Within Her Eyes Flashcards
Section C (16 cards)
Choreographer
James Cousins
Company
James Cousins Dance Company
Premiere Date
2016
Stimulus
Love story with a twist.
Personal experiences/well known narratives.
Themes
Love, loss, dependency, loyalty, longing and memory.
Choreographic Approach
Choreography in ‘There we have been’.
Idea of female dancer off the floor for the whole dance.
Collaboration with dancers through improv.
Dance Style
Contemporary and contact work
Performance environment
Site-sensitive
Dancers
2
1 male - Aaron
1 female - Lisa
Costume analysis
Everyday clothing
F - beige skirt and shirt
M - khaki jeans and jumper
Everyday people experience loss
Blouse - delicate shows fragile nature - button becomes undone showing her distress
Skirt is flowing - romantic nature - limits restrictions for extensions
Dull and earthy colours show depressing mood and complement setting
Highlight gender and character
Sculpt body to see clear lines.
Set analysis
Site-sensitive - Graveyard, hilltop, quarry, woods and long grass
Graveyard emphases idea of loss
Change in locations become more intimate showing growing closeness in the relationship.
Dreary colours of landscape complement lighting and costume
Openness - loneliness and can see into the distance the future of their relationship.
Change in set shows change in time and progression of love story.
Aural Setting analysis
Strings and pianos
Wind - location and how vast and open it is - in their own world
Sense of sinister and sad story reflecting emotions that may be felt.
Piano and strings create romantic feel
Piano at start shows fragility
Returns in kneeling section where they look at each other for the first time - intimacy
Each section matches narrative - lower notes complement the darker parts of the story - create tension
Lighting analysis
Natural lighting
Impending darkness matches that of the dark and twisted love story and growing feelings between the dancers
Dark and cloudy creates the somber and sad feeling to the piece - highlights the female dancer and her vulnerability
Change of lighting creates idea of a day and the relationship progressing - start is overcast implying early morning.
Movement anylsis
Action
Contact and lifts - dependence
Eye contact
Space
Close together - female faces sky in certain sections
Dynamics
Slower at start shows fragility
Quicker during flow (forest)
Relationships
Contact - whole dance
Lead and follow - female leads in start but this changes near the end
Action reaction
Motifs
Female balances on male and extends leg slowly in front of male
Female leads the male dancer to wrap arm around for a lift
Male lifts female above his head
Female gestures to the sky reaching away.
Choreographic devices
Repetition - reaching shows grief
Climax - pace and energy
