We discussed various other strategies of engaging text that have been useful in theatre and other disciplines, in particular Speech Act Theory and Laban Movement Theory.
Speech Act Theory – Jon introduced the premise that every utterance is more than speech, it is also an action being performed, with an underlying desire/intention. It helps actors to choose how best to enrich their lines, by allying them with physical and emotional impulses.
In analyzing the text, can this theory help a dancer to identify character motivations behind certain lines, and to give intention to the words?
For eg : the poem begins with “and I see me, looking at what is not quite me” – what desire/intent underlies this observation? Is he seeking himself? Is he coolly assessing? Or bitterly judging? Answering this question gives the dancer a powerful impetus, and offers the audience a very recognizable humanity.
Laban Movement Theory – Aiden is familiar with this system, often used by dancers and also by actors to spark decisions in how to move.
After analyzing the text, the dancer winds up with a multitude of interpretations and even more possibilities of expressing them. Laban is a system that can help him select options, assess the result and refine the choices.
Specifically, the four spectrums of Direction, Speed, Weight and Flow are useful for helping the dancer to zoom in on the most ‘accurate’ movement language.
We also discussed other ways the dance can relate to the text :
Possible relationship between form and content :
Character / Persona – the dancer serves as actor, embodying the identity
Illustration – to literally demonstrate (useful for narrative texts)
Universal writing – physical ‘spelling out’ of words/letters
Mood/ Emotional response – evoking the emotional state (useful in emotive/soliloquy texts)
Articulation/Expression of the words – a powerful device where the dancer becomes the speaker also
Rhythm – responding to the spoken text as if it were music
Coded relationship/ Cultural codes – a useful shorthand for audiences that are clued in to the traditions/codes/customs
Embodiment – the dancer tries to embody the theme, like an abstract characterization
Tangential – the relationship between the dance and the text might stem from a personal association that is not immediately obvious, but still focused. This might require extra clues for the audience though, in order to go beyond self-indulgence.
While the text exists too much on the literary plane for some audiences, the body can be an anchor point, allowing the audience to recognize and connect with elements of the meaning beyond the actual words, such as the underlying emotions, the character’s qualities or the central imagery.
Responding to Aiden’s post-analysis dance of Maybe Not Me, we observed a significant difference between how dance ‘flows’ and how text ‘flows’.
Dimensional Shifts / Shifts in Perspective
Dance can be described as four dimensional – unfolding on a physical plane and in time. The audience’s perspective of the dance is objective and present and real. This is what gives dance the immediacy of reality, allowing the audience to connect strongly to it.
In choreography, there may be shifts built into the structure, like movements in music – but although they are perceivable to the senses, they are abstract in meaning.
Performed text, as a vocal performance, also unfolds in real time and space. But the meaning of the text unfolds on a metaphysical plane as well – shifting dimensions swiftly and sharply. Every time it shifts, the perspective of the listener shifts as well.
For example, the text can shift perspective from one character to another character, or from a subjective “I” to an objective voice. It can throw the audience back and forth in time, with a simple change in tenses. It can pull the audience out of reality and immerse them in dream and fantasy and memory. When text shifts into metaphor and imagery, it also brings to audience to a figurative dimension, removed from reality but looking back at it.
The meaning behind these shifts is clearly captured in the language, but they are not as easily perceived in real time by the listening audience. Those savvy with literature may observe these shifts by listening to the text, but general audiences may miss out on much of the dynamic. Once the dancer understands how the text shifts dimensions/perspectives, he/she can mark those shifts, making the audience aware of them as well. This way, the intricate dynamics of the text are embodied in the dance, and the dance is challenged to use a wider vocabulary to depict them.
Some common shifts
Subjective to Objective Persona/Character Time Reality vs Fantasy vs Dream vs Memory Metaphor |
Today, Aiden also shared a reference - OCD Love Showcase (with Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar). We were struck by the intense theatricality of the performance, and the evocative relationship between the two dancers.
This is the link to the Showcase video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRpCje1SCDA
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