Wednesday, February 27, 2013

References:


http://www.facebook.com/groups/143668232454635/


http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/martha-graham-style-technique-and-choreography/10750.html


http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071126082205AAxOgG1
Source: Pérez, J., 1995, "Yerma: Overview" in Reference Guide to World Literature, 2nd ed., edited by Lesley Henderson, St. James Press.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lI33Qz1VLg


http://yermedea.blogspot.co.uk/2012_08_01_archive.html



Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Week 5 Washerwomen dancing!

All I'm saying is simply this that all life is interrelated, that somehow were caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what u ought to be until you are what you ought t be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality. -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This quote is to say that everything we do and do not do has an effect. This can be applied to the rehearsals to say that now we have to push ourselves even harder and consider our contribution to the rehearsal process and product. This washerwomen have been rehearsing a lot, especially the new salsa section. It has built up into a more fast paced salsa. We have mixed movement from traditional salsa with the main gestures that represent fertility and the womb. I picked up the new bit quickly. I need to add a lot more expression to my movement in the salsa section especially. Washerwomen had a video session outdoors on Wednesday. Washerwomen represent the firing squad that is going to shoot Yerma. We symbolised a gun with our fingers and concentrated on facial expression. The whole scene is very intense and the wind and cold outdoors definitely added a necessary effect to our performance. In 1930's spain that is how she would have been punished. Visualising the horror helped us as performers.
In the next weeks I want to further develop expression in my movement, perform with confidence and improve in technique classes. I aim to do that by attending every rehearsal, learning through observing others perform and rehearse collaboratively.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Week 4 Extending the performance

On Monday the washerwomen developed a section in Victor's and Yerma's solo in act one. That section includes peeking and at that point we use our baskets to peek through. I suggested we reverse the same phrase yet this idea was not included as it makes more sense if we stay on a low level and carry on our washing and gestural movement. Everything in that section is in 8 counts and should be very easy to work with. It includes canon and dancing in trios.


On Tuesday we had a long rehearsal and carried on with the washerwomen. We have an entire section on the floor that includes bits from two different dances, Yerma's solo and washerwomen's line section. The added bit shows how Yerma's clock is ticking and is making fun of Yerma's concerns. I contributed to the idea of Yerma's clock ticking and used my arm to show the clock and then bend the elbow, bring it down sharply to my stomach and lean forward. I came up with this movement to show the pain of Yerma. As was said in the rehearsals, the washerwomen are very nasty people. I will be making the sounds of crying, shouting and weeping on the stage. We used different choreographic devices that included canon. The intention is to show the washerwomen looking at Yerma and the movement has to be very exaggerated in order for it to work. The canon moves into a unison section followed by two groups of dancers, one group staying on a high and one on a low level. There is also a bit that uses contact work from the workshop we have had. That is rolling back to back on each other.

On Tuesday the rehearsal went well. We used motif development to make the piece longer. We developed the original line section and made it more moving. Later that whole section was dropped. At that point there should be a change in rhythm as the audience have now seen 5 minutes of gestures and gossiping. There will be some salsa that we will be doing on Friday.


On Friday we did some salsa with the washerwomen. We still used the cloth to move around with and I believe it will look very good once we get it. We used elements of basic salsa, ballet, susie que walks, shimmies etc. There is a lot of leaps and hops, turns and the counts need to be sorted out. I was struggling with the leaps and straightening of the legs. I need to practice the jump called assemble. Ballet classes should help me to strengthen and straighten my limbs. We are doing assemble jumps every ballet class.



Dancing with the cloth