Practitioner Study

Despite my choreography being heavily inspired by Marco Goecke, with further research I have become more in awe of Rafael Bonachelas movement style and have been intrigued to see how his choreography can influence my creative process. Bonachelas piece,' ab [intra]', shows effortless agility within the contortions of movement and with that comes a multitudinous amount of shapes that are well executed and exceedingly enchanting. My work will still encompass pieces of Marco Goecke's work as his idea of reflection and linear shapes continue to intrigue me, however, the continuity, expressive virtuosity and vibrancy in ' ab [intra]', (1min38-1min44), are essential for the service of my choreography.

Video of Ab[intra]

(Rafael Bonachela's 'ab [intra]' (Preview, 2018)

   

                                                                        (Izrine,n.d)

The use of dancers in this piece is remarkable as the show begins in a studio, 'later exploding into uncommonly powerful duos, trios and ensembles',(Izrine, n.d.). The piece begins with a 30-second solo with the dancer displaying an athletic and physical movement style of compelling precision. The dancer amalgamates lyricism, as the fluidity of his body reminds me of a ripple in the water. The movements are uninterrupted and continuous, which links well with Nick Wales' lyrical music, peppered with cello strokes from a composition by peter Vask, (ab [intra] 2021 — Sydney Dance Company, n.d.). The duo at 1minute 56 is propelled by velocity as the dancers unfold intricate entanglements, whilst also reacting to impulses made in the music. I want to incorporate this in my piece, which means I will have to closely study the music, however, I don't want my choreography being fragmented by the impulses and it to lose the heartfelt emotion. 

 

                                                                               (Parker,2013)

The contrast of soft and sharp movements held my attention throughout the piece, especially in the time frame 0.52-1.04. I was immersed by the stillness of the other dancers along with the solo at the front of the stage. By looking at this section closer, I saw that the soloist was restricted in his movements as he used more of his torso than his arms and legs. With the movements being smooth and grounded, it fascinated me how he continued to evoke the story with limited expansiveness. When the dancers are all joined together, obedience and submission to each step are imbued with orderliness and unclutteredness that makes it speak. Ab[intra] derives from the meaning, 'from within',(Izrine, n.d.), which predominantly refers to the work of dancers. This is clearly seen throughout the piece as the levels and pathways reflect the emotions of how we feel as dancers when are seen and not used to our full extent. I interpret the strong, harsh lines as being exasperated by the idea of not being able to pursue a career in dance and the softer motions as getting the attention that we yearn for. 

  From this research, I will incorporate the contrast of soft and intricate movements to give my choreography more depth and meaning. The idea of body parts being restricted in some movements is appealing to me, as it will clearly show the limitations women have in abusive relationships.  I will develop this idea by a creative task that we did in class. I will think about a certain body part e.g.head and let that influence my movement. I will execute seamless transitions from one section to another, with the use of more grounded movements in order to emanate power.

     (Izrine,n.d)

References

Izrine, A., n.d. ab [intra]. [online] Theatre-chaillot.fr. Available at: <https://theatre-chaillot.fr/en/season-2021-2022/ab-intra> [Accessed 31 October 2021].

Parker, D., 2013. Water Ripples by David Parker. [online] Pixels. Available at: <https://pixels.com/featured/2-water-ripples-david-parker.html> [Accessed 31 October 2021].

Rafael Bonachela's 'ab [intra]' (Preview. 2018. [video] Directed by R. Bonachela.

Sydney Dance Company. n.d. ab [intra] 2021 — Sydney Dance Company. [online] Available at: <https://www.sydneydancecompany.com/performance/ab-intra-2/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].