Workshop Twelve

Workshop Twelve:

Task: Which body part is initiating the movement and which is responding to the initiation. Improvise for thirty seconds following from one initiation.

You can explore gender roles by choosing to incorporate both male and female considered technical steps or movement.  

Tom O'Gorman

This task has been developed through Willam Forsythe's methods, his improvisation technologies, and values corresponding to his creativity and how he works with the dancers and their strengths.

Tom has a very balletic style with long lines and sharp to fluid dynamics, he was given this task because of this. There are concepts of gender within this task, Forsythe questions what is considered the male and female roles within dance and technical steps, so within this task I explained how he could explore breaking these barriers and embracing this value of Forsythes however the amount he chooses to do this is up to him as the dancer.

Outcome:

Upon reflection, I think that this task and the way Tom has gone about executing it was a success in terms of following an initiation. He clearly demonstrates where the movement is coming from throughout the three improvisations, and although there are moments when the initiation has started at one body part, it may not continue fully to the extent of what it could be. This is something that comes in and out throughout the three videos however there are some really clear and distinct moments where this can be seen.

The style he uses within this has the stylistic qualities that we have been working with; a balletic foundation with contemporary elements, especially through the method of improvisation and the way he has incorporated balletic lines and shapes in with the flow and exploration that contemporary allows.