Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
1983 (Film 1997)

Complete the ‘Rosas Danst Rosas’ work sheets as we work through the power point.

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Choreographer – Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
(Belgian choreographer)
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Director (of the film) - Thierry De Mey
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Company – Rosas
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Date of first performance – Premiere 6th May 1983.
Filmed in 1997
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Dance styles – Pedestrian, minimalist, gestural, abstract, mechanical, grounded. Concerned with relationships whilst maintaining dancer-dancer independence

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Choreographic style – Highlights single parts of the body, drawing attention to small human gestures.
Movements are patterned and structured to create rhythms and perfect unison is achieved
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Themes – Human behaviour and rage.
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Starting point – The human vs. The abstract: Every day expression: Flirtation, longing, frustration.
Music/dance relationship
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Structure – 8 sections.
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Dancers – 4 dancers (Stage version)
18 (Filmed version)

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Accompaniment – Thierry De Mey and Peter Vermeersch.
Electronic, percussive, minimalist music together with the natural sounds of the dancers in action.
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Costume – Rosas: Drab everyday grey skirts and tops/ black leggings, socks and shoes. Loose fitting and functional. They appear institutional.
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Lighting – Remon Fromont: natural light through the windows.
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Set – Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. The dance takes place in the corridors and rooms of a large, austere, empty school in Belgium. Windows, doors and walls frame the action.
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Props – An assortment of wooden chairs are used for one section.
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Staging – Site Specific- An old school building.

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Section 1 – Moving In
Section 2 - Floor
Section 3 - Chairs
Section 4 - Building
Section 5 – Glass Interiors
Section 6 - The Lying Down
Section 7 – Inner Court
Section 8 - Coda
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*the three specific sections we will be looking at are highlighted in blue!

TIP: try to use these words when you analyse ASDR and choreographic devices in the 3 different sections.

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This section is all about exploring the floor using contrasting
dynamics with an emphasis on suspension, fall & release.
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Key actions used are roll, push up on the elbows, arch,
fall, always using the breath as a way into and out of the movement.
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At first, the actions appear repetitive, with the same movements repeated over and over again, but this is not the case.
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Focus carefully on the use of the arms and you will see that tiny details change all the time.
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Fragmentation (taking pieces or ‘fragments’ of movement and putting them together in a different order) is used to great effect towards the end of the section.

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Rosas Danst Rosas - Floor
Watch the clip of
Section 2 and complete the analysis sheet

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In your own words, analyse the ASDR content of the floor section.
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How does it help to convey the dance idea?
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Use your mind map to help you and include the movement styles.

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The action content can be divided into 4 main motifs and these are fragmented and re-ordered throughout this 8 minute section, using a large amount of
accumulation and relationships which together create a complex structure.
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The 4 motifs are introduced first before building in complexity and intensity.
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Motif A: Cross legs. Hand to hair, bring down side of head, over ear, to neck. Pull top off shoulder, pause, replace, pause, look over R shoulder. ‘Knowing’ nod with slight smile. Face front.
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Motif B: Uncross legs. Throw arms across body to L, L arm holds top of chair, R arm to L hip. Suspend, fall forwards arms folded across stomach, head falls last. Rebound to upright, L arm crosses under R, R arm on knee.

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Motif C: Hands behind head, elbows raised to sides. R hand to breast, flop forwards, punch R arm down. Rebound. Backs of hands pass under chin one after other, drop forwards, replace.
Arch, hand to chin & head turn to R, drop palm in lap. Upright, R hand over head.
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Motif D: Twist/lunge to L throwing arms and clasping hands in front. Throw clasped hands across body to R, simultaneous drop forwards.
Upright, arch, hands between thighs.

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Find a space and in pairs, mark through one of the chair section motifs.
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Now include the appropriate dynamics
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Share with the other pair

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Rosas Danst Rosas – Chairs
Watch the clip of
Section 3 and complete the analysis sheet

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This section follows seamlessly from ‘Building’ as a continuation .
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It is primarily focused on relationships, making good use of fragmentation which creates a canon effect as well as unison, counterpoint and grouping different sets of dancers together.
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The result is a section where dancers move in and out of these relationships fluidly and it can be hard to spot where the change has happened.
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The movement often matches the accents and dynamics of the music.

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Rosas Danst Rosas – Glass interiors
Watch the clip of
Section 5 and complete the analysis sheet

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Beyonce – Countdown
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Compare Beyonce’s use of the action content with the original Rosas Danst
Rosas version
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What does Beyonce’s version do for the theme and ideas of the original?
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Discuss positive and negative effects.