Bridging the Gap - Ghost Dance
Christopher Bruce took the inspiration of his dance and incorporated it into every aspect of the piece. He wanted to ensure that the message was effectively connoted to the audience, because the purpose of the dance is to spread awareness of the issues in South America and for the Native American people and the cause of those issues - ancient land being stolen and the British invading in the 1800s.
Because his aim was specific to a region, Bruce showed the culture of the area in the dance, which is especially evident in the movement. For example, the Dead always resemble traditional dancing with its heavy inclusion of walking and established movements. Every move seems set out, practised, as if the dance is a tradition of the people (which was the goal of Bruce - to make the dance similar to that of the South American people) as being an expression of their emotion. Walking especially gives the dance a set pace, drawing connotations of ballroom and formal dancing to show the audience that the purpose of the piece is to show tradition, giving the perspective of the South American people going through the issues in order to create sympathy for them, which is the purpose of Bruce's work.
However, in other sections of the dance, the tempo is higher and there is more energy - fast jumping, spinning, transitions are quicker etc. The movements appear less structured and more expressive, showing their emotion through dance. This was an effective choice from Christopher Bruce, as using the two most important perspectives of the issues the dance is based on, tradition and the feelings of the people, is effective in showing and encouraging support for the cause (ie support for the South and Native American people to get their land and freedom back).
In contrast with this, the Ghost Dancers movement appears to be more flowing, free, but purposeful. They move almost calmly, connoting that, as they're dead, time and urgency matter little to them. But they still have purpose, as they dance deliberately and with focus, the spins and leaps weaving together seamlessly while also being performed as if they have to do so. This combination of connotations creates a theme of knowing with the Dancers, they appear more assured and knowing that the Dead in that their movements are self-assured and deliberate, as opposed to the the faster and jumpier Dead. For example, the Dancers often pause and look to stage left or right, their heads profile to the audience, which gives the impression of seeing something the audience can't, ie the future. The contrast of the two works perfectly within the setting, the addition of costumes/props, make up and music showing the differences more clearly. As the Ghost Dance in the culture of South America is about inevitability and the future, Bruce did a successful job in approaching the dance in a way that reflects the culture, which was his aim in creating this.
The purpose of the Ghost Dance in Native American culture is to predict the reuniting of the dead with the living, where they would work together to reclaim their land from the white colonists of England. This significant information is represented in the dance by the similarity of the Dead and the Ghost Dancers and their movement - both incorporating spins/pirouettes and alternating levels (the two groups leap and jump repeatedly, although the Dead more explosively and the Ghost Dancers in a more controlled manner) heavily. It shows that not only are the similar in goal but also that they work together (especially as the Ghost Dancers and the Dead often appear in scenes together, although dancing separately) to achieve their goal. The Ghost Dancers can be seen as taking inspiration more so from ballet than the Dead, which appear more traditional, perhaps hinting that the Dancers are more knowledgeable/practised than the Dead. So Bruce approached the choreography of this dance having researched and evaluated the history and significance of the dance in order to represent it accurately, as well as convey the appropriate themes to the audience.
Because his aim was specific to a region, Bruce showed the culture of the area in the dance, which is especially evident in the movement. For example, the Dead always resemble traditional dancing with its heavy inclusion of walking and established movements. Every move seems set out, practised, as if the dance is a tradition of the people (which was the goal of Bruce - to make the dance similar to that of the South American people) as being an expression of their emotion. Walking especially gives the dance a set pace, drawing connotations of ballroom and formal dancing to show the audience that the purpose of the piece is to show tradition, giving the perspective of the South American people going through the issues in order to create sympathy for them, which is the purpose of Bruce's work.
However, in other sections of the dance, the tempo is higher and there is more energy - fast jumping, spinning, transitions are quicker etc. The movements appear less structured and more expressive, showing their emotion through dance. This was an effective choice from Christopher Bruce, as using the two most important perspectives of the issues the dance is based on, tradition and the feelings of the people, is effective in showing and encouraging support for the cause (ie support for the South and Native American people to get their land and freedom back).
In contrast with this, the Ghost Dancers movement appears to be more flowing, free, but purposeful. They move almost calmly, connoting that, as they're dead, time and urgency matter little to them. But they still have purpose, as they dance deliberately and with focus, the spins and leaps weaving together seamlessly while also being performed as if they have to do so. This combination of connotations creates a theme of knowing with the Dancers, they appear more assured and knowing that the Dead in that their movements are self-assured and deliberate, as opposed to the the faster and jumpier Dead. For example, the Dancers often pause and look to stage left or right, their heads profile to the audience, which gives the impression of seeing something the audience can't, ie the future. The contrast of the two works perfectly within the setting, the addition of costumes/props, make up and music showing the differences more clearly. As the Ghost Dance in the culture of South America is about inevitability and the future, Bruce did a successful job in approaching the dance in a way that reflects the culture, which was his aim in creating this.
The purpose of the Ghost Dance in Native American culture is to predict the reuniting of the dead with the living, where they would work together to reclaim their land from the white colonists of England. This significant information is represented in the dance by the similarity of the Dead and the Ghost Dancers and their movement - both incorporating spins/pirouettes and alternating levels (the two groups leap and jump repeatedly, although the Dead more explosively and the Ghost Dancers in a more controlled manner) heavily. It shows that not only are the similar in goal but also that they work together (especially as the Ghost Dancers and the Dead often appear in scenes together, although dancing separately) to achieve their goal. The Ghost Dancers can be seen as taking inspiration more so from ballet than the Dead, which appear more traditional, perhaps hinting that the Dancers are more knowledgeable/practised than the Dead. So Bruce approached the choreography of this dance having researched and evaluated the history and significance of the dance in order to represent it accurately, as well as convey the appropriate themes to the audience.
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