Gypsy Mixture Teachers Resource Sheet In late 2010, Richard Alston Dance Company created a series of short films to help those studying dance learn more about the piece. This resource, designed to help teachers unpack the piece, focuses on movement material; music; relationships and spacing; props and characterisation; and costume and lighting. Some points will be cross-referenced while others could be developed further for advanced classes. Many of the following sheets suggest where to start one of the online films, however your class may also find it useful to watch the series of films in their entirety. A full performance of Gypsy Mixture on DVD, as well as large resource pack, is available for purchase from www.richardalstondance.com in the education section. Teachers may also find the Making Gypsy Mixture films in the Creation section of this website useful. Pulling Gypsy Mixture Together Use the worksheet provided with the clips online and the Gypsy Mixture DVD to help students keep notes about each section.
Movement Material When watching Gypsy Mixture, look out for the smooth seaming of Alston s style of clean lines, tilts, twists and swift changes of direction with elements of various folk dances. Aspects of folk dance (and character dance as seen in classical ballet) weave throughout the whole piece and if your class is watching the full Gypsy Mixture DVD, encourage them to look out for any elements they feel are folk inspired. Discussing Folk Dance Influences- Breakdown of Tribes Kathak At the beginning of Breakdown of Tribes, Alston talks about a solo originally created on Martin Lawrance (danced in the DVD by Silvestre Sanchez Strattner) and how there are some similarities to the classical Indian dance Kathak. Explain to your students that Kathak dance features rhythmic, often stamping footwork and expressive arms and hands. Show your students clips of Kathak dance on YouTube (a film of Akram Khan explaining Kathak dance highlights some movements they can look out for). What to watch for: Arms crossing over each other, sweeping over the head, rarely symmetrical. Feet move on almost every beat and if not, they are helping to emphasise rhythm with leg movements. Watch Breakdown of Tribes from the beginning until 2:40 and ask your students to note down some of the movements they see performed which can be compared to stylistic features of Kathak dance. Jive Jive (also known as lindy and swing dance) started as a form of street dance in the early to mid-20 th Century and has slowly been codified as the dance became more popular. When discussing the duet that follows Martin s solo, Alston suggests that the movement material is a bit like a rustic jive as the dancers push and pull against each other. Show your class a clip of a Lindy Tuck Turn on YouTube and then show them Breakdown of Tribes from 4:45 to 6:48. Ask your students to compare the lindy turn to the series of turns seen at the beginning of the duet. Can they see any other moments in the duet when a strong sense of push and pull help to initiate movement? What to watch for: When in contact, the dancers pull and twist with each other to initiate the direction they move in as well as the movement they perform. Practical Application: Students looking for inspiration when choreographing can be encouraged to look to other dance techniques for ideas. Both films and photographs of dance forms can act as starting points for new movement material. Students can take inspiration from the shapes they see, dynamics, rhythms or try placing stylistic features into their own work if they are trying to develop the material further.
Using Movement to Communicate- Studio Performance of Drumming At the beginning of Studio Performance of Drumming, Alston explains the intentions behind this section. He considered the persecution of gypsies and imagined a group of people crossing a border in the middle of the night. The dancers perform with tense, fearful and urgent dynamics. The movement material hints at running away, hiding and sneaking. Watch the entire Studio Performance of Drumming with your students and then ask them to watch it again, looking out for how the dancers communicate through movement. Practical Application: Students looking to create movement that conveys a mood, intention or story to the audience should consider what it is they want to communicate. If they are trying to choreograph something tense, they should list some descriptive words related to this emotion such as: bunched, clenched, taut and rushed and use these to inspire movement. In the scenario of Gypsy Mixture, imagining barriers and pathways such as a high fence, hole in the ground and roaming search lights can also help inform movement choices. This sort of process can be applied to a range of themes when students are choreographing. Alston explains that the material in the three duets during Drumming is repeated. The dancers don t change direction, but perform the phrase twice through before breaking up the chaos by dancing in unison. Repetition, often with development or change of direction, is a device Alston regularly uses throughout his work and can be an effective tool for students. Using Repetition- Breakdown of Drumming Practical Application: Whether working on a solo, a duet or group dance, ask participants to think of a short phrase of movement they have already choreographed and experiment with repeating it immediately after finishing the phrase the first time. Do they need to make any adjustments or transitions between the repetitions? Does an undeveloped repetition look too simple? Should they experiment with facings, levels, timing, and dynamics or even include repetitions of specific movements during the overall repetition of the phrase? Should they only repeat the first half or last half of the phrase? Different Material at the Same Time- Breakdown of Drumming Despite the simple repetition outlined above, this section of the piece still feels complex because each duet is different. Alston ensured the energies in the duets matched, that there were complimenting lines of the arms and legs and that the pauses and accents help highlight what each couple was performing. Practical Application: If students are creating a group piece and would like the dancers on stage to be performing slightly different material, encourage them to consider whether they would like the material to be linked in some way. Students could Think of specific lines and shapes they would like to make with their bodies and ensure that a version of these directions is included in each version of phrase that is performed. Make sure they communicate what sort of quality the movement should have- lyrical, punchy, big, small etc. Experiment with whether every dancer needs to be moving all the time or whether there should be moments of pause in the various phrases to help highlight other dancers.
Music Selecting Music- Breakdown of First Section From 1:30-3:30 in Breakdown of First Section, Alston talks about how he likes to find different pieces of music that he hasn t used before. He also explains the background behind the music used for Gypsy Mixture, where it comes from and how the music was re-mixed by DJs. Reflecting the Music- Breakdown and Studio Performance of Drumming Watch the Studio Performance of Drumming. Alston explains that the music for this section is mainly percussion, layered by a DJ in New York. It is a very dark sounding piece, with drums, electric buzzing and a cut off voice. What do these noises communicate? What to watch for: Discuss how the different elements of the music could be interpreted as hinting at tension and persecution Note how Alston finds pauses and silence in the music, even when it continues by choreographing held poses for his dancers or by giving them movement with a very clear dynamic. Watch the Breakdown of Drumming and ask your students to make notes on how Alston has developed the material to highlight the accents in the music. Practical Application: Ask your students to select two or three movements from the duets that highlight accents in the music well. They can use these movements in their own choreography to accent their music develop these movements to use in their own choreography (they could even experiment with timing and dynamics, so they no longer act as highlights) Relationships and Spacing Use of Spacing and Formations-Studio Performance and Breakdown of First Section Watch Studio Performance of First Section from 0:36 to 1:42. Watch Breakdown of First Section from 6:25-8:15. Alston explains that while this section is performed completely in straight lines in the studio performance, in the original piece, and on the Gypsy Mixture DVD (Chapter 2) the formations change, with the addition of couples dancing in a circle. Ask students to note down Alston s explanation of why he placed couples dancing in a circular formation in the full performance. Do they agree with his reasoning? Do they have any ideas for a better formation? What to watch for: Alston explains that he wanted to break up the dancers just facing the front. He also comments that the movement appears saucy when the dancers perform it in their couples.
Question and Answer- Breakdown and Studio Performance of Tribes Following the duet, the company come together to dance using a question and answer format. The women stand on one side of the stage and perform their movement material. The men, who stand across from them, answer with their own movement material. In Breakdown of Tribes, Alston explains that when he originally choreographed Gypsy Mixture, the dancers came on stage in one big group immediately to perform the question and answer phrases. However, he later decided to change this and slowly bring them on, allowing new dancers to pick up the material. Watch Studio Performance of Tribes from 1:38-3:50 and then compare to Chapter 9 on the Gypsy Mixture DVD. Ask students to consider how the relationships and spacing change in the two films. Do they prefer one version to the other? What to watch for: Dancers in Studio Performance of Tribes appear to be joining into a conversation. There is a tension between Pierre and Anneli, with new dancers joining in, does it feel like they are backing up their respective dancer? Is there a bigger sense of rivalry than to the full performance on the Gypsy Mixture DVD? Relationships in s- Studio Performance of Tribes Because of a difference in casting for the Studio Performance of Tribes, a separate couple come on to perform a duet after Martin Lawrance performs a solo. On the Gypsy Mixture DVD (Chapters 8-9), the solo dancer is joined by his partner and he continues dancing the duet with her. Show your students both versions of the duet and ask them to consider a story behind the duet based on who dances it Does it change or remain the same? If they would like to, they can consider the formations of the Question and Answer section detailed above and whether the differences also have an effect. Props and Characterisation Mr Fix-It - Breakdown and Studio Performance of First Section Watch the beginning of Studio Performance of First Section. How does the dancer with the hat (Andres) use his prop? Does this help give any clues about what his character might be? In Breakdown of First Section from 3:30-4:30, Alston explains the character of Mr Fix-It and why he chose to use the hat. Ask students to compare their thoughts about the character with what Alston describes.
Attacking the Movement- Breakdown of Tribes In Breakdown of Tribes from 4:45-6:48 Alston discusses his use of dynamic in the choreography to help convey the characters of the two dancers. Watch the difference between the duet performed with soft endings and then performed with sharp endings and ask your students if they can see the point Alston is making. If you would like to develop this, ask your students to choose a dancer from the Gypsy Mixture DVD and to keep track of them throughout. Ask them to make notes on what clues are included throughout the piece about the dancer s character. Costume and Lighting Lighting and Mood- Studio Performance of Tribes Watch Studio Performance of Tribes and then the same section on the Gypsy Mixture DVD (Chapter 8-9). Ask your students to discuss the difference between the mood of the section when viewed in the studio without lighting and when viewed in a performance setting with lights. Costume Ask your students to use the worksheet provided to make notes on the costumes used for Gypsy Mixture.
Gypsy Mixture Worksheet Below are some helpful suggestions for students filling out the Gypsy Mixture worksheet. Not every box is filled in, and students may find they have more to say about certain sections than others when filling out the blank worksheet which is available as a separate downloadable resource. Usti Usti Baba Solo -playfulness with hat (throwing high into the air to catch again as if no care in the world) -backwards bouncing limping steps in time with the music -Solo dancer uses front of stage, close to audience. -Just before he exits he acknowledges the dancers waiting in the wings Dark, so only the soloist can be seen Group -lots of jumps -almost every count has a movement- upbeat feel -repetition of backwards bouncing limping steps -use of flexed feet -walking heel toe in a pedestrian way, similar to character dance seen in ballets -playful jigging of hips in time to the music -Group dancing in lines that are fluid, using the whole of the space, though focussing on the front half of the stage -Break into couples dancing round each other in a circle Lights brighten to blue so can see all action on stage. -a lot of turning and changing direction around each other -crossing back and forth over each other -small supported steps and moments of contact, mainly involving hands and arms -the rest of the company wait in a line backstage -the duet mainly takes place on the stage right side of the stage -the duet pair make regular eye contact, often turning their heads to do so Lighting state remains the same Group -flat footed kicks -use of the heels as a weight bearing surface -swing of the arms reflected in the music - group dance in two rows across the downstage area -all exit in the same direction, leaving soloist on stage Lighting state remains the same Solo -flicking arm movements along with dog barking -spinning when fiddle in music plays quickly -dances predominantly centre stage Lighting darkens
Dumbala Dumba Short after solo resource from -long sharp, pointing movements that flow but accentuate the -woman watches man with her hands on hips, gives Dark purple stop-start feel of the music impression of older couple who know each other well, he returns the gesture before they dance around each other, crossing over -the woman leads the way off when they exit -the movement is feisty with a dynamic that matches the music -long lines are mixed with curling and curving movements -jumps -high kicks -sways to the music -return of jigging hips -flicked runs -the dancers maintain close contact, either by wrapping around each other or orbiting each other -they use the whole space, circling the stage and dancing down the centre of it Lighting brightens to red
Cuculetsu -the dancers pull at and reach for each other -the movement is more low level (less jumping and lifting) reflecting the low muggy sound of the music -thrown arms -the couple play with the hat and so interact with each other as if having a silly tiff before the woman throws it off stage -when they dance together, they have a traditional relationship with the man supporting the woman Lights darken Solo -kathak inspired movements (see resource sheet) -the man uses the whole space, beginning near the back of the stage and moving more towards the front and centre Lights come up- blue floor and red cyclorama -rustic jive-like movements (see resource sheet) -sense of push and pull -the duet uses the whole space -the dancers remain quite close to each other Lighting state remains the same Group (Tribes) -short, sharp movements -flexed feet -long, linear arm movements with pointing hands -clenched fists -a contrast of rough and gentle movements -partner work includes supporting and lowering movements -arms crossed over the body, the head or each other -women vs. men, question and answer -the whole space is filled with dancers -dancers join into couples and begin moving on a wide diagonal to upstage left before changing sides and spreading out again -movement in the question and answer section performed in unison Light state remains the same at first, but as the music darkens, the stage becomes more shadowed
Fantasia for Clarinet Male Solo resource from -this solo also features a lot of movement similar to classical -the dancer uses most of the space The lighting is dark Indian dance (look at use of hands, fingers and feet) without a black floor. Female Solo -slow, low movement material that moves through the music -circling leg -the dancer stays upstage The lighting state stays the same -man dips the woman -opening and closing movements -faster movement in line with a faster clarinet -variations on leaps -the woman backs away to allow the man to dance towards her -the dancers stay connected with each other, whether through matching movement or direct contact The lighting state stays the same Female Solo -movement is all very circular and wrapping The lighting state stays the same Male Solo -the movement is more linear than the woman s but still quite circular The lighting state stays the same -combination of circular and linear movement -the couple remain very close to each other and exit in each others arms The lighting state stays the same
Fantasia for Clarinet (cont) -movement that wraps around the partner -slow languid movement mixed with teasing, faster steps -careful lifts -the couple remain close to each other, moving along the back of the space and then towards the front. The lighting darkens with deep red tones Costumes When discussing Gypsy Mixture, Alston describes a journey and has likened this to both a journey through lands as well time. Looking at the costumes, including the change in what the women wear before the section the company refer to as Drumming, consider what the change might be trying to convey. -patches on men s clothes suggest they need to make do with their clothing for long periods of time -women s mixed dresses (with different patterns peeking out of underskirts) convey a mixture of cultures and styles -women wearing trousers suggests a journey through time or just through changing opinions.
Mugur Muguel (Drumming) Solo -pushing hands -ducking and diving -dancer remains mainly downstage -shadowed but bright enough to see s -use the clip Breakdown of Drumming on if you would like students to focus clearly on movement material and the separate sheet to explore each duet more in depth -shadowed but bright enough to see Group -kicking and punching movements -arms shielding partner -curve/hunched backs -cutting arm movements -dancers use the entire space -shadowed but bright enough to see -jump on with voice in music -cutting sharp movements -supportive movements -urgent movement material- almost a step for every count (urgency) -dance centre stage -keep close to each other -shadowed but bright enough to see Group -cutting movement -repetition of punching and kicking material -women at the front of the stage, men at the back before going into lines -shadowed but bright enough to see Solo and -long reaching -clenched hands -small running steps -shadowed but bright enough to see
Mugur Muguel (Drumming) s Breakdown 1 -use the clip Breakdown of Drumming on if you would like students to focus clearly on movement material 2 -use the clip Breakdown of Drumming on if you would like students to focus clearly on movement material 3 -use the clip Breakdown of Drumming on if you would like students to focus clearly on movement material
Iest Sexy Solo -jumping -swaying -reaching -arm that pulls audience in -dancer uses the entire space Stage lightens- bright blue Group -wiggling hips -quick footwork -small jumps -work in pairs before split into men and women Bright blue Solo -sudden, playful stops -sharp, excited movement -dancer uses the entire space Bright blue Group -throwing movements -pedestrian walking -waving arms -shaking shoulders -large jumps -the men and women perform separate material before joining in unison -spread around entire stage Bright blue