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Performance quality applied to the Dance
Performance quality and the individual
Tutorial 2
A dancer who understands the process of composition is better able to interpret the dance.
The choreography for the core performance dance can be based on a concept or intent. It consists of a coherent organisation of phrases and sections driven by thematic considerations that create a unified whole.
If the dancer is able to understand
that the choreographer has selected a certain shape or movement as a
symbol for communication, and the significance of the elements of dance
(space, time and dynamics) in the dance, they will be better able to perform and
individualise the choreography.
At the start of the first phrase the dancer communicates the idea for the dance through the correct placement of the opening shape in the space. The shape should symbolise grief and introspection and requires the dancer to maintain a correctly aligned, grounded plie, in second, while the torso is shaped by the contraction of the abdominal muscles. The shape is curved and pulled toward the dancer’s centre. It is placed in the centre of the performance space on a relatively low level. The dancer shows a strong sense of line through the body and the eye-line.
The correct execution of the shape in
the space characterises the work.
The movement motif is based on this
shape and is developed throughout the phrase. The use of level and direction
increase through this phrase until its climax and then resolves on a lower level
(on the floor) in a variation of the first shape. The dancer is required to unfold her body controlling level and direction and eye-line in
space.
The movement is performed in time relevant to the phrasing of the accompanying music. As the music commences the dancer is aware of tempo and meter and counts accordingly. The counting provides a timeframe through which to perform movement.
The ability to control force and time enables the dancer to achieve the correct dynamic of the movement.
Dynamics vary in level to reflect a phrase of music and can be seen in contrast in order to excite a kinaesthetic response and support personalisation in evoking emotional qualities.
In this work the dancer communicates a
sense of release from the restriction of grief through the application of energy
or force in order to build the level of the dynamic to a climax in this
phrase.
The shape is held still in time before
the music begins but has a significant dynamic. A static contraction creates a
dynamic quality that communicates the emotional quality of tension. The dancer
then creates a sustained dynamic as she applies force and extends the arm line.
The dynamic starts at a low level as the arm unfolds and circles around the
body.
The phrase then builds to a jump
resolving on the floor. This exemplifies the dramatic effect of dynamic
contrasts.
The elements of dance are further
developed in consecutive phrases. In the second phrase certain counts are
accented. This fragments of the motif in the second phrase. The dancer needs to
know the music and pay attention to counts in order to perform the movement
correctly in time.
Movement is developed increasing the
range of dynamics and space. The dancer must apply force against the floor to
achieve the suspended dynamic quality in jumps and travel through the required
pathway while maintaining focus as more effort impacts on stamina.
Use of weight and muscle intensity with variation of energy support the dancer’s ability to control the intensity of the dynamic. Use of breath is also integral to the control of the movement.
The performance quality of the choreography is enhanced through the application of a strong sense of focus and commitment to the work. This has much to do with interpretation and is more likely to be achieved if the dancer understands their part in the compositional process.
A clear intent and logical manipulation of the elements of dance can only assist the dancer in understanding their role as the communicator of ideas and emotions and thereby heightening performance quality.
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