This session we looked at projection and fitted it to our dances in Oliver.
Projection is the extension of movement, and the concept of finishing moves. A good example of this would be when reaching out towards the audience, a bad ballet dancer might have their arm bent, and fingers not pointed, but a good ballet dancer, with good projection would have their arm straight, fingers pointed, and their shoulder pushed forward also.
This lesson, we again learnt a motif which focused on projection with extended arm and leg gestures. We repeated this over and over again, until each of us had it correct.
Many of the arms gestures didn't need extending as our characters were set in a pub, and the characters were all drunk, so the gestures weren't going to be performed in an elegant dynamic.
Performance Skills: Focus
In this lesson we looked at Focus, and different focus points.
Focus is where you are looking when doing certain movements, for instance looking at the audience, or if doing a specific gesture, look at what body part you are looking at, for example, in one dance I move my arms over head, instead of looking straight forward I look up at them.
To develop this we learnt a short motif, and implemented looking at different things at different points of the piece, from looking at another dancer, to the audience, to yourself, but a body part.
To implement this in my dancers, I have focused on the focus points, going through every movement and making sure I am focusing on something clear and specific.
Focus is where you are looking when doing certain movements, for instance looking at the audience, or if doing a specific gesture, look at what body part you are looking at, for example, in one dance I move my arms over head, instead of looking straight forward I look up at them.
To develop this we learnt a short motif, and implemented looking at different things at different points of the piece, from looking at another dancer, to the audience, to yourself, but a body part.
To implement this in my dancers, I have focused on the focus points, going through every movement and making sure I am focusing on something clear and specific.
Performance Skills: Flexbility
In this lesson we focused on how flexable our bodies are, and what we can to increase our flexibitly.
Flebility is the amount your body can bend and stretch, this is to do with how able your joints, musceles and bones are able to move. To test your felibilty first you need to be warmed up, as otherwise you can damage your body, and strain body parts.
The way we looked at flexbility, was in two parts first we did certain stretches warm us up slowly, this moved on into doing yoga positions, as yoga conecntrates on fleibilty and calmness of ther body, and mind. After this we learnt a simple motif to test our flexibilty.
I found that this is one of my weaknesses, and will need to improve my flexbility, but for our performance its less of a worry, as not many of the motifs, need to use this performance skill.
Flebility is the amount your body can bend and stretch, this is to do with how able your joints, musceles and bones are able to move. To test your felibilty first you need to be warmed up, as otherwise you can damage your body, and strain body parts.
The way we looked at flexbility, was in two parts first we did certain stretches warm us up slowly, this moved on into doing yoga positions, as yoga conecntrates on fleibilty and calmness of ther body, and mind. After this we learnt a simple motif to test our flexibilty.
I found that this is one of my weaknesses, and will need to improve my flexbility, but for our performance its less of a worry, as not many of the motifs, need to use this performance skill.
Performance Skills:Stamina
In this lesson, we were looking at stamina, and the concept of keeping perfromances at a contsant energy.
Stamina is basically how your body endures the constant movement. Different types of dance will need different levels of stamina, a street dancer is quite fast paced, but the motifs are commonly short, so there stamina will be diffrent to ballet for instance which the pieces can be quite long, but its had a different dyanmic and tempo.
The way we explored stamina was simply to keep moving, we moved round the space. This was without stopping, using different tempos of movement, for example jogging, walking, sprinting, then we used turns, jumps, spins. We did this for about 6 mins, it was high energy, and my targets I would give myself would be to put this into my performances and to increase the time i do it foir next time.
Stamina is basically how your body endures the constant movement. Different types of dance will need different levels of stamina, a street dancer is quite fast paced, but the motifs are commonly short, so there stamina will be diffrent to ballet for instance which the pieces can be quite long, but its had a different dyanmic and tempo.
The way we explored stamina was simply to keep moving, we moved round the space. This was without stopping, using different tempos of movement, for example jogging, walking, sprinting, then we used turns, jumps, spins. We did this for about 6 mins, it was high energy, and my targets I would give myself would be to put this into my performances and to increase the time i do it foir next time.
Performance- Ompapa evaluation1
This session we looked at performance skills,
- Balance
- Control
- Flexibility
- Speed
- Co-ordination
- Power
- Strength
- Focus
- Projection
- Communication
- Character
We performed three motifs from Ompapa, and peer, and self assessed to see where we were, and to see if we were ready to perform.
Things that went well were the communication of the mood of the piece.
Things that I need to work on, is the projection of my movement, this is key to work on, as this is my weakest part.
Choreography- 1st Teaching of Ompapa- 11th of November
We taught the chorus the first motif, because we had a lot of people attend we divided the group up into three, and went to different rooms.
My group picked the first motif extremely fast tbh, even though many of them hadn't had much dance experience, i got the stronger dancers to stand at the front, to show the people who found it harder to learn it how it was done.
I feel that this session was run really smoothly, I think the amount to learn in the time they had was worth while, and everything went well.
My group picked the first motif extremely fast tbh, even though many of them hadn't had much dance experience, i got the stronger dancers to stand at the front, to show the people who found it harder to learn it how it was done.
I feel that this session was run really smoothly, I think the amount to learn in the time they had was worth while, and everything went well.
Choreography- 1st Teaching Lesson Consider Yourself- 9th Of November
Today I taught the actors who play Oliver and Dodger there section of the dance, when the chorus isn't there.
We started quite slowly, as neither had much dance experience prior to this, but by the end, they had picked up the basics of the dance, need to focus on tightening certain key moves, and also thinking about space, and focus on where the dancers are looking. Need to make sure, they are 100% on the moves otherwise they will have a thinking face on throughout, Or will be watching their feet.
Overall went well, and the two actors/dancers are happy, I also asked of some movements were too tricky to dance and sing at the same time, which we found out that one was, so I tweaked it for them.
We started quite slowly, as neither had much dance experience prior to this, but by the end, they had picked up the basics of the dance, need to focus on tightening certain key moves, and also thinking about space, and focus on where the dancers are looking. Need to make sure, they are 100% on the moves otherwise they will have a thinking face on throughout, Or will be watching their feet.
Overall went well, and the two actors/dancers are happy, I also asked of some movements were too tricky to dance and sing at the same time, which we found out that one was, so I tweaked it for them.
Choreography- Consider Yourself Lyrics and annotations- 1st Draft
Consider yourself at home - Dodger Box step
Consider youself one of the family - Oliver Box Step
We've taken to you so strong - Leg Pat, then clap
It's clear we're going to get along - hand gesture, spin clockwise
Consider yourself well in - Spin clockwise, arms linked
Consider yourself part of the furniture - Spin Anti clockwise arms linked lean on each other on furniture
There isn't a lot to spare - Leg Pat, clap hands to each other
Who cares?..What ever we've goin we share! - Handshake gesture/joke
If it should chance to be - Grapevine step to the right
We should see
Some harder days
Empty larder days - Spin
Why grouse? - Arms raised gesture
Always a-chance we'll meet - Moving onto block
Somebody
To foot the bill
Then the drinks are on the house! - Glass raised gesture
Chorus enter the space
Consider yourself our mate - Oliver + Dodger act out, sitting on side of block
We do't want to have no fuss,
For after some consideration, we can state
Consider yourself
One of us!
[DODGER] Consider yourself... [OLIVER] At home? - Box step
[DODGER]Consider yourself...[OLIVER]One of the family - Box Step other way
[DODGER]We've taken to you [OLIVER]So strong - Leg pat clap
[DODGER]It's clear...we're...[OLIVER]Going to get along - Hand Gesture spin
[DODGER]Consider yourself... [OLIVER]Well in! - Partner spin
[DODGER]Consider yourself Part of the furniture - Partner Spin Reverse
[OLIVER]There isn't a lot to spare - Leg pat, clap
[DODGER]Who cares?
[BOTH]
Whatever we got we share - Hand gesture spin
[DODGER]
Nobody tries to be lah-di-dah or uppity-- - Bow to the right, three steps, Bow to the left
There a cup-o'-tea for all - Arm gesture left to right
Only it's wise to be handy with a rolling pin- Grapevine left
When the landlord omes to call! - Stomp to the beat right direction
[OLIVER]
Consider yourself -
[DODGER]
Our mate. - Box step other direction
We don't want to have no fuss - Box Step
[ALL]
For after some consideration we can sate - Lap Tap, into hand clasp by partners
[OLIVER]
Consider yourself - Point out to the audience
One of us! - Point at themselves
[COMPANY]
Consider yourself at home... - Partner Arm swing, into clap together, 4X
We've taken to you so strong.
Consider yourself well in...
There isn't a lot to spare
If it should chance to be - Grapevine Step
We should see
Some harder days
Empty larder days -- Spin
Why grouse? - Why Gesture
Always a chane we'll meet - Partner lift/leap
Somebody -
To food the bill --
Then the drinks are on the house! - Glass in hand gesture
Consider yourself our mate. - Partner Spin 4X
We don't want to have no fuss
For after some consideration, we can state...
Consider yourself...
One of us!
Choreography- 2nd Lesson Consider Yourself
In this lesson I started putting together the first motif
I have created Motif 1 to I am now able to teach the boys part of the dance
The motif is as followed
Box step by Dodger -Canon
Box step By oliver
Clap.Tap along with the music
arm gesture opposite sides, arms out into feet tap hop
The motif is as followed
Box step by Dodger -Canon
Box step By oliver
Clap.Tap along with the music
arm gesture opposite sides, arms out into feet tap hop
One key thing that came out of this session, was the fact that the music fits the movements really well, but I need to focus less on this and more on the fact that I need to work faster, and today i have realised that I don't have much time, and I need to choreograph two dances
Choreography- 1st Lesson Ompapa- 8th of November
This lesson I got taught the two current motifs for the choral parts.
I think this lesson was very productive, maybe run through the motifs a few more times, to keep them firmly in our heads, and also to make decisions on characters, meaning we were using a male character, it would have made it much easier to choose the character first, as dance experience would vary. I learnt two motifs, quite quickly, and as a group we blocked most of the Nancys movement, using the relationships between Nancy and a Male character for a duet, and then also triple relationship between Nancy and two other female characters.
The relationship works well in the duet, as Nancy is a very flirtatious character, so there is a lot of stereotypical flirtatious movements. Such as Sitting on knee, hug, stroking.
Choreography -1st Lesson Consider Yourself
My first lesson I watched through the scene of 'Consider Yourself' using the the film. Taking ideas for certain travel, and gestural ideas. I then wrote down the characters involved in the dance. I also started looking at the relationships of the characters involved
Session evaluation
Session evaluation
I started putting together simple actions into a bank, which I can come to if I need to move the dance forward, gestures such as, claps, arm swings, kicks, leaps. But they are limited it complexity as the two main characters have no prior dance experience. I did a clap, tap on the leg movement along with the time of the music, which suite the characters of Oliver and Dodger. Things I could have done better is thatI would draw out a simple stick diagrams of each movement created for the bank, so I can understand notes much easier
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