Two Brothers (1958) By Norman Morrcie Flashcards
What year was Two Brothers performed?
1958
What is the subject matter?
A modern-dress drama, about two brothers, played by Norman Morrice and John Chesworth, who fight over a girl. The girl is engaged to one of the brothers, resulting in jealousy and violence, and the fiance is killed
What was the aural setting?
A live string quartet, composed by Ernst von Dohnanyi
Who was the set and costume designed by?
Ralph Koltai, graduate from central school of art and design
What was the physical setting of the work?
- The set reflected a sordid street scene
- costumes were very normal clothing, (very forward thinking for the time)
Why was this work so important to the company?
-Acted as a catalyst for change into modern dance in the 1960s, with it being the first new, progressive, modern dance piece of the company
What can this work be used to prove? Explain how
- proves the introduction of the new Graham style into the company
- due to the success of two brothers after being shown at Jacobs pillow farm in America, with Ted Shawn, Morrice was given a bursary to go study at Martha Graham’s company in New York, learning her style of contraction and release and abstract expressionism, which he then taught to Rambert on his return to England
How was Two Brothers received?
- Morrice was labelled as an outstanding dance creator
- Ted Shawn loved it, providing Morrice (and the company therefore) to learn Graham’s technique
How was this work different to anything seen before?
- inspired by theatrical music
- dramatically effective rather then standard
- expresses inner conflict
- avoids cliches
- Give a movement example from this work
What does this example show about the work?
Movement: The female dancer is positioned in front of one of the brothers, and they are holding hands, both looking down to the right looking serious. The females’s legs are in a small second position, with natural turn out, and the male is stood parallel.
Other description: Female is in a knee length dress, with short puffed sleeves, and has a ribbon in her hair which is half up half down. The male is dressed in a casual shirt and trousers.
This shows: The classic male/female partnering, the romance and drama of the work, natural everyday costumes.
- Give a movement example from this work
What does this show about the work?
Movement: The lead female dancer is stood in a lunge in DSL corner, with the ensemble of dancers gathered around the back and sides of her. She has her arms out to the side an her fingers splayed, and appears very worried, looking at one of the other dancers.
Other description: In a long knee length dress with short puffed sleeves and her hair plaited back. The other dancers are in normal everyday wear and the backdrop shows a sordid street scene
This shows: How the drama of the work is portrayed through the action and movement itself
