Further Links Contact Us Search Help

Syllabus | Exams | Resources | Glossary | FAQ | Teachers

Dance

Home > Dance > Resources > Resources

The books which have been reviewed in this section of the site are:

Dancing texts: Intertextuality in interpretation
Choreography and dance William Forsythe
William Forsythe: Improvisation Technologies

The notion that dance works are visual texts and that each consumer of a work has a different way of reading the text is a foundational concept presented throughout this book. The preface and first chapter seek to elaborate upon these concepts and provide a base through which specific works and choreographers may later be examined.

Complex and multifaceted in nature, the notion of dance as text invites a fluidity to the reading of the work and encourages the recognition of many discrete or distinct layers in the interpretation of the work, each existing with a degree of transparency. Testament to the strength of this conceptual framework is perhaps best expressed when the editor states: “just as the activity of dancing implies constant change of position, so, too, does the act of interpretation”. (Adshead-Lansdale 1999; xii)

Challenging the idea of a universal truth in interpretation, the following chapters use the work of prominent choreographers to illustrate the ways in which consumers of dance engage and participate in provocative viewing systems. The relationship between such systems and the makers and performers of the works are also discussed in detail, thus presenting the maker, the performer and the reader as key players in the generation of meaning in dance works. This somewhat overcomes the notion of the choreographer as the sole contributor to the work, and encourages a deeper investigation of the inter-related components of dance that the Stage 6 Dance Syllabus in NSW supports.

William Forsythe features as one of the choreographers whose work is analysed using the theory of intertextuality. Jennifer Jackson investigates the work Steptext in order to explore the polarisation that Forsythe exhibits between classicism and modernism in dance with post-structuralism and postmodernism. Specifically, movement codes and choreographic structures are examined alongside contextual considerations.

Other case studies included for the exemplification of this model of dance analysis encompass works which span the twentieth century’s artistic movements and range in genre and style. Dancing Texts builds upon Adshead-Lansdale’s Dance Analysis: Theory and Practice (1988).

This issue of Choreography and Dance is about a choreographer who is constantly shrouded in controversy. Hailed by some as a leader in the field of classical dance, others find it dangerously impossible to categorise him into one sphere. The equilibrium is that William Forsythe provides palettes of movement which must be examined in new ways.

The articles and essays presented in this edition are a tribute to, as well as an examination of, the dimensions of William Forsythe’s body of work and contribution to dance as an art form. The contextual and background information provided in the second article assist in building biographical knowledge, and prove to be an efficient platform from which to launch scaffolds of other information. Forsythe’s distinctive style is a product of many complex factors, not excluding a minimal budget and space restrictions early in his choreographic career.

The identification of key elements in Forsythe’s choreography is well documented, with observations made by long-time analysers and viewers of his work. In contrast to such observations is the provision of intimate insights into choreographic processes shared by insiders to Forsythe’s immediate working sphere. Discussed are his ways of using the idea of disfocus, and the transforming and splintering of movement phrases. Here, the reader is indulged with specifics and gains a sense of Forsythe’s personal kinetic imagination and methodology.

Conversations between Forsythe and some of his designers are documented and key ideas are illustrated with luminous photographs. Elaborations about his collaboration with composers and lighting designers, curators and audience are also given.

One contributor maps the public perception of Forsythe’s work and his curious consistency as a choreographer over time. Chronological and alphabetical lists of Forsythe’s works are also included 

The CD-ROM format for this resource allows for a visual insight into William Forsythe's improvisation techniques. Planned initially as a tool for members of his company, the Frankfurt Ballet, the CD-ROM offers the analytical eye an opportunity to peer into the processes and work of this choreographer.

The format is slick and the interface provides for easy navigation around an aesthetically pleasing environment. For those studying Forsythe's work, the resource is a must, as not only does Forsythe explain characteristic techniques behind his improvisation technologies, such as room writing, but several performances by Forsythe, as well as by other dancers, demonstrate each of the processes.

Accompanying the CD–ROM is a booklet which includes some background information for the making of the resource, an explanation of its components and a chronology of Forsythe’s works. Also included is the transcript of an interview with Forsythe and an essay entitled Both a New World and the Old Made Explicit by Roslyn Sulcas.

The 3D format is certainly the most appealing feature of the resource, and one which makes it stand apart from other resources on choreographers or improvisation.