Who Choreographed Still Life at the Penguin Café
Who choreographed Swansong?
Christopher Bruce
What year was Swansong first performed?
1987
Who composed the accompaniment for Swansong?
Philip Chambon
Describe the accompaniment from Swansong:
Electro – acoustic with digitally sampled sounds, vocals, a reed pipe & popular dance rhythms. Unaccompanied interludes enable us to hear taping of the feet.
Describe the costume from Swansong:
Everyday clothes associated with roles. Khaki uniforms for interrogators & red t-shirt & blue denim jeans for victim.
Describe the set from Swansong:
Bare stage except for a chair suggests a cell. Interrogators always exit stage right (a door). The chair serves many purposes & is used symbolically as a weapon, a shield & shackles. Props (canes & red noses) are used to degrade the victim.
What dance styles are used in Swansong?
Contemporary with physical contact, balletic movements & cha cha.
What is the theme of Swansong?
Human rights, prisoner of conscience, interrogation.
What is the starting point/inspiration of Swansong?
The work of Amnesty International & the experiences of Chilean poet Victor Jara.
How many sections are there in Swansong?
Introduction followed by seven sections. The victim remains on stage throughout & performs a solo in section 3 which has motifs that are repeated & or developed in section 7.
What are dynamics?
How the body is moving. The quality of the movement.
Why are dynamics important in dance?
They add texture & interest to a dance & can help to show the dance idea, the mood or atmosphere of a dance more clearly.
What are relationships in dance?
The way in which you dance with others. They can add visual interest & variety & help make a dance idea clear. For example dancing in unison can look powerful & communicate the idea of strength.
What is a stimulus?
Something that inspires you to create dances.
What is a motif?
Movement or phrase of movements that represents the style or content of a dance. It can be repeated & developed in many different ways.
How can you develop a motif?
Use different body parts, change the order, change the dynamics, change the space.
Describe canon.
Where one or more dancers move after each other. Like a Mexican wave.
Describe accumulation.
This is like follow the leader where one dancer begins a series of movements & other dancers join in to all end at the same moment.