Dance Analylisis Site Discussion....

Boy uses the unusual site of a beach, to my knowledge there have not been many well known dances done on a beach (many amateur ones yes, however very few professional) The way the weather was, was perfect for the effects of this dance  and the way it manipulates that sand.  The dance could be performed on any beach with the provision that there were sand dunes leading down to it or on the edge of a desert. I would say they wouldn’t necessarily need sea grass but it would help.

Songs of Ascension is an interesting choice of site especially with the water at the bottom of the tower and the spiral stair cases. For those two reasons I think it would be hard to find a place as specific as this tower that would have these two elements. You could get away with doing it in a big building with lots of spiral or square stairs, but there would be no water and the desired effect would be lost. However I could see this work being used.

BirdBrianDance was set in a black box theatre and for this reason in my opinion could be set anywhere, be it outside or inside (space depending) and at pretty much any theatre or dance studio.

Seven Sisters Group is such a diverse group looking at all the different sites they have worked with they could perform pretty much anywhere on the provision that there was an audience, however I don’t think their dances would work in a theatre as the reaction you would receive would be different as the audience would (of a sense) know what they would be expecting where as the general public have absolutely no idea about it. I don’t think it would work in an installation for the same reason.

I feel that after watching all these different site dances that site is something that is new and up and coming but it does have to be embraced with an open mind. There are many kinds of site, some push more boundaries than others. For example the Seven Sisters can be connected to a flash mob, however the things they do is what pushes the boundaries as it’s not ‘putting on a performance’ it’s ‘making a scene’ and by that they are getting people’s attention and pulling them into the world of site work. Work like Songs of Ascension is definitely a new form of site that is broader than most site dances because of its particular setting. BrianBirdDance in my opinion is not that new, the things they do touch boarders but don’t cross the boarders, they could however begin to reach new levels if it moved out of the theatre and into a new space or site, which would create a more diverse atmosphere and dance creation.  All these site pieces vary a lot however are all effective in reaching out to their target audience.  

Presentation – Bird Brain

-         Different settings give different effects

-         Links up around the world and is about bird migration

Seven Sisters

-         It can be linked to a flash mob however it’s the  things they do that pushes boundaries, it’s not like their putting on a performance, its more they are making a scene to getting people to notice them and pulling them in to the world of site dance

Other presentations

-         None original is that possible?

-         Is anything truly original?

-         Site persific has a clear message

-         Brought it in to the main stream

-         More than one medium of art it broadens the audience.     

-         Outside spaces show that you don’t have to stay for the whole performance they can leave when they want and there is no pressure.

-         It’s democratic, it’s available to all, it’s free and you don’t need to understand theatre etiquette to see the performance.

-         Movement comes from the situation

-         You can’t just dance anywhere it does have to be persific

-         Each audience member has their own view on a piece depending on their culture and background.

-         Intersexuality

-         Post colonialism (different cultures)

-         Different ways of working in a sight, kinaesthetic, history, culture, community, arcuteture, spacesual awareness, site sensitive, site related.

-         Listen to what the choreographer has said about their work and the body’s relationship to the site.

-         Site work is often interdiserplinery work (post modern)

-         Trisha Brown (historiy) took dance performances in to gallery spaces.

Site Dance

-         Meanings come from the audiences goings on

-         Richard long 1970s visual artist

-         Walking practises

-         Installations

-         Simon Whitehead

-         Jennifer Monson

-         Judson Church and British new dance

-         Site dance often involves participatory and community work, making work in a place for the people of the space.

-         Political issue based work (forum based work in theatre)

-         Arts council  England for funding

-         Broad reach to different audiences, working with communities, become the audience.

-         Invited paying audience – invited audience – accidental audience.

-         Intended to reach people from digital platforms

-         1990s and 2000 had a dance camera boom.

-         Now we have many different digital meanings.

-         Real site to digital site

Anna Halprin 

-         RSVP cycle

-         Same time as Judson Church (works together sometimes)

-         Made performances with communities for the community

-         Mountain project

-         Happenings, Capro, 1958, braking 4^th wall, happen in public spaces but it’s to get people involved with them.

-         Cultural and artistic interested

-         Worked with Meredith Monk

-          Helen Poinyer has written books on Anna