Choreographic Devices- Practitioner Study

To find the starting point for my choreography, I made some notes on actions, dynamics, space and choreographic devices to help create movement through words that linked back to my stimulus. (P//) Examples I thought I could use for actions was; escaping, hiding, ripping off skin because the message for my piece is someone trying to prevent themselves from the development of old age as they are terrified of growing old, therefore I thought of actions like escaping, hiding and ripping off skin. (P//) Dynamics I created for this piece are rough, sudden, resistant, viscous, friction and gradual. I chose dynamics such as viscous, resistant and friction because I would like the struggle of physical and mental change to be visible through my movement, so that my narrative becomes clear to the audience. I would like to use rough, gradual and sudden dynamics because I feel the choreography should have a clear contrast in movement from when the woman in my stimulus was young to when she is getting older. Examples of how I would portray this are, movements that showcase flexibility such as a develope to second to demonstrate the ability of someone who is young and can move with ease, in comparison to an older woman’s movement which would possibly be more fragile and restricted. (P//) For space and formation I used the idea of being trapped in a Polaroid picture, traveling in a circle (to represent the cycle of life) and using negative space within myself and body. I wanted to create choreography using negative space because I used it in a group task and really liked the way my body formed movements naturally without over thinking improvisation. I felt that my research on Wayne McGregor really developed my interest in this technique.(P//) Choreographic Devices I used to help me to form choreography is retrograde, reverse and repetition. I found these devices really helpful because I used repetition to build and form the impression of the change in the woman’s age progressing; to link to this reverse and retrograde were helpful because the movement I used started off simple and then developed after I reversed it.(P//) After I created ideas and thoughts for these movement ideas I then put them into groups that would create a sequence. For example I grouped hiding, friction and retrograde to develop a small phrase.(P//) Here below is a video of me, Sylvia Hall and Taylor Vain using the negative space technique: To add to further inspiration for my choreography I researched into Wayne McGregor who loved to choreograph from a young age because it gave him his own voice. He also likes to think about the architecture of his stimulus and how it would look to him if it was 3D or if it was a word (McGregor.W, 2014). In a Ted talk he hosted, two of his company dancers used the negative space technique in a duet together and I found it very intriguing to watch and therefore I would like to incorporate it in my performance (McGregor.W, 2012).(P//) Refrences: McGregor (2014) Thinking with the Body: Intoduction. [Online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-g6zcKXmt0 [Accessed October 13th 2021] McGregor.W (2021) A Choreographers Creative Process in Real Time. [Online video] Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/wayne_mcgregor_a_choreographer_s_creative_process_in_real_time?language=en [Accessed October 13th 2021] Bibliography: McGregor (2014) Thinking with the Body: Intoduction. [Online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-g6zcKXmt0 [Accessed October 13th 2021] McGregor.W (2021) A Choreographers Creative Process in Real Time. [Online video] Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/wayne_mcgregor_a_choreographer_s_creative_process_in_real_time?language=en [Accessed October 13th 2021]