Example: On the Slopes

The dance On the Slopes is one of twelve dances, which form the dance cycle Moving Landscape composed by Tirza Sapir (Sapir and Al-Dor 2007: 57-68). All twelve dances are variations one of the other and are based on the following numerical sequence:

a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h.

Time Units 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 4

Degree of

Movement 45° 180° 90° 180° 135° 180° 180° 180° 225° 180° 270° 180° 315° 180° 360° 180°

The sequence of values is divided into eight sections (a–h) in which there is a constant component and an expanding component. The whole pattern occurs twice in each dance of the cycle (indicated in the score by I and II). The values in the above scheme show the concurrence of time units (beats) and degrees of circling (amount of movement) that is present in all the dances. Used as a compositional device the angular degrees of circling are applied to movements of different parts of the body, changes of front or to directional changes of locomotion in the variations. Changing

the participating parts of the body and combining them in various ways create differ-ent movemdiffer-ent styles, characters and qualities in the variations. Most of the variations also employ the concept of simultaneous movement which is implemented by combin-ing the scombin-ingle movcombin-ing parts of the body.

In On the Slopes we encounter a three-layered chain of simultaneous movement which transpires between the torso, the arm, and the forearm. While the torso is constantly moving, movements of the arm and forearm are alternating between the two arms.

A second chain of simultaneous movement is created between the torso and the leg gestures. This second chain is far less complex in comparison to the first one, as the straightened leg is mainly carried by the torso in a horizontal circle and only actively moving while switching support from one leg to the other. Although important in the performance of the dance—the diagonal lines extending from foot to head while balancing on the supporting leg challenge the dancer technically and create a visible but subtle tension—the following analysis of simultaneous movement will focus on the more complex patterns of torso and arms.

According to the numerical theme described above, the torso moves along the horizontal circle formed by the high level directions (Forward High, Right High, Backward High, Left High) during the expanding motive in a clockwise sense (in EWMN terms: conical movement). The degrees of circling in this motive correspond exactly to the angular values of the numerical sequence. During the constant motive the torso will move to the opposite direction of the circle in the most direct way passing through direction High. In this case the angular degree given by the theme is more figurative: we move to the direction which is situated opposite on the circle, so to speak at an angle of 180°. But the actual path taken only involves a movement of 90° (in EWMN terms: plane movement). The torso movements draw the “slopes” of the mountains in an incessant movement, through their vertical summit towards the various slope directions, which expose every time another shade of three-dimensional space.

The arms and forearms move in circles aligned with the frontal (coronal) plane. In addition there is a transitional movement performed in the front of the body when the movement switches from the right to the left arm in direction High. The whole arm always performs the expanding motive while the forearm performs the constant motive. Since the semi-circle (180°) movement of the forearm brings the arm into a bent position, the forearm completes its movement with an additional semi-circle during the first count of the expanding motive. The arm is again straightened and thus being prepared for the expanding motive of the whole arm.

While the arm and the torso or the forearm and the torso move simultaneously, two layers of simultaneous movement are formed. When torso, arm and forearm move at the same instance, three layers of simultaneous movement are created as a result of both

active movement and carrying. The arm movement is designed to illustrate the shadows of clouds passing over mountain slopes during the daily progress of time as well as to mark the sun rays which illuminate their rigid and severe shape and soften it.

In any learning process where a multi-layered simultaneous movement is being integrated, the decisions on the order and organization of learning are of utmost importance. The complexity of the movement needs to be built and increased carefully to organize the simultaneous movement into spatial envelopes which are meaning-ful to the observer and the performer. For example, the components of simultaneous movement in the dance On the Slopes should be taught in the following order:

a) Torso movement only;

b) Whole arm movement only (see figure 6);

c) Torso and whole arm movement combined;

d) Whole arm and forearm movement combined (see figure 7);

e) Torso, whole arm and forearm movement combined (see figure 8).

Describing movements of single limbs in detail and combining them to a composi-tion of polyphonic “voices” creates contrapuntal arrangements in the form of three-dimensional traces and drawings. Performing movement in both spatial and body-related references ensures the creation of movement paths which are organized in space as a simultaneous entirety, in a fascinating and somewhat mysterious way.

Phrase a.

Phrase b.

Phrase c.

Phrase d.

Fig. 6. On the Slopes—3D-simulation of the envelopes created by whole arm movements only. Phrase a and b show movements of the left arm. In phrase c the movement starts in the left arm and is completed by the right arm. Phrase d starts with the right arm and is concluded with the left arm.

This and the following illustrations were created using the MovEngine software (see Drewes 2014a, Drewes 2014b, and the paper MovEngine: Developing a Movement Language for 3D Visualization and Composition of Dance by Henner Drewes in this publication).

Phrase b.

Phrase c.

Phrase d.

Fig. 7. On the Slopes—3D-simulation of the envelopes created by arm and forearm movements without the torso. The drawings on the left show the trace of the upper arm and forearm after completing the expanding motive of each phrase. On the right side the trace is displayed after completing the constant motive, where the forearm movement can be clearly discerned by the dark gray color. Compared to figure 6 the forearm movement adds spatial complexity to the drawn trace.

Phrase a.

Phrase a.

Phrase b.

Phrase c.

Phrase d.

Fig. 8. On the Slopes—3D-simulation of the envelopes created by arm and forearm movements together with the torso. In comparison to figure 7 the drawings in space are further distorted. While in figures 6 and 7 the traces of left and right arm stayed separated in their distinct hemispheres, the torso movement now causes them to intermingle in phrases c and d.