Biography of Christopher Bruce Essay

Christopher Bruce was born on the tertiary of October 1945 in England, he started studying leap at 11 years old, and he began with tap and ballet. aft(prenominal)wards studying at the Rambert School Christopher Bruce joined Rambert concert rifle in 1963, where he quickly became the leading mannish trip the light fantastic toer. Bruce appe bed in controls such as wear Quixote in 1964 and Coppelia in 1966. Then the company began to experimentation with ballet and modern, cartel them to form, specifically the Martha complete wheat flour technique. (Martha Graham created 181 ballets and a saltation technique that has been comp argond to ballet in its scope and magnitude. Many of the majuscule modern and ballet choreographers puddle stu overhauld the Martha Graham Technique or have been members of her company.) When Bruce danced the type of Pierrot Lunaire, his testify interpretive skills were noticed. Bruce was imposing e truelything- practically living the part.Bru ce then worked with Glen Tetley, he discovered that the motive for the operation comes from the centre of the carcass from this base we use classical ballet as an extension to give wider range and variety of presence In 1977 he was appointed separate director of the company and was its associate choreographer from 1979-87, he created over twenty dollar bill works for the company. Between 1986-91 he acted as associate choreographer also for London Festival Ballet, later ENB, and resident choreographer for Houston Ballet in 1989. In 1994 he became dainty director for RDC. Often political in his work, he integrates classical ballet and modern dance, often laid against popular unison by artists like wharfage Dylan, Rolling Stones. His productions include Cruel Garden, 1977, shadowiness Dances, 1981, Swansong, 1987, and putz, 1991.InfluencesSocial and political nationals emerge as naturally as a reflection of his own concerns, although his aim is always premierly to create a fraction of dance, rather than to book a statement. Nevertheless, he does not witness a conflict surrounded by creating interesting movement and tackling difficult issues. He believes that in that respect is frequently beauty in wraith Dances and homogeneous works.Bruce is typically known for using typographys that focus on personal or political issues. He has created short-change orders that even these have a potent beneathcurrent of emotion. Bruce uses a wide range of scratch points, particularly poetry, literature, music, newspaper articles and world events. For example for those who go across in cattle reflects his views and concerns of war, rooster is his creative thinker of relationships, swansong is probably one of his to the highest degree moving and emotional pieces and tackles the rattling well(p) issue of torture. His views on the general kind condition be portrayed in delay. end-to-end his career, Christopher has been a strong supporter of remis sion Internationals ideas and through his choreography he has voiced his concerns for society, the persecuted and victims of a wide range of military man rights abuses. Time and again he has returned to these themes and in his or so recent work grinning in your looking at, these concerns are articulated as powerfully as ever. The Arts have an important role to put to work in exploring social issues and dance can be seen as the most valet of the Arts as it is base on the body. The image of the tortured captive from swansong or the unjust imprisonment of Reuben Carter, in Hurricane are far much powerful than mere course can ever be. Video extracts of Christophers work have been used to reinforce talks slightly human rights abuse.In the 1970s the focus for Bruce was southwestern America and Pinochets bloody coup against the choose Allende government in Chile. He was deeply move on the meeting of Joan Jara, who was tortured and murdered by Pinochets forces. This meeting l ead him to choreograph, signature Dances. He took the theme of the day of the dead, simple symbolism and indigenous dance movements as a basis to convey the prosecute of the innocent people of South American down(p) the ages and their courage in the face of adversity. Certainly, Ghost Dances has a tremendous impact and consultations in many countries have delighted in its distinctive, rhythmic movement performed to unrelenting American tunes.However, it is the representation of the conquest of ordinary people, symbolised by the sinister ghost figures, which give the work much of its resonance. On the evidence of ghost dances, swansong, and cruel garden(about the death of Lorca at the hands of the fascists in Spain), human rights themes have provided him with a strong source of inspiration. He re primary(prenominal)s a passionate advocate for the role of dance and the arts in society and believes that beholding good work and the chance to perform, either as an amateur or a pro fessional, an not except enrich lives, but can also be civilising learn.Ghost dancesIt was created in 1981, and was influenced by the political oppression in Chile. The entitle was con raterary ballet immingle with South American folk dance. The mountainting of Ghost Dances is a high-strung Andean location suggesting the sassing of a cave. The colours (blues, greens and greys) of the backdrop were very effective and complimented the costumes and movement by adding to the eerie atmosphere. The whole stage was lit by a wearisome white light. The dead wear everyday clothes, which are beginning to disintegrate. The Ghost Dancers appear as atrophied figures in striking skull masks. The piece is accompanied by Andiean folk music, with panpipes, guitars, and flutes. The tune is infectious, rhythmic and tuneful. The path of the choreography is sinuous and graceful, incorporating folk-dance influences. The Ghost dancers personal manner of dance differs to the style of the dead. The Ghost dancers use very rancid balanced and angularMovements, there heads are the main key I think to making their terpsichore look as threatening as it does, they move them very quickly and sharply in unity and it creates a very menacing effect. The dead, on the some other hand are very let go flowing and graceful, their posture is very open chested and balletic with very neat but complex footwork. I loved this piece and the skills used to perform it. The liquid motion alongside traditional Chilean folkdance was pilot light and inspiring to watch, it was a very moving piece and had a big impact on me because of the real vivification issues behind it.SwansongThis piece was created in 1987 and was influenced by the fate of politicalprisoners, the style was contemporary ballet and the prisoners movements were based on the idea of a swan. The piece is slackly based around the fate of political prisoners and their need to break free. Swansong is a deliberately disturbing dance showing a victim being tortured by a variety of means, although there is no actual rage on stage. It shows both the aggressive and sadistic factor of interrogation, and how brainwashing, humiliation and play with emotions can all be part of a long, nerve- racking game. In combining vaudevillian humour, balletic virtuosity, and contempory dance expressionism with such a serious theme, he seeks to create work that can be appreciated at a number of levels by a broad audience. The terzetto dancers are dress archetypally and very much resembled the set, it was all very simplistic, with the prisoner in just a plain jersey and jeans and the two guards are wearing vaguely military khaki trousers and short- sleeved shirts could be viewed as policemen, soldiers, or guards.Programme notes have tended neither to give names to the characters nor to specify roles choosing instead to entirely list the reap and allow audiences to make their own interpretation. The prisoner uses a very gra ceful and flowing style of dance whilst in contrast the two guards dance in a modern, camp manner, highlighting even to a greater extent the separation and difference between the guards and prisoner. The simplicity of the theatrical production and ambiguity of the characters lends saddle to its universality. The action could be victorious place anywhere in the world. The stage is contraband and bare with the exception of a single wooden chair lit starkly from above, indicating perhaps a single bulb-hanging overhead in an otherwise unoccupied room. There are seven regions in swansong severally has a different theme and style. division 1, questions and answers. Throughout the first element the dance suggests the inquisitors and victim playing a game of cat and mouse, the dance ever-changing from trios to brief duets and solos. in the duets the interrogators dance in unison, performing the same material one after the other or slightly varying the locomote to attack their vict im. plane section 2, tea for two. The section section begins with another interrogation session during which the second interrogator walks round his seated victim, and this time the victim taps out answers but in a disobedientmood. The interrogators change tatics.Section 3, first solo. The third section is a solo for the victim alone on the stage and it is more lyrical both in music and movement than the proceding sections. It contrasts with the torture previously shown, be to be a cry of frustration and displeasure at the victims situation as well as evoking his urge for freedom.Section 4, inert trio. The victim immediately tenses and flinches as the first interrogator r from separately onees towards him, and then relaxes when he is not harmed. No questions are asked. Again the opening sequence is performed twice but at the end of the chair is moved so that the victim cannot return to it. This becomes a recurring theme of this dance the victims chair is repeatedly pulled away from under him or placed just beyond his r all(prenominal). He is pushed and thrown around, the effect of the violence is in slow motion. The victim curls defensively on the floor and is uncurled by the second interrogator and the torture continues.Section 5, second solo without accompaniment. Although this section repeats dance motifs from the first solo such as the jumps and arabesques suggestive of flight, it is generally more mimetic. The victim lifts the chair onto his back to make it appear he is carrying a huge weight on his shoulders. He then stands facing the audience staring through the bars of the chair, then he appears to crumble in frustration and the solo ends with his ankles trap in the bars of the chair as if fetted.Section 6, cane dance.The progression of the piece shows a physical body up of abuse and humility of the prisoner public treasury the final section where the prisoner performs his last solo, his swansong.RoosterThis piece was created in 1992 and in con trast to my other two chosen piecesis influenced by the Rolling stones the dance is based on the theme and context of the music. It is danced in a contemporary ballet style amalgamate with modern dance to match the music. The set is a clear stage with naturalistic lighting and a white spotlight. The women wear black skirts, tops and leotards and the men wear black trousers and a skirt, a red dress is worn only in one number and that is ruby Tuesday. The whole piece is danced to rolling stones music ranging from upbeat fast and rocky numbers to slower more relaxed music.The theme of each song in rooster reflects the character that is dancing it, none of the dances are linked, and each section occurs simply because of the different songs that are used, this helps to create an episodic structure. The tempo of the music dictates the style of dance the faster tracks are modern and contemporary whilst the slower ones are more balletic. This piece does not present a great deal of emotion al involvment with the audience it is simply based on the theme and context of the music. You can see this by the fact that the dancers, the style of dance and the music purely dictate the song.A Time overseas telegram of dance works which have been choreographed and produced by Christopher Bruce1969 George Frederic1972 for those who die as cattle1974 Weekend1975 Ancient voices of children1976 lightlessness Angels1976 Promenade1977 Cruel Garden1981 Village Sounds1981 Ghost Dances1984 Sergeant earlys stargaze1984 confidant Pages1985 Silence is the end of our song1985 Land1987 The dream is over1987 Swansong1989 Symphony in three movements1990 go1992 Rooster1995 Meeting pointSection BProducing our own piece of choreography in the style of Christopher Bruce in groups.How has the work of the choreographer influenced and inspired my own execution of instrument and choreography?I chose Christopher Bruce because of the influences behind his choreography, the real life human rights issu es that through symbolism he has transferred this into dance. He has successfully brought more awareness to serious issues that most people would not be aware of because it is not going on inthis country. The fact that this affects Bruce personally is very inspiring, as his pieces have real content and thought behind them.The three works by Christopher Bruce that I have chosen to study are ghost dancers and swansong because of the political human rights issues that influenced them and rooster because it was a contrast to the other two as its influence was the celebration of the Rolling Stones music. I thought these pieces complimented each other well to evaluate as each bears a large variation of accessible motifs, images and sequences of movement that I could re- interpret in my choreography in the style of Christopher Bruce. As it gave me the opportunity to analyse a variety of influences and issues behind the three pieces.Choreographic notesWe choreographed a piece for a trio i n the style of rooster. The set was clear other than three chairs that were used within the dance. We were dressed all in black and wore red scarfs round our necks. The lighting of the set was dark red.