Patyegarang Stuff

Question 1

The overall intention of Patyegarang?

Answer 1

1. In my opinion, scene 1: Eora from Patyegarang, choreographed by Stephan Page, is about the influence Patyegarang had on her tribe.

Patyegarang was an Australia Aboriginal woman and was said to be from the Cammeraygal clan of the Eora Nation, now known as Sydney.

Patyegarang is an important figure due to her connections to the arrival of the first fleet in 1788, bringing about the first connections between aboriginal and British people.

2. The piece begins with the depiction of everyday life, with Patyegarang gathering and uniting her clan as they surround her watching intently as she begins about an awakening of pride and knowledge.

3. Life is simplistic with distinct gender-based roles in the clan which is shown through contrast.

The men hunting and gathering surrounding the women to protect, and the women stay gathered for the roles of caregiving for the clan’s children showing their maternal roles.

4. The piece ends with Patyegarang separates from the women and receives help from the men as they are away from camp in giving her an advantage point in sight, so she climbs on top of them to get a closer look at something in the distance.

Question 2

Formal Structure of Patyegarang?

Answer 2

I perceive the formal structure of scene 1: Eora from Patyegarang to be a narrative and contains 3 main sections (A,B1,B2,C)

Question 3

Movement category of Section A?

Answer 3

• Patyegarang is crouched down on a low level with the rest of the tribe seated on there bottoms, legs crossed intently watching her.
• Patyegarang begins to create long and continuous movements and is the only person dancing

Question 4

Intention of Section A?

Answer 4

“Patyegarang is telling her tribe a story through dance while they watch on. This is typically how aboriginal stories or dreamtime stories are passed down through generations.”

Question 5

Movement Vocabulary of Section B1?

Answer 5

• Gender groups are established with the women in the centre and medium level with men around the outside on a low level.
• Strong use of contrast to establish gender roles
• Women dance in unison with each other (women’s business)
• Men are dancing in unison (men’s business)

Question 6

Intention of Section B1?

Answer 6

“The women stay in a clump in the centre of the formation to suggest tat they are staying at camp and perform women’s duties such as care taking and food preparation. The men form the circle around the women to help form protection and are looking for food near their tribe.”

Question 7

Movement Vocabulary of Section B2?

Answer 7

• Gender groups remain
• Men travel in circle around women in a circle end up in front prompt corner in a clump. Women grouped in opposite prompt back corner
• Circle is repeated with separate gender positions to end up with men in 2 staggered lines in front of the women.

Question 8

Intention of Section B2?

Answer 8

“The men travel in search of food and indigenous tribes are a nomadic culture and perhaps they are searching for a new campsite and place to live. The men complete any movements that are imitating the movements and qualities of animals which could suggest them imitating Australian animals that they are hunting. While the women move also they still stay in a clump to show that itis still a role for all the women in the tribe to care take while they move camp.”

Question 9

Movement vocabulary of Section C?

Answer 9

• Patyegarang separate from the women and moves over to group of men.
• Men clump together, and she climbs onto their shoulders looking our into the distance.

Question 10

Intention of Section C?

Answer 10

“Patyegarang has seen something and uses the men to get a better advantage point. But the men are coming back to help and acting as her protection to get a better look as it is not typically women’s business to venture out and away from the camp.”

Question 11

Info about Group Structure (theory)

Answer 11

• Symmetrical
• Asymmetrical
• Unison
• Contrast
• Canon

Question 12

Template or Elements of Movement

Answer 12

1. State the section
2. Describe the spatial arrangement/ positioning of the group formation (i.e behind, in front, leading, underneath, to the side etc)
3. Describe the movement vocabulary example & identify a at least three different elements of movement that are being manipulated.
4. Link the movement example to the **intention. **

Question 13

Template for Group Structures

Answer 13

1. State the section
2. Describe the spatial arrangement (over, under, behind, infront) of the group formation, remembering to discuss the positions the dancers are in.
3. Identify the group structure that that is being used and provide a movement vocabulary.
4. Draw a diagram of the arrangement
5. Link to intention

Question 14

Template for Influences

Answer 14

The Influence:
1. Your topic sentence should clearly identify the influence on the intention of the prescribed work.
2. Provide three points of evidence / facts that support the influence you have listed above.

Effect / Impact:
1. How has the influence listed above impacted Scene 1: Eora from Patyegarang?
2. Where (what section) do we see this impact the work?
3. Provide a movement example (from any section) which shows a direct result of the Influence listed

Question 15

Description of Patyegarangs movements in Section A

Answer 15

Patyegarang starts in the centre of the stage with the rest of the dancers spaced randomly around her filling the stage except for the right downstage corner. The dancers surrounding Patyegarang are sitting on the floor, either with legs crossed or in the square a-frame position facing her.

Patyegarang begins on her feet but crouched over with her arms hanging in front of her, to then to roll up at a slow speed from a low to medium level. Patyegarang then completes a rond de jambe with her left foot bending her supporting leg and bending her right arm at the elbow to create an angular shape. Then she bends her left arm and bends at the knees to swipe her right arm across in front of her with a straight arm. This then continuously flows into a parallel retire position with the right leg and arms in a fourth position.

Patyegarang is dancing at a medium level starting by stepping forwards on her left leg and reaching her arms around to then pivot to face the left upstage corner.

contrast Patyegarang maintains a medium level starting by circling her right hand to then push up to a straight arm, looking into the distance up above while bending her knees. She then flows into a hunched position over her knees bringing both arms down to then straight her knees and bring her upper body to a standing position. She then brings her arms into her chest to then push them forwards with flexed wrists and bending at the knees to lower her both as this movement occurs with her arms.

Question 16

Movement examples scene in Section B1

Answer 16

The females make a compact, circle in the centre of the stage and the males are around and surrounding the females creating a larger circle. The males are forwards direction travelling in a clockwise circular pathway the men are bent over at the hips when one arm in front and one arm behind flexed at the elbow and wrist creating an angular shape, in the mimic of an animal. They perform to walks forwards at a regular rhythm followed by a hurdle jump manipulating an upwards direction and repeat this whole phrase 4 times. The females are travelling in a forwards direction and stepping forwards on the left leg creating a rond de jambe, en dedan with a continuous flow to then step on the right foot turned in. The left leg then pase’s from derriere to devan turned in still at a medium level. While completing the phrase the arms arm bent at the elbow but swinging in a circle shape in reaction to the lower body movement at a constant speed and the whole phrase is repeated 4 times.

Question 17

Movement examples from section B2

Answer 17

The women are spaced in a clump in the back left corner and the men are spaced in a clump in the front right corner. The men start kneeling on the floor at a low level with their hands clasped together and pulled over to the right side. They then bring there knees and feet together and twist there arms and upper body to go back to the original position at a fast speed. They then continuously flow into a turn on their knees to then end up facing the front and leaning onto the right hand to extend there left leg up into the air creating a wide dimension. They then quickly bring in their arm and leg by bending at the knee and spin to the front while straightening knees to end in a medium level standing.

The women form a slightly curved horizontal line upstage. The seven men form a staggered horizontal line infront of the women. This creates a symmetrical balanced formation. The men are on a low level with one leg bent infront and the other leg tucked a the back. Using there right arm to swoop to the side and bring both arms up above their head moving in a semi circle and joined at the wrist with splayed fingers. This is followed by a knee spin. The women stationed at the back dance in contrast to the men.

In section B2 (5:08-5:10), The men are spaced in the downstage right corner forming a asymmetrical clump and the women are forming a symmetrical triangle in the corner upstage left. In unison, the women start in a lunge on the right foot leaning over with the upper body and the right arm is straight next to there head and left arm bent behind their head creating an angular shape. They then bend their knees to a wide second position and swoop around their arm to finish with their left arm straight and right hand touching their left elbow. An en dedan pirouette is completed with a flexed foot by the women to then finish with a step ball change. This phrase was completed all in unison to signify the women’s connection to one.

In section B2 (5:11), The females are in the left upstage corner forming a triangle and the men are forming a triangle in the downstage corner. The grouping forms a symmetrical shape with them facing each other in the corners of the stage. The women display a canon by starting with a gallop and then Patyegarang initiates the canon by swooping her right arm upwards and lifting her leg to a turned in retire position to then contract down while turning to face the upstage corner corner and reach up with their hands stepping forwards. Directly after these the next two female dancers in line complete this movement and then another 2 dancers complete this movement after.

Question 18

Movement examples from Section C

Answer 18

the women are in a semi-circle shape in the back left corner while Patyegarang moves forwards to the men which abstractly clumped together in the front left corner. The women bend down with their chest on the floor extending their back leg creating a wide dimension to then stand back up and passe the foot through a parallel retire position. They then change to a low level to roll on the floor in a sideways direction. The men slide on the floor and move to the corner, to connect to each other with their legs and arms helping Patyegarang move on top of them after separating from the female group to change from a medium to a high level. The men and Patyegarang display a direct external focus looking into the distance.

Question 19

Influences on Movement Vocabulary

Answer 19

1. One influence on pages movement vocabulary is Pages upbringing living with his family in Brisbane and additionally training at NAISDA and Sydney dance company.

• Stephan page grew up in Brisbane and was a late bloomer, as he joined NAISDA when 16 and had had no further training. After dancing at NAISDA and graduating in 1983 he then moved on to dance at Sydney dance company.
• Stephen page is a descent “of the Nunkul people and the Munaldali clan of the Yugambeh Nation from southeast QLD”, and commonly he travelled to Arnhem land where he learnt many traditional dances which included grounding stamping movements and animalistic gestures.
• At NAISDA, during their training as well as completing technique classes they also completed Indigenous Australian movement workshops and ceremonies. Stephen Page also went on to state that NAISDA “greatly assisted my dream of becoming a professional dancer and then directing my own company”.

His training at NAISDA has definitely influenced his movement vocabulary as it is traditional Indigenous dance.

2.The principles of contemporary dance and traditional aboriginal dance have heavily influenced pages choice of movement vocabulary.

• Stephan Page trained at NAISDA which is a combination of both traditional aboriginal dance and contemporary but after training at NASIDA he then went on the dance with the Sydney dance company where he learnt more contemporary dance features and movements.
• In the early 1970s there was n increase in the indigenous pride which then lead to the formation in Australia” Contemporary Indigenous Dance which then lead to the formation of NAISDA.
• Page had the ability to create a unique Australian language blending both contemporary and aboriginal culture and history.

Contemporary dance influences seen in his choreography include flexed feet, abstract movements, contraction and release of the torse and heavy use of floor work.

Question 20

Influences on Intention

Answer 20

1. One influence on the intension of “Patyegarang” is As The company was in Sydney Page wanted to tell the story from a Sydney based story from the aboriginal’s perspective.

The first fleet is the time in 1788 when British soldiers, convicts, free settlers, made first contact with aboriginal Australian land. However, many stories being told about this event is from the white persons perspective. This story is looking at it from a young Eora woman and her connection between her land and her people.

• The creator of this work Page worked closely with the individual Alana Valentine who is a dramaturg, and he was able to collect information about the story.
• Additionally, Page received information from Dawe’s notebooks and consulted the aboriginal elders of Sydney (Richard Green & Mathew Doyles) to ensure that he creates an authentic piece.
• This piece was Bungarra Dance Company’s first full length work based on the Sydney area, to display he wants to tell an Australian story about Australia’s history however from an aboriginal’s perspective to give the aboriginals a voice due to many stories being described from the first settler’s perspective.

2.One influence on the intension of “Patyegarang” is the way of indigenous Australian communication through story telling which is important in the future of education for generations to come.

Storytelling is done through dreamtime which is a large cultural practice and tradition that is done by Indigenous Australians, to increase their connection to the land and educate the next generations through the dreamtime. The story shown through the Patyegarang highlights the importance of dreaming through how the stories are told “through song, music and dance, in order to connect the people to the land”; which made the movements of the dancers authentic and symbolic of those used during dreamtime.

• The Authenticity of the stories was maintained through the “knowledge about the aboriginal and Torres straight island totemic systems, the histories of people … language, land and concepts and connections of kinship”.
• As page is from Brisbane, he ensured that he received first hand information from the elders of the Sydney area (Richard Green and Mathew Doyle’s to ensure the story telling and portrayal of the dreamtime are accurate and in correct aboriginal perspective.
• The piece titled Patyegarang displays the importance of dreaming and how it can connect the people with each other and the land through music, song and dance.