Thursday 28th April 2016 - First Run Through Of Antigone

In this rehearsal we did our first full run through of the play, when we sung the harmonies before the prologue, it was not as good as when we first rehearsed it. This was because each harmonies was not equally split up and therefore the main melody was not featured enough and it was lost. We need to find another time to work this out and figure out who is singing who and at what times and dynamics. I think that other than this the first half went really well and smoothly. Our transitions between scenes were good especially between the prologue, chorus 1 and episode 1, this was beneficial as we were able to see how long this will take in the final performance, as well as this it gave us time to work on other things that needed more work. In chorus 1 when we use body percussion to support the text, this works with the rest of the chorus as it provides a contrast to the rest of it, as well as this it makes this chorus stand out from the others and not just look like every other scene.

On the other hand when we got to chorus 3 we began to slow down, this is partly because many of us were not 100% confident with our chorus lines and cue lines and therefore this slowed our run down as these seemed very hesitant. Because of this we also were not acting out these lines and there was not a clear understanding of what the text is about. My targets for the next rehearsal is to make sure I am more familiar with these lines and cue lines, as well as this I want to make sure that there is more energy when saying this so that the chorus lift the whole show up rather than dragging it down. This is because the chorus acts as another point of view to a situation and we need to work together to make this apparent to the audience.

My main focus for next rehearsal is to work on the Bacchus chorus as at the moment the choreography doesn't have much movement and therefore doesn't reflect the mood in this chorus. We are going to revise the blocking so that we can make alterations to the choreography to make it more relevent to the text. As well as this we need to revise the blocking for chorus one as when we are split into three different groups it drags down the energy and the is not as dynamic as we would like it to be.

Thursday 21st April 2016 - Chorus 6 (Bacchus)

In this lesson we looked at the chorus Bacchus, we had the idea of using quad jumps for this. Working around this idea we decided to form a triangle formation and in cannon each line jumps round saying Bacchus and then back round to face the front. The lines are split up into groups and these are said in the triangle formation, when not speaking we randomly turn round to face different directions, this is to add more movement to this chorus. This is because the idea behind this chorus is very panicked and distressed, therefore it needs to be more frantic to catch the audiences attention and allow them to understand the idea behind it. The next part of this chorus is said faster and with more panic, this is to show how the chorus is distressed, we have come up with the idea of reaching out to the audience at this part. This is because we are begging for help and calling out to the gods. 

Friday 15th April 2016 - Episode 4

This episode leads on from chorus 4 after the line "When Eros plays, we burn" we all scatter and go into the trenches and put masks on when crouching down, this is to make sure that we remember all of the mask rules, such as "never let anyone see you putting the mask on". We all face inwards with the masks on the back of our heads facing outwards. The masks allow the chorus to have a different purpose to the other choruses. When we say our first verse, we slowly change levels at different times. When we are doing this the audience are going to see the masks moving up and down, whilst doing this we are all reaching in towards Antigone. This is because the chorus are symbolising dragging Antigone down. On the last line of this verse we all stand and reach in, this is a sudden movement that is used to shock Antigone and the audience.

We then form a cave around Antigone, this is to symbolise that she is isolated within her thoughts and the law. We have also decided to use masks for this scene to show the lack of identity of the chorus and that she is all alone. At another point in this scene we are scattered around the stage wearing the masks and when Antigone comes round to each of us looking for help or guidance we all turn away, this suggests how the chorus in this scene could just be a figment of her own imagination and not really there. 

Friday 19th February 2016 - Classical Theatre Audition

The monologue I chose to do for my classical theatre audition was Beatrice's speech from the Shakespeare play "Much ado about nothing".

Beatrice - Much ado about nothing

Kill Claudio. You kill me to deny it. Farewell.

I am gone, though I am here. There is no love in you. Nay,

I pray you let me go. In faith, I will go.

You dare easier be friends with me than fight with mine

enemy.

Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath

slandered, scorned, dishonored my kinswoman? Oh, that I

were a man! What, bear her in hand until they come to take

hands and then, with public accusation, uncovered

slander, unmitigated rancor—O God, that I were a man! I

would eat his heart in the marketplace. Talk with a man out at a window! A proper saying!

Sweet Hero, she is wronged, she is slandered, she is

undone.

Princes and counties! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly

count, Count Comfect, a sweet gallant, surely! Oh, that I

were a man for his sake! Or that I had any friend would be

a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into curtsies,

valor into compliment, and men are only turned into

tongue, and trim ones too. He is now as valiant as Hercules

that only tells a lie and swears it. I cannot be a man with

wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving.

When I first read this text I didn't understand the language, therefore I decided to find out what it meant, this was to help me perform this better.

Kill Claudio! Then, rejecting my request, you kill me, instead. Goodbye.My body waits here, but the rest of me is gone. You don’t really love me. I beg you to let me go. I swear, I’m going. How dare you try to be my friend when you refuse to fight my enemy. Hasn’t he proven himself to be a great villain—slandering, scorning, and dishonouring my cousin? Oh, I wish I were a man! He pretended that everything was fine until the moment they were exchanging vows, and then—with public accusation, blatant slander, pure hatred—Oh God, if only I were a man! I would rip his heart out in public and eat it. Talking with a man outside her bedroom window! A likely story! Sweet Hero, she’s been wronged, she’s been slandered, she’s been ruined. Princes and counts! Oh, of course, it was all so proper and ceremonious—they gave a truly princely testimony. He’s a proper count, that Count Sugarplum, a sweet gentleman, for sure! Oh, if only I were a man! Or had a friend who would be a man for me! But there are no real men left. Their manliness has melted into pretty curtsies and fancy manners, and their bravery is spent on making clever compliments. All this conversing has turned men into tongues—and fancy ones, at that. The man who tells a lie and swears by it is now considered as brave as Hercules. I can’t make myself a man by wishing I were, so as a woman I’ll die, from grieving.

Classical theatre audition evaluation

What Went Well - I think that i used a good variation of tone of voice when performing i tried to make my voice sound more interesting rather than just speaking it, this is because if i was performing this on stage i would have to keep the audience engaged in what i was saying. Beatrice in this monologue is very desperate, therefore i think that i showed this by talking fast, with short pauses to catch a breath. This shows that she is panicking about something and she is desperate for help.

Even Better If - When i did this audition i did not feel confident with the text and therefore this had a negative impact in my performance as i was reading form the page. This restricted showing off my acting skills as i was unsure on movement and spacing, because of this i wasn't able to deliver the message of the text appropriately. If i had added in more movement, actions and gestures i think that my performance would have been greatly improved.

For my next audition - The next time i auditon i am going to make sure i am very confident with the text so that i am able to confidently deliver it to the auditioner. I ma alos going to experiment with different movement and spacing to make sure that i am telling the story and delivering the message. I also want them to be engaged in the performance, because of this i am going to do further research to make sure i know the plot of play and the specifc characters that the monologue is concerning. I believe that this will improve my performance as i will have more knowledge of the text and  i will be able to perfrom it with more confidence and purpose.

Thursday 28th April 2016 - Suitable audition material

It is important that when you attend an audition you bring with you all of the material that they have asked you to prepare. For example a drama school audition may ask you to prepare two classical monologues possibly from a set list and one contemporary monologue. They may also ask you to bring two songs from the musical theatre or classical genre.

Classical Monologue

This is an example of a Shakespeare monologue that would be a suitable audition piece to prepare.

Ophelia from Hamlet (Act 2, Scene 1)

My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,

Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced;

No hat upon his head; his stockings fouled,

Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle;

Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;

And with a look so piteous in purport

As if he had been loosèd out of hell

To speak of horrors—he comes before me.

My lord, I do not know.

But truly, I do fear it.

He took me by the wrist and held me hard.

Then goes he to the length of all his arm,

And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,

He falls to such perusal of my face

As he would draw it. Long stayed he so.

When preparing a monologue it is important that you have research the characters that are associated with the text, as well as what it means in present day language. For example when I was rehearsing this I found a translation...

Father, I was up in my room sewing when Hamlet came in with no hat on his head, his shirt unbuttoned, and his stockings dirty, undone, and down around his ankles. He was pale as his undershirt, and his knees were knocking together. He looked so out of sorts, as if he’d just come back from hell. He came up to me. I’m not sure, but I’m afraid he might be. He grabbed me by the wrist and held me hard, then backed away an arm’s length and just looked at me, staring at me like an artist about to paint my picture. He stayed like that a long time.

This is a good audition monologue as it is a published classical monologue that is a respected text, therefore is exactly what they are asking for. As well as this there is opportunity for movement when performing this, for example the performer could be walking in to talk to her father at the same time as looking back to check if Hamlet has followed her. This is because she is trying to express her concern for Hamlet. She is telling a story of something that has just happened and therefore the performer has an opportunity to us physical theatre to act some of the things she is explaining, such as "he took me by the wrist". Because this monologue is very panicky the auditione could perform it as if she is out of breath from running to find help. This monologue has lots of opportunities for a performer to show off their acting skills and therefore is a good example of a audition monologue.

Contemporary Monologue

This is a good example of an appropriate contemporary monologue to use for an audition. Liz Mordens Monlogue  - Our Country's Good (Act 2, Scene 1) "Luck? Don't know the word. Shifts its bob when I comes near. Born under a ha'penny planet I was. Dad's a nibbler, don't want to get crapped. Mum leaves. Five brothers, I'm the only titter. I takes in washing. Then. My own father. Lady's walking down the street, he takes her wiper. She screams, he's shoulder-clapped, says, it's not me, Sir, it's Lizzie, look, she took it. I'm stripped, beaten in the street, everyone watching. That night, I take my dad's cudgel and try to kill him, I prig all his clothes and go to my older brother. He don't want me. Liz, he says, why trine for a make, when you can wap for a winne? I'm no dimber mort, I says. Don't ask you to be a swell mollisher, Sister, men want Miss Laycock, don't look at your mug. So I begin to sell my mother of saints. I thinks I'm in luck when I meet the swell cove. He's a bobcull; sports a different wiper every day of the week. He says to me, it's not enough to sell your mossie face, Lizzie, it don't bring no shiners no more. Shows me how to spice the swells. So. Swell has me up the wall, flashes a pocket watch, I lifts it. But one time, I stir my stumps too slow, the swell squeaks beef, the snoozie hears, I'm nibbed. It's up the ladder to rest, I thinks when I goes up before the fortune teller, but no, the judge's a bobcull, I nap the King's pardon and it's seven years across the herring pond. Jesus Christ the hunger on the ship, sailors won't touch me: no rantum scantum, no food. But here, the Governor says, new life. You could nob it here, Lizzie, I thinks, bobcull Gov, this niffy naffy play, not too much work, good crew of rufflers, Karble, Arscott, but no, Ross don't like my mug, I'm nibbed again and now it's up the ladder to rest for good. Well. Lizzie Morden's life.  This is a suitable monologue to use for an audition as our country's good is a very respected text and therefore many people judging auditions will be able to compare the standard of the acting to many other performances. As well as this, like the classical monologue it tells a story of something and therefore gives the performer many opportunities to use movement, action and space to show off their acting skills. It also give the chance to show the auditioners how they can use different tones of voice to create variation in their performance. Suitable song choice This is an example of a suitable audition song from the 1933 musical Forty second street.
This is a good song to perform as it has two contrasting sections, this means that the performer has a chance to show off different ways that they can use their voice. As well as this it is from a very well known musical and most people would have heard of the music that they can compare easily.
90

Monday 18th April 2016 - Antigone (Criteria One - Unit 4)

Themes of the play

• Fate
• Free will
• Law/morality
• power and pride
• determination
• devastation
• consequence of choice
• death

Social Cultural Historical political content

• 441 BC - festival of Dionysus, one of performance as part of a competition - This took place in March each year and went on for four days, this was a public holiday so that everyone could go. The city gave money to the poor so they could also go, over the four days, seventeen plays were shown these were a mixture of tragedy, comedy and satyr.

• No women on stage on stage or in the audience - Only men could act in ancient Greece, they performed all of the parts which included men women and children. All actors had to be athenian citizens. 

• Chorus demonstrate the view of society - The purpose of this was that they were commentating on what was happening in the play, and was another point of view for the audience. - Unlike the main actors the chorus could be anyone, they often served as the communities opinion which was often contrasting to the opinion of main characters in the play. For example in Antigone there is a scene where the chorus act as a duty to what Creon is saying. 

• Interactive experience - It was a common thing for the audience to be involved in a performance. This was so they did not get bored and throw things at the performers or become a distraction, by interacting with the audience they feel more involved and therefore were less likely to cause a problem to disrupt the actors. 

Narrative and plot

Antigone and Ismene's father, Oedipus had two sons names Eteocles and Polynices, upon their fathers death it was decided that in turn both of them would take the throne for a year each . However Eteocles refused to stand down and Polynices marches through Thebes causing a battle between the two, where both of them died, making Creon king. Once king he ordered Eteocles to be buried in honour and Polynices to be left unburied. However Antigone burys the body that was ordered to be left, angering Creon, he imprisions her as well as her sister - Ismene. When Creon interrogates them both Antigone wishes to be punished by herself whereas Ismene wants to share the guilt and blame, and is desperate to save her sister. They both get taken away by the guards. Haemon confronts his father about the imprisonment of his betroved lover. Antigone kills herself to escape Creon, when Haemon finds her, he kills himself to be with her in death. When Creon finds them both he is driven mad with guilt and prays to the gods for help and forgivness.

Original staging conditions

• Acting style - Because the theatre was so large and even the audience sitting on the front row were at least 10 meters away from the stage the actors had to use large gestures that could be seen from the furthest seats. Although many theatres were constructed so that sound could easily be travelled to all of the seats the actors had to do this so that everyone could see and hear all of the characters. This is because many greek plays were complicated so it was important that the audience saw all parts of it to understand the themes and plot well. The actors had a non-naturaistic approach to acting, for example all of the gestures had to be over the top so because facial expressions would have been invisible to the majority of the audience. The actors were always accompanied by the chorus, they would often sing and dance giving the audience background information in-between the main scenes. The chorus was made up of between 15 and 18 men.

• Performance venue - Behind the orchestra there  a skene, this was used as a backstage where actors could change their costumes and masks, this also served a second purpose of showing the audience the location of the play which was usually a building like a house or a palace. There were typically two or three doors leading out to the orchestra where the actors could enter and exit. Sometimes these were painted to give a specific scenery to the play. There was a raised acting area that was called the proskene, this is the modern version of a proscenium arch stage. The audience were sat on benches that were built up on the side of a hill, because of this greek theatres were only ever built on a hill to achieve the right structure and shape. A typical theatre could fit up to 15,000 audience members, they were not enclosed so the audience could see each other and the surrounding location as well as the main actors and chorus. 

• Costumes and props - Masks were commonly used in Greek theatre, this was so the actors could play different characters including women as women were not allowed in the theatre. This was also so actors could multi role effectively without the audience getting the characters confused. Also from a religious perspective the mask was a form of protection form the gods, one example of this is if an actor was playing a character who had done something that had broken the law or had some evil traits, the mask would prevent the gods from punishing the actor for the characters mistake. However using a mask had some challenges, these were...

1. It is hard to project your voice when wearing a mask, this is because there were no mouth holes and therefore you have to speak a lot louder and clearer to make sure that the audience can hear you. Speaking with a mask on naturally sounds more muffled and the sound is not traveling out, it is being blocked. Although I tried to project my voice as much as possible I think I could improve this, when we use the masks in the final performance I would have had practice doing this and therefore my voice will sound clearer.
2. When performing with a mask on you have to rely on your body language more as your facial expressions are being hidden. This means that actions we do have to be more exaggerated to compensate, this helps the audience to keep engaged as we are fully projecting out.

The masks sometimes fall down your face and as the eye holes are small and therefore you cannot see. This means that when you rehearse you are aware of everyone and everything around you so that you can be spaticially aware when performing with the mask on.

Tragic actors wore garments that had elaborate pattens woven on them, these were similar to clothing worn by priests and musicians, these actors wore thick soled boots to give additional height to the perfumers, this was thought to help the actor project more. 

Characters

• Mythological figures (Dionysus) - These characters often wore saffron coloured clothing that were high quality and impressive, there were rich colours like purple and gold with jewels and heavy cloaks.
• Goddesses of women with a high rank - Often were robed in purple and gold as these colours shows the wealth of the character.
• Matrons - Monochrome colours like black white and grey to show the contrast in wealth and hierarchy, this cloth was finely embroidered and wore veil like material on the head. 
• Queens and Princesses - Long purple robes decorated with gold stars, to show the wealth. 
• Warriors - These character wore a variety of armour like helmets and scarlet tunics that were richly embroidered, to show their status.

Comic actors wore lose body stockings that were padded in particular areas to exaggerate their comedic element.

• Lighting and sound - Because there was no electricity available in this era, all of the plays were lit by natural light, because of this plays were usually shown in daylight. This means that they could not use special effects to enhance the performance, the actors had to be interesting enough by themselves to not bore the audience without any effects.

Background of the plays first performance

Antigone was written by Sophocles, it focuses around the conflict of the power of the state and individual conscience. It is a tragedy that is thought to be written around 442BC, it was the first of the "three Theban plays" to be written, however chronologically it is the third. After it was written it was premiered at the festival of Dionysus, that took place once a year and was the only time that theatre was shown.

The playwright

Antigone was originally written by Sophocles, he is often thought of as the best playwright out of the three at the time in ancient Greece - ( Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus). He is thought to have been born in 497BC in Attica(Greece) before the battle of Marathon. Sophocles came from a very wealthy family and wrote more tragedies than any other genre of theatre. His tragedies are often about the fate of human heroes, he focused on the human response to the gods as well as accepting the principles of the gods. The heroes of the play usually has an extraordinary career that pushes the boudoirs for what a human can do, these are strong characters such as the character if Antigone who pushes the boundaries of the law and accepts her fate of death.

Monday 18th April 2016 - Peter Pan Solo Evaluation

What was the stimulus for the piece?

Peter Pan's Personality

How did you create movement material to communicate the theme/stimulus?

I used the choreographic process to come up with appropriate movement material. First i established my stimuli so i could begin my research, (Peter Pan Research). I thought i was very important to carry out in depth research so that i could choreograph movement that is suitable to the stimuli. Once i had done this i started to improvise and experiment with movement ideas, such as jumps, turns and different transitions. From this i chose a few movements that i really liked and rehearsed them in the mirrors and asked for feedback as to what they looked like and if they were appropriate to the theme. After doing this i started to create a motif using the movements that i had chosen, this is where i experimented with different transitions, this is because i didn't want to have ordinary or boring ways of form getting from one movement to another. I then started to experiment with choreographic devices, i was especially interested in embellishment and repetition, this is because i wanted to have one action that i would work into other movements - this is the hand action. Another example of this is that i chose to repeat the sword fighting motif on two different levels. I then created a created the structure of my dance (ternary form) and created a climax in both the music and movement, creating a direct correlation.

What movements did you do and why?

For the opening motif I used movements with lots of turns and jumps that had faster dynamics, this shows his bubbly personality as well as representing his flight path and the way he glides around his life. When the music changes I chose to use slower movements than I used before to show the contrast between the two personalities that peter pan has. I also looked at other key aspects of his character such as his relationship with captain hook and how he sword fights with him. I was inspired by this to create a motif that represents a sword fight, this was a hand and arm movement that could be repeated.

What was your contribution to the movement piece?

This dance piece was my solo and i created the movement material by myself, with the use of peer feedback and additional feedback from Kat.

How did you use your physical skills in the performance?

When performing this solo i think that i used extension to the best of my ability, this is especially when i hold my leg up with both hands on the floor. When watching this back my leg was extended so that the movement look completed, if i had not exteneded fully the movement would have looked messy and unfininshed. Another example of this was i used extension in my arms in the suspendin the opeing motif, i wanted this movement to look as big as possible to make sure that i was projected out to the audience. I also think i used my flexibility appropriately, this is especially when i go into the splits and fish roll back, this has been improved over time as i have spent time stretching in my spare time. I am happy with my progress with this as i am able to do moveements like these with ease. When watching this performance back i thought that i have good posture and alignment throughout the dance. This has improved my projection as i was upright and performing out to the audience.

What interpretative skills did you use to communicate the theme?

In my opinion I think that from working on my characterisation for this dance during rehearsals I think that I performed this well. This is because when in rehearsals I thought about the development of Peter Pan during this dance-because I used ternary form I wanted to make sure that I separated the emotions running through it. My idea was to start being really happy and childish, this is to represent his playful and childish side, on reflection I think that I performed this well, I used more brighter facial expressions to show how he is very carefree and kind to everyone. When the music changes i chose to use more serious facial expressions as his personality changes from being very childish to being dark, when I performed this I though I created this contrast well. After the music crashes my character is more scared, this is because he has been unable to accept responsibility for his action and therefore has been faced with consequences.

What were your strengths and weaknesses?

I think i used my interpretive skills well to perform this dance, when watching this back i thought that i had good projection, this is because in past this hasn't been great and therefore i have worked on looking more confident on stage. I thought that i had good characterisation to show the difference in the sections, this was important to my performance as my stimulis specifically mentions a character and therefore i wanted to show this character using these skills.


One of my weaknesses in this performances was my stamina, i found it hard to control my breath especially going into the climax section. For my next performance i am going to try and control this during rehearsals so that for the performance i can do this better. As well as this looking back at my performance video, i noticed that i was perforning a lot of the movement material at the back of the stage, the next time i choreograph i am going to make sure that i choreograph the spacing more downstage, so that it grabs the audiences attention more.

Thursday 17th March 2016 - Devised Pieces (Lesson 3)

I wanted to have a key small movement that could be repeated throughout the dance, this shows a personality trait that he has. Because of this I experimented with different hand actions that could easily be worked into other movements. In the end I came up with an anti-clock-wise hand twist, I chose this because I thought it relates to the dark side of his personality. I worked it into the happier section as well as the dark to show that even at his happiest he still has a split personality. When looking back on this I think it works well with the rest of the dance.

In this rehearsal I also worked on the first part of the dark section, I decided to start this facing the back and create arm movements, this is because he is trying to hide his true identity. As well as this is started to work on the build up to the climax, I want the movements to gradually get bigger, I think that so far this is going well because I have thought about the type of movements that I want to include in this bit, they need to be a bit faster than in other parts of the dance, this is because the music is getting faster as it builds up and I need to keep on time with the music.

As well as this I began choreographing the bit after the climax, this is where my character starts to calm down and return to his normal self. This is because he has had a big release of energy, my movements in this bit are a lot more suspended and controlled as they need to show the complete change in personality so quickly. I think that I have choreographed this well and it shows the development of  my version of Peter Pan well, this is because I haven't just used the idea of him that is shown in "Disney" etc but looked into his personality deeper, this has allowed me to develop my piece further.

Thursday 7th April 2016 - The Choreographic Process

The Choreographic Process

1. Choose a stimuli
2. Carry out in depth research
3. Improvisation and experimentation
4. Select and refine movements ( Choose the best movements and check alignment in the mirrors, make sure timing is correct and get peer feedback)
5. Create a motif (Movements put together that can be repeated and developed)
   Manipulate movement material using choreographic devices (retrograde, fragmentation, accumulative cannon, embellishment, repetition)
6. Create a climax and consider the structure of your choreography (Ternary, binary, rondo or episodic/narrative)

Monday 16th March 2016 - Devised Pieces (Lesson 2)

In this lesson I started to put all of my movement ideas together in one motif so that I could start putting my piece together. I want to start with a travelling motif from the upstage right corner diagonally down, I want to use different types of jumps and turns in this sequence as this this first section is portraying Peter Pans happy personality and I think that these types of movements are appropriate for this. I found this section easier to choreograph as each movement flows into the next, I really want this to have smooth transitions to show how he is very carefree. I think that I did this well as non of my transitions in this section are walking or running, when doing this I tried to think of interesting ways of moving in and out our movements.

I then started to look at other parts of his personality traits such as his relationship with Captain Hook, because this dance is a solo I couldn't do this by physically showing them fighting, however I came up with the idea that he could still be sword fighting. I started to improvise hand and arm actions that could show this, once I had come up with a motif I decided to repeat it twice, however the first one was going to be on one knee and the second was going to be standing up. I wanted the one standing up to be bigger to make it look completely different to the first, when I first did this I wasn't sure how to place my hands, therefore I got some peer feedback to see which ways looked better and fitted with the theme best, as well as this I used the mirrors to see for myself which I preferred. After doing this I decided that I should have my fists clenched, this is to show that he is holding the sword, as well as this it fits better with his character.

Thursday 20th March 2016 - Devised Pieces (Lesson 4)

Peter Pan Solo Rehearsal Video 

In this rehearsal I put the whole dance together for the first time, I think for a first time this went well, however there was a timing issue when going into the dark section, I think in the next rehearsal I am going to see if taking out the movement before I get up when the music changes, this is because I think it will look better to have a short pause in this transition to show him changing personalities. I had another timing problem, this was on the climax in the dark section, on the crash I am supposed to jump, however even with adding in more movement before this the timing was still wrong. Because of this in the next rehearsal I am going to work on slowing the movements before this down, I think this will make the climax look more effective and make it stand out more as it will be a big contrast.

I thought that my eye-line was better in this rehearsal, however I think this can still be improved, I think this will improve as I become more confident with the movement material though. As well as this I need to work on the overall performance of the dance, I can include different facial expressions, this is especially useful when showing the difference in character in the different sections. For example I can smile in the first section and look a lot happier, whereas in the second section I can be more serious and then after the climax my character can be more scared as if he is running away from something trying to escape. In the last bit when the music changes again, I can be more happier and calm again. In my opinion I think that characterisation in this dance is important as it the portrayal of a character. I need to tidy up a few movements such as the part when I drop down to the floor after the side leap, I think I am going to cut this out and just drop after the turn, this is because I don't think It flows with the rest of the movement material. I also think that when I do the kick on the floor, that I need to do it with the other leg this is because I have to add in another roll to keep it on the right leg and I think that this breaks up the dance and it isn't as smooth of a transition as I would like it to be.

 I like the amount of space that I am using in this dance, when choreographing I thought about how much space I wanted to use. I thought that because Peter Pan has such an adventurous personality that it would be appropriate to use the whole space rather than just a small section of it. I have used diagonal pathways, one reason why this is, is because Peter Pan is a character that often "cuts corners" therefore I thought that I could use this when choreographing space in my dance. I also think that my dynamics have improved from the last rehearsal, this is especially when leading up to the climax on the knee spin and the attitude, I wanted this part to have sharp movements because it needs to differ from the other parts of the dance.

Thursday 17th March 2016 - Eros

In this lesson we looked at chorus 4: Eros, for this chorus we wanted to use more contemporary dance movement, this so that some of the choruses have something different to them, for example we have this one and chorus one where we use body percussion. As well as this, it gives us a chance to slightly modernise the text without straying away from the original concept. We split the chorus into three sections that overlap each other, Me, Rosie and Emily took one section each and started to choreograph appropriate movements that would compliment the text.

When choreographing this initially I found it hard to come up with movement material, however I looked at the lines and started to think of movements that described the words. For example for the line "The gods and man grow mad" we brush our hands through our hair and fall to the floor. As well as this for the line "Run and try to hide" we all split away from each other and walk away. Some movements and ideas that we tried didn't work, so we had to adapt and develop them so that they would fit better. I think overall in the time that we were given to choreograph this section we came up with good movements that flowed well with the text.

Thursday 10th March 2016 - Ismene Scene

In this scene Ismene is trying to convince Antigone to share the blame of the burial. She is desperate to help because she doesnt want her sister to be killed. We started this lesson by breaking down the scene so that we didnt miss anything important out and we could work out where all of the energy changes are.

When Ismene enters, i am brought on by a guard, both her and her sister are in danger as Creon is angry because Antigone broke the law. Although Ismene is scared on Creon she is more concerned about the fate of her sister. 

Here there is an important energy change where ismene is getting more angry because Antigone and Creon are not listening to what she is saying, she is trying to prove a point to save her sister and nobody cares what she is saying. 

When blocking this scene we had to experiment with proxemics to make sure that everyone is seen by the audience, the first time we did this i was moving around too much, although i my character is panicing in this scene, i think she still needs to keep her movements more subtle. This is because she doesnt want to come across as immature but serious. As well as this i also needed to work on different tones of voice i use to make sure that i dont sound monotone, this is there are different emotions running through the text and these need to be portrayed to the audience so that they understand the plot. I struggled most with the last line more than anything as i wasnt sure how to say it, however Rachel suggested to me that this should be more like ismene is pleading for Haemon's help to save Antigone , this helped me phrase the line better.