LAMENTATION WCED GRADE 12 REVISION 2012 CHOREOGRAPHED BY MARTHA GRAHAM FIRST PERFORMED IN 1930...
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Transcript of LAMENTATION WCED GRADE 12 REVISION 2012 CHOREOGRAPHED BY MARTHA GRAHAM FIRST PERFORMED IN 1930...
LAMENTATIONWCED GRADE 12 REVISION 2012
CHOREOGRAPHED BY
MARTHA GRAHAM FIRST PERFORMED
IN 1930
NEARLY
82 YEARS AGO
INTENTION - REASON FOR CREATING THIS WORK
• Lamentation is an abstract
solo piece originally performed
by Martha Graham
• Graham was concerned with
the sufferings of the human mind
• Her reason for creating this piece was to explore emotion through movement
• To show that a person should not be ashamed to grieve
In her own words:
• “Lamentation, my dance of 1930, is a solo piece in which I wear a long tube of material to indicate the tragedy that obsesses the body, the ability to stretch inside your own skin, to witness and test the perimeters and boundaries of grief, which is honorable and universal.”(Martha Graham, Blood Memory)
SYNOPSIS/ intent‘LAMENT’ means to grieve
The theme is grief and how grief can affect one’s mind, body and soul
We all experience grief a deep feeling of loss
at some point of our life
The dance is divided into the three stages of grief
1. A period of disbelief
cannot believe it has happened – denial
2. A period of reality
emotions of anger and sadness –
this has really happened – acceptance
3. A period of consolation
turning to others for help – realising that one
must endure grief on your own and work
through it - make meaning of it
PRODUTION
ELEMENTS USED
AND THEIR
SYMBOLIC
MEANINGS
Note the bench,
the lighting and
the empty stage
COSTUME The dancer is costumed in
a tube of purple
stretch fabric
symbolic of her own
body trapped
within her grief
Only her face, hands and
feet are visible
This symbolises how we express
ourselves mostly in every daymovements and gestures
Every sharp angular movement that the dancer makes Is symbolic of the terrible war being fought within her -
Of her fight to come to terms with reality –
That this has really happened
Rocking stiffly from side to side
she tugs, pulls and pushes at the confining fabric with her hands, elbows, knees and shoulders
to express her emotions
Symbolic of the despair she feels inside of her
emotions
SET DESIGN / PROPS
• The only prop is a wooden bench
• This is central to the whole dance as the
dancer does not leave the bench once
• This symbolises her grief, how she cannot
put it behind her – she is tied to it
• The stage is empty
• This symbolises how one must ultimately
deal with grief and its emotions alone
LIGHTING
• The stage is dark except for a single white spot-light above the dancer
• Symbolic of how the grieving woman is alone and suffering
• The white light creates a feeling of reality as it is harsh and unforgiving
MUSIC
• This is a classical
solo piano piece
• The music plays an
important role in setting
the atmosphere
for this dance work
It follows the three stages of grief performed by the
dancer
Composer - Zoltan Kodaly
1. As the dancer begins the chords are gentle – symbolic of disbelief
2. They become more dissonant (harsh) as the dancer fights against reality It builds up to the climax in which the dancer has to face reality
3. The music eventually subsides (becomes softer) as she realises she has to deal with her grief on her own
MOVEMENT VOCABULARY
• Graham was experimenting with a new dance vocabulary
• The dancer would reflect her inner thoughts through movements of the body
• The movements were harsh and angular showing grief and despair - which are never pretty
• The three stages of grief are portrayed through movement
• Her use of contraction and release are evident throughout the work
• Graham used angular, explosive and stylised gestures
• She took risks in breaking with tradition and gave contemporary dance a new and different direction
Her dance language was intended to express
shared human emotions and experiences