section 3 - movement examples Flashcards
Themes
-Battle of the sexes - ‘I’m gonna tell you how its gonna be’ - male dancer moves back round female dancer, she leans on him and kicks him round, he does a glissade towards DSR and he does a grande jete back towards her and his hands are on his lapels with his elbows out (imagery of the clipped wings) and both do three fast step ball changes towards USL while she’s got her arms out while they stare at each other as he moves forwards and she’s moving backwards - could mean male chauvenism backing her into a corner or that she’s luring him in
-Male chauvinism - the male dancer comes out of a leap, he hops forward with his leg gestured out with a flexed foot and he circles the arm very quickly backwards with a bend from the elbows which are on the sides of the body - freedom - won’t let women control him - won’t have his wings clipped - will fly
-Authority - The female dancer turns round and jabs her foot onto the male’s backwards as he’s lying in a supine position on the floor, she nudges him to turn him over, as she turns round and pulls him off the floor (in control). He stands up in front of her SR and she grabs hold of his upper arms as they walk forwards on the balls of their feet twisting their heels in a 1,2,3 and 4 rhythm (repetition) - stylised social dance movement of the 1960s - direct correlation
Use of social dance (extra)
-Eclectic blend of movement - social dance - the male and female step on their heel towards each other scooping their arm up with their palm upwards, they then cross over and rock back leaving the heel up which links to the jive
-they both often
-the male and female are SL and they face the audience holding each other’s hand and they do three twists on the balls of their feet swivelling their ankles and then tap the outside leg behind the supporting leg to end with their backs to one another and the female has her arms crossed looking at the audience
Contrast of male and female
-When the female strikes the male down, he throws his arms around and lands on the floor in a prone position slamming his fists against the floor like he’s being controlled and manipulated - very dramatic
-On the line ‘Hey’, the male dancer does an explosive leap and flings his arms up into an open ‘V’ towards DSR (his escape corner) - on instrumental section - shows freedom that males have - his movements are bigger and more emphasised
-While the female dancer places her hands on her bottom again and rotates her hips to face US, he faces DS and does a twist movement with his heels on the balls of his feet and wrists are loosely hanging in front of him, points fingers in air and is bopping from side to side like he’s in his own little world - different maturity levels - the twist - SOCIAL DANCE MOVEMENT
Theme of authority
-The female is facing SR and she pops her hip and the male standing behind her dramatically falls to the floor his hands in a limp parallel in front of him flexed at the elbows and he faces SR in a prone position and slams his fists repetitively against the floor shaking his head then the female hits her foot into his backside turns round and bulls him off the floor and the both face SR, the female behind the male holding his forearms moving on the balls of their feet twisting their heels - this shows that she has authority over him as he is controlling his movements - her movements are more reserved while his are more bold and flamboyant
Aural setting
-The male dancer does very fast triplets towards DS with his arms in a clipped position on his lapels on the line ‘I’m gonna love you night and day’ - matches the rhythm of fast paced song
-Harmonica playing - music visualisation - after the males really fast footwork section, he turns round to face the female as if he expects a response and lands on straight legs and then she moves towards him circling her hips, hands in clasped position bringing her hands up towards her chest, then bringing them down towards the floor - maintaining her character (call and response (movement relationship)) ??
-The female dancer faces the front and knocks her knees in and out at the same time while swinging her arms in a linear manner across her body and back out again - music visualisation - 60s social dance - allusion movement
Choreographic devices
-Development of the tempo - slow down of the triplet facing towards one another USL and he moves towards her, moving his shoulders at the same time while his hands are on his lapels moving slower on rhythm of 1 and 2,3 and 4 rather than 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 - makes dance more reflective
-Repetition of the scooping action - at start and after the female knocks her knees together moving her arms in a linear manner across her body
-Highlight - When the male is lying in supine position and the female jabs her foot into his backside and she nudges him to turn over and pulls him off the floor - shows she’s authoritative - female’s controlling
Transition (and highlight)
-She places her hand very deliberately on the floor while she is in a spotlight DSL. As the music for the next section starts, the male in the blue jacket starts to walk on for ‘as tears go by’
Space
Levels:
-When the male is lying in supine position and the female jabs her foot into his backside and she nudges him to turn over and pulls him off the floor - shows she’s authoritative - female’s controlling
-Personal space - the female is SL and waits for the male with her arms in a low limp parallel in front while she is in a side lunge and she walks over to the male SR in his personal space and pulls him off the floor and turns him underneath her arms then they perform triplets back towards USL, the female moving backwards and the male forwards like he is encroaching on her or being backed into a corner or the female could be luring him in - invasion of each other’s personal space
Area on the stage:
-The male has an escape corner towards DSR for example on the line ‘Hey’ he does an explosive leap towards DSR with the arms flinging in the air into an open V - freedom from controlling female - social attitudes for men at the time in the 1960s
Christopher Bruce as a choreographer
-Eclectic use of dance styles - the male and female step on their heel towards one another scooping their arm up, with their palm upwards, they then cross over and rock back - links to jive
-Symbolic repetition - the clipped wing movement of the arms - the elbows are flexed and the hands are on the lapels and the elbows are stuck out on the sides of the body - makes the male look like a chicken - mocks him
-Balletic influences - the male does a glissade towards DSR, then a grande jete back towards the female hands on his lapels - influenced by Gore or Rambert
Structure
-Call and response structure
-after the males really fast footwork section, he turns round to face the female as if he expects a response and lands on straight legs and then she moves towards him circling her hips, hands in clasped position bringing her hands up towards her chest, then bringing them down towards the floor - maintaining her character (call and response (movement relationship))
-the male dancer comes out of a leap, he hops forward with his leg gestured out with a flexed foot and he circles the arm very quickly backwards with a bend from the elbows which are on the sides of the body then performs a sequence of fast footwork before the female in response moves towards him swinging her arms back and forth then clasps her hands and turns around to face the male
Physical setting
-The male uses his lapels to represent a clipped wing position but also the freedom the males had in the 1960s compared to the females - fast triplets back towards DS - on line ‘I’m gonna love you night and day’
-Female wears red pleated dress - seductive - on line ‘I’m gonna give your love to me’ - she places her hands on her bottom and faces US and rotates her hips
Use of dancers
-Contrast between the male and female - both athletic build, male slightly taller -While the female dancer places her hands on her bottom again and rotates her hips to face US, he faces DS and does a twist movement with his heels on the balls of his feet and wrists are loosely hanging in front of him, points fingers in air and is bopping from side to side like he’s in his own little world - different maturity levels
-Male more flamboyant and bold but also exaggerated and dramatic while female is very demure and conservative, for example, on the line ‘Hey’, the male dancer does an explosive leap and flings his arms up into an open ‘V’ towards DSR (his escape corner) - on instrumental section - shows freedom that males have - his movements are bigger and more emphasised
Character/personality
Female dancer:
-reserved, mature, representative of female empowerment, controlling at times, authoritive
Male dancer:
-chauvinistic, immature, bold, flamboyant, has more freedom (clipped wing references, animalistic)
Overall, shows fast and free relationships of the 1960s
