Contact Improvisation

How contact improvisation integrates into choreography and enlivens the performance

An analytical response to a work in a dress rehearsal of Sydney Dance Company's production Louder than Words: Parenthesis

By

Liz Li

October 2014

Table of contents

Abstract 3

Introduction 4

Combination and balance 5

Stage design, lighting and costume modeling 6

Understanding and harvest 8

Conclusion 9

Reference: 11

Appendix: 12

Abstract

This essay will explore the use of contact improvisation in choreography and performance through analyzing an artwork in a dress rehearsal of Sydney Dance Company's production ‘Louder than Words’. A brief description of the artwork ‘Louder than Words’ will be introduced at the first. Then I will go further discussion about how contact improvisation inspires and integrates into the choreography include other different dance types such as ballet, modern dance and pedestrian movement in this artwork. Moreover, I will analyze how contact improvisation match up with stage design, lighting and costume modeling to sublimate the choreography and performance for an artwork. Finally, I share some understanding by myself about ‘ Parenthesis of Louder than Words’ and the harvest through learning choreography of contact improvisation.

Introduction

Louder than Words features two world premieres, one by Sydney Dance Company’s Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela and the other by Greek famous choreographer Andonis Foniadakis (Clive Paget, 2014). This essay will focus a dress rehearsal of Andonis Foniadakis’s new work Parenthesis to have a discussion (Appendix 1.1). Parenthesis is about relationships, but taking in a broader range from social and group to intimate personal contact – how such things evolve and change (Jill Sykes, 2014). In Foniadakis own words, Parenthesis has used dancers sinuously rolling and curving arms, legs and torsos to tell a story about struggle between being together and going apart to public audience. It aims to let...