Goal: to give the students an understanding of the meanings that a space holds when filled with objects or people. This works as a base for making dance choreography.

Methods: to combine doing, watching and putting words into the practice. Learning from experiencing and discussion.

The group: 8 students in age of 14+

Lenght: 1,5-2 h

 

1. Discussion, short defining of the key words:

Space, reference point, direction, distance, movement

(Use a dictionary as help, for instance www.dictionary.reference.com)

 

2. Learning a very short dance phraze. This phraze will be the only movement material being used during the class. It is made to resemble a discussion between two dancers - a duet without physical contact. The movement creates a clear relation between the dancers without specifying the atmosphere very much.

 

3. Two dancers at the time will dance the duet, while the others watch. After each duet, a few comments from the watchers of how the relation between the dancers and to the audience is being understood - in other words: what kind of story or atmosphere the duet holds.

The duet will be danced in following ways:

 

Facing away from each other, with some distance

Far apart, facing towards each other

Close together, facing towards each other

In a front corner, close together

In a back corner, close together

In the front stage, back to the audience

In the front stage, facing the audience

 

4. The group will form couples.

Each couple will get a story line that describes a relationship and a changing situation as a task.

 For example: 'Person A tries to get the attention of person B -> person B gets noticed -> now person B does not want the attention any more -> person A is the main character in the end situation, the one who should get more attention from the audience'.

The couples create and show these task situations looping the praze without manipulating the movement, they only should place and move themselves in the space in relation to each other and to the audience to show the story line. Is this possibe? Will the story be clear to the audience? Use different directions, parts of the stage and distances between the dancers.

A brief discussion together with the whole group after each duet. 

 

IMPORTANT is not to focus on judging but to simply put words on what was seen. Every choise creates something on stage, and even though a choise did not have the effect that was looked after in this specific task, it had an effect, what was it? Succeeding or doing right is less important for learning in this exercise, than making clear choises and try-outs, whatever they are. It is good to tell this to the group and ask for describing comments instead of judging ones.