Death And The Maiden (1980) By Robert North Flashcards
What year was this work first created and for which company?
1980 by LCDT
What year was this work first performed by Rambert?
1984
What is the subject matter of the dance?
-about the death of a young girl, and explores the different emotions, moving from fear and resistance to finally acceptance, up until the final moment of death itself.
What is the aural setting?
- composed by Schubert
- a live string quartet (2 violins, 1 Viola, and 1 chelo)
- music is classical and lyrical, with folk elements
What is significant about the aural setting of this piece?
-Schuberts music helped structure and create the themes of the dance, after North was inspired by the poem ‘death and the girl’ by Matthias Claudias
Who was the set and costume designer?
Robert North himself
Who was the lighting director?
Sid Ellen
Describe the physical setting
- no set, just a bare stage with a plain background
- costumes were very simple, in various shades of grey and black, males had lose fitting tops and tights, women in leotards with toning full length skirts
Who were the dancers?
-9 dancers, 5 women and 4 men
What is the structure of the dance and why it is considered this?
- binary
- first section: Premonitions = opens with full company ensemble, 1st part is vigorous and dramatic, echoing the dynamic features of music, 2nd part is more lyrical, as is music, but is more ominous
- second section: Conversations = made up of 5 duets between Death and the Maiden, each expressing a different face of death
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows the choreographers style
Movement: From section 1 premonitions, the whole ensemble of dancers are distrubuted across the stage, and facing DSL, they step over on their heel then the ball of the foot in a box step type motion. They move their left arm over their head and then to the side as they step over. This movement is performed in an accumulative canon as dancers stand up from the floor in small groups to join in movement. The music gets louder as the more dancers join in.
Interpretation: Folk step is a reminder of human movements, which all dancers perform showing their equality.
Choreographer’s style: Fusion of styles including folk step
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows the choreographers style
Movement: 4 male dancers are stood horizontally in a line across centre stage and they each hold a female dancer by the legs, holding them at a high level, whilst they perform a curved arm position with both arms. They slowly turn around in a circle, then the females are dropped into the males arms on the dramatic note of the music.
Interpretation: The female dancers armline is motif development of earlier, and the females being raised to a higher level could show the males putting them above themselves.
Choreographer’s style: Graham modern technqiue.
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows the choreographers style
Movement: The 4 male dancers run up towards USL and perform a grand jete en tournant, and then they ball change 4 times travelling down stage, crossing one foot over, changing directions. Their arms switch between classical third position, and second arabesque, and their head moves with their arms, looking down and then out. Direct correlation.
Interpretation: The 4 males performing these movements in unison shows the idea that initially the whole ensemble is the same and of equal status.
Choreographer’s style: Underpinning balletic movements for his works through grand jete and classical third position, along with other styles such as folk. Direct correlation with repeating notes in music.
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows the choreographers style
Movement: Death lunges towards the maiden and with his hands clasped, knocks on the maidens shoulder causing her to fall forward. He then lunges towards her and goes to wrap his arms around the maiden in a hug from behind. She slips through his arms and escapes, running around the back of death, and away from him.
Interpretation: in first duet, death is trying to comfort and nurture the maiden, showing her that death is a calm experience and that there is nothing to be frightened of. The knocking on her shoulder shows the chills death can cause and she is running away out of fear.
Choreographer’s style: characteristaion, graham movements
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows the choreographers style
Movement: Death covers the maiden’s ears as she leans on his chest in a backbend. He then places his hand over her eyes as he tilts her back up. She then shoots her armd up and death rasies one of his hands up a count after, and the dance ends.
Interpretation: Death is taking away her senses, first her hearing, then her sight, and then finally her breath. Her hand shooting up represents her ast breath, and final moment
Choreographer’s style: He formally closes the dance, characterisation
