#circumduction

so part 6 has been lost and I literally have negative fucks to give so just deal

Shadows Part 7 

13. The daughter looks towards the source of light and then takes the hand of her brother and walks    upstage. How does this reflect the choreographic intention of the work? 

This represents the light at the window that Christopher Bruce talks about, signifying a soldier at the door and the daughter is seeking comfort from her brother whilst also trying to get back to the rest of the family, perhaps representing the theory of strength in numbers. 

 14. Describe the duet performed by the son and the daughter. What images have been repeated from earlier? 

The daughter starts towards the family table before sharply whipping back around again to face the brother, momentarily reprising the ballroom position held by their parents before she hops up onto the son with her feet on his hips and her arms around his neck. This echoes the fetal position that was common in her own solo whilst also bringing up images of a little animal like a monkey, perhaps representing the instinctual animalistic need to protect one's own. The daughter rises up higher and the son holds her and she forms a position very similar to one performed by her mother, Martha Graham's pleading position. She is then lowered down and she and her brother run back to the table.   

 15. They return to the table and there is a reprise of the earlier tableau. Describe this. 

The whole family is sitting down facing each other and they all slowly turn their heads towards downstage right, towards the light. 

 16. The mother stands and looks back at her family. What does she do next? 

The mother walks towards stage right and the coat stand. She is lit from the side in a harsh white light as she reaches the coat stand and begins to help each of her family in putting on their coats. 

 17. The son and daughter then reach for what? 

They both reach for their shoes, symbolising the time to leave and adding to the somber melancholy atmosphere. 

 18. How does the father join them? 

He also reaches out and puts on his coat then the whole family pause together, the intense screeching music representing their inner turmoil whilst contrasting their calm exterior.  

 19. Describe the position that the daughter sits in. Where have we seen this before? 

The daughter sits facing downstage with her legs in a wide open second. This position has been seen many times before throughout the dance as it is a bare, complacent position. A variation of it is seen from the mother and father's duet as well as it being an integral vignette of the Daughter's solo that she repeats at least three times during the piece. 

 20. All four turn upstage. What do they reach for? 

They all reach for their suitcases, the daughter clutching hers to her chest as a reflection of her age and representation of the family unit. 

 21. How do they then stand. How has the lighting changed? What effect does this have?  

They stand in a neutral position facing downstage in a final moment of solidarity. They are lit from the right and from above, casting shadows across their faces not only implementing the title of the piece, 'Shadows', but also emphasizing the ambiguity of the situation and how this was the story of so many families in eastern Europe as Christopher Bruce explains in his choreographic intent. 

 22. How many steps forward do they take? 

They take three steps in unison starting with the right leg at first, then they pause and the lighting flickers, perhaps representing a search light or the flickering light of the family's resolve, then they take another three steps as the stage darkens. 

 23. How does the piece end? How does the music contribute to the end of the piece? 

The piece ends on a freeze frame of the family walking as the stage darkens. The music plays the final notes which previously in the dance represented the end of a section/solo/duet and in this instance now represent the end of the dance. This reflects how the family knew that the time was coming, how the ongoing uncertainty and fear lead them to believe that the end was around every corner, hence the repetitive nature of these particular notes throughout the aural setting. 

 24. How does this make the audience feel? 

The Power of Observation: Part 2

Let’s take a closer look at yesterdays post and the findings. If you are just picking up here, the post will be more meaningful if you go back and read it. 

The following are some explanations for what you were seeing: torso lean to left during stance phase on L? if he has a L short leg, he will need to clear right leg on swing phase. We have spoken of strategies around a short leg in another post. This gentleman employs 2 of the 5 strategies; torso lean is one of them increased progression angle of both feet? Remember he has femoral retroversion. You may have read about retrotorsion here. He has limited internal rotation o both thighs and must create the requisite 4-6 degrees necessary to walk. He does this by spinning his foot out (rotating externally). decreased arm swing on L?

This is most likely cortical, as he seems to have decreased proprioception on both legs during 1 leg standing. Proprioception feeds to the cerebellum, which in turn fires axial extensors through connections with the vestibular system. Diminished input can lead to flexor dominance (and extensors not firing). Note the longer stride forward on the right leg compared to the left with less hip extension (yes, we know, a side view would be helpful here). circumduction of right leg? This is the 2nd strategy for getting around that L short leg. clenched fist on L?(esp when standing on either leg)