Teachers’ Resource Pack

Created by Dance Educational Consultant Renee Place

This resource is designed to give teachers and students an exclusive insight into the creation and performance of Expressions Dance Company 2018 season of Converge.

The information and learning experiences aligns with to the current Senior Dance Syllabus (2010), the upcoming General Senior Dance Syllabus (2019) and the Australian Curriculum. Each activity can be adapted to suit the needs, age group and experience level of your class. The exercises can be followed sequentially or as individual activities used in isolation to one another. We aim to provide teachers and students with a unique perspective on the creation of the work, to further their understanding of choreographic process and how this translates into performance. This resource also provides example Appreciation and Choreography tasks, which could be used as stimulus for assessment tasks after viewing the performance.

EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FROM CONVERGE

Contemporary choreography and choreographic development, performance and appreciationConverge provides students the opportunity to enhance their understanding and appreciation of the contemporary dance genre and observe world-class professional dancers.

Dance and Music: Cross disciplinary collaborationMusic is one of the key (aural) non-movement components that dancemakers use to create and add layers of meaning to their performance. Professional choreographers and dancers often work with original composers and live musicians. Through our detailed teachers’ notes, your students can gain a more intimate understanding of the collaborative process of creating dance and music concurrently, and about the on-stage relationship between dancer and musician. Your students will be inspired to open their minds to collaborations they can spark with other students in their creative school community.

Cultural perspectives (Asia/Australia) This production features choreography by Australian choreographers and a Chinese Choreographer. Students can identify, compare and contrast Asian and Australian approaches to choreography.

Copyright and photocopyingPhotocopying of this resource for classroom use is permitted for educational institutions. Copyright protects this publication. Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by whatever means is prohibited.

Internet use in the classroomWhile all reasonable attempts have been made to confirm that suggested websites are active and appropriate for classroom use, content relevance and quality cannot be guaranteed. Teachers are advised to preview any sites used and provide a list of URLs to students that have been tailored to the individual school curriculum.

FeedbackWe are very interested in the continual improvement of our Teacher Resource Packs.If you have any feedback on the pack, please feel free to us know.Contact Expressions Dance Company on admin@expressionsdancecompany.org.au or 07 3257 4222.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE PACK

It is with great pleasure I welcome you to Converge - a choreographic platform for both emerging and established creators. This is a vital part of the vision of EDC, that choreographers are given a supportive environment to work with exceptional dancers, so that choreographic talent is nurtured, and we as an organization stay relevant to today, with a vision to the future.

I am also very excited to be presenting this season in partnership with the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (QCGU). Not only are we performing in this great venue, we are working with composers and musicians from the Con - this is a rare opportunity for emerging choreographers. The live musicians add such a vibrant immediacy to the performance. My thanks to Professor Scott Harrison, Associate Professor Peter Luff, Dr Gerardo Dirié and all at the Con.

Choreographer Stephanie Lake joins us again, following on from her creation for Mozart Airborne. Stephanie is a well established creator, now with her own company in Melbourne, and she has crafted a fabulous work titled Ceremony. Stephanie is always such a pleasure to work with.

Richard Causer’s piece Imposters shows outstanding originality, as his choreographic voices continues to mature. Jake McLarnon makes his professional choreographic debut with us, creating a beautiful duet, Isochronism. Both Richard and Jake have worked with QCGU composers Isabella Gerometta, Tanya Jones, Jarvis Miller, Padraig Parkhurst and Michal Rosiak. The entire process has been very rewarding, building relationships that I hope will continue into the future.

Xu Yiming returns to us, creating a meditative and sublime piece for four dancers titled Aftermath. Yiming’s involvement is part of our Chinese Australian Dance Exchange Project, which is proving to be a very rich and meaningful initiative.

Our very own Alana Sargent has designed the costumes for the season. Alana has a huge talent in this area, and really understands how the costumes need to work for dancers. Ben Hughes’ lighting design is stunning, he is so collaborative and really works with each individual choreographer to bring their vision to life. A big thanks also to rehearsal director Sally Wicks, she is a huge support to me and the dancers and choreographers.

We welcome Scott Ewen to EDC. Scott has had a substantial career as a both a dancer and choreographer. Isabella Hood joins us as a trainee, having just completed her honours at QUT. We welcome back Jag Popham for this season, who performed with us in Black in 2016, on tour in China. They join EDC ensemble members Elise May, Richard Causer, Alana Sargent and Jake McLarnon. We are blessed to have such stunning dancers with EDC.

Programs such as Converge are essential- a choreographer not only has to have talent, they need to practice their art, it is through these experiences that they can learn their craft and develop distinct choreographic voices for now and into the future. Contemporary dance needs to evolve, to explore, to question and to flourish. I am very proud of this production, and hope you have a wonderful dance experience.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE PACK WELCOME FROM NATALIE WEIR

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, EXPRESSIONS DANCE COMPANY

RICHARD CAUSER

Choreographer, “Imposters” / EDC Dancer

Richard completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) at Queensland University of Technology in 2004 and joined EDC in 2006. He earned nominations for Most Outstanding Male Dancer for both the 2011

Australian Dance Awards (ADA) and Helpmann Awards. In 2012 he was nominated for an ADA for performing his self-choreographed work Wilhelm Scream and again in 2017 for his role in EDC’s Black. Richard spent 2012-2015 working in London as a dancer, choreographer and teacher with various companies and independent choreographers and returned to EDC in 2016. His choreographic credits include works for the Malaysian Dance Festival, Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts, Expressions Dance Company, Queensland University of Technology, Third Row Dance Company (UK), Centre of Advanced Training (UK), Inky Cloak Theatre Company (UK), and Raw Moves Dance Company (Singapore).

STEPHANIE LAKE

Choreographer, “Ceremony”

Stephanie Lake is a multi award-winning choreographer and dancer based in Melbourne. Her performance career spans over 20 years, touring extensively with leading contemporary companies Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc

and BalletLab. Lake’s choreographic works have been presented in major festivals and venues in Australia and have toured to France, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Singapore and Hong Kong. In 2014 Lake won both the Helpmann and Australian Dance Award for Most Outstanding Choreography as well as the Green Room Award (2011). She was a recipient of the prestigious Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship and Dame Peggy van Praagh Choreographic Fellowship. In 2013 Lake was appointed Resident Director of Lucy Guerin Inc. She has created works for EDC, Sydney Dance Company, Chunky Move, Queensland Ballet, New Zealand Dance Company, Dancenorth, Tasdance and Frontier Danceland (Singapore). Lake collaborates across theatre, film and TV, visual art and music video and has directed several large-scale public works. In 2017 Lake was the recipient of the Australia Council for the Arts Fellowship for Dance.

JAKE MCLARNON

Choreographer, “Isochronism” / EDC Dancer

Born in Perth, Jake completed his training at WAAPA, performing in numerous contemporary and ballet works by renowned choreographers such as George Balanchine, Raewyn Hill and Xiaoxing Zhang. Jake joined

Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) for its European tour of Garry Stewart’s Proximity then joining the ensemble full time. Other ADT highlights include the Australian season of Garry Stewart’s Proximity, Be Yourself and Birdbrain. In 2015 Jake choreographed for the RAD Festival in Perth and its 80th Anniversary Gala in Adelaide. Jake first performed with EDC as a guest artist for the 2016 remount of When Time Stops before returning to ADT to perform Objekt by Garry Stewart. Jake became a company member later that year to join EDC’s 2016 China tour and has since performed in EDC productions Propel, Natalie Weir’s Behind Closed Doors and Mozart Airborne. In 2017 Jake also had to opportunity to perform a collaborative dance/projection art piece with visual artist Matt Sheridan and TWFine Art as part of the Tenerife Festival. His work Isochronism in Converge is Jake’s choreographic debut with a professional company.

XU YIMING 许一鸣

Choreographer, “Aftermath”

XU Yiming was born in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, China. He began his dance training at the Beijing Runliang Dance School in 1997. He joined the Guangzhou Song and Dance Company in 2001 and with the Beijing Modern Dance Company later that year. Yiming became a founding

member of BeijingDance/LDTX in 2005 and became a teacher at the BeijingDance/LDTX Dance Center in 2013. Yiming has participated in various overseas cultural projects and performed in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, South Korea, and the USA. His major works include: The Encounter of Confucius, Waiting Alone (Performed as part of EDC’s Propel in 2017), The Snail, Head Against Earth and Solitude. In May 2017, his work Solitude, commissioned by Ballett Chemnitz of the Städtische Theater Chemnitz in Germany, received a Saxony Artistic Award. in 2017 Yiming performed with EDC in Natalie Weir’s Behind Closed Doors. Xu Yiming joins us as part of EDC’s Chinese Australian Dance Exchange Project. For more information, visit expressionsdancecompany.org.au.

MEET THE CHOREOGRAPHERS

EXERCISE CHOREOGRAPHERS AND THEIR INSPIRATIONS

Research each of these choreographers. What are the similarities or differences between their careers, approaches to choreography, their inspirations?

n Think about what inspires you when you choreograph? Are you drawn to images, story, a character, music, a concept, an emotion?

As a class, list as many of these such stimulus ideas you can.

Using the following categories; Auditory, Visual, Kinaesthetic, Tactile, Ideational, list your stimulus brainstorming under the most relevant grouping.

Note – you could do an activity to introduce this terminology to your students if they are new concepts.

MEET THE CHOREOGRAPHERS

Rehearsals for Richard Causer’s Imposters

‘This project is unique in its inception, with choreographer and composer working side by side to create a joint vision, which is now brought to life by the brilliance of the dancers and musicians.’- Professor Scott Harrison (Director, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (QCGU)

Ask students the following questions and brainstorm as a class:n What is a collaboration?n Do you know the name of any famous collaborators (this can extend beyond dance)?

Read the following article and complete the table below.https://www.cutcommonmag.com/when-minds-industries-and-ideas-converge/

Collaborators Artforms List 5 key points or interesting facts about the collaboration.

EXTENSIONResearch the following collaborators and complete a table as per the above exercisen Merce Cunningham and John Cagen Sydney Dance Company and Katie Noonann Australian Dance Theatre and Lois Greenfieldn Akram Khan and Sylvie Guillem

Using your research, create a research task, poster, report, PowerPoint, essay etc. about the one of these collaborations.

COLLABORATION

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n

n

n

n

EDC & MUSIC / DANCEQCDU

Expressions Dance Company in the rehearsal studio with the composers and musicians from QCGU

Choreographer: STEPHANIE LAKEMusic: György Ligeti, Six Bagatelles (Movement 1)Chinary Ung, Khse BuonJavier Alvarez, Metro ChabacanoSteve Reich, Music for Pieces of Wood

CHOREOGRAPHER NOTES“Working with an eclectic set of music choices, Ceremony sees the six dancers in a world of ticking machinery, percussive rituals and beasts arising. Born out of curiosity in the individual traits of the performers, what started as a purely abstract physicalisation of the music has evolved into something of a madcap ride. It is a place of intricately threading hands, precise gesture and wildly manipulated bodies. Working with an iconic piece of minimalism - Steve Reich’s Music for Pieces of Wood - our challenge was to embody its beautiful polyrhythmic complexity.”

DISCUSSION POINT – What is your understanding of the term abstract physicalisation?

THE WORK“I started with a blank slate for this work. I was curious about what would happen if we started creating from ‘nothing’ – just the dancers in the space. What would evolve? What would take my eye and compel me to pursue an idea? What would happen with the combination of those particular dancers with those music choices and my choreographic stimulus? As the work started to take shape and create its own meaning I could see that there were ideas of ritual and manipulation.”

DISCUSSION POINT – Have you ever used questions as a way of starting your piece and allowing the intention to come after you have begun creating movement?

THE PROCESS – Structured improvisations“We started on day one with a long and quite intense structured improvisation that started quiet and small. Focus on the hands, standing in a circle and steadily amplified until the dancers were hurling themselves through the space and moving with lots of speed and articulation. From that bed of information in our bodies, we started to build phrases of choreography that led to the materials in their solos that pop up throughout the work. Other sections were built with me creating movement passages that the dancers had to pick up and then expand or extrapolate from. The first and last sections were made very specifically in response to the music, trying to articulate each of the sounds and instruments. The big partnering sections were developed from the idea of creating a giant pinball machine and in the men’s trio, with the idea of attempting to always get a hold of someone’s hand. In the women’s clapping trio, I wanted to create a new ritual, working with rhythm and voice. Throughout the work, there are elements that are improvised and also strictly choreographed.”

COLLABORATION CEREMONY - STEPHANIE LAKE

EXERCISE: CREATING STRUCTURED IMPROVISATIONS AND CHOREOGRAPHIC TASKS

In pairs, read through Stephanie Lake’s statement above and highlight each stage in her process to compile a list of structured improvisations or choreographic tasks.

Develop the improvisations and tasks by adding a series of parameters (use the elements of dance and choreographic devices) to make the task more structured.

For example:

n Create a giant pinball machine using all bodies in the space. Limit the space in which the dancers can move.n Make a clapping phrase sitting cross-legged in 2 groups and then layer the 2 sets of rhythms so that they create a syncopated pattern.n Make a phrase of movement and then perform it without moving your arms - only the legs and spine - so that it ends up being very curly and liquid.

Rehearsals of Stephanie Lake’s Ceremony

Choreographer: RICHARD CAUSERDancers: Scott Ewen, Isabella Hood Elise May, Jake McLarnon, Jag Popham and Alana Sargent. Composers: Isabella Gerometta, Padraig Parkhurst and Michal Rosiak.

CHOREOGRAPHER NOTES“Individuality is a dying species. Mediocrity is the new black.” - Penny Arcade, Longing Lasts Longer

We are all made up of complex layers of identity. Each of these layers we expose in different ways to the people we encounter in our lives. Therefore, our identity is perceived differently depending on what layer we share. We are living in a masquerade ball.

Imposters is a humane concern on how easy our private and most intimate identities are pulled apart, and left exposed leaving us bare and vulnerable.

DISCUSSION POINT – Using the title of the work as stimulus, brainstorm as many choreographic starting points as you can.

THE WORKI’m influenced by imagery and visual states. The inspiration might come from a picture or seeing something on the street or even a film and this image sparks an idea. Once I have the idea, I then research more images or imagery around that idea. The movement doesn’t come first. I think more about the energy and how the work might unfold or look on stage such as lighting states and how a body or object looks on stage. It is about find the aesthetic of the work first and trying to see myself in that place.

The movement comes last, this whole work was set before I even created movement.

DISCUSSION POINT – Why do you think Richard Causer’s movement came last when choreographing this work?

My works mainly focusses on the human condition and how we respond and interact with each other. I like to explore the ironic and bizarre nature that unfolds from our connections.I also like to look at the opposites or the alternative view. We might want something so much but we know that by wanting and taking that it thing, it effects to somebody or something else.

When I watch a dance, I want to personally relate to what I am seeing. I want to understand and connect. For my audience, I want them to leave with a question or a thought that lingers.

DISCUSSION POINT – When you watch dance performances, do you try to relate to what you are seeing? How important is it for you to understand and connect with the themes?

THE PROCESS - Choreographic tasksThis piece had a series of stimulus and themes that all linked into identity. Each stimulus formed my planning for each scene of the work. Once the section was organised, I used choreographic tasks to create the movement.

IMPOSTERS - RICHARD CAUSER

EXERCISE – CREATING STRUCTURED IMPROVISATIONS AND CHOREOGRAPHIC TASKS

Use the ideas, tasks, processes outlined below as classroom tasks.

Scene planning and choreographic tasks - Imposters

1 Unidentified bodies

The scene begins with a group of unidentified bodies, lying in the space as if they are on the metal table, cold. They wake up and don’t know who they are or how long they have been there. They are looking at the markings on their skin, a tattoo, a birth mark. They begin to develop a sense of panic and confusion but at the same they are curious.

Task – Dancers were asked to imagine themselves on these tables or in a box - they couldn’t remove themselves and their space was limited both width and height. They had to play with the ideas of trying to understand and figure out who and where they are.

Manipulate but using repetition of small, sudden and subtle movements along with the idea of panic. Not just frantic but stillness or frozen and just one part of the body is moving e.g. the eyes.

2 Human Zoo – Foreign body

The idea for this scene was sparked from the image of a human zoo. The idea is that the dancers are seeing this foreign body (Elise May) that looks like them but it also looks a little bit different. Unsure who it is, why it is there and how it is going to respond to them.

Task – Dancers were given a range of images such as; one person with multiple heads etc. Each dancer selected as many images as they wanted to explore through movement. They then needed to group the images into four groups. For each group, they needed to allocate one or two aspects that they wanted to focus on whether it be the shape, the dynamic quality, body part etc.

The dancers were asked to create a seed of an idea of movement but nothing too developed (it may be one movement). They were required to create 4 different seed ideas (A, B, C, D).

These were then put into an algorithm:

CREATE MOVEMENT IDEA FOR A-D BASED ON AN IMAGE

DECIDE HOW EACH IS MADE UP

START WITH ORIGINAL

PHASE NOW GOES LIKE THIS

A B C D B C DA A B D C D A A BD C B C B C B C B A D C A B ETC.

SO A NOW BECOMES MOVEMENT B AND C, B BECOMES D AND A ETC.

A B C D

A B C D

B C D A A B D C

D A A B DC B C B C B A D C A B

Eg. A= B, C B = D,A C = A,B D= D,C

A B C D

B C D A A B D C

D A A B DC B C B C B A D C A B

This process created a really complicated structure or pattern for each dancer’s sequence.

The task was further developed as the dancers were asked to evolve the original movement every time they revisited a letter. The movement needed to be manipulated in some way (using the elements of dance or choreographic devices).

This was then layered with instruction that every time they changed letters/movement the next letter/movement was like an interruption rather than a smooth transition.

Only one dancer’s solo (Elise May) is used in this scene the rest are used in scene 5.

3 Objectification

This scene has two duets that link together.

The first duet (two females) was based of images of women getting photographed and even though they know their image is being taken there is a sense of vulnerability.

The second duet is based of images of men with science objects.

The two male dancers have no emotion as they measure up and manipulate the female dancer’s bodies as a routine or daily chore.

The women have allowed themselves to be there (reference to social media) but they don’t necessarily like it.

The two duets, happen in unison down the stage in a diagonal.

4 Lemons

This scene begins with, Elise walking in with hooped skirts that are holding the lemons. She releases them onto the stage. Two male dancers bite into some lemons and they have that sense of bitter sourness shown throughout their body. The dancers were also given some images of contorted bodies.

Task – Tension moves through the hands, feet and through the face. Develop a motif throughout the section. Each time they make contact it is like taking another bite of the lemon. Repelling off each other’s body.

5 Revealing layers of identity

All the dancers enter the stage with the skirts above their heads and it will become a hypnotic repetitive sequence of walking and intricate foot work in unison and on repeat.

As this sequence is happening, occasionally one person’s skirt drops and they reveal their own personal solo (algorithm solo). This represent layers of identity being exposed for a brief moment until they are covered back up and carry on.

Choreographer: JAKE MCLARNONDancers: Scott Ewen and Isabella Hood.Composers: Tanya Jones and Jarvis Miller.

CHOREOGRAPHER NOTESHaving a uniform period of vibration, occurring at the same time of another event.Inspired by the artwork of Jasper Hills.

DISCUSSION POINT – McLarnon’s program notes are short compared to the other works in Converge. Why do you think he has chosen to do this? Using the title and definition, what are your thoughts about the style, form or movement vocabulary of work?

THE WORKThis piece is inspired by the artworks of Jasper Hills, a visual artist based in Queensland.Using his works to inspire the movement, I wanted to create a physical response to the subject matter and my interpretation his works. I also wanted to explore the dancer’s responses, as each person responds to the same artwork in a different manner. My process is a very collaborative in that sense.

For me this piece is about an abstract concept, how two bodies, representing colours within an image, move together and separately.

Some of the imagery is very fluid and textured, so I am playing with that in the style of movement.Jasper Hills collection of works, Isochronism explores the concept of having uniform periods of vibration. My re-sponse to this concept is friction. I wanted to play with the ideas of friction and vibratory movement and contrast it with fluidity. I wanted to see the juxtaposition of these two concepts but also explore that there is always one in the other. How does it go from one to the other?

EXERCISE – Contrast and Form

Ask students to brainstorm the elements of dance (Space, Time, Dynamics, Relationships) that are appropriate for the following two concepts:

n Frictionn Fluidity

Ask students to form pairs and create create as sequence of movement for Friction and FluidityAsk students to structure the sequences using the following forms.

n A, B – Binary (eg. Friction, Fluidity or vice versa)n A, B, A – Ternary (eg. Friction, Fluidity, Friction or vice versa)

Discuss which structre achieved a more successful outcome.

ISOCHRONISM - JAKE MCLARNON

ISOCHRONISM - JAKE MCLARNONTHE PROCESS – Structured improvisationsI selected a series of images from the artist and gave each dancer a different image. I also provided them with a series of words that where my personal responses to that specific image. The dancers were also given words that the artist had written about that piece.

The dancers could draw on the visual representation, the words and their own interpretations of the work. They could also respond in a way that was completely opposite to what was given to them. I would also respond to the images and create phrases which I would then teach the dancers and developed into set sequences.

EXERCISE – Responding to stimulus

Using a series of images as stimulus, follow McLarnon’s structured improvisation to create a series of movement sequences.

Jasper Hill’s work often uses contrasting colours and for this piece (I was working with two dancers) so I thought I would play with the idea that each of them would represent a different colour. We then explored what feeling or emotion that each of the colours could represent physically.

EXERCISE – Colour my emotions

Use the idea of two people representing two different colours that represent two different emotions as a starting point for a choreographic task.

Jasper Hill uses a particular agent that stops the colours from mixing together completely. This allows him to separate the colours but also allows the colours intertwine and blend without becoming one whole new colour. In my work, I wanted to represent this by using two bodies, even when they are in contact they can’t become one but they can move together and influence each other.

EXERCISE– Intertwined and influenced

Create a series of choreographic tasks using the following concepts:n Separate coloursn Intertwined by not blendedn Influencing one another

Some of Jasper’s works have a trajectory, so they go from being heavily chaotic and detailed and then slow disintegrated into nothing – White Space. I thought this was an interesting idea as you could also look at it the opposite way which would be, starting from nothing and ending with something.

EXERCISE – White Space

Focus on the word, trajectory, and develop manipulate a sequence of movement you have created previously to develop with the following processes:

n Begin heavily chaotic and detailed then slowly disintegrate into nothing.n Begin from nothing and quickly build to something.

THE STRUCTUREAfter workshopping the choreographic tasks and developing the phrases and sequences of movement, I looked over everything and selected main ideas from task work or from the images themselves and divided them into some sections.

Section Breakdown – ISOCHRONISM

1 (A) The first section introduces the idea of two entities or objects trying to overlap and connect but not being able to physically become one.

Movement focuses on fluidity and the slight differences (dynamics, shape etc.) the dancers have as they represent two different colours but also how they collide, rebound and affect each other.

2 (B) The second section explores the idea of empty space (on a canvas) with silent and quiet movements then slowly morphs into something more physical following a trajectory across the space while still holding onto the detail. 3 (AB) The third section is a combination of all of the ideas, making reference to everything that is seen before. This section will be more chaotic and unpredictable movements and will build.

EXERCISE – Choreographic planning

Using this section breakdown, brainstorm your own choreographic work.n What choreographic tasks will you explore?n Where in the space will this section occur?n How will the section begin and end?n Who will be dancing?n Which dynamic qualities will be explored?n What tempo will be investigated?

Come up with your own questions

Rehearsals of Jake McLarnon’s Isochronism

Choreographer: XU YIMING 许一鸣Dancers: Richard Causer, Elise May, Jag Popham and Alana Sargent. Music: Gurdjieff/De Hartmann, Holy Affirming, Holy Denying, Holy Reconciling, Sainte Affirmation, Sainte Negation, Sainte Conciliation | Meditation | Prayer No. 2 | Hymn | Hymn for Easter Thursday Arvo Pärt, Pari Intervallo

CHOREOGRAPHER NOTESWe face everything that life brings forward. We wish to have a book that tells the story of our life.  All in all, in life, we face, we fumble, we ponder, we endure...

 我们每个人都经历着生活给我们带来的一切，每个人都想有一本书在诉说的自己的故事。总之我们在生活中，对着、错着、思考着、经历着。。。

EXERCISE - Build your own work

Use Xu Yiming’s title and intent to create your own work.

n Stimulus - Brainstorm ideas based of the title and outlined intent.n Structured improvisations/choreographic task – create a series of tasks to explore the stimulus and ideas created during the brainstorming activity. Improvise, explore and experiment to create new movement material.n Motif – create a motif movement or phrase.n Choreographic devices – manipulate the movement material and motif using select choreographic devices.n Compositional structure and form – select an appropriate form or structure for you piece.n Present and receive feedback.n Reflect, revise and rehearse.n Perform.

AFTERMATH 后遗症 - XU YIMING 许一鸣

APPRECIATION TASK 1

Select one of the 4 works showcased in Converge.

Task Question – Evaluate the selected choreographers use of movement, in relation to the non-movement components, to effectively convey their choreographic intention.

The essay must analyse and interpret the interrelationship between the components and evaluate how successful they were used to convey the intent. Ensure you justify your evaluation with relevant and specific examples from the work.

APPRECIATION TASK 2

Select two of the works from Converge.

Task Question – In a comparative essay, evaluate Choreographer 1 and Choreographer 2’s use of movement (in relation to the non-movement components) to effectively convey their choreographic intentions.

The comparative essay must analyse and interpret the interrelationships between the movement vocabulary and three non-movement components by evaluating the effectiveness of these choreographic choices in conveying each work’s themes. Ensure you justify your evaluation with relevant and specific examples from the work.

CHOREOGRAPHY TASK 1

Select one of the 4 choreographic intentions from Converge to create a contemporary dance.Use the outlined structured improvisations and choreographic tasks for this specific work to explore and manipulate a range of movement and non-movement components allowing you to communicate the intent.

CHOREOGRAPHY TASK 2

Jake McLarnon explored the concept of Isochronism in his work with the same title. His work is divided into three sections. Using this concept as a starting point and section breakdown of Isochronism, create a contemporary dance to communicate the outlined intent (choregrapher notes) of this work.

Explore and manipulate a range of movement and non-movement components to help you communicate your choreographic intention.

CHOREOGRAPHY TASK 3

Using Xu Yiming’s title Aftermath as your inspiration, collaborate with a student from another art form (visual art, film, music, theatre) to create a dancework.

Explore and manipulate a range of movement and non-movement components to help you communicate your choreographic intention.

EXAMPLE APPRECIATION & CHOREOGRAPHY TASKS

Based within Brisbane’s Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, Expressions Dance Company (EDC) is one of Queensland’s leading contemporary dance companies. Since its establishment in 1984 by Maggie Sietsma and Abel Valls, EDC has created more than 170 works by more than 75 renowned national and international choreographers. In addition to touring Australia and overseas, EDC is partnered with Queensland Performing Arts Centre in presenting an annual program of world-class contemporary dance theatre.

Under the leadership of internationally acclaimed Artistic Director Natalie Weir (appointed 2009), the company has earned numerous nominations and awards including Australian Dance Awards and Helpmann Awards. Natalie’s signature works for EDC are where the heart is, R&J, When Time Stops, The Red Shoes, 7 Deadly Sins and Behind Closed Doors. Other highlights include Carmen Sweet, The Host and Don’t. Natalie’s work is renowned for her touching insight into human nature, as well as highly physical partner work and organic movement style.

EDC is defined by its commitment to excellence in performance and sector development, contributing to the evolution and future of contemporary Australian dance. Guided by Natalie’s philosophy of creating art without fear, the company is focused on building opportunities for established and emerging dancers, choreographers and creatives. Additionally, EDC’s youth and education programs such as the biannual Brisbane Contemporary Dance Intensive (assisted through their official training partnership with Queensland University of Technology) enable the company to share skills and inspiration with the next generation of performers and dance-makers.

Recently, EDC’s commitment to cultural collaboration has been articulated through its Chinese Australian Dance Exchange Project, a groundbreaking partnership with China’s leading contemporary dance companies Guangdong Modern Dance Company, Beijing LTDX and City Contemporary Dance Company (Hong Kong). EDC has also collaborated with Singapore Dance Theatre, Switzerland-based Cathy Sharp Dance Ensemble, Queensland Ballet, Opera Australia, Opera Queensland, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Camerata, Topology, Southern Cross Soloists and the Queensland Conservatorium.

www.expressionsdancecompany.org.au

ABOUT EXPRESSIONS DANCE COMPANY

Natalie Weir’s 7 Deadly Sins

Photo by Dylan Evans featuring Jake M

cLarnon, Elise May, Richard C

auser and Alana Sargent

EXPRESSIONSDANCECOMPANY.ORG.AU

+61 7 3257 4222 admin@expressionsdancecompany.org.auLevel 3, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts420 Brunswick StreetFortitude Valley QLD 4006

CONTACT DETAILS

Cover photo by Dylan Evans