Initial idea / stimulus

My ideas began to formulate and grow when I read about how Merce Cunningham believed ‘dance didn’t need to be used to tell a story or to symbolize an emotion; it was movement for its own sake.’ (Gross. T, 1985) He was interested in the qualities of movement and how movement reacts to music and space. In my choreography I thought I did not want to be confined by a specific idea or stimulus or have an audience react to their pre-conceived ideas, instead I wanted to let my body and movement lead the way. Although having a specific theme can prove more straightforward for building a story and creating motifs, I believe it can also be restricting and too literal. In contrast improvisation can feel too vast and free. Therefore, I realised combining the two approaches might be the way forward for me. 

 

Words that I gravitate towards to inspire improvisation are smooth, grounded, continuous and escalating and as I explored these words further, I came across the chaos theory and the butterfly effect. In the chaos theory a very small change can lead to larger differences throughout time. It explores the idea that even the flapping of butterfly wings could create enough wind to change the weather. A chaotic system is sometimes called the butterfly effect. I was fascinated by the idea that something so small can cause larger consequences and wanted to explore how movement can build and escalate over time. 

Trisha Browns piece ‘Accumulation’ from 1971 uses the idea that something can build out of nothing. She repeats and adds simple gestures together to eventually create a phrase of movement. As a process I like the simplicity of building through addition and repetition and would like to use this method as a starting point for my choreography. I believe that she was exploring something new in each move she made, letting her movement influence the next stage, reacting to the new movement and building the phrases in this way. 

In order to further my ideas, I would like to explore words relating to my chosen stimulus resulting in new starting points for movement. I would also like to learn from practitioners’ movement styles and methods for choreographing to broaden my knowledge and understanding of different approaches. 

A visual stimulus that I feel demonstrates the gradual building of chaos is the film ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ 1982 directed by Godfrey Reggio with music composed by Philip Glass. The film has no words and makes its impact purely through its imagery and music. In the segment that focuses on moving traffic you watch as it increases rapidly in pace. I would like to use changes in tempo and pace as another starting point for movement. In my choreography I hope to challenge myself and push myself outside of my comfort zone, finding new ways of moving my body. I want to create an energy and rhythm that builds to reverberate throughout the audience. 

 

 

 

References 

Gross.T (1985) Merce Cunningham: A life in Movement, Available at: npr.org/transcripts/111386674 Accessed date: 10/10/21 

Arthur Marques (2009) Trisha Brown Accumulation Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86I6icDKH3M Accessed date: 10/10/21

Carneiro REC (2013) The Pulse ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNzH59-juFMAccessed date:10/10/21