Name of teacher / supervisor:
Liat Waysbort and Roos van Berkel
Period, duration
Block 1, Week 44-46
Study load
Total 45 hours, 40 contact hours, 5 self-study hours
Competencies
1, 2, 3, 4
Summary
Movement Research is a practice-based course focused on the expansion of the student’s movement signature, in preparation for creating solos. Through observation, exploration and composition, the students are encouraged to use their movement preferences in juxtaposition to movement vocabulary that they are less affined with. Together we will also take note how these affinities and dis-affinities may be related to one’s socio-cultural and artistic background and integrate that information as ground for creative exploration. Short assignments will provide the students with skills and knowledge in order to deepen and expand their movement vocabulary and language to communicate their movement signature orally and textually by being able to give words and description to what, where and how various elements and tools affect and impact their creative universe. 3. capacity to experience a wider spectrum of creative resources rooted in knowledge and articulation that are not solely linked to personal preferences. The explorations are informed by Waysbort’s artistic tools that stem from her particular choreographic practice as well as her background as dancer and choreographic assistant with Batsheva dance company. Van Berkel’s specific compositional approach that is rooted in the Laban/Bartenieff framework, Tanztheater, BMC and Viewpoints. The research will be guided physically through tasking and simultaneously reflecting and documenting.
Content and design of the class
Daily warming-up/exploration focused on building a body awareness and improvisation with various tasks of quality, space, imagery, speed, dynamic, musicality, tempo, timing, texture etc. Observation exercises that reveal the parameters of the student’s physical and creative domain. Compositional tasks based on f.e. themes, organisation in space and imagery to jumpstart the student’s creativity. Students will have 5 mins to 90 mins to create solos which are shown individually and in groups so peers can observe similarity and differences between choices named in the parameters above. Creating an overview of the student’s the affinities and disaffinities on a timeline between ‘0 = least likable’ to ‘100 = most likable.’ (Movement Signature Expansion Map). The maps keep evolving throughout the course so students can see how ideas, thoughts and habits influence one another and shift perception and possibilities while practicing. The polarity between 0 to 100 is installed as a tool to build material. Meeting the unknown and less familiar allows the parameters to shift and change, and will contribute to the student’s clarity and commitment as to how and why they shift. Expert and peer feedback: contributing to each other’s maps with short (3 words) and longer feedback sessions Diverting the physical informative experience to a drawing so the use of text does not become the main instrument to document and/or transmit a movement experience.
Learning goals
Student:
- Expresses artistry in movement, voice, speech and visuals (dance-sing-talk-draw)
- (Re)works material from different creative perspectives
- Produces a coherent set of physical material that engages with the shared information.
- Analyses how physical material creates meaning in relation to space and time by critically investigating dominance, modes and qualities.
- Self-reflects during and in between sessions. Further, students are responsible to have self-reflective mode in order to understand and explain what have they done and which journey they took in those 2 weeks.
Working method(s) used
assignments, peer-to-peer, instruction, documentation, presentation, plenary feedback
Used study material
Video documented choreography (ATD library, YouTube, Vimeo) Burrows, J. A Choreographer’s Handbook. 2010: Taylor & Francis Ltd Bogart, A. The Viewpoints Book. 2004: Theatre Communications Group Visual, auditive and tactile inspiration inside and outside of the studio
Assessment criteria:
Attitude: pro-active, investigative, committed Knowledge and Insight: vocabulary is shared in oral and written form (peer feedback and maps and shortlist that articulates choreographic ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’)
Artistic: Various solos throughout the module Individual reflection (writing, audio or video) after the last class
Method of assessment
Tasks and assignments Feedback and feed forward
Learning goals in the class contribute to the overall development of the competency indicators 1.1 / 1.2 / 1.5 / 1.6 / 1.8 / 2.1 / 2.2 / 2.3 / 2.6 / 2.7 / 3.1 / 3.2 / 3.3 / 3.4 / 4.2 / 4.4 /
The overall development of the student is assessed at integral assessment meetings, twice a year, through combined self-assessment and assessment by teachers, coaches and mentors. This course forms a continuous line with Movement analysis, introduction, Year 1, blocks 1 & 3, Improvisation towards real-time composition, Year 1, block 3, Drama (for dancers), Year 1, block 3
