Skip to main content

8- Robyn’s Jazz

 Rehearsal Log 8~

Robyn’s Opening

Session Summary:

This week’s rehearsal focused heavily on spacing, learning new choreography, and cleaning up the number. I’m becoming quite comfortable with the choreography, though there are still a few new sections that I'm struggling to count accurately. As third-year dancers, we’ve been given sections to improvise and showcase our individuality, which is a great opportunity for self-expression. Robyn gave us specific notes regarding footwork, head, and arm lines. With so many of us on stage during the larger dance breaks, it's essential that I remain precise and fulfill my role in maintaining the visual cohesion of the piece. The choreography is high-intensity and demands a lot of agility and stamina.

Personal Observation:

So far, I’ve been experimenting with my individual sections, but I need to solidify my choices to avoid confusion, both for myself and for others who might be using my movements as a visual cue. There were a few moments where Robyn changed previously learned choreography, particularly switching steps from one leg to the other. This was challenging because my muscle memory had become ingrained, and it took active concentration to override my instinctive movements. However, I’ve noticed improvement in my stamina running the piece multiple times, I was able to maintain my energy levels. That said, there’s still room for improvement. Performance-wise, I’ve found it difficult to avoid a concentrated facial expression during the more complicated parts of the choreography. However, in the sections where the music becomes more dynamic, I’ve been able to lean into the instrumental inflections, which has allowed me to enjoy the changes in the music, particularly during the "big time" clump.

Research:

Rehearsing in large group formations has made me acutely aware of how important spatial awareness and ensemble synchronization are, especially in high-energy dance breaks with so many dancers on stage. I've been working on maintaining precision in my movements so that others can use me as a visual cue. This led me to explore how dancers develop better group coordination. A study by Chauvigné et al. (2019) highlighted that dancers rely on a combination of auditory, visual, and tactile cues to stay in sync with one another, with tactile contact like holding hands particularly powerful in creating synchronous movement. This made me reflect on how small points of contact in choreography can greatly support group cohesion.

Further research by Bigand et al. (2024) examined how music and visual contact work together to synchronize group dance. Their study found that certain movements, like head and torso movements, often align with music, while lateral gestures rely more on visual awareness of other dancers. This finding has made me more conscious of using my peripheral vision and listening carefully to the rhythm, especially when I don’t have a clear sightline. Additionally, research by Ellamil et al. (2016) showed that torso movement synchrony increases when the rhythm of the music matches the natural walking pace (around 100–150 bpm). This insight resonated with me because some of the most dynamic moments in our piece fall within this tempo range, making it easier to synchronize with others when the music feels instinctive.

Moving forward, I want to focus on responding more consciously to the group around me. It's not just about executing the steps, but also staying sensitive to timing, spacing, and the shared energy of the ensemble. By honing in on these physical and sensory cues, I believe I can become a more reliable and cohesive member of the group.

What can I do to progress for next lesson:

  • Practice actively with other dancers, as well as individually for my specific sections.

  • Review timing and watch videos of the choreography to self-correct.

  • Continue focusing on improving and sustaining my stamina. 


    References:

    -Ellamil, M., Berson, J., Wong, J., Buckley, L. and Margulies, D.S. (2016). One in the Dance: Musical Correlates of Group Synchrony in a Real-World Club Environment. PLOS ONE, 11(10), p.e0164783. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164783.

    -Félix Bigand, Bianco, R., Abalde, S.F. and Novembre, G. (2024). The geometry of interpersonal synchrony in human dance. Current Biology, 34(13), pp.3011-3019.e4. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.055.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1- Macy’s Jazz (Money)

 Rehearsal Log 1: Macy’s ‘Money’ – 22nd April Summary of Session: Today, we resumed our rehearsals for Macy’s jazz piece to "Money" from Eddie Redmayne’s live recording of  Cabaret . We spent most of the session working on new choreography and adjusting to the change in pace of the music. Since I’m playing the role of the  Emcee , the rehearsal required intense character work. This role involves intricate movements and precise musicality, as I’m miming the lyrics while dancing. It’s been a fascinating process not only learning the lyrics but also being challenged by Macy to sing while dancing. This, she said, would help with the authenticity of the miming. We also addressed some spacing issues I was facing with the chair and the steps, particularly when traveling through the crowd of people and chairs. Given the large rehearsal studio compared to the actual stage size, I had to adjust my movement to avoid overextending. Additionally, we began the chair hand-clapping secti...
Post a Comment
Read more

9- Emma’s Lyrical

Rehearsal log  9~ Emma’s Lyrical Session Summary: This rehearsal focused primarily on developing character through dynamics and breath. Halfway through, we watched a video of our performance to self-correct any visible mistakes or irregularities, which proved to be a helpful time-saving tool during the cleaning process. Emma made some adjustments to the timing of the final cannon, making it more manageable and allowing the ending to flow better. She also changed the direction of our exits to add a sense of spontaneity to the piece. Personal Observation: I struggled during this session with executing turns, spins, and sliding motions, as the floor felt rough on my bare feet and aggravated my blisters. Emma advised me and others dealing with the same issue to wear socks to prevent further damage to the soles of our feet. This experience made me realise that I need to incorporate better foot care into my weekly routine to avoid these issues in the future. Research: As a dancer, I’ve c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Show Performance Review:

Show Performance Review:  Robyn’s Jazz – “Big Time”: Because this number opened the show, and it required high energy, slick execution, and performance precision this had the pressure of starting off well. I found the tight formations and group unison sections especially challenging in earlier rehearsals, but during the show I managed to stay connected to the group while still performing with projection. One thing I noticed was how easy it is to let facial tension or over-concentration show when you’re trying to hit sharp movements and I'll continue t keep working on this. That said, the routine felt tight, and Robyn’s feedback about dancing “bigger” in space finally clicked for me on stage. I pushed further with performance energy and really tried to fill the space especially as the stage was larger than I'd anticipated. Because hadn't been able to settle nerves yet properly, I found some sections became more wobbly than they are usually are, such as the turns and unison d...
Post a Comment
Read more