Rooster

Question 1

list the numbers in Rooster in order and how many dancers are in each
who was the choreographer
when was Rooster made

Answer 1

Christopher Bruce
1991-1994
1. Little Red Rooster- 5 m, 1 f
2. Lady Jane- all 10
3. Not fade away- 1 m, 1 f
4. As tears go by- 4 m, 4 f
5. Paint it Black- 1 m, 3 f
6. Ruby Tuesday- 4 m, 1 f
7. Play with fire- 1 m, 1 f
8. Sympathy of the devil- all 10
LLNARPPS

Question 2

List some Overarching themes in Rooster as a whole

Answer 2

• Social themes of the 60’s
• Looking back nostalgically at his youthful past and popular culture of that era
• Addressing attitudes to women
• Courtship (trying to impress women), power dynamic in relationships
• Narcissism, bullying, misogyny

Question 3

list the key constituent feature= Action Content in Little Red Rooster

Answer 3

Rooster gestures: pecking head (head jolting movement), broken wrists, pushed out chest, dragging feet, wing arms
Grooming gestures: fixing tie, adjusting handcuffs, slicking back the hair, brushing shoulders
Rooster strut sequence: tie, slick hair, chicken wing flap jump and sudden head change direction

Question 4

List the main subject matter/ themes in Little Red Rooster ( a constituent feature)

Answer 4

• Male Chauvinism
• Narcissism, misogyny
• Heard mentality
  -Misogyny (prejudice against women)- when women enters, she negatively impacts the men
• Courting rituals: (try to impress the women) masculine and animalistic gestures
• Culture references: gestures such as going through legs, reflects pop culture in the 60’s e.g. Elvis

Question 5

how do the lyrics of LRR link to animal gestures (constituent features)

and how does this emphasise the 60’s in terms of how women were treated by men

Answer 5

the lyrics ‘Hounds began to Hound’ (means the men were like hounds the dog breed and hounded on the women which was to harass/ relentlessly pursue them)
This lyric with Eliv’s hip movement to represent the way men would court women with arrogance and with sexual tension

Question 6

explain how the action content (constituent features) symbolises animalistic qualities

Answer 6

“rooster” gestures throughout that show animalistic quality’s of the male dancers.

Start: “I am the little red rooster..” the male dancer aptly takes on this role.
—> jolting head movement back and forth putting emphasis on the forward jolts, as if he is pecking
–> butterfly kick with bent elbows to make wings, to symbolise a rooster jumping and flapping it’s wings
- showing animalistic small movements that heighten the characterisation.

Question 7

list 2 things to remember about in LRR
-actions
-space

Answer 7

Actions 1. contact and lifts- m lifts f and she needles her leg through to twist onto the ground 2. grooming gestures and rooster gestures
Space 1. 4 men at the start spread across stage with 2 in front and 2 at the back 2. mixed use of levels as there were 2 short floor motifs

Question 8

list 2 things to remember about
-dynamics
-relationship
in Little Red Rooster

Answer 8

Dynamics 1. soft and lethargic as it sets the scene for a day of watching women 2. There’s a heavy beat at the start of the bar
Relationship 1. There’s a direct correlation between music and action content e.g. dogs begin to bark, hounds begin to hound 2. When the female entered she changed the relationships because she caused them to leave

Question 9

list 2 things to about the constituent features
- A
-C, d
-S, L
-Links to S M

of LRR

Answer 9

• Accompaniment (music/ aural setting) 1. Music by the Rolling stones, all same name as title of each dance
  2. Blue’s style and remember ‘prowl’ and ‘hounds begin to hound’
• Costume and dancers all in soft jazz shoes 1. 5 males in trousers all dark grey. Bright coloured tie, shirt and velvet jackets each different colours, no males are matching
• 2. 1 female Black above knee dress that is high-neck, sleeveless dress with red panels on the skirt
     -Set, lighting 1. Bare stage 2. lighting is a large central wash that dims around the edges
• Subject Matter 1. Masculine gestures with animalistic qualities 2. women are perceived as intrusive and negatively affect the men

Question 10

list the main action content examples (constituent features) that you need to know for Lady Jane

Answer 10

In Lady Jane the actions are in the style of
social dance
-m holding hand out for f then bowing with arms twisting gesture, into balonces with hands holding high
- Background dancers circle with outstretched arms with wrists crossed, then sequence of lifts to change the formation
- Courtship Position- face to face, shoulders and hips parallel. m R hand around f waist and f L hand rests on his R shoulders.

1. she wraps her hands around her own body
2. assisted grande jete which is repeated with different female
3. m smacks LJ bottom

Question 11

what are the names of the three females in LJ

Answer 11

Lady Jane
Lady Ann
Sweet Marie

Question 12

List the subject matter of LJ (constituent features)

same as LRR

Then describe how these themes were expressed through the movement

Answer 12

-Free love as they switch partners
-playing the field was more accepted
- female empowerment (Jane always knew he would choose her)
-Misogyny (prejudice against women)
Female dancers appear to be ‘disposable’ as and when the males are finished with them, causing other male dancers to take them away using lifts.

Question 13

Explain the accompaniment and how it drives the dance and gives it a semi- narrative (constituent features)

Answer 13

It is shown that there’s a direct correlation between accompaniment and movement
- ‘your servant am I’ when this is sung, the m dancer goes down to one knee and crawls towards her, wanting her to sit on his leg
- ‘I pledge myself to Lady Jane’ the m courtesies and goes to take her hand and kiss it, but she pulls her hand away

In terms of instruments - The use of the harpsichord adds an Elizabethan feel to the music, relating to classic British villages

Question 14

List 2 examples of
Action
Space
Dynamic
relationships
In LJ

Answer 14

Action-
- leg gestures with a punctuated knee twist into 3rd
Lifts:
1. Three men lift Ann to swing leg overhead
2. Three men lift Jane in a line at waist height, walking backwards in a sustained manner
Space-
- Linear and circular pathways throughout but at the end the full cast of 8 dancers get together centre stage and perform in a circular formation
- Background duets mainly US and main duet is DSC

Dynamics-
fluid dynamics with still a strong sense of control due to ballet and posture, but throughout it is smooth and soft
-Clear correlation of the dance and the tempo/ style of the music

Relationship-

• Male lead going between the 3 main females, but near the end they all go into canon in the circle before the end position
• Background dancers perform simple step patterns in partnerships of m/f, mirroring duets side by side

Question 15

List 2 examples of the constituent features in LJ
-C, d
-S, L,

Answer 15

Costume and dancers- there’s 1 main m and 3 main females, all wear the same as LRR - Jane and Ann hair down Marie has hair up
Set/lighting- Bare stage, lighting is a blue wash over everyone, so they can be seen and it adds a romantic feel to soften atmosphere, to match the tempo of the music

Question 16

List some key action content in Not Fade Away (constituent features)
what are the 2 main styles found in this dance

Answer 16

two styles that the action content goes into:
- Jazz/ social dance
- Lindy Hop (African American)

Social/jazz/pop culture dance
- Ballroom hold
- fast kicks with lower circling arms
- deep 2nd with arms swinging and crossing
- meeting and parting several times throughout, as they keep on coming back to each other
Lindy Hop
- quick turning steps,
- Stamps on his bottom when he’s on the floor, then he rolls over and she pulls him up, demonstrating acrobatic play
-back to back and she bumps him with her hips

Question 17

Explain the main subject matter in NFA(constituent features)

Answer 17

In NFA, the main theme is Courtship
-Social dance is used to express the young feel of the dancers
-This dance suggests they are in the playful stages of a relationship.

courtship and young love

Question 18

List 2 examples of
-action
-space
-dynamics
-relationships
In not fade away

Answer 18

Action:
1. Flexed feet&hips making a distinct body position, hip leads the travel and they bump hips together
2. Ballroom hold with swirling stepping turn phrases, as well as small jumps and hops to travel across stage e.g. m skips one leg whilst doing a circular motion with both arms), returning grooming rooster gestures

Space:
1. perform mostly in CS and SL, then the male is picked up by male ensemble to leave SR, whilst female remains on stage and waves forwards to audience
2. Their facing changes throughout the dance, so are not always facing one another (so does actions in diff directions) but there’s still a clear relationship between them

Dynamics:
1. Its bouncy and staccato but there’s fluency throughout
2. Syncopated accents in music are also accented in the movement with hip twists or accented gestures

-Relationship:
1. Clear action reaction, creating the playful atmosphere
2. Very clear duet, with only one part of unison but there was repeated motifs to reflect the musical structure

Question 19

List 2 examples for the constituent features
- A
-C, d
-S, L, P
in not fade away

Answer 19

Accompaniment:
1. instruments included a Harmonica (very noticeable), guitar and drums
2. There’s distinctive playful rhythms that makes the music bouncy and energetic, which is contrasted to the more aggressive style of singing

Costume and dancers:
1. There’s 1 male and 1 female which have the same costume as previous ones,
2. These costumes reflect the time period it was set which also precisely shows gender

Set/ props and lighting:
1. Lighting there’s a general wash over the stage, which fades to black at the end
2. No props, bare stage

Question 20

List some key action content in As Tears Go By (constituent features)
There’s two main features of movement
B________
I_______

Answer 20

Bullying-
1.Lone F runs into F trio and one lifts
her leg and kicks the lone F in the stomach to stop her from joining
2. M trio holds out his hand to the lone M and he try’s to take it but M trio snatches it away

Isolation-
1. M and F trio’s make duets, repeating the male lunge with their hands held out as the females rest their heads into their hands.
- then whilst they do this the Lone M and F stand on the outsides SR and SL still, watching the 2 trios mix

Question 21

what is the subject matter in as tears go by

Answer 21

Rejection, innocence, adolescence

Question 22

explain how the accompaniment drives the dance in As Tears Go By

Answer 22

1. There’s a slower melody than previous songs which changes the atmosphere to be more sad
2. ‘Doing things I used to do’ and they watches the action content of what was said in the isolation part above.
3. ‘Watch the children play’ - lone female stands, head tilted staring down at the male trio as they ‘play’ by pulling each others ties and supporting a floor half-split slide.
   In the Music, there’s a Direct correlation between the rhythmic melody and light skipping motions
   and the Canon in the melody is danced with turning in canon by the female trio

Question 23

List 2 things in the
action
space
dynamic
in as tears go by

Answer 23

Action:
1.Arm gestures and walking patterns for the trios
2. ‘grooming’ gestures’ repeated in m trio
3. Isolated female has ‘childlike’ actions: squatting and skipping

Space:
1. Clear groupings reflect the theme and easily identify soloists.
2. F Trio SL , M trio occupy SR and move through each other to change sides.

Dynamics:
1. Trio groups have fluid feel, accented with sudden stops/looks which act to isolate individual dancers.
2. Isolated female often has an awkward staccato feel to her movement.

Question 24

List two things in the
- relationships
- lighting (constituent feature)

In as tears goes by

Answer 24

Relationships:
1. Repetition of motifs e.g. partner motif where the men lunge and support the women’s heads.
2. Some action reaction creating the bullying theme.
Then often in unison while male trio uses complimentary action

Lighting:
1. Slightly darker blue wash across the stage. This could reflect the lyrics “it is the evening of the day”

Question 25

List the subject matter and themes in Paint it Black (constituent features)

Answer 25

key subject matter of Paint it Black
- Male despair
- manipulation from the women
- inner turmoil (spiral of depression and self hatred)- is reflected in the music
- lack of self control
- cultural references of 60’s due to the action content of trio when at the back in unison e.g. jerk

Question 26

what structure is this dance (constituent features)

Answer 26

a rondo structure
soloist= s
trio= t
soloist at front and trio behind doing unison together- till halfway though song
t manipulates s which involves contact of him being forced to do things by them
then goes back to him doing solo and trio repeating motif in unison from before
then they manipulate him again and repeat the same contact motifs
then back to soloist at front and trio at back
then the trio unleash their red scarfs and hit him with them when hes on the floor and exist walking with scarf dragging behind SR, leaving him on the floor with hand reaching to them

Question 27

list some action content that’s key in Paint it Black that the male soloist does (constituent features)

Answer 27

• Male soloist repeats circular gestures around his head and across his body
  corresponds with the lyrics ‘I see people turn their heads and quickly look away’
  -There’s long extensions that curve and wind through the space
  -He repeats the motif of a grande jete, to a contracted torso with knee pulled up into body, then into a circular kick with left leg turning into a circular kick opening back out with right leg

Question 28

list some action content that’s key in Paint it Black that the female trio does (constituent features)

Answer 28

• performs to jerk, throwing arms up alternated, stepping backwards on the beat
• Circular motion around their heads whilst looking at him
• Getting closer they step and swing their right hip, with arms stretched out beside them, and then go into a deep 2nd pile and there left hand rises up their right arm, then switches arms
• SL they hold hands above their heads and turn the triangle with small steps whilst throwing their heads back

Question 29

list some action content that’s key in Paint it Black when the trio does contact with the soloist (often to show manipulation)

Answer 29

first interaction
- Fall to ground with 2 holding his arms, they roll him back up to face the other female as chuck him at her
-he hitch-kicks (sharp dynamics) and runs through the middle of the other 2, who hold his body up and spin him round at waist height

second interaction
- each f takes control of a part of him ( arm, leg) one by one to guide him in the way they want
He is all limp and empty so it feels like they have dominated over him. in contrast to first contact he was trying to escape them, so different dynamics now (lots of back bends and leaning on the females)

interaction 3 is a repetition of the 1st interaction

4th interaction he is beat with each of the females scarfs and he falls to the floor

Question 30

list 2 examples of
dynamics
space
relationships
formations
in paint it black

Answer 30

dynamics:
1. When trio is in unison there’s a lethargic quality to it (e.g. the hand up arm), which is contrasted to the staccato of the male SC that occurs simultaneously
2.Travelling is fast and bounces across the stage and the fast and powerful manipulation that the trio does to the male in the contact parts, shows their dominance
Space:
1. Male uses all of DS whereas the trio uses US, perhaps segregating gender
2. There’s frequent use of levels throughout that has fluent transitions including rolls, slides, jumps and hops
Relationship:
1. direct repetition of motifs which often reflects the lyric repetition
2. The females ignore the male and keep to themselves and when they do interact with him, it is only to manipulate him
Formations:
1. when together the male is often encircled by the women
2. male DS and females US in a line or in a circle

Question 31

what is a distinctive difference between 5. Paint it black and 6. ruby tuesday

Answer 31

ruby tuesday- female soloist which is manipulated by 4 men
whereas paint it black their’s a male soloist and he’s manipulated by 3 females

Question 32

what is the subject matter for Ruby Tuesday (constituent features)

Answer 32

Hippie culture
free love
Carefree
Self-possessed
Free spirit
Untroubled by male attention

Question 33

List some key action content in RT (constituent features)

Answer 33

1. Throughout there’s yearning arabesques and off balance, turning movements which propel the dance along
2. hair twists, into turns with loose arms above the head and a high side kick with arms raised
3. balonce and balonce with 2 hops with arms rested on head into a turn step leap, to travel from SR to DST
   this motif above is then repeated after lyrics ‘who can hang a name on you’ from DSR to USL whilst 4 men enter, who she ignores
4. Males enter in a close single line and start facing the back, then turn to front in a semi circle and do a simple hand gestures, then face the back again and repeat this until she runs into their arms and she gets thrown up in the air
5. Sequence of lifts and assisted jumps and ballroom turns, taking in turn with each of the male dancers

Question 34

list 2 examples of
action
space
dynamics
in ruby tuesday

Answer 34

action:
1. transfer of weight with looping and curving arm and leg gestures
2. flowers, hair twists, cupping flower gesture- all are gestures of freedom and that she’s in another world
space:
1. her travel is often in circular motions with reoccurring diagonal patterns
2. Smooth transition between levels through the use of jumps and rolls
dynamics:
1. shes so fluid and soft with all movements that they blend into each other which gives a sense of freedom
2. the skipping and leap sequence was still performed with ease, carelessness and continuity

Question 35

list 1 example of
relationship/ devices
constituent part being costume
in ruby Tuesday

Answer 35

relationship/ devices
1. men try to overpower her, but she seems unbothered and rather shown to be showed off by them, so she uses them to her advantage
costume
1. she is wearing a red long sleeve, full length dress with hair half up and bare feet

Question 36

What is the subject matter for ‘play with fire’ (constituent features)

Answer 36

-The treatment of women
-Narcissism
-Gender dynamic
-Showing off- both try to impress the other gender e.g. flex his muscles and swish the feather boa around her bottom
- Courtship
- Social dance

Question 37

List some key action content in play with fire (constituent features)

Answer 37

• Reoccurring rooster gestures (strut with pecking head and broken wrists, standing and on his knee)
• Reoccurring grooming gestures (adjusting his tie)
  -Warning motif on the lyrics ‘don’t play with me cause you will play with fire’- (he points at himself, does a circular gesture round his head into flexing his muscles, then points at her)
• Ballroom position with turns and kicks
  -Feather boa is used as an alternate contact point e.g. she throws the boa at him and he grabs it and turns, which makes her pivot round to him
• Intricate footwork and very gestural upper body
• movements are predominantly pedestrian with male leading, women stands and observes him more than he observes her,

Question 38

list 2 examples in
space
dynamics
relationships
in play with fire

Answer 38

space:
1. The direction of movement is mainly side to side or diagonal using both straight and curved pathways.
2.The movements then form circular patterns when they dance together. They never stay far from each other. When the male moves away from her she tends to follow or
tries to hold him back using a prop.
Dynamics:
1. This dance is fluent but not continuous, due to moments of stillness with the lyrics, which is then followed by strong rapid and direct movements.
2. The M motifs are quite percussive and strong in particular the gestures in the warning motif which are fast and sudden
actions.
in unison
Relationships:
1. They respond to each other, which is action and reaction
2. There’s repetition of motifs that matches the chorus lyrics, so there isn’t any development of motifs, but the man does mock the females by repeating a motif she did previously

Question 39

list an example the constituent features
- F
- P

In play with fire

Answer 39

formation:
1. when they are dancing together they dance in unison, but also alternate to create a semi-narrative
props:
1. Feather boa is used as a point of contact and it emphasises the movements that go with it

Question 40

what is significant about Sympathy of the devil

Answer 40

SOTD is a reprise of all 7 previous dancers, as the initial rooster, turns into the devil character for this song title
It has a cyclical structure, male rooster enters first and leaves last
then the rest of the dancers use the space around to repeat material from the other sections, and incorporate the devil gestures into it

Question 41

key action content in SOTD (constituent feature)

Answer 41

• rooster and grooming gestures from LRR, with added devil gestures, index fingers rest above their head, to make devil horns
  -repeated motif was closing their legs together into 5th with one leg twsiting then stomp into the position
• In the chorus the LJ courteous bow is repeated, when a dancer enters, as a form of respect on the lyrics ‘pleased to meet you’
• lots of balon, so big lifts and jumps in partner work from Ruby Tuesday and paint it black
  -Ballet and graham
• Unison reflecting gestures at each other

Question 42

list some key features of the structure of SOTD (constituent feature)

Answer 42

-Men begin the number with the rooster strut and are the main focus but they all join in individually, starting with the initial rooster from LRR
- Men started dancing in unison, then perform completely unique movements then exist leaving initial rooster to beckon the females in, and then he exists USL
- 3 f in unison doing floor work and 2 f doing attitude kicks and jump sequence
-Women make a circle and perform around initial rooster man and swings skirt side by side then does devil horns back at him
- men come into arrow and do unison
- then there’s partnerships
- then theres paint it black, as tears go by and play with fire duets
- layers of action so at the back LRR, then paint it black females, then PIB male solist
- twirls hair like in Ruby Tuesday then jumps into the dancers arms
-Final section is a quick reprise of all 8 numbers (7 min long) and finishes with the rooster strut and tie adjustment in dim lighting

Question 43

list 2 examples of
space
dynamics
relationships
in SOTD

Answer 43

Space:
1. broad use of levels, linear pathways and extensive travel
2. Dancers enter and exit picking up movement material from one another, performing in unison both paralleling and reflecting one another’s gestures.
dynamics:
1. SOTD is fast paced and frantic because of how much is going on, there is rarely any pauses
2. The bow slows down the flow but it is quickly picked up again
3. The end when the music fades out, it slows the pace of the dance down, to the closing motif which is done in silence (adjusting his tie)
Relationships:
1. extensive use of changing weight in the contact work, as they change partners to represent a range of relationships throughout Rooster, emphasising the 60’s theme of free love and playing the field

Question 44

list 2 examples the constituent features
- F
-L
- C
- S M
in SOTD

Answer 44

formations:
1. rapidly interchanging as there’s a mixture of solos, duets, groups, trios ect
2. examples: a distinct semi circle of f around rooster- men in an arrow with rooster DSC- travel sequences in horizontal lines
Subject matter
1. rooster changing into devil, perhaps reflects how the negative aspects of culture are changing the youth
2. Cyclical nature which shows Bruce’s clear choreographic style
Lighting
1. Full stage is lit with a neutral wash so everyone can be seen
2. There’s a red hue in the background of SOTD perhaps reinforcing this upcoming devil and what it will bring

costume:
1. Men have taken their jackets off, females still in red panel dress