DANZ QUARTERLY Issue 19
April, May, June 2010
Moving the Masses in Style
by Lyne Pringle
Choreographing for large groups can prove to be a challenge. In this article Lyne Pringle talks to a number of choreographers about their approach.
Doris Humphrey remains a strident voice in terms of offering advice to choreographers, even though her seminal book The Art of Making Dances was first published in 1959. Here is her check list:
symmetry is lifeless, two dimensional design is lifeless, the eye is faster than the ear, movement looks slower and weaker on the stage, all dances are too long, a good ending is 40% of the dance, monotony is fatal, look for contrasts,
don’t be a slave to, or a mutilator, of the music.
I recently interviewed Mary-Jane O’Reilly, well known choreographer and artistic director of Auckland’s dance festival Tempo, with regard to her experience of choreographing the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in1990 - she had a cast of hundreds of people.
She advised using very good dancers who know the material and have a good sense of rhythm and musicality to lead a particular group or section – that way everyone stays in time. The chorus simply needs to have a good grasp on the material then hone their observational skills. She says that you can have different choruses doing different phrases at the same time. She also worked with groups moving on different pathways through the large space.
A couple of methods I recently used in my production Lily were:
- Having a leader, who with certain commands, initiates certain group actions e.g. turning, jumping, creeping, dropping to the floor and
- Lining up a group behind a leader and a movement is passed down the line like a movement form of Chinese whispers.
Once again you could have several groups moving at once.
Some chorus exercises are Chevron where the group faces in a certain direction and follows the person in front when the group turns to face another direction they follow the person in front again – this exercise enlivens the observational skills of the group and can add a three dimensional quality to the choreography.
Michael Parmenter has a great group game called Catch My Fall where the group is running around the space and somebody calls another person’s name – the nominated person stops and begins to fall in slow motion. Immediately the whole group needs to come together to pick them up before they fall to the ground (they must move very quickly). They carry the nominated person briefly, following the momentum of the initial movement and then put them down before dispersing with a run into the space again to await the next nomination. This is a fun game that really wakes the group up.
Michael in his recent work TENT used an improvisation structure where people worked in groups of three and had to maintain an equilateral triangle whilst one leader improvised in the space. You can have several groups of three working in the space with supreme awareness so as not to collide with each other.
Choreography can be enhanced with improvisational elements like these, they can be interspersed with set choreography – all you need are clear signals for the group to move from one task to the next.
Here are some thoughts from Malia Johnston who is the artistic director and choreographer for the World of Wearable Art shows.
She says “definitely get perspective - e.g. view from a platform or from different perspectives of the audience in a large stadium to see what the work looks like from close up and far away - and video the work to watch later.”
She says not to worry too much about the small details in the beginning - bigger groups need the overall shape worked out first. One option is to teach the components so that everyone knows the material before you begin to shape it. “I often look at it like conducting the space, with a larger group its very different to directing the individual body.”
“Space and shape are major elements to consider. If you are working on 'large group' unison choose movements that are simple and sharp or that create clear pathways - difficult movements are harder and take a lot longer for the group to unite with but also be careful they are not TOO easy to avoid it looking too simple.”
Malia says “Make sure the group understands its role as a group – it is quite good to sometimes work in some time for the group to click by playing some games etc and practising being a group if you have time."
“With large groups it’s really important not to waste time - be prepared and be organised; understand what you are doing before you get to rehearsal as it always takes longer the more people you have to work with. You need to really know and understand your music as well.”
“It is great to have a rehearsal director or two if you are working with large groups - people that know the material and what you are trying to achieve so they can get in amongst people and help out.”
She adds “A loud voice, microphone or mega phone can be useful especially if you are working in a large echoing space or outside.”
Remember - clear structures and a good sense of using the whole space are key components in the exciting world of choreographing with large groups of people.
|
