Author: Lauren Jade Randles

As stated by Frantic Assembly’s artistic directors, Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, “the warm up can set the tone for the whole rehearsals” (2014, 94). As most of my choreography involved a high intensity of physical theatre, I felt it my responsibility as choreographer to ensure my ensemble were fully warmed up before teaching the material. Warm ups are an effective way to ensure that the whole ensemble is on the same level of energy and prepares the body for physical movement. It is also where the brain becomes stimulated, and places the ensemble in a creative mindset, ready for the ensemble to suggest creative alternatives should my choreography need adapting. Warm ups should be about “personal and group development” (Graham and Hoggett, 2014, 94), designed to improve the physicality of the company 

  (Hutchinson, 2018)

Graham and Hoggett argue that “a room full of warmed-up people leads to amazing results” (2014, 92) and I found that the rehearsals when everybody was fully engaged from the warm up and throughout were when the most productivity occurred. Warming up is the most “essential element” as “it turns a gaggle of individuals into a collective. A team” (Graham and Hoggett, 2014, 92-93). Graham and Hoggett continue to explain how “a warm up connects a company in a way that even an actual performance cannot surpass” (Graham and Hoggett, 2014, 93). 

An element of trust is created in the warm-up, it can be “where you build your team ethic” (Graham and Hoggett, 2014, 93). Scenes such as ‘Lucid Dreaming’ were crucial for the ensemble to work as one. Creating a strong team ethic was crucial for this scene, as most of the movements that had to be in time involved the ensemble not having any peripheral vision with each other.  

L.R. 

Works Cited 

Graham, S. and Hoggett, S. (2014) The Frantic Assembly book of devising theatre (Second Edition) New York: Routledge. 

Hutchinson, E. (2018) Leading a warm up [image].

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].

As choreographer for Sherbet Lemon Theatre, it is important to me that my choreography will be inclusive for all members of the company. When creating new choreography, it is important to me that I make it clear that anybody in the company can participate in my movement sessions, regardless of their experience with physical theatre or their physical ability. Having no choreographing experience prior to my role here at Sherbet Lemon Theatre, I aspire for my choreography to be collaborative when necessary, ensuring that the entire company feel part of the choreography we put on stage come the 21st of May.  

Many of my choreography aims have been inspired by the artistic aims of Frantic Assembly, who strive to “create new work that places equal emphasis on movement, design music and text” (Graham and Hoggett, 2014, 6). Therefore, it is important to me that movement and dialogue will work in tandem, in other words, one will not replace the other. I hope to create choreography that is fun and enjoyable for, both, our future audiences and the entire company. Dealing with verbatim work, I want my choreography to take an authentic approach, and stay as true to the words of the participant as possible. 

L.R. 

Works Cited

Graham, S. and Hoggett, S. (2014) The Frantic Assembly book of devising theatre (Second Edition) New York: Routledge. 

Hi,

My name is Lauren and I am in charge of choreography here at Sherbet Lemon Theatre. We have chosen such an exciting stimulus about sleep, and  I am extremely looking forward to physicalising the ideas we have generated together as an ensemble. I hope my choreography brings the truth about bedtime to life and that it is exciting and engaging! With a wide range of movement, dance and physical theatre ability within the ensemble. I am very much looking forward to creating movement sequences that is inclusive for all. I am so excited to keep you updated with our movement process and cannot wait for you all to see the end product!

L.R.