Analysing A Piece from Choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaker

The choreographer whose work I have chosen to analyse is  Anne Teresa De Keersmaker and in particular an extract from her work 'Rosa'.


The choreography performed by Keersmaker and Michele Anne De Mey consisted of repeated synchronised swinging of the arms, shifting foot positions, turning of the body, spotting of the head, and walking. I was first struck by how mesmerising and trance-like the choreography was and came to the conclusion that it's due to how musical the movement is. Each movement seemed to correspond with every underlying beat and accent of the music (Steve Reich - 'Come Out'). When choreographing this piece, I imagine Keersmaker thoroughly studied the music before beginning the choreographic process. This attention to detail provided a mesmerising and trance-like experience when watching. (You Tube, 2009)


The costume choice also amplifies this effect as the short hair and plain white dresses create little to no movement themselves so as not to distract from the musicality of the piece. The lighting also creates an interesting effect where the shadows of the dancers are projected onto the wall behind with a second copy of their shadows overlapping in the middle creating interesting shapes merging and inverting the two dancers. 


After watching the section a few times, I think the dance could represent how humans can sometimes let their daily lives become nothing more than a series of set repetitive tasks and not be an active force in their lives. I also think the piece conveys a theme of how in some societies, people can be so wrapped up in their own lives that they fail to recognise and acknowledge others. For example, the intertwining shadows of the dancers sometimes appear to be facing each other. They are continually interacting while the actual dancers fail to acknowledge each other while moving through the motions. 


Something that I found similar between this clip and ideas that I've tried to incorporate into my own choreography is musicality. While I might not hit every single beat in the music, I do try to be aware of the different layers and instruments present to give choreography dynamic and variety.


Bibliography:
You Tube, 2009. Fase - Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker & Michele Anne De Mey. [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTke1tQztpQ> [Accessed 15 November 2020].

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