9.01.15

In today's lesson we worked with the 1st years for our opening scene of Twelfth Night, The Storm. This is a movement piece inspired by Elizabethan dancing, and ballet steps. It is to open the show with a strong piece of movement representing the sea and the storm.

The movement piece is simple, yet effective. We use simple ballet steps, forward and backwards, and skipping and swaying. We all begin very calmly and slowly, and as the music builds up, our movements do as well and the storm begins. We use the music as guidance for the storm and whenever the sound becomes louder and more intense we isolate our bodies and move forwards, almost like jerking with our shoulders. We then all split off into 3 groups, 2 at the sides and 1 in the middle. I am in the middle and lead our group to the front of the stage, by using a ballet style movement, sort of like a step ball change, moving forwards to the front of the stage. My group all do this in canon. When we are all in the centre of the stage, the 2 groups at either side of the stage begin to move in and out again, representing the storm and the boat swaying back and forth. My group do this as well, and I sway to the right,back to the centre, to the left then back into the centre.
We then all freeze, and when the music builds up we all jump into the air, representing lighting and flee across the stage into any position and begin a unison movement piece, ballet steps to the right and to the left, including turns and step ball changes. It looks really good so far and will be a great way to open up the show. I feel the steps are quite easy for me as I have done ballet and contemporary dancing previously, and it is a great way for me to become relaxed in my body before I begin acting in my scenes, it will ease everyone into the performance and we can all support and help each other. 
We as a group need to continue to choreograph this movement piece ans to keep on rehearsing it until it is perfect.