Lesson 3: Dancing Ourselves

A solo performance provides a dancer with the opportunity to deeply explore the nature of the theme to be presented, but perhaps more importantly it is an opportunity to explore the Self. Dancing alone before an audience puts one in both a vulnerable and empowering situation. In preparation for this moment, a dancer can journey through the creative and critical process, uncovering and discovering ways to express the physical and emotional body.

How does intuitive creativity mesh with theme or stimuli to create choreography?

What personal story, interest or experience would be meaningful to you to explore through dance and performance?

Creating, Presenting and Performing

A4. Performance: apply dance presentation skills in a variety of contexts and performances. 

A4.3 demonstrate both an intellectual and an emotional understanding of the artistic and expressive intent of a work in rehearsals and performances 

Learning Goals

(Unpacked Expectations)

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• identify Dancers who have created solo works
• use the creative process to compose a solo dance 

Readiness

Students will need to be familiar with choreographic forms, structures and techniques.  As a diagnostic activity, the teacher may wish to review compositional tools (i.e. retrograde, use of levels, rondo) and discuss with the class how these tools could be utilized while choreographing for one dancer.

Terminology

Materials

BLMs

Individual > Conditioning Sequence

Whole Class > Examining the Work of Solo Artists

Identify the learning goal. Prompt: Today we will view the work of some prominent solo dance artists and begin to consider how you too can choreograph a work for yourself. 
Play excerpts from the work of two or three solo dance performances, prefacing each with the necessary biographical and production information for context. (Possible artists to consider: Margie Gillis - A Complex Simplicity of Love, Marie Choinard - Drive in the Dragon S.T.A.B., Danny Grossman - Transcendence)

Key Questions for Discussion:  

How did the performer manipulate space, shape, time and energy to engage the viewer? 
Who or what do you suppose each dancer was relating too in each performance?
When working with personal material, how can  a dancer use his/her art in a healthy, expressive way?

*This lesson is three days long. Dancers will begin the following two class practicing their personal conditioning sequence. (20 minutes X 2)

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

As students enter and begin their personal conditioning sequence, note if  there is anyone who has difficulty focusing on the independent nature of the task. These students may need extra guidance with unstructured time while choreographing their solos.

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

As students are discussing topics in their groups, provide feedback to them on how you see they are progressing. (i.e. I'm impressed that both of you were able to provide Sabika with some suggestions on how she could narrow down her topic. What suggestions would you give Stephen to help him find movement that would express this
 experience?)

Differentiation (DI)

Ten minutes is the recommended time that each student spend conferencing with the teacher during the work periods provided. Based on the needs of each student, more or less time can be spent. Some students may benefit from having two shorter meetings to keep them on track.

Quick Tip

When choosing solo performances to share with your students, consider finding dancers who are influenced by or are traditional practitioners of forms studied within the course. (i.e. Graham's Lamentation)

Link and Layer

Once students begin working on their own choreography, draw their attention to various forms of stimulus used in past compositional assignments to help establish a movement vocabulary.  (i.e. poetry, photographs, movies or video footage, news reports etc.)  Reinforce the necessity of each student finding stimuli to create this work.

Individual > Using the Creative Process to Create a Solo Performance

Explain to students that they will use the Creative Process to choreograph a solo performance. Students will need note paper and a pencil.

Imagining and Generating

Tell the students to find a space in the room. Prompt: I am going to give you some prompts to help you find the theme for your solo dance. Only list ideas that you are ready to explore with your classmates for the purpose of  performance.  Read the following prompts, giving students time to answer each one:

List three life changing moments you have experienced. (i.e. Births, deaths, moves)
List three causes or issues that you are passionate about (i.e. Poverty, Environmental concerns, child abuse)
List three things worth celebrating in life (i.e. Art, Elders, Nature)
List any other concrete or abstract subject you feel has a movement vocabulary waiting to be expressed through you.

Planning and Focusing

Invite students to gather in groups of three and discuss their possible topics. Distribute BLM #4 Planning and Focusing for My Solo.  Each member has a chance to read aloud their three favoured ideas. The other two group members provide feedback, regarding which subject sounds the most intriguing and where resources might be found for stimulus. 

Exploring and Experimenting

Give students at least two full classes to use as work periods for choreography. Each class begins with the students' Personal Conditioning Sequences.

Individual > Conferencing

Meet individually with each student during the Exploring and Experimenting phase of the Creative Process. Suggest resources, provide direct instruction, remind student of elements, techniques and conventions. Use BLM #5 as a record of the outcome of each conference.