Rosas Danst Rosas is a dance
structures in 5 sections and themed around the stimulus of human behaviour and
rage by the company ‘Rosas’. The choreographer of the dance is Anne Teresa de
Keersmaeker. Although it was first performed in 1983 as a live performance a
filmed version was shot in 1997.
The dancers consist of 4 women
who dance in an energetic and dynamic style. Dressed in every day wear such as
black clothing with loose fitting clothes such as skirts. I think this gives a
good effect towards the audience from the dancers as black has connotations of
mystery as well as power.
The set in the sections I am
studying, Sections 2, 3 and 5 was mainly open with the addition to a few chairs
in section three, and I think little staging was used in the mis-en-scene to
keep the viewers concentrated on the dancers.
The dance takes place in an empty
school littered with large classrooms in Belgium, a perfect location for a
dance to give the impression of a moment lost in time. With the natural light
from the windows and coming through gaps in the doors helped create a simple
atmosphere to maintain the focus of the audience on the movements and theme of
the dance.
Sound was a strong feature as
most of it came from natural movements from the dancers which also were loud at
a close sonic perspective so we could hear the breathing and movements of the
dancers clearly and as if they were close to us; this would help the viewer
relate to the dancers and immerse them more deeply into the messages, values
and themes presented by the choreographer, Anne.
The music was also important as I think it created suspense and dynamics to the dance which other forms of music would struggle with, such as aiding in making the movements and structure fluent but strong. An example of this is when the music picks up and the movement by the dancers become more rapid, this contributing to the tension it generates.
The music was also important as I think it created suspense and dynamics to the dance which other forms of music would struggle with, such as aiding in making the movements and structure fluent but strong. An example of this is when the music picks up and the movement by the dancers become more rapid, this contributing to the tension it generates.
Camera angles and types of shots
were incredibly important in making the dance successful, I like to believe
that the live performance performed before the filmed version was made in 1997
was a completely different experience, as compared to the live one the filmed
could use tools such as sonic perspective, editing and camera shots to their
advantage. An example of this is during a chair scene, the camera pans around the
dancers, shooting around pillars which gives the effect that we’re watching
them, much like someone would look at a piece of art. Tracking shots were used during
the section two of the dance, where the dancers would use the floor and levels
to show status and control.
Music and camera shots were used
together to create tension, an example of this is during most of the structures
as the rhythm gets more intense with the movements.
Other camera placements were used
such as close ups/extreme close up were used to give perspective and help the
audience compare and contrast feelings with the dancers. The establishing shot
was used to show the dancers placement before they began dancing. Shots which
frame the dancer(s) such as long shots, extra-long shots or even framing
through window and doors were effective to give a clear image of the big
movements and choreographic devices used by the dances, especially in the chair
scene as the window were used at a long shot to frame the dancers. All shots were
used with still cameras (ie no hand help cameras).
Choreographic devices such as
levels, cannon, change of tempo through the music and repetition were all used
to create a complete dance with a large variety of structure, used effectively
with the mis-en-scene (what is in the shots/what is in the set) such as the
chairs and the floor. I think a lot of time was spent to fix the camera shots
and editing of the music around the dancing. Canon was also used whilst on the
chairs to show the repetition of movements and how powerful they were.
