Shaded Voice Dance Company

Louise’s MA Choreography Independent Project Changes to Context? will be performed tonight 7.30pm at Lakeview Theatre, North London.

Wishing the dancers an excellent performance!

Changes to Context?

Thursday 3 November

7.30pm

Lakeview Dance Theatre, Middlesex University

Choreography by

Louise Kelsey in collaboration with the performers

Performers

Robyn Bowers, Lucy Hough, Nikki Italiano, Julie McNamee, Alex Russell, Natalie Warren

Music composed by

Alex Judd

Technical Support

Mikkel Svak

Context

noun

The situation within which something exists or happens

With thanks to Angela Woodhouse and Christopher Bannerman for their comments and feedback throughout the research and rehearsal process

Additional thank to Jamie-lee Driver, Charlotte Parsons, Jamie Sanderson, Ashley Brown, Morgan Forth, Helena Micklethwaite, Suzuko Taniori, Litsa Savvides, Fumi Tomioka, Kara Challis, Ingrid Molinos, Ryan Fevrier, Rosie Polley, Natasha Lee and Georgina Woolf for their commitment and feedback in the initial workshop period.

Interesting watching a first year choreography class today working with musician Steve Rose, seeing the dance students explore rhythms through clapping, and the variety of percussion instruments that Steve brought with him, without having technical training that musicians have.  From Steve’s point of view there are interesting distinctions between the approach of technically skilled musicians and that of the dance students today.  Neither approach is right or wrong, but one approach follows instinct and intuition, somewhat exploring the instrument without an awareness of its full potential or limitations, whereas the other would adhere to technique and skill aquired through training.

Steve and I also briefly discussed painting, and the idea of rather than trying to replicate something with complete accuracy and following taught techniques, instead using the non-writing hand to explore something new - find an end result that isn’t restricted by technical requirements.  An unsteadyness/ natural unease in using the opposite hand that can create something quite marvellous.

Steve also mentioned this ‘freeness’ that children have, and advised looking at them in terms of creativity (which is great because I have already been doing this in regards to ‘play’).  We start off in life without restrictions - we explore/ move/ create freely.  We may train in a certain area/ discipline in which we have to follow techniques in order to improve our ‘skill’, especially in specialist areas.  But there comes a point where somewhat fight this, struggling with ourselves not to allow technical skill to have a negative impact on creativity.

Jump and Dance 3-4 yr old 45 minutes

Class Observations

Shrek Theme

In terms of what I am trying to investigate, the class was limited.  Very mixed abilities and levels of engagement.  Difficult in terms of communication because English is a second language to many of the children.  I’ve decided to recoginse that this class is probably not suitable for my investigation of ‘play’, although interesting nevertheless because although unable to engage this age group in specific creative tasks, they instead explore a sense of their own ‘play’, constantly exploring the space and finding things that intrgue them i.e. looking out of the windows, extreme fascination with the mirrors, playing with switches and buttons.  For this age range it is best not to look within the dance class to explore notions of ‘play’ in a constructive sense that will benefit my own workshops. 

Jump and Dance 5-7 yr old 1 hour

Structure of the class

Shrek Theme

1. Sat in circle, talked about half term (children relax, refamiliarise with one another)
2. Name and shape - Shrek inspired (Dragon/Puss in boots inspired) - Shape without using hands - ‘spikey’ shape without using hands
3. Bean Game - runner bean/ beans on toast/ beanbag/ tin of beans/ french bean
4. Travelling from the corner - x4 low walks, x4 high walks, x2 jump clap, slow turn and balance.  Strong walks.  Soft floaty walks.  Spikey walks.
5. ‘Free movement’ - play three pieces of music, class listen first and then move on second play of track.  Only instructions are to listen to the rhythm/ style of the piece and to remind the children that they can also use the floor.
6. Sit down - talk about favourite movements and made a list of the groups’ favourite.  Muddled them up and used chance to select order they will be performed in.
7. Started with first 4 movements -  into structure/ formation
8. Cool down - lie down on backs, deep breaths.  Slowly come to sitting, big stretch.  Slowly come to standing.  Big stretch.

Observations

First class: Interesting to see that the children’s first instinct is to move - can’t keep still!

Second class: Interesting ‘free movement’ - as soon as the music comes on they instantly move, don’t ‘think’ about it.  Looks like they follow their instinct.  Reminded me of dance improvisation, but their approach was readily different to that of my observations of trained dancers.  The children’s favourite movements aren’t typical dance movements/set dance steps, they are individual, personal and unique to each of them.

Louise Kelsey, Artsitic Director for Shaded Voice Dance Company, presents in collaboration with BA Dance students from Middlesex University ‘Metaphoring Ourselves’.

‘Sometimes the only way to understand our authentic self is to assume characteristics by metaphor, although these attributions define us by no means.’

PERFORMERS
Jess Bailey, Bryony Cooper, Fran Cupoli, Jessica Devaney, Charlie Ford, Bryony Garner, Sammy Gillingham, Sam Gordon, Sophie Hyde, Olivia Kay, Natasha Lee, Nicole McDowall, Jasmine Middleton, Hannah Perryman, Lil Richards, Jamie Sanderson, Deleann Skelsey, Anna Williams, Hannah Jane Yeoman

PERFORMANCES
Thursday 10 March 2011 at 7pm
Friday 11 March 2001 at 3pm and 7pm

(Dress rehearsal Wednesday 9 March at 7.30pm, may be space available to watch)

Other BA dance students will be performing work choreographed by Ryota Kodera, Helen Kindred and Zoe Hurrell.