Swansong Fact File

Swansong Fact File

1. Choreographer ; Christopher Bruce

2. Music ; Philip Chambon

3. Costume design; Christopher Bruce

4. Lighting design; David Mohr

5. Filmed in 1989 and was first shown on BBC2 in 1991

6. 3 dancers - 2 guards/ interrogators and 1 victim

7. About the interrogation of a prisoner by two guards

   • Themes of the dance piece ;
     • Manipulation
     • Imprisonment
     • Swans
       • Interpreted it as the meaning of ' freedom '
     • Commedia dell'arte
       • Humour in tragedy

8. Section 1; Questioning and aggression// Section 2;Humiliation , being friendly// Section 3;Isolation ( interrogators leave the prisoner alone)// Section 4;Aggression in slow-motion , teasing //Section 5;Isolation (leaving prisoner alone again )// Section 6; Aggression with implied weapons// Section 7; Leaving prisoner alone - release/freedom

9. Types of dance

   • Tap
   • Contemporary
   • Ballroom
   • Ballet
   • Music hall / Vaudeville
     • Used for the guards movements - old fashioned , used canes , soft shoe shuffle (tap dancing without tap shoes!)

10. They used Jazz shoes NOT soft tap shoes