Emancipation Of Expressionism Flashcards
Choreographer
Kendrick H20 Sandy
Company
Boy Blue Entertainment
Dance style
Hip-Hop + contemporary fusion
Choreographic approach
Exploring hip-hop in a contemporary way
Starting Point/Stimulus
Music - ‘Til Enda’ and the idea of being free to express individuality - through the use of hip hop
Structure
4 sections:
1-Genesis
2 - Growth and Struggle
3 - Connection and Flow
4 - Empowerment
Dancers
17
8 x F
9 x M
Aural Composer and Overview
- ‘Til Enda’ → Olafur Arnalds
- ‘November’ - Max Richter
- break down music + notate with beats + dynamics to make sure choreography matches/complements
- different sections of the song are shown through signature motifs
Costume Overview
- Pastel blue cotton top + stone washed denim jeans.
- casual + fitted → clean look + nongendered.
- wanted arms to have freedom and expression so short sleeves
- grey high top trainers
- doesn’t want overly urban so stretch jeans not joggers
- slicked back hair - off face
- no jewellery
Lighting Designer and Overview
- kenrick H2O Sandy and Sadlers Wells Theatre lighting team
- Intensity of lighting varies considerably in the different sections
- above intense blue wash + spotlights highlights dancers or individual groups
- edges of stage not lit to create a central focus + create moods, highlights formations, the aural setting and transitions (fades or snaps to blackout for dramatic effect)
- S2 ‘growth and struggle’ - off stage right white lights show relationship between soloist + ensemble - trials + tribulations of life
- S3 ‘tranquility’ - enhanced by music
Performance Environment
- Proscenium arch stage
- theatrical fog/smoke creates texture in the air around the dancers and is enhanced by the lighting
Set Designer and Staging
- No set / staging
- Formations drive the structure of the space
- Inspired by football / basketball set drills
Choreographic intention/theme
Themes of order vs chaos throughout the trials and tribulations of life
Witnessing and sharing an emotional journey with an audience
E of E link staging/set to mood
Black set creates an intense trapped mood
When backcloth lifts for section 4, the mood lifts to freer and lighter
E of E link staging/set to lighting
Empty black space provides a blank canvas for the blue pools of light on the floor
E of E link staging/set to structure
The backcloth lifts for the final section
E of E link staging/set to theme
Emotional journey: the stage is black and enclosed for the first 3 sections from ‘birth’ and ‘beginning’ to people connecting, when empowerment begins, the backcloth lifts to match
E of E link staging/set to genre
Empty spaces are typical street dance settings
E of E link staging/set to movement
Empty stage allows for large groups of dancers using multiple formations
E of E link costume to stimulus
Freedom of expression: dancers wear their own personal jewellery + hair styles
E of E link costume to theme
Order + chaos, all dancers wear same showing order
E of E link costume to gender
Costumes are not gender specific as they all wear the same
E of E link costume to genre
Jeans, tshirt and trainers are typical of street dance wear
Short sleeved tshirt allows arm gestures of popping, locking, krumping to be seen clearly
E of E link costume to movement
Easy to move in
The trainers help the grounded dynamic and assist in acrobatic breakdance movements
E of E link costume to lighting
Blue costumes match the blue lighting
E of E link costume to era
Modern day clothing
E of E link lighting to mood
Variety of moods
Eg bright blue wash for ninja walk sets a powerful mood
White sidelights for growth and struggle set a mood of mystery
E of E link lighting to structure
There is a different lighting design for each section of the dance
E of E link lighting to restricts space
At times, dancers are restricted to circles of light
E of E link lighting to divides space + highlights groups of dancers
Circles of light
Growth and struggle: white sidelights create space for downstage dancers, blue wash upstage left creates space for krumping group
E of E link lighting to theme
Emotional journey: watery blue light at start might suggest beginning of life
E of E link aural setting to stimulus
Til Enda (music last section) - working with music: the movement works closely with the music, eg Empowerment: elbow jabs on violin accents whilst front group perform fluidly to smooth melody line
E of E link aural setting to theme
Emotional journey - eg Genesis: pulsating drum sounds like a heartbeat, appropriate for beginning of life. Eg Empowerment: music is powerful to match
E of E link aural setting to mood
Variety of moods set by the music
Eg sounds at start of Genesis set an eerie mood, aggressive dynamic in empowerment set a powerful mood
E of E link aural setting to movement
Close relationship - Til Enda work with music
Flow + Connection: the ‘running’ violin notes match the rippling waving technique
E of E link aural setting to structure
Music changes for each section
E of E link aural setting to lighting
Work closely eg Ninja Walk - powerful music suddenly hits at the same time as bright blue lighting change
E of E link aural setting to highlights groups of dancers
Often one group will follow one melody line whilst another group follow a different one - works with music closely
E of E link number/gender of dancers to theme
Emotional journey - a small group begin to show genesis, beginning of life with whole company on stage to show Empowerment at end
Growth + struggle: ‘rugby scrum’ - a large group holding back one dancer shows the struggle
Order + chaos: as all dancers are wearing same, gender is not divided, gender neutrality shows order
E of E link number/gender of dancers to movement
number of dancers important for movement so large formations can be used
E of E link number/gender of dancers to stimulus
Freedom of expression - using large number of dancers all using their own freestyle movement in flow and connection shows freedom of expression more clearly that if there were just a few
