We continued exploring the Descendants text by sharing our individual research on Cheng Ho as a personage.
Because the text says very little about Cheng Ho, this discussion of him as a historical and legendary figure gave us material to discuss him as a character, as we did for the persona “I”. Since the text is about “I” identifying with Cheng Ho, comparing them would be illuminating.
From the team’s sharing, we highlighted these qualities in Cheng Ho:
ambitious (for himself and for his empire)
a pious Muslim (made the haj)
adept opportunist
visionary
strong leader and strategist
gifted diplomat
a humanist, deeply embracing of other cultures
courageous
deep sense of duty
With a clearer sense of both characters in the text, Aiden improvised again.
<insert 2nd dance>
Some points discussed after the dance :
What’s the story “I” wants to tell.
What is “I” departing from? What is the “insanity”?
How can the dancer differentiate Cheng Ho & I in performance?
We also began to discuss how to incorporate sound design, since this text refers to atmospheres and environments that would be difficult for the dancer to evoke unaided – the “vast space” of his dream, as well as the oceans Cheng Ho sailed. We were eager to see how design elements can jump off from a shared understanding of the text but tackle different areas of emphasis, evoking different layers of meaning.
The Helix
We began to see the fusion of dance, text and design elements as a helix – each one a distinct strand with its own specific spiral path, but all the paths intertwined and sharing an alignment, forming a complex whole. Perhaps the meaning conveyed to the audience resides in the tension between the strands.
Fusion vs Confusion
It is important that the different elements allocate their meaning-burdens clearly, so that they do not overlap messily and distract from each other. If they do merge or converge on a moment of meaning, they must do so with clear intentions, and still performing their unique functions. This way, we can aim for fusion without confusion.
Hozzászólások