I am fitting into my role as choreographer quite comfortably, working alongside our Director to merge movement and dialogue together. We decided on which scenes work best expressed through the use of voice and, alternatively, figured out where our bodies became the most appropriate story-tellers. The first piece of choreography I have to update you on is a short dance sequence concerning the myth of the Sandman.
There is a lot of magic, mystery and fun surrounding bedtime myths such as the Sandman, and it was quickly agreed a fun dance routine felt appropriate to capture this magic. This dance comes at a point in the show before we talk about ‘night terrors’, which felt fitting after I researched more into the myth of the Sandman. I found some easy links between the stereotypical “benevolent” (Bullerdick, 2016) description of the Sandman and the actual “terrifying origins” (Bullerdick, 2016) that surround the myth. I have included elements of this in the dance, by working alongside our Sound and Light Technician, Chloe, to distort the track Mr Sandman by The Chordettes and also change the lighting state to create a sense of fear within the dance. I have incorporated props such as pillows and blankets that the dancers hide under when the music distorts.
(Farrell, 2018)
(Farrell, 2018)
This dance has been so much fun to choreograph, bringing a nostalgic feel of the bedtime myth magic some of us experienced as children.
(Randles, 2018)
Works Cited:
Bullerdick, M. (2016) Enter Sandman: The Strange Evolution of One of Europe’s Oldest Sleep Fables. New York: Van Winkle’s. Available from: https://vanwinkles.com/the-twisted-history-of-the-sandman [Accessed 17/03/18]
Farrell, L. (2018) Behind the Cushions [image].
Farrell, L. (2018) Hiding under the blanket [image].
Randles, L. (2018) Choreographer’s notes. [image].