Choreographic Work Research Articles

A Matter of Relationships: Dramatising, Staging and Planning Ecological Performances


 
 
 This article aims to explore patterns of the creative process in which performance faces ecological thought, placing about sustainability strategies. Many scholars have investigated the relationship between theatre and ecology since the end of the XXth century. Two positions have emerged strongly: ecology as a metaphor (Marranca) or as a performative tool (Chaudhuri). We will reflect on more recent points of view (Giannachi Stewart, Theresa J May, Baz Kershaw) and try to relate them to sustainability science (Bologna). Then, it will be important to focus on two phases of the creative process, dramatization, and staging, to understand the evolution of artistic practices about environmental issues. Finally, we are going to apply the methodological pattern outlined by the theoretical and practical analysis to two case studies: weLAND (2021), a contemporary circus show that staged climate migration, and La möa (2022), a choreographic work in nature that embodied the relationships in the river habitat.
 
 

Le sostanze sottili dell’abitare: Coreografie del divenire tra prospettive femministe e temporalità queer


 
 
 In the following text, I will try to articulate a thought on inhabiting from bodily practices. What I am interested in is demonstrating how a certain feminist thought in architecture in contact with performativity studies that are inextricably intertwined with questions of the production of gender and space, in nurturing each other, inaugurate a field of inquiry into the multiple modes of dwelling and their making. To do so, I will briefly traverse the trajectories of feminist thought and practice in architecture, focusing primarily on the European space and then moving geographically across the Atlantic to the epistemological openings that queer theories and practices have made on the theme of the relationship between bodies, architectures, and objects to the Caribbean. This shift will take us beyond the building, not only into urban space but especially into the dimension of the ecosystem in which Cecilia Bengolea’s choreographic works are grafted, which I will get to at the end. The material mobilized here starts from the thought produced by figures formed within the architectural sphere and in neighboring fields, but which has operated a movement of convergence with additional practices and theories from other experiences, such as performance art, feminism, and activism, bypassing disciplinary boundaries.
 
 

BALLET DANCERS OF THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY IN THE PLASTIC INTERPRETATION OF B. FREDMAN-KLUZEL

The article is devoted to notable events in the theatrical life of the turn of the 20th century, when ballet dancers often became models for artistic works. The author refers only to one sculptor B. O. Fredman-Kluzel (1878-1959), whose name is little known in art history, despite the fact that some of his works are in large museum collections. They partly served as a source for the research, as well as old printed publications in which reproductions of the sculptor’s works are found and Sotheby’s catalogues, because his works were auctioned during S. Diaghilev’s “Russian Ballet Seasons” and most of them are abroad. The methodology of this study is based on a systematic, interdisciplinary and stylistic approach. The author comes to the conclusion that the signifi cance of the artistic heritage of B. O. Fredman-Kluzel is determined by the achievements of the ballet theatre itself, the staging principles of M. Fokin, outstanding personalities, as well as the genre, content and aesthetic side of choreographic works created at the turn of the 20th century.

Interrelation of Literature and Choreography in the Works of John Neumeier

The subject of the study is one of the main lines in the work of choreographer John Neumeier - the interpretation of literary works on the ballet stage. This article discusses his productions based on literature such as "The Lady with Camellias" (1978), "Peer Gynt" (1989/2015), "The Seagull" (2002), "Death in Venice" (2003), "Anna Karenina" (2017), "The Glass Menagerie" (2019). Neumeier's ballets reveal a special relationship between literature and choreography. The performances created by him are not just a fact of illustrating the plot of the original source, but an attempt to penetrate into the essence of the author's idea, reflect and emphasize the details found in the text in the language of choreography. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that when analyzing several key performances from the choreographer's creative biography, the prospect of considering the literary line of his ballets as a separate phenomenon opened up. As a result of the study, the following conclusions were made. Firstly, an important feature of Neumeier's ballets, based on literary works, is a clearly structured dramaturgy of all components of the performance: action, music, choreography, set design. Secondly, when working with a literary source, most often the choreographer transfers the action to the modern world, while not going against the author's intention, but on the contrary, enhances the relevance of the themes embedded in the works, declaring the timeless existence of the meanings of the text. Thirdly, the interrelation of literature and choreography in Neumeier's work takes the choreographer's work with the text to an absolutely new level, which allows us to talk about the great possibilities of non-verbal interpretation in the ballet theater as a whole.

Participation of Soviet specialists in the creation of the Egyptian national dance school as an manifestation of cultural sensitivity phenomenon

The paper presents a combination of historical and sociological research. The authors scrutinize the history of the work of Soviet choreographers, first of all related to the choreographic school of I. Moiseyev in Egypt in 1950-60s. As a result of this work, the Egyptian traditional dances, which probably originated in ancient times, including raks sharki, known worldwide as bellydance, were recorded and brought to the professional stage. The authors rely on the concept of institutionalization of culture, the essence of which is that folklore tradition in an industrial and urban society can no longer be transmitted naturally through the family, but can be preserved through fixation and institutionalization in the system of cultural institutions and supplementary education. This idea was realized in the USSR and in Egypt with the active participation of Soviet specialists.
 The authors conclude that the successful experience of Soviet choreographers with Egyptian cultural heritage could be interpreted as empirical evidence of the "cultural openness" (i. e., sensitivity and respect for other cultures).
 Finally, the example discussed in the paper shows that the Soviet experience of the institutionalization and professionalization of cultural tradition can be successfully applied in other countries and among peoples belonging to completely` different macrosocial communities. At the same time, it makes possible to preserve important elements of national identity and even local originality in urban milieu of industrial or post-industrial society.

СТИЛІЗАЦІЯ УКРАЇНСЬКОГО НАРОДНОГО ТАНЦЮ В ПРОЦЕСІ ВИВЧЕННЯ ДИСЦИПЛІНИ «ТЕОРІЯ ТА ПРАКТИКА УКРАЇНСЬКОГО НАРОДНОГО ТАНЦЮ»

In the article, the author defines the main methods of stylization of Ukrainian folk dance. One of the most important forms of preservation and transmission of accumulated experience from one generation to another is the ability of Ukrainian folk dance to give birth and form new stage forms. The basis of any stylized number is folklore and ethnographic material, which conveys the entire atmosphere of the historical environment and reproduces the national flavor. The stylization of Ukrainian folk dance consists in the ability to competently combine modern acrobatic tricks and virtuosic movements with purely folk dance movements. Stylization makes it possible to reflect and convey the entire atmosphere of the national and historical environment, contributes to the strengthening of expressiveness in choreographic works. Ukrainian folk dance developed throughout the history of our people, accumulating new means of expression, because from its original ceremonial form, it underwent a thousand-year development, as a result of which it was enriched, complicated by new movements, accompanied by songs. Currently, Ukrainian folk dance occupies a significant place among the cultural heritage of our people, and its high popularity in Ukraine and abroad is explained by the wealth of plots and themes, humor, sincerity, cheerful character, etc. The presence of expressive everyday features, common and different, combined with technically virtuosic movements, gives Ukrainian folk dance its originality, originality and unique flavor. All structural elements of Ukrainian folk dance are subject to transformation: music, imagery, plot, vocabulary. All this is developed and developed by the choreographer, based on his own vision and creative individual style, the presence of thorough knowledge of classical, folk, modern, ballroom dance, knowledge of national choreographic features and culture of various peoples, etc. Ways of stylizing Ukrainian folk dance are built according to a clear algorithm. First, the ways of stylization, its stages and components are determined, and only then practical work on the choreographic piece begins. The methods of stylization used by the choreographer-producer to create a choreographic work based on Ukrainian folk dance must meet the interests of modern performers and spectators on the one hand, and on the other - preserve traditions, nurture personality through folk music and dance folklore.

Multiversal Embodiments: Immer Collective’s 100 Years of Cinematic Solitude in 300 Moving Pieces (2022)

This articles examines the 2022 choreographic work “100 Years of Cinematic Solitude in 300 Moving Pieces” by Canadian choreographer Jonathan Osborn and queries the degree to which superimposition - the placement of one thing over another, typically so that both are still evident - can go beneath the surface to challenge tacit understandings of that which is skin-deep.

IMAGE TO ACTION: Steve Paxton’s Proxy as Chance Machine

An essay and personal reflection on Steve Paxton’s 17 minute choreographic work for three dancers Proxy (1961).

Анализ хореографического произведения

Ballet performance is a diverse phenomenon which unites several important components so ballet art is one of the most compound arts among the others. A great range of components which has to be taken into account by a researcher naturally complicates the analysis of choreographic work. Thus, this paper presents an attempt to summarize the main principles of such analysis and to work out an approximate plan of analyzing a ballet performance on the whole. There is a variety of problem solutions on a case-by-case basis and the aim of this essay is to formulate the key issues which require a response from any researcher setting a similar task. The order for considering the key issues can be random but in any case the analysis of each problem is necessary.

Роль карело-финского эпоса «Калевала» в этнокультурном воспитании младших школьников

The article deals with the issues of ethnocultural education of younger schoolchildren and the features of their solution in the modern information world; the results of an empirical study are presented, showing the insufficiently formed level of knowledge of the culture of the Karelian people by children on the example of the Kalevala epic, the development of which is mandatory in the educational space of the Republic of Karelia; examples of the use of the ideas of the synthesis of arts in the course of creating a choreographic work based on the Kalevala epic have been studied. The work is based on the author's observations of the process of studying the Karelian-Finnish epic “Kalevala” by students of primary school age in the conditions of the city of Petrozavodsk. The main research methods were theoretical analysis and experimental and practical work with an experimental group of younger schoolchildren. The author has studied the possibilities of applying the synthesis of arts in the formation of knowledge about the Kalevala epic. The epos “Kalevala” is included in the national-regional component of the educational program, the implementation of which makes it possible to achieve the tasks of ethno-cultural development and education of schoolchildren. However, in the conditions of multitasking pedagogical practice, forced to respond to all the challenges of the information world, the issues of preserving cultural traditions and transferring ethnocultural experience in the modern world become difficult to solve and depend on the stereotypes formed by modern mass media.

СОВРЕМЕННАЯ ХОРЕОГРАФИЯ КАК УНИВЕРСАЛЬНОЕ СРЕДСТВО ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ КРЕАТИВНОЙ ЛИЧНОСТИ

Subject of the article: creativity and creativity as a process of development of a choreographer's personality in choreographic art. The object of the article: choreographic art and its special role in the development of a creative personality. The purpose of the project: to update information about the methods and forms of plastic work of choreographers in professional choreographic collectives. This article focuses on the fact that creativity and creativity in modern dance are the main base, which in turn forms an active creative personality. In the conditions of the modern world, where special attention has recently been paid to the development of human creative activity, the creative process is one of the main lines on which innovative transformations are built and implemented. A creative personality can develop in many ways, and modern dance is one of them. They identify the stages of its development on the example of the work of the most famous choreographers, as well as innovative.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ СМЫСЛООБРАЗОВАНИЯ В РУССКОМ НАРОДНОМ ТАНЦЕ

The article analyzes the semantic nature of dance. The purpose of this study is to identify the symbolic and semantic nature of the Russian folk dance and to trace the process of the formation of the dance language by analyzing its main compositional forms and movements. The most frequently occurring and manifesting phenomena — animate and inanimate nature, activities and events in the life of the people — were symbolized in the dance. The author relies on the works of such scientists as Yu. M. Lotman, E. Ya. Basin and others. Lotman's structuralsemiotic concept of cultural being allows to consider the Russian folk dance as an artistic text. As a result of the study the interrelation of the dance constituent elements as a sign system was revealed, and the need to preserve the dance semantic load was substantiated in order to keep the traditions of the Russian folk dance. The text of a choreographic work is defined as containing a certain meaning and conveying the traditions of the Russian people, their character, temperament, worldview, lifestyle and social system. The meanings of the Russian folk dance are expressed in dance images, compositional forms and movements, which form a special type of artistic language — the language of dance.

PRE-PROFESSIONAL CHOREOGRAPHIC TRAINING IN THE STRUCTURE OF PRIMARY SPECIALIZED ART EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: HISTORICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL ASPECT

The article reveals the peculiarities of the development of choreographic education in Ukraine in primary specialized art educational institutions (PSAEI) in the historical-pedagogical discourse, analyzes the organization, structure, content component of choreographic training of student youth in the specified types of institutions. In the process of holistic consideration of the outlined problem, the methods of system-structural, pedagogical and retrospective analysis, as well as the method of theoretical generalization, were used. Based on the study of a wide range of archival sources, it was found that in terms of their structure, target guidelines, organization of the educational process, art schools had signs of binary nature, combining the characteristics of an extracurricular institution and a professional education institution. The general concept of the development of children's art schools was written down in statutory regulations, where it was noted that the educational process is carried out on the basis of a personal-oriented approach to students, ensuring artistic and creative activity and a personal-value attitude to varieties of art. At various stages of formation and development, children's art schools united common functional characteristics such as early professional orientation of pupils, creation of a favorable educational environment for the upbringing of a creative personality with a special type of education, aimed at continuing artistic training in pre-higher and higher education institutions.
 The educational significance of the phenomenon of children's dance creativity in art schools as a component of pre-professional choreographic education is clarified. It was observed that in the out-of-school structure, primary art education institutions were an effective form of organizing pre-professional choreographic training. By combining general education and professionally oriented choreographic training, they had a great potential for forming dance performing abilities in systemic and multifaceted choreographic work. We define the early professionalization of education and the correlation of narrowly professional and general choreographic training as progressive trends in the development of pre-professional choreographic education in the studied types of schools. In addition to the realization of the tasks of self-realization and general cultural development of pupils, choreographic training provided them with prospects for further specialized training.

Intertextual Aspects of Productions of Ukrainian Folk-Stage Choreography

The purpose of the article is to reveal the specificity of intertextuality in the choreographic text of Ukrainian folk stage dance productions. The research methodology is determined by the complexity and multifacetedness of the production of folk stage choreography as an artistic work and is represented by a combination of various research approaches, namely interdisciplinary, systemic, and cultural. The purpose of the study led to the use of comparative, structural-semiotic, hermeneutic, and intertextual analysis methods widely adapted in modern humanitarian science, the main principle of which is to consider the choreographic text as an open system that enters into various relationships with other systems. Intertextual analysis plays an important role in revealing the concept of a choreographic work, its relevance is based on the idea of dialogic essence and continuity of culture. Scientific novelty. The performance of folk stage choreography is studied through the prism of the concept of intertextuality of Yu. Kristeva and theoretical approaches to the study of the text of R. Barthes; the role of the choreographer-director and the audience in the context of the creation and interpretation of the choreographic text is considered; the concept of “intertextuality” in the context of the choreographic text of the production of folk stage choreography is clarified; it was found that the character of intertextuality directly depends on the specifics of communication, which is determined by the nature of the choreographic text of folk-stage forms. Conclusions. As a result of the extrapolation of Yu. Kristeva's concept of intertextuality and theoretical approaches to the study of R. Barth's text to folk-stage choreography, it was found that: the choreographic text of a folk-stage performance is created by means of synthesising various quotes that refer to a variety of cultural sources; in the multidimensional space of the folk stage production, the process of systematic birth of meaning and its release takes place; the concept of intertextuality in the context of the production of folk stage choreography blurs the contours of the choreographic text, turning it into an infinite artistic dimension of connections and associations. The conducted analysis allows us to define the phenomenon of intertextuality of folk-stage choreography performances as a special choreographic intertextual space, in the middle of which there is accumulation, coexistence and constant interaction of all the diversity of vocabulary of authentic and folk-stage dance. In its middle, any element of a folk dance is immersed in a general cultural context and correlates with an array of other choreographic texts, multiplying its own content, relevance and interpretive possibilities. Intertextual interactions in the choreographic text of a folk-stage dance provide an opportunity for the choreographer-director to enter the continuum of eternal themes of folk culture, enter into an artistic dialogue with the past achievements of dance culture and, thus, reflect their own vision of the scene-content part of the folk-stage dance, which, in turn, expands the figurative system of the new choreographic work, emphasises its multi-layeredness and serves as a basis for various interpretations. The choreographer-producer of the folk stage dance interacts not only with the reality surrounding them, but also with the entire corpus of their previous and contemporary choreographic works, and most importantly with folk dance primary sources, being in a state of permanent dialogue with them. The text of a folk stage choreographic production consists of various elements that come from different cultures, enter into a relationship of dialogue, parody, discussion with each other – all this multiplicity is focused in a certain point, which is the viewer. The viewer’s role in the interpretation of the choreographic text is crucial, as their previous experience, cultural and educational background will undoubtedly influence the amount of meaning they can obtain when viewing the choreographic work. Accordingly, the choreographic text acquires unity not in its origin, but in its purpose. The analysis of the manifestation of intertextuality as one of the fundamental techniques in the productions of folk stage choreography requires considering them as works that consist of texts that are actualised in a specific semiotic context and contribute to the preservation of Ukrainian folk dance culture in particular and the cultural memory of Ukrainians in general.
 Key words: improvisation, dance improvisation, improvisation in choreography, dance.

Use of Signs and Symbols as Technique in Dayo Liadi's Selected Choreographic Creative Works

Contemporary Dance choreography is traceable to the contemporary dance genre in Nigeria and has produced various dance techniques and new sets of dancers. Dayo Liadi is one of the leading dancers/choreographers in the Nigerian dance industry. He uses signs and symbols as a medium of communication to convey significant personal and cultural messages through his choreographic works. However, the audience hardly responds appropriately to the dance presentations and techniques due to their lack of/or knowledge of the dance code in the form of signs and symbols. Hence the need to examine the use of signs and symbols in Dayo Liadi's creative works. This paper adopted the quantitative research method involving participant observation and case study content analysis through previews of selected choreographic films of Dayo Liadi. Major findings revealed that Dayo Liadi uses traditional elements in the application of signs, symbols, movements, space, costumes, props, and music to depict mood and emotion that brings self-fulfilment and self-discovery. The paper recommends that dance practitioners and scholars should replicate the use of signs and symbols as dance techniques to boost understanding and further expansion in the cultural and dance industries in Nigeria.

Folk dance of Slobozhanshchyna in the fair tradition

The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities of the Sloboda folk dance development in the context of the historic genesis of the fair tradition in the region that provides grounds for further functioning of the folk dance, argues for the peculiarities of the dance canon and will expand the themes of modern choreographers’ creativity.
 The methodology. The research methodology is based on the main cultural approaches. The historical approach to the study of the fair as an artistic phenomenon provided a comprehensive understanding of the formation, functioning and development of folk dance in the tradition. The system approach formed the idea of fairs as a complex cultural phenomenon, all elements of which are interconnected and interact with each other.
 The results. The Sloboda fairs, from the time of their establishment to the present, are not only trade and economic events but also cultural and artistic events, designed to preserve the customs and traditions of the region. In the fair tradition, a folk dance performed mainly communicative and entertaining functions, today it also relays the artistic heritage. Due to internal inter-ethnic communi-cation, which improved assimilation, a regional dance canon was formed, which makes the modern folk-stage dance of Slobozhanshchyna recognizable. The only negative manifestation of the growth of interest in fair culture and works of decorative and applied art and folklore is the levelling of regional features caused by the attraction to quantitative indicators.
 The scientific novelty. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that a comprehensive analysis of the folk-dance functioning in the system of the fair tradition, with the account of socio-cultural and historical changes, was carried out for the first time. In contrast to previous studies, the fairs of Slobozhanshchyna were studied not as a trade and economic event, but from the point of view of their importance for the development of the traditional culture in the region.
 The practical significance. The obtained theoretical results can become the basis for further research in the field of genres and types of folk art of Slobozhanshchyna, writing of educational and methodological manuals for secondary and higher education institutions, and will be auxiliary material for ballet master activities. The analysis of choreographic works fixedly attached in the article will preserve the creativity of contemporaries for future generations.

Dramaturgy of Stage Ball Choreography in Ballet-Musicals

The article examines the dramaturgy of stage ballroom choreography in the context of staging a ballet-musical - an independent type of choreographic work in which the main features of a musical are combined, and the content is conveyed through the use of images and means of expression typical of choreographic art. The study of the dramaturgy of stage ballroom choreography in the context of the specifics of a ballet-musical production revealed that in the process of synthesizing classical ballet, musicals as a special type of musical theater production, and stage ballroom choreography, thanks to the separation and organic combination of the elements of the compositional structure of ballet and musical dramaturgy with stylistic with the choreographic principles of ballroom choreography, a unique stylistic dance structure of ballet-musical was formed. It has been established that the compositional structure of the ballet-musical is distinguished from other choreographic performances by specific features that require the use of appropriate dance vocabulary, drawing and scenographic design. It has been found that, appealing to all the organs of human feeling, the synthesis of the types of arts involved in the process of creating a ballet-musical is a determining factor of their relevance at the current stage of the development of the cultural and artistic space and provides unlimited opportunities for the choreographic representation of integral and multifaceted cultural layers of the past and contemporary ballroom dances. It was concluded that as the dominant expressive means of ballet-musical, choreography involves a careful selection of lexical means, highlighting the necessary steps, movements and figures for the most reliable transmission of artistic and spatial images.

CREATIVE PROCESS OF HALANG DANCE

Halang dance is a choreographic work that departs from a folk tale, namely the love story of Raden Inu Kertapati with Galuh Candra Kirana who faces many obstacles. The formulation of the research problem, namely: How is the creative process of creating Halang dance? This study uses a practice-based research methodology. The creative process in creating this dance uses the 3R theory. The result shows that the artistic process gives freedom of interpretation and creativity to anyone to realize ideas in the form of works. Halang dance is a work of art that is done through a creative process by going through the steps of Re-Visiting, Re-Questioning, and Re-Interpreting. Then through the steps of the creation process, namely exploration, improvisation, composition, evaluation, rehearsal, and performing. Halang dance is performed by four scenes as a literal dramatic choreography. The elements in Halang dance are able to convey the atmosphere and message to the audience that in truth life will never be separated from all problems and love will continue to grow and develop in souls who have sincerity.

Sculpting Time: Sara Rudner in Her Studio

Sculpting Time: Sara Rudner in Her Studio

Specificity of the concert master's activity in the choreographic ensemble: psychological and pedagogical aspects

The purpose of the article is to identify the features of the professional activity of the accompanist of the choreographic ensemble in the context of the specifics of psychological and pedagogical skills. Research methodology. The method of theoretical analysis was used (to study the relevant musicological, music-pedagogical and psychological-pedagogical literature on the research topic); the structural and functional method that facilitated the analysis of the components of the object of study; method of generalization and systematization of theoretical and practical experience of preparation for performance and pedagogical activity of future accompanists. Scientific novelty. The specifics of the activity of the accompanist of the choreographic ensemble are considered, the structure and content of his professional complex are revealed; the peculiarities of the professional activity of the accompanist of the choreographic ensemble in the context of the specifics of psychological and pedagogical skills are studied; methods and means of training qualified accompanists for work in a choreographic ensemble are clarified; the ways of improving the pedagogical activity of concertmasters of choreographic ensembles in the process of social and artistic practice are analyzed; the author's definition of professional mobility of the accompanist of the choreographic ensemble is offered. Conclusions. The professional activity of the accompanist of the choreographic ensemble is multifunctional, as it combines the process of studying the party with dancers as a tutor, the development of artistic taste of participants as an educator, creating a favorable emotional atmosphere that involves fruitful collaboration, as a psychologist, and the direct embodiment of the idea of musical and choreographic work during the performances of the ensemble as a musician-performer. Improving the professional activity of concertmasters of choreographic ensembles in the process of socio-artistic practice involves the development of not only performing but also psychological and pedagogical qualities, which involves active independent work using educational and information resources. Professional mobility of the accompanist of a choreographic ensemble is an integrated quality of personality, manifested in the ability to successfully combine (at some point switch) performing, psychological, pedagogical, and other activities, the ability to apply certain systematic generalized professional techniques of musician-pianist to perform specific tasks improvement and independent acquisition of generalized professional knowledge based on the world's leading trends in music and choreography. Keywords: accompanist, choreographic ensemble, professional performance, tactical and psychological skills, psychological and pedagogical activities.