Shadows Flashcards
Name of choreographer
Christopher Bruce
Name of dance company
Phoenix dance theatre
Date of first performance
Premiered 26th November 2014
Dance style
Stemming from his own training, Christopher Bruce’s signature movement style is grounded in modern dance techniques with a combination of classical and contemporary dance language termed- neo classical
Choreographic approach
Didn’t prepare movement before going into the studio but preferred to wait and work with the dancers so he could be influenced by them. The movement must sit well on the dancers.
Choreographic approach- his ideas
Started with the idea of a family unit sitting around the hearth or dinner table and he knew that furniture would become an intrinsic part of the choreography as opposed to a static set.
The anxiety of the music also influenced the movement content. The form of the piece allowed each member of the family to have a voice and to tell their story
What was the stimulus
Avro Part’s Fratres for violin and piano was a starting point, the music evokes Images of European history and over the thousands of years of suffering and human experience.
Bruce translates this vision into exploration of a family dynamic and relationships between each member as they deal with an outside force.
What was his choreographic intention
Bruce’s work is usually politically aware and refers to pas or current political affairs and explore the effect on human life.
Bruce invites the audience into the world of a small family possibly set in Eastern Europe (left up to individual interpretation) coming to terms with deprivation, poverty and the realities of what lies outside their intimate families home.
How does Bruce describe the piece with his intentions
A darker work, with a narrative which also allows the audience to apply their own context to the material danced on stage
How many dancers and what genders
4
2 male
2 female
Duration of dance
12 minutes
Structure
Semi-narrative
Solo, duet, trio and quartet
Describe the aural setting
Accompaniment - Arvo Parts ‘Fratres’ (composed in 1977) the version for violin and piano is prerecorded for use in performance. It uses broken chords, diatonic scales and is in minor key. There is no break in tempo so follows ‘Parts’ signature style of composition.
Movement vocabulary and music are similar in speed and dynamics and often used to introduce each character and their emotional response to their environment.
How would Bruce describe the effect of the minor key
It creates a dark, solemn atmosphere
Describe the costumes
Designed by Christopher Bruce, they are clearly gendered and depicted the ear of 1930s-40s eg- simple shirts, skirts trousers and dresses as well as large overcoats (to big for son and daughter shoes poverty) worn at end of piece as mum puts them on each child as well as them putting on shoes. Colours and muted and worn down symbolising the deprivation and poverty.
No costume changes
