How can we develop the use of dance in musical-theatre storytelling?

Convener: NICK PHILLIPS

Participants:  Nick Phillips, Laurie Sansom, Andrew Grivan, Jennifer Toksvig, Andrew Girvan, Sarah Baker, Onur Orkut, Kit More,

We agreed to discuss the uses of dance that we recognise and try to distil the properties.   Some participants admitted that lack of expertise in dance meant that they found it difficult to conceive in terms of the ‘writing’ process.

THE DREAM BALLET
It shows what is not said – non-literal.

TENSIONS IN SPACE – conveys matter of great import.  
What ?
There is limited perception of ‘musical theatre’ dance style. What does this mean ?  Usually theatre jazz – “jazz hands” !

We also label ‘dance theatre’  - pure dance which uses production values of musical theatre for the purposes of storytelling – Matthew Bourne.

Dance - the most heightened form of expression because of its abstraction.

Music aural abstraction – dance visual abstraction.

What does dance add to our expressive vocabulary as storytellers ?

What are the possible functions of dance ?

Can convey:

•    Setting
•    Time/Period
•    Ethnicity
•    Crucial social interactions –
•    Separation
•    Confrontation – martial arts
•    Attraction/desire
•    Tribal identity
•    Manners/etiquette
•    Celebration/ecstasy

With dance two worlds can exist simultaneously.

The dream ballet allows for subversion.
    It is the ideal or subversion of that ideal – the ultimate vision

Dance is on a continuum of physicality.

It offers access to a world of transcendence – (tarantella/dervishes)

DANCE AS METAPHOR

CATS – not narrative really – intensification/decoration/amplification.

Dance allows us a freedom to join the dots.

DANCE ALLOWS YOU TO SEE THE MUSIC

Interesting when in film – the grammar of the camera is part of the choreography..

Questions arise about training – how truly diverse is it ?

We returned to the question – how do we include dance/physicalisation in collaboration ?

•    It takes time
•    It’s hard to put on paper
•    It’s about creating the visceral thrill if a physical dynamic in space
•    This about making work on its feet

WHAT IS THE FIRST SPRING FOR THE CHOREOGRAPHER/MOVEMENT DIRECTOR ?   Recognised as massively diverse according to organic response to the idea.

KEY QUESTIONS

•    How do we ‘set up’ the language of dance ?

•    How do characters earn the right to dance ?


NP. 17/6/10