Artificial Things Flashcards
Choreographer
Lucy Bennett
Company
StopGap Dance Company
Dance style
Inclusive Contemporary Dance
Dancers
4
2 x M
2 x F
Structure
Narrative
3 scenes (we only study scene 3 - the aftermath)
Duets/Contact/Solo
Aural Composer and Overview
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
Costume Designer and Overview
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
Lighting Designer and Overview
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
Performance Environment
Proscenium arch stage.
Choreographic approach
Collaborative approach with the dancers. Ideas taken from Laura in the wheelchair are translated by the standing dancers.
Set Designer and Staging
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
Starting point/stimulus
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
Choreographic intention/theme
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
AT link staging/set to stimulus
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
AT link staging/set to season
Snow on floor and snow in vitrine suggests winter
AT link staging/set to lighting
Colours on backcloth are faded and washed out - supports low intensity of lighting, nothing vibrant in either
AT link staging/set to location
Centre stage and stage right could suggest outdoors due to snow
Stage left suggests indoors due to furniture
AT link staging/set to mood
Washed out colours on backdrop and odd nature of furniture set an uncertain + downbeat mood
AT link staging/set to movement
Dancers sit on and stand by stools in Family Portraits to create a variety of levels and ‘photographic’ positions - Dave sits on display cabinet
AT link staging/set to costume
The streaks of paint on backcloth are mirrored in costume designs
AT link staging/set to aural setting
Snow on floor is echoed in music with wind sounds and crunching noises
Music also has ‘tumbling’ piano notes which suggest snow flurries
AT link costume to stimulus
Gorman djurovic - the streaked costumes were inspired by his painting - they are painted
AT link costume to set
Streaks on the costumes match the streaks on the backcloth
AT link costume to highlights dancers
Each dancer has a different costume
AT link costume to movement
Amy’s dress is short and has side splits to help her move freely
Laura has sleeveless top to show off her arm movements
AT link costume to climax
Dave wears the suit jacket for his solo at the end - marking the climax
AT link costume to gender
Costumes are gender specific
AT link costume to aural setting
Dave’s suit jacket is traditional and old fashioned matching the old fashioned song he performs with
AT link lighting to stimulus
White pools of light on the floor suggests snowballs or the snow globe itself
AT link lighting to season
Blue wash is a cold colour and supports winter theme
AT link lighting to mood
White and blue suggest a cold stark mood
Amber sidelights suggest a warmer, more intimate mood
AT link lighting to structure
There is a different lighting design for each section of this dance
AT link lighting to restricts space
Pools of light encase the dancers link to snow globe from stimulus
Wash opens up space for more travelling
AT link lighting to divides space
Colder whites and blues are reserved for centre stage and stage right
Warmer amber is used stage left
AT link lighting to highlights dancers
Eg Dave is lit with a white spotlight/pool of light for his solo at
AT link lighting to theme
Limitations + resolution - dance starts with cold white but ends in warm amber
AT link aural setting to stimulus
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
AT link aural setting to season
Wind + crunching sounds suggest winter + sleigh bells
AT link aural setting to location
Wind + crunching sounds suggest outdoors
AT link aural setting to theme
Limitations and resolutions have the idea of time passing - chiming piano chords in Family Portraits suggest clock chimes
AT link aural setting to mood
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
AT link aural setting to movement
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
AT link aural setting to structure
Music changes for each section
AT link aural setting to lighting
Wind sounds and crunching noises support cold white pools of light at the start
AT link number/gender of dancers to theme
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
AT link number/gender of dancers to movement
Number of dancers is important for movement so that close contact for whole group is used
AT link number/gender of dancers to stimulus
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
