43

AT link aural setting to structure

Answer 43

Music changes for each section

Question 44

AT link aural setting to lighting

Answer 44

Wind sounds and crunching noises support cold white pools of light at the start

Question 45

AT link number/gender of dancers to theme

Answer 45

Limitation + Time passing toward resolution, Family portraits: the number of+ gender important because the dancers represent a variety of roles within a family as they pose for imaginary photographs - each one symbolic of more time passed Limitation + resolution = having 4 dancers creates idea of isolation + support shown

Question 46

AT link number/gender of dancers to movement

Answer 46

Number of dancers is important for movement so that close contact for whole group is used

Question 47

AT link number/gender of dancers to stimulus

Answer 47

Viewing from afar - the number of dancers is important so that one or more dancers can view others from afar whilst they perform eg Dave’s solo