Infra

Question 1

Choreographer

Answer 1

Wayne McGregor

Question 2

Choreographic Stimulus

Answer 2

Infra means “below” in Latin

The Waste Land poem (by TS Elliot) “Under the brown fog of a winter dawn. / A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many.”

The London bombings

Life beneath the surface of a city

This abstract ballet delves beneath the surface to present a moving meditation on human interactions.

Question 3

Choreographic Approach

Answer 3

McGregor uses three methods to generate movement vocabulary for the piece:
- SHOW a phrase to the whole or part of the cast – dancers watch and either recreate the phrase exactly or create a version.
- MAKE a phrase on a target dancer or dancers – others watch and copy or develop.
- TASK –set a choreographic task for dancers to complete or pose a
Typically the task or problem involves imagery as a stimulus for creating movement. The movement vocabulary is then structured into longer “sentences” and “paragraphs”. Finally he works musically with the structure and pieces it all together like a jigsaw.

Question 4

Choreographic Intent

Answer 4

Seeing below the surface of things

Human relationships

Allowing the audience to interpret for themselves

Question 5

Number of dancers

Answer 5

12 dancers (6 male / 6 female)
Brief appearance of a crowd who cross the stage.

Question 6

what company performs it?

Answer 6

The Royal Ballet

Question 7

structure of the dance

Answer 7

The ballet comprises solos, duets and ensembles with many arresting moments, for instance 6 couples dance duets in six squares of light and a crowd surges across the stage, unaware of one woman’s private grief.

Question 8

aural setting

Answer 8

Music by Max Richter (performed by The Max Richter Quintet with Jonathan Haswell).
Sound design by Chris Ekers.
The score mixes melancholy string melodies with electronic sounds and everyday sounds such as train-whistles.

Question 9

costume

Answer 9

Street clothes – for a moment to show a crowd

Tight and clean – to show clean lines and complex movements

Pointe shoes for females – allowed harder technique

Colour – black, white and grey

Gender – one man wears trousers one woman wears a wrap skirt

Question 10

what is the performance environment?

Answer 10

Proscenium arch/theatrical setting

Question 11

lighting

Answer 11

Relates closely to the structure and follow the movement

Focuses downstage leaving the upstage often in the dark

Orange colour for a male solo – fire and danger

Side light for the crowd scene

Question 12

staging/set

Answer 12

An 18m LED screen is placed high on the black back wall. It runs the width of the stage, along which there is a mesmerizing flow of electronic walking figures.

Question 13

dance style

Answer 13

Contemporary ballet

Also include gestures/pedestrian movement