Choreographic Workshop

On Monday, to help everyone choreograph the small group dances more easily, we workshop choreographic devices. I have a list of choreographic devices here. We started using a solo we made up as a base, then we split the routine up into sections and added a different choreographic device to each.




We then taught our solos to each other in our group and blended them together. This formed a much better dance really easily and quickly and it was packed with different choreographic devices. In future, when choreographing, we can use this method to help us and give us a starting point for a routine, which we can then develop further.

Chreographic Devices

Below is a list of ways that will help me, and my group, develop our work and make it longer without choreographing more.

1. Repetition- Repeat the phrase in the same way
2. Retrograde- Perform phrase backwards
3. Inversion- Turn the phrase upside down, for example lying down
4. Size- Condense and expand the motif, try and make it as small as you can, then as big
5. Tempo- Do the phrase as fast or as slow as possible
6. Rhythm- Vary rhythm but not speed
7. Quality- Vary movement quality, for example changing the resistance
8. Instrumentation- Perform motif with different body part
9. Force- Change the force/ resistance you use
10. Background- Change the design for the rest of the body, change lighting or add a set
11. Staging- Perform it in different places, and vary facing the audience
12. Embellishment- Add loops or zigzags as you travel along the path
13. Change of planes or levels- Change the planes (Horizontal or vertical), or on a different level
14. Additive/ Incorporative-  While doing original motif add in a jump or fall
15. Fragmentation- Use only part of the motif
16. Combination- Combine any of the above, so that it happens at the same time

Makeup Preparation

Recently me and Erin have been talking about what makeup looks we want to do for the show. I have been watching tutorials on youtube and instagram to not only get ideas, but to look at how they are applying the makeup as well. 

Child Soldiers

Armed militias in Syria are using children as young as 15 on the front line, sometimes recruiting them under the pretence of providing free schooling, Human Rights Watch said in a report.

One former child soldier, Raed, said he attended training at 16 with around 300 others, many of whom were aged between 12 and 18.

"The leader of the camp said Isis like the younger ones better," Raed explained. "He told me: 'Tomorrow they'll be a stronger leader or a stronger fighter'."

Article

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  There is estimated to be 250,000 child soldiers in the world. 40% of child soldiers are girls.
• Africa has the largest number of child soldiers. Child soldiers are being used in armed     conflict in Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Sudan.
• Children are used as soldiers because they are easier to condition and brainwash. They don't eat much food, don't need paying much and have an underdeveloped sense of danger so are easier to send into the line of fire.
• Some are abducted from their homes and forced to become soldiers

War Child Article

From reading these articles and watching the video above, I think that we are very lucky to live in this country, as children don't even have to consider becoming a soldier or having to work. I want to incorporate these feelings into the dance, as I imagine becoming a child soldier is scary, especially if your in the front line. I think this would be a really good bases to start a dance off.

Jodies and Andreas Choreography

Recently we have been developing the routine that Jodie choreographed. This routine has a lot of choreographic devices, such as cannon, levels and direction. However, I need to practice the duet with my partner Danielle in order to improve the first section and this will be difficult, as she has broken her thumb.

In Andrea's choreography we have learnt a new section. This has beats of three, so we have to make the dynamics sharp and strong to show the change in dynamics. This section is also in cannon and involves finishing in different directions. This will be even better if we carry on rehearsing to make it clean and sharp.

Child Trio Ideas

This Monday, my group split into a trio, who are going to be the three siblings of the family, and a duet who are to be the parents. I was in the trio and the video above is a work in progress of what we have choreographed so far. We have tried to make it really playful and care free, as we are children before the war. We started choreographing with three words in mind: protected, safe, and comforted. We started improvising with those words in mind; then moved on to making it more childish and fun. We got a lot done during the lesson and the routine went well because of the levels we used, and we bounced of each other's ideas. Next time we need to change a few things that aren't flowing correctly, and also develop the routine to make it longer.

Whats everyday like for a rufugee in Lebanon ?

Lebanon is home to a million Syrian refugees, which is more than any other nation.

Everyday life is hard for them. They awake at dawn and the children feed the goats or the chickens and the women begin to bake flat bread on the back of large round pots, heated underneath by small fires. Men are also busy in the camp, digging better drainage to improve the hygiene. Parent's worries are how to feed the children. If they don't have any food that morning, they might go to a neighbour and bring back a little plate of olives, some bread and tea. As refugees feel like they are one big family, they help each other out. Sadly, the children always ask for more food, just like normal kids, but there isn't anything more.

Life is expensive for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. There are no official refugee camps so they must pay rent for the land their tents are pitched on, plus electricity, water and somebody to take away the refuse. It’s about $1300 a year for a one room tent.

New arrivals are provided with a starter kit of stoves, bedding, blankets and food parcels and sometimes cash for rent. But with the crisis now into its third year, the refugees are struggling. Yet with such a large number of people, most of the refugees have no income. There are healthcare expenses too, from injures living in such a dangerous area.

Some of the other women head off to the fields nearby. Bekaa is farming country and there is day work like picking and cleaning vegetables. The day ends as the rufugees have an evening meal which would probably be either green beans with lemon or green beans without lemon. Then they’ll go to bed. Each night refugees cry themselves to sleep thinking of the parents they left behind in Syria. They are sleeping in tents with six other people, its cramped and they're exhausted.

A refugee called Khairiya  said “Life here doesn’t get worse. It doesn’t get any better either. We just want to go home.”

Source

Costume Responsibilities

On Monday we found out our production roles. My role is Makeup and Costume. I am working with Chey, Lashay, and Erin.  I did a post on the responsibilities of a makeup artist, which is linked here. However, I will also have the responsibilities of a Costume Designer. I have listed some below:




Responsibilities of a Costume Designer

• To have a list of everybody's shoe size, and clothes size
• To make the material able to dance in
• Sketching ideas
• Looking into prices and keeping to a budget
• To make the costumes appropriate to the show
• Research suitable costume styles, fabrics and designs
• Buying or making outfits

Alice Video

In Mondays lesson, we got split into four groups. Each group had a different theme or story. In my group is Hannah, Callie, Charlotte and Laqwarn. Our dance is based on the video 'Alice'. It shows how a girls life has been changed by war. In our first routine, we picked three words: 'Safe' 'Warm' and 'Comfort' to base our motif on. These words are how Alice feels before war. The war in some ways forces her to grow up and she sees things an adult would find hard to cope with, let alone an 8 year old. However, even in our war piece we need to show that they are still children, and no matter what they do, they still play. In our dance we could change the dynamics each time something new gets destroyed, for example: school, home and friends. In our before war dance, we need to show being safe. We could do this by staying close together and the movements having fluidity. In the war dance, we could be further apart and make the dynamics stronger. At the end of our last routine, we need to have an uplifting feel to show there is still hope. We could show this by the music change and elevation in the movements.  



Reflection On First Choreography Task

Today in our groups we had to start creating choreography. Ours is based on a video called 'Alice', which you can watch here. First we decided to make up a count of eight each, and then take moves from each person to create a piece. This started our piece as we had a few ideas to work with. The first piece we wanted to work on was after war had started. Next we worked as a team to create movement, this was easier as we bounced of each other much more and developed movement more easily. After showing Jodie what we had so far we realised we needed to change directions and formations, as this would make it more interesting. Near to the end of the lesson we wrote down ideas we had for next week. We started by writing down words we could base the before war piece on, like home, safe and protection; and we discussed different directions and ideas. Next we worked on the after war piece; again we wrote down ideas and discussed emotions, for example, fear, and what would trigger that.


Next lesson we will continue creating movement. However, we will work on changing directions and formations. We will also use the words we thought of to help us create movement, and when starting to create the other piece, we won't focus on starting at the beginning but just think of ideas and phrases we could add into the piece.

Makeup and Costume

On Monday the 15th of September, we found out our production roles. Mine was the one I applied for, Makeup and Costume. I am working with Chey, Lashay, and Erin. So the first thing we decided to do was split into two teams. Erin and I are doing makeup. Dividing into two teams will help us focus more time into either makeup or costume, hopefully making our work better. We will talk about our ideas as a group to have a range of opinions, then split into two teams to work on the ideas. As being in charged of all makeup for the show, Erin and I have a lot of responsibilities.
Some of which are listed below:




Responsibilities Of a Makeup Artist

• To make sure no one is allergic to the makeup
• To have the correct shades for each person
• To have planned out the products we will be using and have tested them
• To have and keep to the budget
• To have all the prices listed and get the best offer
• Reading scripts/knowing the plot to ascertain the materials and the look required
• Work through budget implications
• Identifying areas where research is required
• Completing face charts and designs for reference
• Liaising with other members of the design team to ensure the overall look/effect is consistent
• Demonstrating and implementing a practical understanding of lighting, the photographic process, colours and the impact of special effects/make-up processes on the skin
• Maintaining awareness of health and safety issues and legislation
• Ordering materials and equipment
• Time management, knowing how long a subject will take to be made-up
• Working quickly and accurately in time-pressured conditions
• Taking detailed notes and photographs of work, maintaining an up-to-date portfolio of work

We also have to think about ideas for fundraising, as part of the money we raise will also go to War Child. One of my fundraising ideas was to have a mufti day of a certain colour, and everybody could donate a pound. Or we could perform one of the routines at lunch time, and see how much we can raise!

Choreography

In our past two dance lessons, we have been learning choreography for our show. The first section we learned was contemporary; the moves could represent escaping, as children that live through the war might feel like their only option is to run away from home. A law in the Middle East is if you do run away you are sent to prison. The second section we learnt could represent how children are resilient, as the dynamics change to bold and fast; this section is more jazz. The difference in the two dance styles, is like the difference to what the Middle East was like before and after the war.