I know, it’s a huge issues, that’s why I named the post Individuality in Dance I, ebcause I’m sure there will be a II and possibly more.
Today, however, I’m just going to leave you with a question and a practical exercise to begin to understand how important that question is.
Have you ever wondered how much a choreography changes from one dancer to another?
Well, there are several things in charge of this, and I’m not only talking about the different ways different bodies move, but also about conscious decisions.
Dynamics, and musicality in general, have a great deal to say about this differences in interpretations, but for that I’m going to leave you with the lovely ladies from The Ballet Bag, and their post on musicality, really a must read!
What I really want to bring to attention today is how much the actual movement changes, and because a moving image is worth quite a lot more than all the words I keep splashing on to you… here is the practical example for reflection>
Hush, by Christopher Bruce, interpreted by…
Houston Ballet:
And Rambert Dance Company:
The changes in timing and accents are very interesting, but what strikes me most are changes in movement like where the head is going, the careful, or not so much, placement of the arms, the emphasis in one or another part of the body…
Two very interesting bits are the girl’s movement around second 34 in Rambert and 40 in Houston ballet, and the coming together of both dancers in second 43 in Rambert and 50 in Houston.
Does it make a huge difference to you? It definitely does to me!
Do you have a favourite or are both equally enjoyable in their differences?
And what would the choreographer think? 😉
Let us know your opinion!
Very interesting. I think that it´s the same than actors , musicians and opera singers. Is the great and wonderfull difference between humanity and robotics.And how about the coreographer and the repetidor o reponerdor ( translate it please)
Definitely i like way more the Rambert dance version, for me the houston ballet version is very robotic, the girl seems to be dancing by herself she looks perfect and virtuosic but i feel that nothing really happens,
in the Rambert Dance version the girl is really letting the energy happen and really connected to the action and movement of the guy, her body is really reacting, and that makes a huge difference!!! i can really perceive expressions and sensations from her movement she totally drags me in.