swan song Flashcards
what is the subject matter of swan song
human rights
wrongful imprisonment
prisoner of conscience
what was the starting point for swan song
work for amnesty international
victor jara
the novel ‘a man ‘
saying goodbye to his career as a performer
what does swan song mean
it is the noise a swan makes before it dies
when was swansong first performed and who by
english national ballet
1987
when did rambert perform swan song
1995
what dance styles are used in swan song
Vaudeville ( musical comedy with tap and stepping)
jaz
tap
graham technique
ballroom
ballet
gestures
what structure does swan song have
episodic
what were the impacts of swan song
positive links with amnesty international
bruce is artistic director
popular and accessible to the audience
tributes to bruce finishing as a performer
how does swansong begin
prisoner is sat stage right on a chair
the interrogators walk on from stage right and do a tapping sequence before the music starts
they tap questions to the prisoner but he doesn’t answer
light hearted mood
section 1of swan song
music changes and the mood becomes more threatening
music and movement is repeated suggesting repeated interrogation
throughout the section the trio switches between duets and solos
interrogators dance in unison or the same material to show their Alliance
the victim uses the seat as a shield and his solo appears defiant with the use of leaps
section 2 of swan song
another interrogation where the victim taps out answers
he has a red nose on
the interrogators perform a comedic tap dance
the victim is drawn in and they all dance in unison
it gives the impression they are trying to humiliate him
the dance gets progressively more violent
section 3 of swan song
movement contrasts the torture in the previous section
the victim appears to be getting his anger out
he reaches towards the light hinting to his want to escape
the solo is very classical with contemporary and twice he culs on the floor to show his tortured soul
section 4 of swan song
the victim is escorted back to his seat in slow motion and it is then removed so he cannot return to it
he is pushed and pulled around in slow motion
he repeats the curl on the floor
the chair is used as a weapon against the victim
he is held upside down above the chair to suggest his head is underwater
section 5 of swan song
no music
victims solo repeats some movement from section 3
more miming
he puts the chair on his back and appears to be carrying something
looks through the bars like a prison cell
at the end his ankle is trapped in the bars showing he has no choice to leave
section 6 of swan song
guards perform a cane dance and the victim watches
gradually the canes become weapons
they then put them down and all dance together
they repeat steps from the beginning of the dance
the victim collapses on the chair and the guard looks annoyed
