Sergeant's Early Dream (1984) By Christopher Bruce Flashcards
What year was this first performed?
1984
What is the subject matter of the work?
Follows the theme of migration from the old world (england/ireland) to the new (America), and the human spirit this brings, as well as the sadness of being uprooted. It’s shown as a series of events and experiences from the life in the old country and how these are being wistfully remembered and relived by band of settlers in new world
What themes are explored throughout the work?
- feelings of nostalgia that immigrants have for their homeland
- meant to feel like one collective memory, as characters are unnamed
What is this works structure?
- episodic= 10 different sections of events in old country being re-enacted by settlers in the new
- tenuous narrative thread to it though all based around folk song
How many dancers are there?
- 9, 5 women and 4 male
- musicians are also on stage
What is the physical setting for this work?
- Set: A backdrop depicting a seascape, consisting of lots of blues and greens in the distance. Rocks along bottom of stage= reinforces idea of homeland is overseas, and they’re looking back to where they came from
- Costume: based on 18th century design
Who designed the set and costume and who was lighting director?
- Walter Nobbe
- John B. Read
What is the aural setting?
British, Irish and American folk song
What is the section ‘Love, will you marry me?’ about? Include aural setting
A humerous story of 4 men wanting a girl who she rejects them all, and then at the end they reject her.
An upbeat dance to a folk song which repeats the lyrics “love will you marry me”
Give a movement example from the section ‘love, will you marry me?’
Explain how this shows his use of subject matter, influences, movement and choreographic style
Movement: Repeatedly, the men chase after the female dancer, laterally across the stage with their arms stretched out parallel in front of them, doing a soft shoed shuffle springs with feet
Interpretation: Shows use of folk movement, and how desperately these 4 men want the female, but shes not letting them catch her
Give a movement example from the section ‘love, will you marry me?’
Explain how this shows his use of subject matter, influences, movement and choreographic style
Movement: 1 male picks up the female dancer, and throws her to another male who then carries her off stage in his arm, with the other male chasing behind like he’s mistakenly given her away. Both males then reappear, with one carrying the other in their arms
Interpretation: Female gave males the slip, showing they still cant catch her. Shows Bruce’s use of humour
Give a movement example from the section ‘love, will you marry me?’
Explain how this shows his use of subject matter, influences, movement and choreographic style
Movement: All dancers perform a horizontal folk weave, running flicking their legs up behind them, linking arms, moving in and out of eachother
Interpretation: Shows folk step movements and also demonstrates fun and joy of this section, in contrast to others
Give a movement example from the section ‘love, will you marry me?’
Explain how this shows his use of subject matter, influences, movement and choreographic style
Movement: 2 of the male dancers perfrom a pas de chat, one after the other, but they are leant all the way forward and the dynamic is heavy and weighted
Interpretation: Bruce has included ballet vocabularly, but incooporating it with weighted dynamic shows they are sad and dont have the female dancer
Give a movement example from the section ‘love, will you marry me?’
Explain how this shows his use of subject matter, influences, movement and choreographic style
Movement: At the end of the dance, female shuffle springs over to the 4 male dancers with her arms stretched out in front of her like they did, but males all look back at her and exit the stage like she’s missed her chance
Interpretation: Creates humour as the whole way through the dance they only wanted her and at the end shes decided she wants them back, but they decide to leave her.
What is the section ‘Geordie’ about? Include dancers, physical setting and aural setting.
A pas de deux between a male and female, Geordie. There are sections of pas de deux dancing, but also where she is dancing solo, suggesting he is not really there. Has a sorrowful tone to it, completely contrasting to ‘Love will you marry me?’, showing the journey of the immigrants.
Physical setting: Set is still seascape background, but with dark green lighting. Female’s costume is an emerald green full, long, circular dress with long sleeves. She uses a long green scarf as a prop.
Give a movement example from the section ‘Geordie’
Explain how this shows his use of subject matter, influences, movement and choreographic style
Movement: Every time the lyric repeats, ‘my Geordie will be hanged’, the female dancer wraps her scalf around her neck, pulling it to the ceiling then performs sideways off balance lean.
Interpretation: The lyrics are shown in a visual literal way, as she looks like she is being hang, and this motif is repeated on this lyric everytime. Bruce’s choreographic style is symbollic repetition
Give a movement example from the section ‘Geordie’
Explain how this shows his use of subject matter, influences, movement and choreographic style
Movement: Female performs a folk step, inverting her toes so that they are together, then her heels, then flicks the leg behin her, keeping contact with the other knee
Interpretation: Folk step, slower pace to show more sorrowful mood
Give a movement example from the section ‘Geordie’
Explain how this shows his use of subject matter, influences, movement and choreographic style
Movement: as the section ends, facing upstage, stood centre stage, she wraps her scalf around her neck, holding it up with one hand, then slowly crumples to the floor, like shes died
Interpretation: Geordie has died, and the section ends in a sorrowful mood
