Framing the Performance Space: The Score

 

 I

 

 

Question 1

 

Where is movement performed? Why?

 

 

II 

 

 

REVIEW

 

Elements of Space

 Place:

 self-space/general space(also called personal / shared) 

Size:

 big/small, near/far 

Level: 

 high, middle, low  

Direction:

 forward, backward,right, left, up, down,diagonal 

Pathway:

  curved, straight, zigzag 

Focus: 

single focus or multi focus

 

 

Link: The Elements of Dance: Dance Concepts

 

 

Question 2

How would used the elements of space described above to describe your solo piece?

 

 

 

III

 ACTIVITY 1

 

 

Students study the space and the creation of a sacred space within the general space, in which they  recreate their solo composition. Those making up, please do this exercise on your own and write your reflection on Discussion Board.

 

 

IV

 

 

Journal

Last class, we framed the performance space to separate it from the general space provided by the studio by creating a rectangular space with a string attached to the floor on each corner by a piece of scotch tape.

Then we meditated on that space and for a while just sat around it and looked at it in quasi zen way, in a contemplative fashion.

Then, we used that space to position ourselves (one by one) within that frame.
We stayed in that position for a while to "inhabit" or feel our bodies in the space. We explored different levels of abstraction.

We did the same with two, three, four people, until the whole class was involved, at which point we began to ask everyone in the group, what was their story withing that formation.

Based on this new idea of the space available, we created a score. Thus, the sheet of paper became a replica of the space we had explored experientially.

 I used my performance as an example of how to draw our movement on the space using that reference. This became what I call the "score" of the piece.

Everyone began to create the score of their own piece. Then, they went back to the text and circled only those words that had the most significance for them personally. those words were then plugged in the part of the score where they belong.

This process became alive when every one began to rehearse their pieces. I stressed the idea that this was a way to not only document our work and archive the process, but a way to develop ownership of it.

The final part of the process was to record the new version of the piece, now only with the selected words as opposed to the whole text..

We only have two days before the final sharing of the work,