DIAVOLO Architecture in Motion Young Person's Concert Study Guide PASSENGERS 2017-2018
DIAVOLO Architecture in Motion uses dance to explore the relationship between the human body and its architectural environment. Artistic Director Jacques Heim steers DIAVOLO s diverse team of dancers, designers, choreographers and engineers to create visceral and aweinspiring works that reveal how we are affected emotionally, physically and socially by the spaces we inhabit. Meticulously designed bespoke architectural structures serve as the central inspiration for each work, activated by the stylistically varied and intensely physical choreography which has become the hallmark of this truly original company throughout its rich 25 year history. Through The DIAVOLO Institute the company also provides educational and outreach opportunities to people of all ages and abilities while touring internationally and at home in Los Angeles, sharing the pioneering art form and the power of dance as a means of social impact.
Meet the Founder and Artistic Director Jacques Heim Jacques Heim has been a transformative Director for over 20 years. He founded Diavolo in 1992, now newly renamed DIAVOLO Architecture in Motion, and has directed the Company s work ever since. Jacques Heim is named directly after his grandfather, the late and revolutionary fashion designer, who in 1946 launched the first ever two piece bathing suit called Atome. Just as his grandfather broke ground in the fashion industry, Jacques Heim continues to challenge and break the mold of conventional wisdom surrounding dance, developing the unique and incomparable aesthetic of Architecture in Motion. In addition to his work with DIAVOLO, Mr. Heim has worked extensively for other companies in dance, theater, TV, and special events worldwide. Most recently Mr. Heim worked with Guy Caron and Michael Curry as consulting choreographer on Ice Age Live!, a mammoth arena show which had its world premiere at London s Wembley Stadium in November 2012 and is now touring Europe. For Cirque du Soleil, Mr. Heim choreographed KÀ at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, a destination show featuring apparatus inspired by DIAVOLO structures and architecture. In 2010, he was invited to be a Creative Director for the Opening Ceremony of The 16th Asian Games, in Guangzhou, China. In 2005, Mr. Heim was the Artistic Director for the Taurus Stunt Awards and returned in 2007 to stage a movement/stunt piece, The Car. With the Los Angeles-based Center Theater Group, Jacques created choreography for the stage play, The Stones. On television, his work has appeared on BBC America s Dancing with the Stars and Bravo s Step Up and Dance. Jacques Heim taught movement and dance for many years at Ballet Pacifica, California State University, Los Angeles and UCLA. In addition to three USA Fellowship nominations and four Alpert Award nominations, Mr. Heim has received the Martha Hill Choreography Award of the American Dance Festival, the Special Prize of the Jury at the 6th Saitama International Dance Festival, a Brody Arts Fund fellowship, and a James Irvine Foundation Fellowship.
What to Expect What you will see is an interactive Young People s Concert specifically created for school performances featuring DIAVOLO's newest creation PASSENGERS. The show is centered around DIAVOLO's signature style Architecture in Motion. DIAVOLO's work highlights how the human body is affected socially, emotionally and physically by our architectural environment. The trademark stylings of DIAVOLO come to life on the PASSENGERS set piece, showcasing the company's unique use of space and movement. The most significant messages from this performance are DIAVOLO's implementation of trust and teamwork and our shared ability to believe in ourselves and each other. There is an interactive component built into the structure of the performance where select audience members have an opportunity to join the company on stage. Throughout the performance there are informational narrations shared about the company's history, process and unique aesthetic within the greater dance community.
What is it like to be a DIAVOLO dancer? DIAVOLO dancers come from many walks of life. They have trained as modern dancers, athletes, gymnasts, actors, ballet dancers, martial artists, and stunt performers. The majority have fine arts degrees, and some have masters degrees as well. In addition to dancing well, DIAVOLO dancers need to be able to fall and fly from large structures and catch one another. Trust and teamwork are the foundations of the DIAVOLO Architecture in Motion, which means the dancers need to be able to trust themselves, trust each other and work together as a team. The dancers rehearse from 9am to 5pm every day, sometimes 9am-9pm, Monday to Friday. Rehearsals always start with a one hour warm-up. This is very important so that the dancers muscles stay strengthened and stretched and are ready to work for the rest of the day. Preventing injuries is another good reason for a warm-up. After warm-up the Rehearsal Director will communicate to the dancers which dances they have to work on for the rest of the day, and how that is to be scheduled. The Artistic Director and the Rehearsal Director teach the dancers the repertory of work as well as work with the dancers on new creations. If a new dance is to be created or choreographed, the Artistic Director and Company Choreographer will work together with the company dancers. This makes DIAVOLO a little different from other dance companies. In most dance companies, only one person creates or choreographs dances. In DIAVOLO, everyone works together as a team to create them. After the rehearsal day, the dancers often take other kinds of classes in order to keep their bodies in proper shape. Dancers must train throughout their careers, and DIAVOLO dancers consider this personal training important to their careers and health. Classes may include ballet, gymnastics, martial arts, modern dance, yoga or workouts at the gym. When the Company is on tour and traveling all over the world presenting shows similar to the one you will see, the dancers work even harder. In addition to warm-up and rehearsal, the dancers will help set up the sets, teach residencies and workshops, do technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and evening performances.
Dance and Theater Collaborators When people see a performance, they often think only of the performers on stage. But there are many other people who come together to make the performance happen. The following list will familiarize you with some of the people and their jobs that help to make DIAVOLO performances happen. Associate Artistic Director: helps the Artistic Director maintain the artistic quality of the performance and the Company. Composer: a person who writes music. Lighting Designer: decides what kind of light (bright / dark / colors) will help illuminate each dance piece. Set Designer: designs the structures that the dancers dance on in conjunction with the Artistic Director. Costume Designer: designs all the costumes the dancers wear on stage. Technical Director: makes sure all the technical aspects of the performance are functioning well; i.e., stage set-up, set piece build and technical needs on stage. Rehearsal Director: schedules the daily rehearsal plan and oversees training of new dancers as well as developing strategies for the physical and emotional sustainability of all company members. Production Manager: oversees all the business of the company, specifically aspects that pertain to set pieces, master scheduling for rehearsal and tour, company travel and new creation project management. Institute Director: designs and plans all educational aspects of the company, from written materials to young people s performances. In addition, each theater that DIAVOLO travels to on tour has many people on staff to help with the show. Each theatre also has their own Technical Director and stage crew that works with the DIAVOLO Production Team.
Preliminary Performance Preparation Below is a traditional DIAVOLO warm up that aids clarity and focus, and it's a good ice-breaker. Warm-up: Start by moving into an open space in a room to begin the listed series of exercises. All warm-ups start in a circle. Name Game: In a circle, have each student stand shoulder to shoulder, with a straight posture and hands out of their pockets. Students one by one,starting with the teacher, will turn to their right, look that person in eye, and state their name with purpose and clarity. When everyone in the circle has gone, evolve the activity by adding tempo; (eg., say your name but let's move through the circle faster, like the wind, or slow like molasses) or add quality (eg., say your name like a lion), and add the element of switching directions and saying names across the circle, using eye contact and a clear voice. Make sure the students keep going, even with laughter, until a complete round is made with each variation. Physical Warm-up After the Name Game, have students walk around the space at varying tempos per the instructor's call. Then circle up. Game of Ten Each set of movements are done to a count of 10. DIAVOLO also likes to incorporate push-ups and sit-ups. If these are difficult, begin by doing 5 counts and work your way up to 10. Example of warm-up exercises, K-12 1. In a circle, shake out hands, legs, arms, and whole body for a count of 10. 2. Stretch for 10 in various directions. 3. Roll down through the spine to the floor for a count of 10. 4. Push-ups, 10 times. 5. Roll over, sit-ups, 10 times. 6. Stand up slowly for a count of 10 and shake the body out again. 7. Repeat steps 1-6 There are many good warm-up exercises, the key is to warm-up the students even a little before doing movement activities.
Post Performance Reflections Questions/Activities ~ The dancers spoke of trust in the show. Why do you think trust is important to DIAVOLO? ~ Think about who trusts or depends on you. Talk about what you can do to make yourself more trustworthy and dependable. ~ Write about a time when trust, cooperation and creativity played an important role in your life, perhaps helped you to achieve a goal. Who was it that you trusted? Who cooperated with you? How were you creative? ~ Turn your written ideas into poetry or artworks expressing these ideas and your experiences. ~ The dancers clearly used their imaginations as part of the work and asked you to do the same. If you had to choose a shape to represent YOU, what shape would that be? Why? ~ Discuss what other types of movement this performance reminded you of. Have you ever seen anything similar to this before? Make a list of the types of classes you can take to prepare you for this kind dancing. (Teachers, if possible, make a list of where students can find these classes.) ~ Go to the web site (www.diavolo.org). Use the site to answer the following questions: Who is the Artistic Director? How would you introduce him to the class? Can you find pictures or biographies of some of the dancers you saw today? What different kinds of training or experience have they had? ~ Finally, did you like the DIAVOLO show? Why or why not? How did the lighting, costumes, set pieces and music add to the show, helping to express the ideas or moods of each dance? Has watching DIAVOLO dance made you feel different about dancing? Why or why not?
Performance Etiquette DIAVOLO believes that you, the audience, are 50 percent of the performance of the show. Theater is different from watching a movie or television show. The performers are in the same room with you and are affected by what you do. To do their best, the dancers need you to do your best too. Watch and listen closely. Performers (and other audience members) may be distracted by any noise in the theater. Please be sure to turn off all phones and any other devices that could be distracting. There is also no photo, video or audio recording allowed in the theater. Performers need to concentrate for safety as well as for performance. You may not be sure whether a dance or section of the performance has ended. It is fine to applaud in the middle, if there is something you liked, or if you think it is the end, even if it is not. Be sure to applaud when the dance really is over. The dancers have worked hard and the final applause lets them know you appreciate their work. During the show: Use your imagination as you watch, and explore the different visual pictures and messages the dances present. Pay attention to the lighting, music, sets and costuming. Procedures: Please be respectful of the theater s rules, including no food or drink in the theater. Make sure you know the required students per teacher ratio and procedure for bringing students into the theater. But most importantly...enjoy THE SHOW!
DIAVOLO 616 Moulton ave Los Angeles, Ca 90031 323.225.4290 DIAVOLO.ORG Young Person's Concert Study Guide created and designed by Director of Marketing Chisa Yamaguchi. Photo credits: George Simian and Beata Bernina