GCSE Dance - Swansong

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1. Choreographer of Swansong
Christopher Bruce.
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2. Date of first swansong performance
November 1987
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3. Swansong dance company
Rambert
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4. Accompaniment for swansong
Phillip Chambon.
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5. Lighting for Swansong
David Mohr
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6. Set designer for swansong
Christopher Bruce.
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7. Swansong style of dance
Contemporary
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8. Swansong choreographic style
Episodic, Dramatic and Thematrc.
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9. Theme of Swansong.
Human Rights
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10. Inspiration for Swansong.
Amnesty International.
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11. Number of sections in Swansong
7
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12. Costume designer
Chrisopher Bruce
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13. Main charactor in Swansong
Prisoner
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14. Other male charactors in Swansong
Guards
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15. Prisoners costume
Red top and jeans
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16. Guards costume
Khaki Uniform
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17. Main type of shoe worn by dancers in Swansong.
Jazz shoes.
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18. Main prop
Chair
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19. Explain the use of the chair as a prop.
Weapon, a seat, and as a shield, safe area. Security blanket. 5th section used a prison bars. Chair taken away from him - foundations for existance ripped away from him.
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20. Direction of light in Swansong
Diagonal
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21. Name of silent sections in Swansong
Unaccompanied Interludes
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22. Other props to degrade the prisoner in Swansong
Cane and Red nose.
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23. Type of room that the set represents
Prison Cell
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24. 3 sections where prisoner performs solo
3,5,7
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25. Another word to describe the guards
Interrogators
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26. Explain the dance style in more detail.
Contemporary, with physical contact and some balletic movements. Includes references to social dance, ballroom, theatrical dance and tap.
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27. What does episodic mean?
Story Unfolds a section at a time (episodes, sections)
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28.What does dramatic mean?
Contains elements of drama (music, dance)
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29. What does thematic mean?
Thematic – It has a theme (Swansong = Human Rights)
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30. Stimulus/ Starting Point
Amesty international, saying goodbye to a dancing career, The experiences of Chilean poet Victor Jara. The novel ‘A Man’ by Oriana Fallaci
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31. Explain the structure in more detail.
Inroduction + 7 sections - The victim remains on stage throughout and performs a solo in section 3 which has motifs that are repeated and/or developed in sections 5 and 7.
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32. Explain the accompaniment in more detail.
Electro-acoustic with digitally sampled sounds, vocals, a reed pipe and popular dance rhythms. Unaccompanied interludes enable us to hear the tapping of the feet. Composed in collaboration with the choreographer.
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33. What do the costumes represent?
Everyday clothes associated with the role.
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34. Explain the lighting in more detail and what it represents.
Overhead lighting. Diagonal shaft of light to suggest natural light from upstage left. Footlights create shadows. Atmospheric. Start of the trio is dream like. Cold light which changes to warm.
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35. Explain the set in more detail and what it represents.
Bare stage except from chair, a cell. Interrogators always exit stage right, suggests a door. Chair, Canes, Cigarettes and a Red Nose are used to degrade the victim. The Chair is used symbolically as a weapon,a shield,shackles,a window,a safe placean
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36. What is the stage called?
A Proscenium Arch
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37. What do you think the story is about?
A prisoner who is being interrogated by two guards. The guards bully him and mock him but at time try to be friendly to him. The prisoner gives up and dies, he feels he is set free and I think the light in the back corner represents heaven.
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38. What do you think the costumes represent and how do they show charactors?
a pair of blue jeans and a red t-shirt worn by the prisoner/victim and the interrogators are wearing khaki officer suits.The convict wears a casual pair of blue denim jeans. The two guards are wearing khaki uniform with dark trousers and a lighter...
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39. coloured top. Their uniformity helps to emphasise the prisoners isolation. The officers wear camouflaged hats for one of their dance/duets together which help to portray their job as the guards over the convict. The costumes are therefore basic..
but effective as it is simple to distinguish the characters and depict their various emotions while allowing freedom of movement.
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40. Why do you think the lighting was chosen? Do you think it worked well?
In the Up Stage corner there is a shaft of light which could be seen as a window. The window represents the Prisoners freedom or could be represented as heaven, as he goes into the light at the end. The prisoner dies - symbolically - he walks into...
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41. white light. This refers back to the title - as a swan is supposed to sing its most beautiful song just before it dies.
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42. What does 'swansong' mean?
(1) a person’s last work or act before death or retirement. a song to be sung by a dying swan (is it believed that a swan sings only at the point of death).
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43. How long is swansong?
32 minutes in length
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

2. Date of first swansong performance

Back

November 1987

Card 3

Front

3. Swansong dance company

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

4. Accompaniment for swansong

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

5. Lighting for Swansong

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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