Ghost Dances

Ghost Dances

1. Facts

   • Costume designer- Belinda Scarlett
   • Lighting- Nick Cheldon
   • Set designer- Christopher Bruce
   • Staging- proscenium
   • Choreographer- Christopher Bruce
   • Company- various, including Rambert dance company
   • First performed- 3rd July 1981 at the Theatre Royal, Bristol
   • Dancers: Five women and six men ( the ghost dancers and peasants)
   • Theme- political oppression in Chile
   • Starting point/ inspiration- The music and South American rituals and culture.
   • Structure/ sections- seven sections; group, sextet, duo, quinet, duo, sextet, group
   • Form- rondo

2. Dance style and features

   • A blend of contemporary and ballet with elements of folk and social styles.
   • Ballet- Need to have a good posture and need to stand straight. Have pointed toes or flexed feet. Dance gracefully and don't stomp.
   • Contemporary- you do a lot of floor work and acrobatic tricks.
   • Folk- consists of skips, steps and hops making patterns and group formations.

3. How does the costume contribute to the dance idea?

   • Shows what gender the dancer is.
   • Emphasises theme.
   • Compliments other opponents; set design, back drop, lighting and music.

4. Accompaniment

   • Section 1- dripping sound effect and the ghost music.
     • South American songs and folk tunes and wind effects.
   • Describe the accompaniment
     • There is a dripping sound in the background which is at the start of the section with no other sound as the ghosts dance in silence. When the music starts it is quiet and then builds up. At the end of this section the music goes quieter gradually until it stops.
   • Why?
     • The dripping sound effect represents blood of the people that have been killed by the ghosts which emphasises its importance.
     • At the end of section 3 the music goes silent to signify a death.

5. A motif in Ghost Dances

   • The motif begins with the dancer in a squat position and arms stretched out either side of the body. Then low lunge with bent back leg towards downstage right and then do the same to downstage left. then the arms come over the head as you spin to stage right, roll across the floor and then lunge towards downstage right.

6. Set design

   • Set
     • The painted back drop represents a rocky plain and a cave opening. In the distance there is water and mountains. There are rock like structures on stage.
       • Shows geographical location.
   • Lighting
     • Gloomy and shadowy, side lighting highlights the ghosts. Brighter for folk type dancers performed by the peasants. Lighting changes signify deaths.

7. Costume

   • Describe
     • Ghosts have skull like masks and bodies painted. They wear wigs and rags. They wear tassels around their elbows and knees. The peasants wear everyday clothes. Each peasant wears a unique costume.
   • Why?
     • There is body paint to show bones and muscle on the ghosts. The tassels represent rotting flesh to show that the ghosts are dead. The everyday clothes show what gender the people are and show that they have different walks of life.