There are a few exhibtions and related events coming up over the next few months concerning dance and art.
MOVE:Choreographing You at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre
ROTOR at Siobhan Davies Dance
Friday 22 October 2010
AWAKENINGS
Since I have joined Musical Moving I thought it necessary to educate myself a bit about Parkinsonism and was kindly lent the book 'Awakenings' written by physician and neurologist Oliver Sacks. Although the book is primarily studies of patients suffering from a sleeping - sickness, who have been awakened by the administration of a new wonder drug L-Dopamine, there are sections which describe the Parkinsonian condition in great detail as in the 1960's patients where also administered the same drug.
Sacks' writes particularly about the Parkinsonian experience of space and time and the neurological manifestations of the disease, he recalls the work of Dr James Parkinson who defined Parkinsons as a singular condition in which there are forms of behaviour, rather than a symptomatic disease. Tremor or shaking commonly thought of as the most obvious symptom, is rarely constant and by no means an isolated characteristic of the condition. It is not merely motor, the resistance to movement, the speeding, slowing, stopping and starting also occur in the mind throughout thought patterns. It is apt then that dance and also singing are activities in which Parkinsonians find spirit but also strategies to master certain behaviours.
'We must come down from our position as objective observers, and meet our patients face-to-face; we must meet them in a sympathetic and imaginitve encounter: for it is only in the context of such a collaboration, a participation, a relation, that we can hope to learn anything about how they are."
Sacks.
Sacks' writes particularly about the Parkinsonian experience of space and time and the neurological manifestations of the disease, he recalls the work of Dr James Parkinson who defined Parkinsons as a singular condition in which there are forms of behaviour, rather than a symptomatic disease. Tremor or shaking commonly thought of as the most obvious symptom, is rarely constant and by no means an isolated characteristic of the condition. It is not merely motor, the resistance to movement, the speeding, slowing, stopping and starting also occur in the mind throughout thought patterns. It is apt then that dance and also singing are activities in which Parkinsonians find spirit but also strategies to master certain behaviours.
'We must come down from our position as objective observers, and meet our patients face-to-face; we must meet them in a sympathetic and imaginitve encounter: for it is only in the context of such a collaboration, a participation, a relation, that we can hope to learn anything about how they are."
Sacks.
Tuesday 5 October 2010
DANCE FOR CAMERA
I have recently joined the Musical Moving session at KTHC, a dance class for people with Parkinson's lead by professional dancers with live musical accompaniment. The group has links with Brooklyn Parkinson’s Group, a chapter of the National Parkinson’s Foundation in the United States and has previously had classes lead by members of the Mark Morris Dance Group.
Film and dance are interesting counterparts, early films often used dancers as a subject, their movement displaying films amazing ability to reproduce action in real time. Since taking part and recording the classes I have been thinking about dance as a discipline in relation to cinematography; movement as an expression of/reaction to form, timing and space as a control or a measure. When dance is filmed the camera itself may be choreographed to move in way which reflects the dimensions of the dancers' movements, and the dance choreographed for the dimension of the screen rather than the stage. The musical element may appear to invite and sustain a particular movement or equally jar and unravel the synchronisity.
A fine example of this approach to dance for camera can be seen through the work of choreographer Merce Cunningham and his collaborations with composer John Cage and filmmakers such as Charles Atlas, Elliot Caplan and Tacita Dean.
Follow the link below to watch him in action...
Merce Cunningham - Points in Space BBC Documentary
Film can also manipulate how we percieve movement through editing techniques, it may play with our sense of time, speeding up or slowing down to emphasize movement. It may play with our spatial perception focusing on only one part of the body or movements may begin in one location, extend beyond the frame and finish in another. An example of this approach can be seen in the work of filmmaker Maya Deren.
Maya Deren - A Study in Choreography for Camera
Film and dance are interesting counterparts, early films often used dancers as a subject, their movement displaying films amazing ability to reproduce action in real time. Since taking part and recording the classes I have been thinking about dance as a discipline in relation to cinematography; movement as an expression of/reaction to form, timing and space as a control or a measure. When dance is filmed the camera itself may be choreographed to move in way which reflects the dimensions of the dancers' movements, and the dance choreographed for the dimension of the screen rather than the stage. The musical element may appear to invite and sustain a particular movement or equally jar and unravel the synchronisity.
A fine example of this approach to dance for camera can be seen through the work of choreographer Merce Cunningham and his collaborations with composer John Cage and filmmakers such as Charles Atlas, Elliot Caplan and Tacita Dean.
Follow the link below to watch him in action...
Merce Cunningham - Points in Space BBC Documentary
Film can also manipulate how we percieve movement through editing techniques, it may play with our sense of time, speeding up or slowing down to emphasize movement. It may play with our spatial perception focusing on only one part of the body or movements may begin in one location, extend beyond the frame and finish in another. An example of this approach can be seen in the work of filmmaker Maya Deren.
Maya Deren - A Study in Choreography for Camera
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