Study of 'Personal Movement Style' - an independent choreography research project

The term of ‘style’ for this research is an individual expression characterized by a dancer personality and quality inside the technical trained dancing body.

My research is based on an investigation of the proposition that each dancer has their own movement quality which can be seen even within a particular dancing style. Arguably quality is personal and specific to each person even when they perform learned movement. I consider style to be something that can be learnt and embodied through practice, especially when it is focused on one specific dance or movement style. Dance styles require certain movement qualities; but there are some qualities that appear to me to be personal and I am going to investigate the idea of how ‘new personal movement style’ produced in this research.

London, 25 May 2007

The Invisible Moment

photo by Dian Rosita

Examining ‘documentation of the creative process’ as a mode to read the choreography

This essay investigates the creative process by a choreographer which usually is "invisible" and queries how it is documented. An invisible process which generally unknown by the audiences and then becomes visible if it is well informed or performed and packaged into a good form or media of documentation. How the documentation could expose in a well articulated way so it can give a good impression and adequate points of view of the choreographer its dance work. That documentation of creative process can also be seen as the final product. It’s a product within the product itself - a "cycle of process" in the creativity of a dance work. It is a cycle to see ‘process and performance’ as an eternal rotation of creativity.

Seeing and reading a documentation of creative process may help the viewers to understand and appreciate the choreography. Investigating the documentation of creative process, I will refer to Susan Leigh Foster’s (1986) model of choreographic analysis. Considering how these elements of documenting can support the audience in reading and understanding the dance. Does it also create ‘meaning’?

Dance is an event that exists as a form of performing art, presented and received by the audience when it happens. Dance is present. The identity of a dance is established when that dance is being performed. As an "event", that dance becomes the end-product when it is accepted and perceived by an audience. A dance work is not "completed" until it has observed by an audience. As the final work presented, the audience has the right to "interpret" it, and then it belongs to the public. The choreographer will have to accept this as the final result.

Meanwhile, the process of the creation of a dance work happens before the "product" is performed. This part of the creative process is usually invisible, where research and the formulation of an idea or concept by the choreographer are being done. This creative process is done through intensive practice. This journey leads to the process of selecting the materials up to the refinement of the idea which then leads to the "real" performances. This whole process is a journey of the choreographer's creativity and involves collaboration with dancers. It is a creative process which is invisible and mostly not exposed to the public.

Observing the creative process of the choreographer in creating his/her work could open new opportunities and possibilities to present and introduce the profile of the choreographer besides through his ‘masterpiece’ or finished dance work. It can also open the viewer’s eyes to the creativity of the choreographer which is normally invisible and gives an insight view and critical perspective toward the dance besides the information and description on the program note. These will develop the sense of appreciation from the audience while looking at the dance.

Dance turns out to be a ‘finished product’ because of the limited budget and time to meet a performance deadline. To create an art work, the reason of funding and timing is considered as a must. The funding body or commission needs to see the work to be performed or presented to public. They need to have and see the result, which means to have the ‘finished product’ and meeting the deadline. The artist has also an obligation as well as a moral responsibility towards the funding body to show or perform his/her works. Thus, choreographers should meet these requirements to perform their dances; however it does not mean that their creativity is blocked. As John Adams (1999), an American composer writes:
‘Can’t I come up with a better idea? But I have to just go ahead, and this is why I always work with a deadline. If I didn’t have that date, not too far in the future, a crisis of confidence might overwhelm me, and I’d simply stop’. (Adams in McCuthan, 1999: p67).

In the process of making a dance, the choreographer should decide that the work is finished and being performed, so it can be said the dance is a ‘finished product’, except if the performance is described to be a ‘work in progress’. Therefore the audience will see and value that performance differently. The existence of a dance work normally is perceived as an end product by the viewers. Seeing a documentation of the creative process as an end product or putting the creative process as part of the performance, such as lecture demonstration (performance) or lecture concert, process becomes a ‘product’ as well. Through this kind of ‘documentation’ or ‘performance’ by having the explanation of ‘the creative process’, is that help or guide or open the possibility for the audience to ‘understand’ the work? What is the effect by giving the ‘frame’ of information of creative process to the viewers? By ‘knowing how’ or ‘knowing the creative process’ of choreographers for the audience, does it help and give benefits for the choreographer as well as the audience?

Susan Leigh Foster (1986) identifies five conventions for the viewers to read and create a meaning from choreography.

‘Once familiar with movement, the viewer can apprehend the choreographic codes and conventions that give the dance its significance. By focusing on these conventions in a particular dance, the viewer comes to understand not only what the dance means but also how it creates its meaning’ (Foster, 1986: p.59).

The five broad categories of choreographic conventions are: the frame, the mode of representation, the style, the vocabulary and the syntax. Foster helps the viewers to understand how to read dance and create a meaning from choreography. The knowledge of five conventions are mainly provided and easily understood for the general public or audience. For the experienced choreographer, those five conventions are employed for reflection and reference toward his/her choreography. In the dance production, the choreographer’s creative process unconsciously implements those five conventions. Choreographer gives information in a specific “framing” to the viewers, uses movement vocabulary as well as creating style into the dance. This is a process that is made for the audience, so they can read and understand the dance. Reading or seeing the creative process through observation and documentation will also help the viewer to read and understand the choreography, so the documentation of the creative process is also important for them. Besides to understand the dance, experiencing (witnessing) the creative process will open up the strategy, skills as well as knowledge of ‘knowing how’ for the others choreographers.

Middlesex University, London 10 May 2007

Rambert Dance Company

Anatomica # 3 – Andre Gingras

Warga London mendapatkan kesempatan menyaksikan koreography Andre Gingras di Sadler’s Wells yang ditarikan oleh Rambert Dance Company.

Keseragaman manusia diawal koreography ini menampilkan gerak segar nan minimalis, repetitive dan percussive menghadirkan suatu misteri perilaku manusia. 18 penari memakai costume wanita dengan tas dan wig yg serupa bergerak dan melangkah mengikuti irama musik yang didesign oleh Joseph Hyde.

Awal yg memikat tidak berarti membuat 'content' karya tari ini bermutu. Gerak yang kemudian berkembang menjadi besar, liar dan aggressive mengisi panggung yang ditata dengan tumpukan matras di sudut kanan belakang panggung. Para penari melempar diri, melompat, ber’akrobatik’ ria dan menari dengan struktur gerak yang berpola seperti ‘class work’. Suguhan gerak yang terlalu ‘dihambur-hamburkan’ menciptakan suasana yang membosankan tanpa suatu ‘intention’ yang jelas. Variasi gerak menjadikan penampilan karya ini bak 'etalase gerak' yang cocok untuk penonton ber 'window shopping'. Menyentuh permukaan tanpa pendalaman makna, materi yang ada menjadi suatu ketersiaan belaka.

Penggalan beberapa gesture yang sempat mencuri perhatian, seperti membuka mata dan memperlihatkan bagian tubuh tertentu tidak dimanfaatkan dengan seksama oleh sang pencipta. Adegan ini berlalu begitu saja, malah terkesan menjadi tempelan yang dipaksakan untuk meredam hamburan gerak yang bombastis. Usaha memikat melalui kombinasi gerak tak berhasil sempurna karena ‘wasting movement without critical thinking’. It has become a ‘macdonaldization of movement’. More is less…..

London, 22 May 07

Australian Dance Theatre - HELD

HELD, grabbing the moment….

HELD, karya Gerry Stewart dengan photographer Lois Greenfield menampilkan ‘moment’ gerak yang diabdikan dalam satu jepretan kamera.

Moment yang di ‘grab’ adalah suatu gerak yang biasanya tak bisa ‘suspended’, suatu gerak yang melayang sebelum tubuh penari menyentuh lantai. Moment diudara yang sengaja dibikin expressive untuk kolaborasi tari dan photo ini.

Motivasi gerak diarahkan untuk konsumsi ‘photographer’ dengan suatu performance yang sangat ‘athletic’ – kuat, sigap dan cermat.

Gerak banyak terulang untuk di’abadi’kan, dan ‘intimacy’ antara gerak dan focus kamera berusaha diperlihatkan dengan angle dan focus pada beberapa bagian tubuh penari.

Tampilan photos menjadi suatu ‘memoar’ penting, sebuah moment ketika berada diudara.

Sadler's Wells, 20 Feb 07

NDT2

DANCE is a Mystery!!

Tampil memukau dengan tehnik ‘prima’, NDT2 menampilkan mahakarya dari Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin dan Lighfoot Leon di Sadler's Well, London.

Karya tari menjadi suatu misteri yang melebihi kata dan gambar. Suatu bentuk seni yang ‘reflect into humanity’, menjadikannya suatu misteri yang menjadi ‘daya khayal’ seniman dalam berkarya.

NDT2 menampilkan keindahan misteri tari dengan sangat sempurna. Perpaduan tehnik gerak dan intepretasi yang memukau membuat tari ‘berbicara’ dengan multi dimensi .

Jiri Kylian, dengan karyanya SLEEPLESS diiringi ‘new composition’ musik oleh Dirk Haubrich berdasarkan W.A Mozart, Adagio in C minor ditarikan oleh 6 penari. Adegan awal dan akhir yang serupa menjadikannya suatu ‘perputaran’ abadi mengenai insomnia dan mimpi. Dengan ruangan yang dibagi dua melalui layar elastis, perpindahan penari dari ‘visible’ menuju ‘invisible’ memberi kesan misteri dari ‘sleepless’.

Dengan 15 penari, Ohad Naharin menampilkan excerpts dari beberapa karyanya: Mabul, Virus, Black Milk dan Telophaza dan diberi judul SPIT. Satu baris penari dengan costume berwarna kulit dan hitam bergerak secara ‘mechanic’ membuka tarian dan diikuti dengan duet serta adegan ‘ritual’ lima penari pria dengan iringan music folklore dari Arab, Isreal, Greece dan Vivaldi. Koreography ini diakhiri dengan ‘confession’ seorang penari menggunakan spoken text dan bergerak seolah ‘sign language'.

SLEIGHT OF HAND menampilkan 8 penari yang menari dengan berbagai character yang berbeda. Sepasang penari menjadi sosok raksasa didepan pintu gerbang tempat keluar masuk penari dari belakang dan depan panggung. Seorang penari pria menjadi tokoh utama didampingi oleh sepasang dan 3 penari lelaki berpakaian jubah hitam. Gerak yg dinamis diiringi music dari Phillip Glass menciptakan suasana yg gelap penuh dengan mystery.

Sadler’s Wells, 9 May 2007

SACRED MONSTER - Akram Khan dan Sylvie Guillem

Tari dan musik ‘kathak’ oleh Akram Khan ditampilkan dengan canda yang intelektual termasuk bercerita tentang ‘proses creative’ nya. Banyak kata dan gerak yang dipadu sehingga memberi kesan ‘performance’ menjadi ‘lecture demonstration’.

Sylvie Guillem tampil mempesona dengan tehnik prima yang terpadu dalam balutan koreography Lin Hwai-Min. 'Sacred Monsters' menjadi paduan 'hitam - putih', 'pria - wanita', dan 'gerak - kata'.

Panggung yang diisi bersama 'musicians' menutupi besarnya panggung. Paduan antara Khan dan Guillem, mempertemukan kualitas timur dan barat, dengan mutu dan tehnik gerak yang berbeda, mereka bersatu, ‘joint forces’ untuk membuka peluang dan saling mengisi. Gerak yang tercipta oleh penari kelas dunia ini harusnya ‘membahana’. Panggung tak sesak, tapi kecerdasan kadang tak menarik untuk disimak.

sadler's wells, 17 apr 07

HET NATIONALE BALLET - Amsterdam

Menampilkan empat choreography yang menunjukkan keragaman serta kemampuan tehnik dari ‘ballet company’ Belanda.

‘DUETS’, karya Merce Cunningham dengan music John Cage – Improvisations no 3, menghadirkan suatu ragam ‘pas de deux’ yang segar sebagai tarian pembuka. ‘Simplicity’ dalam concept, ‘wealth’ dalam gerak dan ‘perfect’ dalam eksekusi gerak memperlihatkan ‘maturity’ sebuah koreography.

‘KAMMERBALLET’, karya Hans van Manen menciptakan dimensi tari lain dengan ‘plot’ yang tersusun akurat membangun suatu ‘narasi’ yang apik. Dengan bantuan bangku kecil serta design ‘lighting’ yang ‘pas’, tarian ini sempurna mengolah element gerak dengan element theatrical nya.

‘SINCE’ ditarikan oleh 8 penari yang terasa ‘sepi’ dalam panggung yang luas. Panggung dibagi menjadi 2 bagian yang terpisah dengan layar transparent putih. Kandungan gerak yang ‘fluid’ terasa ‘juicy’ dalam komposisi yang tak beraturan. Karya ini diciptakan oleh Annabella Lopez Ochoa.

‘HALLELUJAH JUNCTION’ menjadi tarian penutup, diciptakan oleh Ted Bransen dan ditarikan oleh 20 penari. Suatu ‘finale’ yang tak mencapai ‘klimax’, dimana ensamble banyak mengulang ‘phrase gerak’ sehingga terasa kurang materi gerak dalam suatu visual dan audio stimuli demi mencapai ‘2 senses of orgasm’. Music John Adams yang ditampilkan oleh 2 pianists tidak serasi untuk menghadirkan gejolak dalam suatu perayaan. ‘Big casts’ tidak berarti mudah menciptakan ‘big impact’

Amsterdam, 6 April 2007

OCEAN – Merce Cunningham and John Cage

‘beautiful by any definition’, ditulis oleh New York Times.

Panggung yg ‘rounded’ di ROUNDHOUSE, Camden Town - London diisi oleh penari Merce Cunningham Dance Company selama 4 hari untuk pembukaan ‘dance umbrella’ 2006 (21 – 24 Sept 2006).

Gerakan yang jelas dengan tehnik ‘Cunningham’ tersaji, menampilkan ‘gesture’ secara random sehingga menjadi sebuah komposisi tarian yang diberi judul ‘Ocean’.

14 penari keluar masuk panggung yang melingkar, dengan penonton disekeliling mereka. Dan pada beberapa sisi terdapat ‘digital watch’ yang terasa memandu jalannya pertunjukan. Pemain musik yang berjumlah 150 orang dari Guildhall School of Music and Drama mengisi lingkaran terakhir dibelakang penonton. Musik karya John Cage terdengar menyerupai ‘soundscape’ dan tak beraturan sumber bunyinya.

‘Cunningham claims that his dances express nothing but themselves, that instead of telling a story they focus on the physical facts of the body – what arms and leg, torso, and head can do in relation to gravity, time and space’ (Foster, 1986: p.32).

Dari pertunjukan ini, timbul banyak pertanyaan: Jika misi choreographer untuk menampilkan ‘tubuh yang menari/bergerak’ atau ‘drafting the dance’, bagaimana cara pandang penonton terhadap koreography yang diberi judul ‘Ocean’?. Apakah ‘tarian’ dan 'judul' tidak saling terkait dan mengandung ‘makna’ dan 'intepretasi'?.

London, Sept 06

HOFESH SHECHTER - uprising & in your rooms

Choreographer muda yang penuh dengan energi, menghentak ‘queen elizabeth hall’ dengan ‘UPRISING’ dan ‘IN YOUR ROOM’, London 4 May 2007.

Perkusi menjadi media penting bagi kedua koreography ini. Music yang juga diciptakan oleh sang koreographer menjadi nyawa bagi karya tarinya. Hentakan musik percusi dan iringan biola menjadi modal utama yang memberi aura dan suasana ‘keras’ dan ‘masculine’. Walaupun 4 penari perempuan tampil di ‘in your room’, dominasi lelaki tetap menonjol, terutama dari gerak yang patah dan tajam.

UPRISING ditarikan oleh 7 pria yang manari dan berputar dengan bantuan cahaya yang minimalis dan dramatis, menimbulkan kesan yang sangat ‘fragmented’. 5 lingkaran cahaya dengan ‘smoke’ effect memberikan ruang gerak yang ambigu walaupun gerak digunakan dengan cermat dan artikulatif.

Gerakan yang terangkai kuat dalam koreography nan cermat, menampilkan gerakan solo, duet, trio, dan ensamble. 7 lelaki yang berjalan mantap dan berhenti tepat di garis depan panggung menciptakan kesan awal yang sangat kuat. Dan kesan itu kembali tampil dan ditutup dengan formasi tumpukan penari membawa satu bendera merah. Narative yang dibangun melalui gerak dan music meraih suatu ‘conclusion’ diakhir tarian.

IN YOUR ROOMS memberikan kesan serupa dengan musik dan lighting yang senada. 4 penari wanita dan 5 penari pria menguasai panggung dengan tehnik gerak dan 'vocab' yang serupa dengan tarian pertama. Kehadiran wanita tak menciptakan nuansa yang berarti, hanya ada sedikit kelembutan ketika mereka berpasangan dan berpelukan. Bantuan kata kata diawal dan pertengahan tari mencoba menuntun penonton pada suatu ‘cerita’ di tarian ini.

‘Don’t follow leaders, Follow me’ yang terpampang semacam 'pamflet' dan dipegang oleh satu penari hampir diakhir tarian membuat suatu ‘conclusion’ yang mirip dengan tarian pertama walaupun ditampilkan dengan cara yang berbeda. Apakah pesan itu mewakili tarian?...dan apakah pesan diperlukan dalam suatu koreography?. Yang pasti, Shechter tampil cerdik dan cermat dalam gerak dan musik. ‘Choreographically’ well done!.

London, 5 may 07

YURI GRIGOROVICH - 80th birthday tribute

Spartacus, was a ballet by Aram Khachaturian, probably his second most widely known ballet after his work ‘Gayane’. The work follows the exploits of Spartacus, the leader of the slave uprising against the Romans known as the ‘Third Servile War’. The ballet is relatively recent, being composed in 1954 and revised in 1968, and was widely acclaimed by critics in Moscow in 1956 as a masterpiece.

The Golden Age, a ballet by Dmitri Shostakovich (12 Sept 1906 – 9 Aug 1975). Shostakovich prided himself on his orchestration, which is clear and well-projected. This aspect of Shostakovich's technique owes more to Mahler than Rimsky-Korsakov. His greatest works are generally considered to be his symphonies and string quartets, fifteen of each. Other works include operas, six concertos, and a substantial quantity of film music.

The Nutcracker, is a fairy-ballet in two acts, three tableaux, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composed in 1891–1892, and based on The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (German: Der Nußknacker und der Mausekönig), a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann (1816). Alexandre Dumas, père's adaptation of the story was set to music by Tchaikovsky (after a libretto possibly written by Marius Petipa and commissioned by the Imperial Theatres' administrator Ivan Vsevolozhsky in 1891). In Western countries, this ballet has become among the most popular ballets performed, primarily around Christmas time.

Royal Opera House, London 28 Jan 2007