Starter activity.
• What is Post Modern Dance?
• Name the experimental dance group of the
1960’s in America.
• What is Post Modern Dance referred to in
Britain?
• Name two British choreographers we
discussed in last lesson.
Homework: Due next Friday.
• Practise and rehearse Rap for next week.
• Research 4 facts about Siobhan and be
prepared to discuss your findings at the
beginning of the lesson.
Lesson
Objectives:
To gain knowledge and understanding about
choreographer Siobhan Davies, the choreographer
of the GCSE set work, Birdsong.
To be able to complete an information timeline to
be used as an exam revision guide.
To complete a group task that will help you
remember the key facts about Siobhan Davies for
your exam.
So What Changed?
London
Contemporary
Dance Theatre
1967
The Place
The Laban Centre
Ballet Rambert
1966, the Company
changes its style from
ballet to contemporary
dance.
Dartington, College
of Arts in Devon
Henri Oguike
• Trained at LCDT
• Danced with 4D – postgraduate
performance group
• Founder member and dancer with the
Richard Alston Dance Company
• His work is influenced by Cunningham and
Alston
MARTHA GRAHAM BROUGHT
CONTEMPORARY DANCE TO
BRITAIN IN THE 1960’S
ROBIN HOWARD FUNDED
THE OPENING OF
LONDON CONTEMPORARY
DANCE SCHOOL
AND THEATRE.
SIOBHAN DAVIES
RICHARD ALSTON
Siobhan Davies – Choreographer
Born in 1950, Sue Davies (Siobhan is her stage name) is now one of the
UK’s leading contemporary choreographers. Her initial interest was in
art and after leaving school, she studied sculpture at the Hammersmith
College of art and building. Davies decided to take dance lessons in
Graham technique as a way of discovering more about the body; this was
in order to support her art studies. However, dance gradually became
important to her as a separate art form. Davies was then part of the
early developments of contemporary dance in the UK.
When Martha Graham’s student Robert Cohan founded the London
Contemporary dance school (LCDS) and theatre (LCDT), Together with
Robin Howard, Davies was amongst the very first group of students. She
eventually joined LCDT after a year of beginning lessons. Here, she
featured in many of Cohen's works. Richard Alston was also a student at
LCDS at the same time as Davies; he also came from an art school
background. When he began choreographing work for LCDT, Davies
danced in them. When Richard Alston created his own dance company;
Richard Alston and dancers, Davies worked with him.
Siobhan Davies’ first professional work, made for LCDT, was Relay
(1972). At this stage, Davies still used Graham based movement
vocabulary. Her choreographic style then clearly changed after a
trip to America (1976). Here, she attended Cunningham technique
classes. On her arrival back to the UK, Davies began experimenting
with Cunningham processes. This was evident in her work Step at a
Time (1976).
Siobhan Davies and dancers was then founded in 1981. Soon after,
this was renamed Siobhan Davies dance company (SDDC).
Davies is interested in bringing dance to different venues and nontheatrical spaces. Plants and ghosts (2002) was performed in an
aircraft hanger because these present new choreographic
challenges. She has received numerous awards including the Olivier
Awards for outstanding achievement in dance in 1993 and 1996. In
2002, she was made a CBE.
Timeline
Born in ____
One of the UK’s _________ ____________ ______________
Davies decided to take ______ ________ ___ _______ __________ as a way of
discovering more about the body.
Dance gradually became important to her as a _________ ____ ______.
Davies was then part of the _______ _______________ of _______________
________ in the UK.
Trained at _________ _________________ dance school and was amongst the very
first group of students. She eventually joined LCDT _______ __ ______ of
___________ _________.
Davies worked with __________ Alston and ________.
Siobhan Davies’ first professional work, made for _____, was ________ (_____).
Her ________________ _______ then clearly changed after a trip to _________
(_____).
Here, she attended _____________ __________ classes.
•Pedestrian gestures;
Characteristics of
Siobhan Davies’
work
•Isolations of joints;
•Actions can be focused in joints;
•Use of all body parts.
•Contrasts in Dynamics: speed and
quality.
•Proximity and distance (near and far)
•Small and large movements used.
•Use of many facings and directions.
•Linear and curved pathways.
•Use of Canon and unison.
•Use of freeze frames.
•Many formations used between dancers.
•Repetition and reordering.
Arabesque, attitude.
Balance, bend, bounce, brake.
Carry, cartwheel, circle, clap, clench, click,
collapse, contract, curl, creep, curve.
Dart, dig, dive, drag, drop.
Enlarge, elevate, enter, exit, explode, extend.
Fall, flex, fold, freeze.
Gallop, gesture, grab, grip, hang, hold, hop.
Jab, jump. Kick, kneel, knock.
Lean, leap, lengthen, lie, look, lower, lunge.
Melt, mime, move.
Pierce, pivot, pull, punch, push.
Reach, rise, roll, run.
Shake, shoulder-stand, shrink, shuffle, sit,
slide, stamp, stand, step, stretch, swing.
Tap, tilt, travel, turn, twist, Unfold.
Walk, watch, wrap.
Movements regularly used
by Siobhan Davies
Ring-a-ring o'roses
A pocket full of
posies,
Atishoo! Atishoo!
We all fall down.
Picking up the daises,
picking up the daises,
Atishoo!, Atishoo!
We all jump up.
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir,
Three bags full;
One for my master,
And one for my dame,
and one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the
fiddle,
The cow jumped
over the moon.
The little dog
laughed
To see such fun,
And the dish ran
away with the
spoon.
The Grand
Old Duke of York
Mary Mary
Sing a Song of Sixpence
Jack and Jill
Incey Wincey Spider
SIOBHAN DAVIES LIKES DETAILED ACTIONS,
PEDESTRIAN GESTURES AND ISOLATIONS.
PROXIMITY AND DISTANCE IS THE KEY,
SLOW MOTION, STILLNESS AND COMPLEX
ENERGY.