Dance Improvisations PDF
Preview Dance Improvisations
Dance Improvisations DANCE Joyce Morgenroth UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH PRESS Published by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15260 Copyright © 1987, Joyce Morgenroth All rights reserved Feffer and Simons, Inc., London Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Morgenroth, Joyce Dance improvisations. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Improvisation (Dancing) I. Title. GV1781.2.M67 1987 793.3'2 86-19318 ISBN 0-8229-3550-3 ISBN 0-8229-5386-2 (pbk.) "Mock Orange" by Karen Brodine is reprinted by permission of the author. Photographs are by Jon Crispin. Contents Preface vii Acknowledgments ix Recent History xi Practical Considerations xv I. Preliminaries 3 Mirroring. 4 Unison. 7 Active and Passive. 10 Weight Dependency. 13 II. Space 17 Floor Patterns. 17 Distance. 24 Focus. 27 Location. 30 Groupings. 34 Levels. 36 Group Design. 40 Shape and Shape Sequences. 45 Trace Designs. 53 III. Time 59 Pulse. 59 Accent. 61 Metrical Rhythm. 69 Nonmetrical Rhythms. 74 Duration and Speed. 79 IV. Movement Invention 85 Images. 85 Levels of Abstraction. 90 Mood and Character. 95 Types of Focus. 101 Body Parts. 103 Dynamics. 105 Theme and Variations. 108 Props. 112 Sound Accompaniment. 117 List of Improvisations 125 Bibliography 131 Index 135 Preface his collection of improvisational problems grew out of my teaching college courses in dance technique, composition, improvisation, and movement for actors, plus sum mer improvisation workshops. In these classes, I inevitably brought my own under standing and preferences to the work. These inclinations remain in this book, par ticularly the two goals I have always sought: invention and its taking shape through the use of structure. I have aimed, in addition, for this book to be thorough and to cover all areas that relate to dance and movement for the theater. The presentation of the improvisational problems varies in format. Some problems are presented as a single procedure, some as a series of procedures building to a final development. Occasionally I have included variations. I hope that readers will find their own variations as well. I have included observations after many of the prob lems, sometimes to clarify goals, sometimes to prepare the leader for difficulties the group might encounter, sometimes to generate thought about the work just done. The ideas presented here offer a starting point and a way to proceed. The rest is up to the dancers. One final note. To avoid the awkwardness of "he or she," I have used he and she alternately as subject. vii Acknowledgments My thanks go to Peggy Lawler, my colleague at Cornell University, whose inspira tion over the last twenty years has been immeasurable, from the first dance composi tion class I took with her to her most recent comments on my writing, and whose improvisational ideas appear throughout this book; to Jane Mushabac, who read my manuscript at every stage (on demand), and never failed to have incisive suggestions for improvement; to Fred Lee, who asked discomforting questions that helped me give shape to the manuscript; and to Moss Sweedler, whose seemingly casual sug gestion was the impetus for my writing this book. I also thank Wendy Rogers of the University of California at Berkeley, Jessica Fogel of the University of Michigan, and Karen Bell of the Ohio State University for trying out these improvisations in courses they teach and for their encouragement. An improvisation workshop led by Richard Bull, Peentz Dubble, and Cynthia Novack is the source of several of the im provisations that are now among my favorites. Jon Crispin took the excellent photo graphs. I am grateful for other help I got along the way from Kevin O'Neill, Arnold Aronson, Les Thimmig, David Borden, Arthur Morgenroth, and my editor, Catherine Marshall. And since dance improvisation depends finally on the people who are doing it, I heartily thank my students and fellow dancers. ix
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