Half Term – Critical Review of Dance Piece #1
In this critique I will be evaluating McGregor's piece the Infra Duet. The Final duet comes from the ballet Infra, which was created by McGregor and performed by the Royal Ballet in 2008.(Studio Wayne McGregor, n.d.) Infra is derived from the latin 'below' and is the name of the piece to present a moving mediation on human interactions beneath the surface.(Studio Wayne McGregor, n.d.) The duet itself successfully portrays the intimate connection within a relationship and how relationships are complex, yet appear simple.
There are many ways in which McGregor has used the choreography to portray the complexity of this relationship, one being the constant use of penchés within the piece. However, each penché is differentiated by either an isolation or the melting like transition into another movement. Using a penché in a piece that presents the raw emotions of a relationship is refreshing to witness due to the connotations of relationships being about the heart and soul rather than legs and counter balance. Considering the use of penchés as a punctuation between each phase of the relationship, for example the flexed foot in the second penché is a contrast the the first as the first develops into a rands des jambs implying that the initial meeting is leading on to more than expected, whereas the flexed foot symbolises how they have arrived at an obstacle within the relationship as the flexed foot obscures the overall line. Contrarily, a penché could be used to personify the fact that the outside only view one layer of the relationship- the elevated leg- compared to what lays beneath. Thus linking back to the meaning of infra and the piece as a whole.
In addition to this, the way in which the piece has been staged in a way that enhances the relationship. Infra uses a an LED screen that spans the back of the stage (Studio Wayne McGregor, n.d.) however in this duet there's only a single warm spotlight on the dancers. Costume wise the dancers are wearing simple plain clothing that is also quite exposing presenting the sense of vulnerability. By contradicting the lighting with the rest of the piece McGregor forces the audience to focus in only on the couple and the relationship. The same can be said about relationships in general that to make relationships work you need to prioritise the each other. Moving on to the costume, the fact that the dancers are essentially "stripped back" shows how a relationship is only about the pair. Moreover, it could be a symbolism of two souls coming together to form a beautiful union, as the definition of a soul is "a person's moral or emotional nature or sense of identity." (Lexico Dictionaries | English, n.d.) Finally the use of the light slowly fading to reveal only the silhouettes of the couple shows the purity of the relationship. An alternatively the light slowly dimming could represent the spark of the relationship slowly fading drawing to the conclusion of the relationship.
Finally, McGregor presents reliability and also how one thing that one person does in the relationship creates and effect and also shapes the relationship. The female dancer grand bacchments her leg a la seconde and then in a pendulum like movement envelopes her leg into coudepie. A pendulum shows there transfer of energy and so the dancer is transferring her energy from one side to the other of her body with the aid of the male dancer. This represents how in relationships you need to balance a relationship otherwise it could break down, the same way in which the dancer would fall. This is represented in all aspects of the dance with the constant giving of weight showing how each of the dancers can rely on one another in a relationship and how they know each of the dancers know that the other will be there to catch them.
In conclusion, McGregor has successfully shown a relationship stripped back and presented on stage. The use of certain movements and the quality of said movements help to show layers within the piece and also relationships. The audience watching the choreography will also resinate with the rawness of this relationship.
Lexico Dictionaries | English. (n.d.). Soul | Definition of Soul by Lexico. [online] Available at: https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/soul [Accessed 25 Oct. 2019].
Studio Wayne McGregor. (n.d.). Infra. [online] Available at: https://waynemcgregor.com/productions/infra [Accessed 25 Oct. 2019].
Your evaluation was very descriptive, however, clear to read. One thing that stood out to me was that you mentioned the Penchés were used as punctuation. What decision led you to think this? This idea captured my attention as it was peculiar .
ReplyDeleteYou communicated that the lighting grasped your attention as well as what the dancers were wearing. What do you think would happen if the lighting and the clothes were different?
Thank you for your comment Lucy, the idea of the punctuation came from me interpreting that after each penché a different stage of the relationship was portrayed. Therefore each penché acts a punctuation to the relationship.
DeleteIf the costuming and lighting were different the idea of the vulnerability and rawness of human relationships would not have been successfully portrayed.
Your detailed analysis of the penches was very interesting and your inferences about this seemingly simple movement is impressive. What did you think about the dancers expression and performance? Did this also help portray McGregor's view on relationships?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Daisy. The emotions that the dancers expressed were very raw and also sensitive. This helps portray McGregor's idea of the human relationship being vulnerable and how like a pendulum it's a precious thing that if altered with will change the dynamics.
DeleteYou have included lots of valid points and have lots of detailed comments. I love the fact you have evaluated all the movements carefully and explained this in your blog, this highlights your understanding and great detail you have gone into. How are you going to link this within your own choreography?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Abi, this has inspired me to think about what specific movements I would like to add in my own work to really help portray my stimulus. For example it's made me consider having a movement as a punctuation to lead on to the next stage of the fossil fuel journey.
DeleteThis is an excellent first individual review! You have given a clear structure to your post. You have brought up some interesting points, going into detail when discussing the movement and purpose behind the piece. For further development, would you be able to expand on the different feelings you experienced as the duet progressed. Please revisit your citations and link the video within the post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Miss Norman. My feelings at the piece were confused as I wasn't sure whether this was a a portrayal of a good or bad relationship. However, as the piece continued i realised that the point of the piece wasn't to show a good relationship or bad relationship but to explore the multitude of emotions that one gets during a relationship. These emotions can be good or as equally bad but these emotions help form the relationship as a whole.
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