Danish Dance Theatre performance review

On the 26^th of January I went to Warwick Arts Centre to see the Danish Dance Theatre, led by artistic director Tim Rushton. This was their first performance in the UK to celebrate their 30 year anniversary. It has been described as ‘Classical beauty of ballet combined with the power of contemporary dance’. I really agree with this statement as the technique performed was balletic, although there were gripping emotions and narratives being explored.

The performance was split into three sections, Enigma, CaDance, and Kridt. Here are my observations and thought of the three pieces.

ENIGMA

Enigma, meaning riddle or puzzle was an engaging piece, and I particularly enjoyed the use of space and the variety of ensembles throughout. There was a mixture of solos, trios, and group ensembles which led to different focuses on stage, so i was never just looking at one point of the stage for very long. The duets complimented each other and the use of cannon, unison, stillness, and levels made the piece interesting because of the constant variety. I also really enjoyed the contact work. The males would support the females during lifts and jumps; there were moments where the females would lead and then the males, which again created different focuses constantly. There were also different entrances and exits going on throughout so there would always be a different number of dancers on stage at one time, making it interesting to watch because you didn’t know who would appear on stage next, and what would be coming next in the movement. However, there was one female dancer who began the piece as a solo and remained on stage throughout the whole piece.

CADANCE

CaDance, a five male only piece was also an engaging piece. There were two live drummers on stage playing the music, which involved a variety of drums and layers of rhythms, which made the piece instantly interesting as there was not just dance happening on the stage and the performance as a whole could be appreciated. The piece represents a game, where convicts in a prison yard are strutting and posing, challenging each other. The drum sticks represent how their bodies can perform minor, bone dry movements and then in a split second they can attack. This could be shown by the short, almost twitching repetitive movements which would then break out into jumps and travelling floor work. The piece started with two dancers on stage and then progressed into the five dancers at the end, who danced mainly in a line across the front of the stage. The strong aggression and competition was shown by facial expression and the very weighted movement. I really enjoyed this piece as the strong movement combined with the timing of the fast strong beat of the music really made me engage with the characters and I felt like I wanted to get up on stage and dance with them.

KRIDT

Kridt, which translates as ‘chalk’, represents a man on the verge of death remembering his life. This was my favourite piece of the three because of the strong, emotional narrative being represented and I felt so engaged throughout the whole piece. I really liked the beginning of the dance as there was a chalk board running across the back of the stage, and one of the dancers travelled across the stage writing in large letters along the whole board, which set the scene. The board was incorporated within the whole dance, and dancers would draw on it, outlining other dancer’s positions and then travelling across the stage rubbing out all the chalk and starting again. This was really interesting as there was always something being done with the chalk board throughout, at the back of the stage which lead to different focuses constantly. There was one clear main character, which was male and danced mainly centre stage throughout, and was being manipulated by other dancers through contact. Towards the end danced in a spotlight, centre stage with the other dancers framing him and he was them lifted by them all to the ceiling and sand started pouring down on to him in a long line from above. This was a representation of death and was really interesting as I have never seen sand being used as part of a dance piece. There was strong classical music throughout, and the piece ended with the main character lying on the floor surrounded by the other dancers looking at him, which created a climax and ended the performance strongly.

I really liked the way the movement was clear and held elements of ballet technique, but the relationships between the dancers, the use of bare feet, music, and narrative had a very contemporary feel to it. It was unpredictable and edgy which I also really loved about the piece.  

Alexander technique

I took part in an Alexander technique class with Lucia Walker. The aim of the class was to notice and try and correct habits were had got into concerning mainly sitting down. We were asked to sit on the floor how we would normally and then notice how our body naturally wanted to sit. I found I was quite slouched, with my head poking forwards and legs crossed. As I was noticing the position I was in I found I was actually quite uncomfortable and not able to breathe deeply.
Lucia then directed us with a hands on approach into and upright sitting position which was actually more comfortable and I was encouraged to feel the spaces in between the vertebra in my back. I found that they felt clearer and longer, which then improved my flow of breath.
I found this session very interesting as I know notice not only in dance but in everyday life how I could be improving my alignment and posture without much effort, yet feel a lot less strain on my back, knees, ankles, and other areas of my body. I am now aware of the bad habits I hold while sitting, walking and standing and am now keen to work on this using the Alexander technique principles to improve, as this can also be applied to my development in dance.

Improvisation task with a a chair: we carried out a task in the studio where we had to travel from one end to the other in pairs, while incorporating the use of a chair. It was interesting to include an object within dance, and we found we moved in new ways because of the focus on the chair. However I felt at first it was quite a stop\start process as we would often stop and feel stuck when getting into an awkward position with the chair. After several attempts we then found we could move more fluidly across the space with the chair and moved through the awkward moments, and it was a fun task!

Cecelia Macfarlane workshop

Some words I picked up from Cecelia's beliefs in dance during the class..

• Empowerment
• Passion- From within, that cannot be taught , it comes from the individual.
• Inclusion
• Translate- Individuals interpretation of movement.
• Facilitate- To suit every individual.
• creativity- Everyone has their own creativity, and it can be Incorporated in all dancing.

We were asked to improvise for a set amount of time with different types of music and guidance from Cecelia, and then ask our self the question 'What stops/bocks you and why?'

• People in the way/ not enough space.
• Thinking about my movement too much and not doing.
• Not always having a high level of confidence when I feel I cannot go any further with the movement.

We then answered the question 'Were there any surprises within your movement'

• Found moments of release and fluidity more than usual.
• I managed to travel around the whole space, even though i was not directly focusing on the idea of travel.

Another idea we questioned and focused on throughout the class was 'What makes you different, and what do you celebrate about your dancing?'

• Prepared to alternate between dynamics.
• Hold flow throughout, and do not stop and start movement constantly.
• Finding endless possibilities of movement on the floor.
• Considering stillness within my movement.

I really enjoyed this workshop, as it made me realise how much I am learning on this course and how I have developed so far. My focus and exploration has widened and I feel more confident during improvisation tasks. I am less afraid to try out new ideas, even if they do not always work. I am also starting to celebrate the way my body moves and my individuality as a dance artist.

Skinner releasing technique.. class one

I took part in a skinner releasing technique class with Florence Peake. I left the class feeling uplifted, relaxed, and aware of all bones, joints, muscles, and tissues within my body. We focused on the use of breath while dancing, and I discovered I tend to hold my breathe as I dance because I am concentrating and trying to keep a good alignment, while also trying to hold positions. However I found that during this class the intake and release of breathe regularly and during certain types of movement can actually improve the flow of my dancing, and improve my balance.
We did several tasks, all focusing on suppleness and the idea of giving in to the shift of weight. We also did timed improvisation tasks focusing on being loose within the hips, and then being loose within the arms, while again improving the flow of breath throughout.
One principle of skinner releasing technique which we also discussed was how the imagination can improve memory of movement. Joan Skinner believed that imagining is just as good as doing for movement memory. I find this particularly interesting as I find that remembering dance sequences a challenge, so I am going to work on this using this technique of imagining the movement.
Another principle of skinner releasing technique is that mind and body work together while dancing at all times. I did in fact feel that by the end of this class my mind and body were working together while dancing the short sequences we learnt.
I enjoyed this session, and know I will be using these principles during studio practice and other sessions in order to keep improving!

Review of a second year performance.. Eden Dance Company

In December I watched a performance by Eden dance Company, performed by the second year dance students. It included three sections called ‘Installation’, ‘silent walk’, and ‘lady Herbert’s garden’. The aim of the project was to explore the response from the dancers to their environment.

The first section, Installation, was performed in the dance studio. The whole space was used and there were three large plastic see through sheets placed around the space. These made a rustling noise when the dancers came into contact with them which added an interesting element to the sounds in the space. I particularly liked the use of these sheets as they were an unusual prop to include within a dance piece, but the dancers made really interesting use of them and they really engaged me throughout. The dancers also leaned against the walls, and incorporated them within their movement during some moments, which again encouraged the audience to discover all parts of the space.

When we arrived in the space they encouraged us to walk around the space also and take in the surroundings with the dancers before sitting down, and they were already in character and moving. They were walking and exploring the whole space by looking around at every detail and object in the space, including in the audience space, the ceiling, the floor and every wall and corner of the studio. This made me intrigued as to what they were exploring and enabled me to also engage in my surroundings as part of the audience. I really liked how this made me feel part of the performance and part of the space, not just an audience member watching from the side, which therefore helped me understand the piece fully.

The use of costume in this section complimented the natural, environmental feel being created. The dancers wore soft earthy colours such as brown, light pink and green. They wore flowing dresses over leggings and tee shirts which flowed and rippled as they moved, creating a sense of nature moving freely.

There was use of soft, slow music which complimented the soft dynamic of the piece. There was a strong focus on the hands and arms as the dancers all moved in unique ways covering the whole space. They moved in a variety of ways, and every dancer had their own motifs and focus. They included walking, running, sliding and rolling across the floor, leading with the hands and feet, as well as in contact with each other and the props.

The next section in the piece was the silent walk to the gardens. The dancers wore long furry coats and wellies which attracted the attention of the general public while walking through Coventry. This was particularly interesting as we could see how this caused a reaction in many people, and I was able to recognise different people’s reactions to their environment, which was the aim of the piece. The walk led us through both old and modern streets, which again enabled us to take in our surroundings.

This led us to the final section in Lady Herbert’s garden. We watched the performance from a bridge so we could watch from above and have a larger view of the area. I enjoyed watching the piece from a different angle as it enabled me to engage with a new type of environment which i have not experienced as part of a dance performance before, which really interested me, as i could view the performance from different angles and positions.  The dancers continued to explore their surroundings and also came into contact with nature. The dancers then all gathered into one area on grass and all started moving fluidly and in time with one another in silence which was very engaging. The soft dynamic again was very soothing and natural which reflected the environment we were in.