23rd October - Kat GUERNICA EVALUATION

Today we focused on looking at a visual stimuli. This was a painting called 'Guernica', created by Pablo Picasso. This was painted in response to the frequent ongoing bombings that targeted the town Guernica in the Spanish Civil War, caused by the Nazis. This had a very destructive impact on the town, which led to the creation of this piece which portrays the affliction and suffering war has especially on the innocent.

The painting depicts an equal jumble of both humans and animals, suggesting Picasso wanted to express how both animals and humans both share fear and death. 2 important elements in this image are the bull and horse. These 2 animals along with the man with the sword fit together well when explaining bullfighting, a popular tradition that is a big part of Spain.

In groups we devised movement to reflect and communicate the theme/stimulus. For example, the action of reaching out with our hands to show desperation and suffering that would have been endured. We also switched the dynamics between slow/delicate and strong/fast. Strong/fast represented the struggle and panic, whereas slow/delicate showed the exhaustion, and the effect on the mood/energy of the ongoing bomb attacks.

More movement used involved contact with the other dancers. 2 of us were pulled up by the other 2 off the ground, which again links to the desperation of the innocent, and how everyone is trying to aid and support each other, physically and emotionally.

An action that myself and Sophie do, is in unison where we rush backwards covering our face with our hands. This can reflect the inside panic of the individuals, as there is no way to escape the trauma in their town or their own minds.

My contribution to the movement was I suggested we begin the dance in a confined clump of all of us intertwined. This slowly unfolds, one by one peeling out and breaking off into 2 duo motifs. I also proposed the idea of 1 duo performing a floor phrase and the other performing a jumping phrase.

Examples of the physical skills I used in this performance was contraction, extension and posture. We used extension in mine and Sophie's duet when we step back and fully extend our arms and toes to stand on point, with a high up posture. We used contraction in the beginning when we were all curled over each other, and at the end when we join on the ground in a half-foetal position in the centre.

Interpretive skills used included timing and focus. We needed to use timing to know when the start and finish certain phrases/motifs, where we would sometimes end up joining onto the other duo or breaking off. I used focus by deciding on directions my head would be positioned when performing the different sections.

A strength of this piece was we all had good timing, and interacted well with each other when needed. We also showed various levels throughout such as the low/medium/high clump at the start, the floorwork and jumping phrases etc. Weaknesses were we lacked characterisation i.e facial expressions, and stronger emphasis with out movement.

I would have applied more choreographic devices, and more body and facial characterisation to further highlight the stimulus in order to improve. Also, I would have improved my synchronisation with my duet partner, for example identical movements to strengthen the pair dance.