Basic Facts Purpose Of Performance Features Of Performance
horeographer - Christopher Bruce - Creates S
C timulus ural Setting - The accompaniment is Arvo
A
dances based on political and human rights. - The music; reminded Bruce of Part’s Fratres (composed in 1977), the
images of European history with version for violin and piano pre-recorded for
Dance Company - Phoenix dance company over 1000 years of human use in performance. The music has no break
(GB) experience in tempo, following Part’s signature style of
- An exploration of a family composition – using broken chords and
Number Of Dancers - 4 (2 male & 2 female) dynamic and the relationships diatonic scales. The music is in a minor key
between each member and is integral to the dark, solemn
Dance Style - A combination of classical and (mother,father,son,daughter) as atmosphere of the piece. There is a clear
contemporary called neo-classical. they deal with an unseen but correlation between the movement
ever-present outside force. vocabulary and accompaniment in terms of
CHOREOGRAPHIC APPROACH - speed and dynamics, often used to introduce
Bruce does not prepare movement before Choreographic Intention each character and their emotional response
entering the studio, preferring to wait and Christopher Bruce’s works are to their environment.
work with the dancers so that he can be often ‘politically aware’, in
influenced by them. For Bruce, as well as reference to past or current ostume - Designed by Christopher Bruce.
C
being appropriate to the piece, the movement political events happening The costumes are clearly gendered,
must also sit well on the dancers. He started across the world, exploring their depicting the era of the 1930s -1940s: simple
Shadows with the idea of a family unit sitting effect on human life. In this shirts, skirts, trousers and dresses as well as
around the hearth or around a dinner table piece, Bruce invites the large overcoats worn at the very end of the
and knew that the furniture would become an audience into the world of a piece. Colours are muted and worn down -
intrinsic part of the choreography as opposed small family, possibly set in again symbolising deprivation and poverty.
to being a static set. The “anxiety of the Eastern Europe (though this is There are no costume changes in the piece.
music” greatly influenced the movement left up to individual Towards the end of the piece the
content, with the form of the piece allowing interpretation) coming to terms dancers/family prepare to leave the house by
each member of the family to have a voice with deprivation, poverty, and putting on shoes and coats. It is clear that
and tell their story the realities of what lies outside these jackets are oversized for the
their intimate family home. son/daughter, again referencing to the fact
Structure - Semi-narrative. Solo, duet, trio, Bruce describes this piece as “a that the family are living in poverty
quartet darker work, with a sort-of
narrative”, allowing the audience ighting - The lighting was designed by John
L
to apply their own context to the B Read, who uses the lighting to create an
material danced on stage. intimate space on stage depicting the feeling
of ‘a room’, as well as to indicate what is
UMMARY
S waiting for the family outside that they are so
A small family coming to terms reluctant to step into.
with deprivation, poverty and the
realisation of what lies outside erformance Setting - End stage
P
their family home.
Staging/set - Designed by Christopher Bruce.
Shadows uses a minimal set within a
black-box (a simple set with bare walls and
floor) theatre space. The piece includes a
table, a bench, two stools, a coat stand and
suitcases – all worn-looking, and somewhat
drab: confirming the notion of hardship within
the family. The space created allows the
audience to enter the heart of the home, the
kitchen. This is where the narrative of the
choreography and the relationships between
the family members unfolds.
horeographer - Christopher Bruce - Creates S
C timulus ural Setting - The accompaniment is Arvo
A
dances based on political and human rights. - The music; reminded Bruce of Part’s Fratres (composed in 1977), the
images of European history with version for violin and piano pre-recorded for
Dance Company - Phoenix dance company over 1000 years of human use in performance. The music has no break
(GB) experience in tempo, following Part’s signature style of
- An exploration of a family composition – using broken chords and
Number Of Dancers - 4 (2 male & 2 female) dynamic and the relationships diatonic scales. The music is in a minor key
between each member and is integral to the dark, solemn
Dance Style - A combination of classical and (mother,father,son,daughter) as atmosphere of the piece. There is a clear
contemporary called neo-classical. they deal with an unseen but correlation between the movement
ever-present outside force. vocabulary and accompaniment in terms of
CHOREOGRAPHIC APPROACH - speed and dynamics, often used to introduce
Bruce does not prepare movement before Choreographic Intention each character and their emotional response
entering the studio, preferring to wait and Christopher Bruce’s works are to their environment.
work with the dancers so that he can be often ‘politically aware’, in
influenced by them. For Bruce, as well as reference to past or current ostume - Designed by Christopher Bruce.
C
being appropriate to the piece, the movement political events happening The costumes are clearly gendered,
must also sit well on the dancers. He started across the world, exploring their depicting the era of the 1930s -1940s: simple
Shadows with the idea of a family unit sitting effect on human life. In this shirts, skirts, trousers and dresses as well as
around the hearth or around a dinner table piece, Bruce invites the large overcoats worn at the very end of the
and knew that the furniture would become an audience into the world of a piece. Colours are muted and worn down -
intrinsic part of the choreography as opposed small family, possibly set in again symbolising deprivation and poverty.
to being a static set. The “anxiety of the Eastern Europe (though this is There are no costume changes in the piece.
music” greatly influenced the movement left up to individual Towards the end of the piece the
content, with the form of the piece allowing interpretation) coming to terms dancers/family prepare to leave the house by
each member of the family to have a voice with deprivation, poverty, and putting on shoes and coats. It is clear that
and tell their story the realities of what lies outside these jackets are oversized for the
their intimate family home. son/daughter, again referencing to the fact
Structure - Semi-narrative. Solo, duet, trio, Bruce describes this piece as “a that the family are living in poverty
quartet darker work, with a sort-of
narrative”, allowing the audience ighting - The lighting was designed by John
L
to apply their own context to the B Read, who uses the lighting to create an
material danced on stage. intimate space on stage depicting the feeling
of ‘a room’, as well as to indicate what is
UMMARY
S waiting for the family outside that they are so
A small family coming to terms reluctant to step into.
with deprivation, poverty and the
realisation of what lies outside erformance Setting - End stage
P
their family home.
Staging/set - Designed by Christopher Bruce.
Shadows uses a minimal set within a
black-box (a simple set with bare walls and
floor) theatre space. The piece includes a
table, a bench, two stools, a coat stand and
suitcases – all worn-looking, and somewhat
drab: confirming the notion of hardship within
the family. The space created allows the
audience to enter the heart of the home, the
kitchen. This is where the narrative of the
choreography and the relationships between
the family members unfolds.
