richard shields blog assesment 1

Blog assessment 1 Richard Shields

1)

The phrase physical theatre strikes controversy from a lot of theorist. Some theorist claim that physical theatre would fall into the dance theatre area, where as others would claim that it is acting with aesthetic movements. Furthermore some theorist claim that it is a fusion of them both, a new area not fully explored. “The characteristics of physical theatre are many and varied. Indeed the term is virtually impossible to define.” (Callery, D (2001) p.3)

Though my training of physical theatre, my view on the aforementioned argument has changed dramatically. Initially I believed physical theatre to be just dance, a set of choreographed movements only there because someone believed them to be aesthetically pleasing. But I now believe that although physical theatre may have derived from dance, the movements all have significance and meaning to the performance.

Pedestrian movements are one main reason that theorist separate physical theatre from dance or acting.

The “performance style physical theatre indicated a departure from the accepted contemporary dance style, in that it did not rely on traditional dance vocabulary.... Newsons work is rooted in contact improvisation ... and is mixed with pedestrian movements and body language.” (Bremser, M. Jowitt, D (1999) p.228).

It is pedestrian movements that cause the audience to analyse rather than sit back and watch because it looks pleasant.

2)

“At a surface level, the term (physical theatre) has been collectively used to identify an eclectic production. The term itself ... Denotes a hybrid character and is testimony to its double legacy in both avant-garde theatre and dance.” (A.Sanchez-Colberg p.21) Ana Sanchez-Colberg states that physical theatre has hybrid characters, a fusion of different genres. Characteristics taken from dance and straight acting produce “hybrid characters”.

Physical theatre has still to be fully explored and still cannot be placed under a present genre. I believe that Physical theatre is a hybrid performance. Considered what we have established; we cannot place physical theatre strictly under dance as with a lot of dance performances, movements are choreographed to be aesthetically pleasing not analysed. But we cannot place it under conventional acting because it takes such influences from dance. But it does use characteristics of acting such as pedestrian movements and the meaning put behind movements. By fusing these we place physical theatre into a hybrid performance genre.

3)

“In 1986, Llyod Newson formed dv8 physical theatre, a company plotting their own exit from dance and, by 1994, their style of work was rapidly becoming what most of the general public, and many academics, thought of as physical theatre.” (Keefe, J (2007) p.119)

Dv8’s work is heavily reliant on physical movements inspired through different motivations. Dv8 describe their own work as “breaking down the barriers between dance, theatre and personal politics” (http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/artistic.policy.html)

The company are constantly pushing boundaries, personally and socially, with a lot of their work causing controversy. Dv8 do not believe movements need to be aesthetic; the movements produced in dv8’s productions are there because the characters give them meaning. Dv8 recreate traditional dance movements and add meaning to it, which pushes audience member to analyse it trying to interpret it. Dv8 create their work beyond theatre as we know it, and transform traditional dance into a new style placing them under the new genre of physical theatre.

Bibliography

Callery,D. (2001) Through the Body. Nick Hern Books

Bremser,M. Jowitt, D. (1999) Fifty Contemporary Choreographers. Routledge

Keefe,J. Murray,S,D. (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader. Routledge

http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/artistic.policy.html