Up Close: Somos By Rafael Bonachela
About this Resource Pack
This Resource Pack will help you understand the choreographic processes Rafael Bonachela undertook with Sydney Dance Company dancers to create Somos. There are a range of activities for you to participate in, including reading, writing, watching, and undertaking your own creative tasks. The pack contains a BEFORE THE SHOW section with ideas for research and discussion in the lead up to seeing Somos and an AFTER THE SHOW section with follow-up tasks to support learning in performance, composition and appreciation. The suggested activities in the Somos Resource Pack can be further adapted by teachers to suit the requirements of Stages 4-6 in NSW and the equivalent in other states. Look out for the icons on each page to assist you through the range of activities. Your teacher will help guide you through the different elements of the Resource Pack and complete the tasks.
KEY Throughout this document, you will see the following icons: Before the Show After the Show Watch Read Explore Create Write Discuss
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“Dance allows individuals “Dance allows individuals and and communities totheir communities to shape shapeidentity their cultural cultural and express identity andfeelings. expressThese their their deepest deepest feelings. experiences continueThese to experiences continue to resonate throughout our lives, resonate throughout transforming our minds, our bodies transforming our andlives, souls” minds, bodies and souls” Rafael Bonachela, Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela
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About Sydney Dance Company
Dance changes you. More than simply witnessing something beautiful, or engaging with culture, to experience dance is to be positively altered. From performances at the Joyce Theatre in New York, to the Grand in Shanghai, the Stanislavsky in Moscow and the Sydney Opera House at home, Sydney Dance Company has proved that there are no passive observers in a contemporary dance audience. The reward of truly moving audiences, and the raw pride of sharing Australian art with the world has driven our ensemble of 17 dancers, led by Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela, to become one of the world’s strongest forces in contemporary dance. Alongside Bonachela’s original works, our programs have featured guest choreographers like Jacopo Godani, Alexander Ekman, Gideon Obarzanek and Cheng Tsung-lung, as well as collaborations with Sydney Festival, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, David Jones and composers Bryce Dessner, Nick Wales, 48nord and the late Ezio Bosso.
What is Contemporary Dance? 20th century, modern dance pioneers deviated from established dance styles, to create work where “an element itself is expressive; what it communicates is in large part determined by the observer themselves” (Merce Cunningham). There is no passive contemporary dance audience. You are, as Sydney Dance Company’s Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela insists, “our most important collaborator.” This means that there is no correct response to a performance, or required learning to get the most out of it. You are only required to be present and to allow yourself to be moved. Anything can happen. It is not mainstream nor the stuff of fairy tales; you should just be prepared to feel something. You will witness artistic risks being taken across a multitude of forms from technology to film, visual arts to design and fashion; contemporary dance brings together the work of influential artists in different fields. It is ever evolving.
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Our Origins Founded in 1969 by dancer Suzanne Musitz, and soon known as The Dance Company (NSW), from 1975-1976 the Company was directed by Dutch choreographer Jaap Flier, before the appointment of Australian choreographer Graeme Murphy in 1976. In 1979 Murphy and his partner Janet Vernon instituted the defining name change to Sydney Dance Company and proceeded to lead it for a remarkable 30 years. Murphy and his collaborators created work that enthralled audiences in Australia and in extensive international touring, including being the first western contemporary dance company to perform in the People’s Republic of China. Sydney Dance Company has been led since 2009 by Spanish-born Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela. Under Bonachela’s direction, the Company has cemented its reputation as a creative powerhouse, with an acclaimed group of dancers presenting new work by Bonachela and other choreographers,
designers, composers and musicians. The Company has expanded its reach into the towns and cities it visits across Australia with work for schools and local dance studios. Since 1986 the Company has been a resident of the purpose-built, and recently refurbished, studios at The Wharf in Sydney’s Walsh Bay, minutes from the city’s famed Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Our studios are situated on the lands and over the waters of the Gadigal people. We recognise their continuing connection to the land and waters and thank them for protecting this coastline and its ecosystems since time immemorial. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people.
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Introducing Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela
Rafael Bonachela was born in Barcelona where he began his early dance training before moving to London. In 1992 he joined the legendary Rambert Dance Company. He remained with Rambert as a dancer and Associate Choreographer until 2006 when he successfully set up the Bonachela Dance Company (BDC) to concentrate on the rapid rise of his choreographic career. As a choreographer, Rafael has been commissioned to make works for Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, Candoco, George Piper Dances, ITDANSA Danza, Contemporanea de Cuba, Transitions Dance Company and Dance Works Rotterdam, amongst others. In 2008, Bonachela premiered 360°, his first fulllength production for Sydney Dance Company. Less than six months later, he was appointed Artistic Director, making headlines around the dance world. His vision for the Company embraces a guiding principle that has seen the repertoire grow, with the addition of commissioned dance works from Australian and visiting international guest choreographers. These works are often programmed alongside Rafael’s own creations, ensuring diversity for audiences and providing much sought-after opportunities for his remarkable ensemble of dancers to be exposed to the work of some of the most in-demand choreographers of our time. Rafael Bonachela’s internationally recognized talent has seen him work not only with contemporary dance at the highest level, but also with artists from popular culture, such as Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner, Sarah Blasko and Katie Noonan, as well as leading fashion designers Bianca Spender, Dion Lee and Toni Maticevski. Such collaborative efforts reflect the inspiration he finds and utilises from contemporary culture. You can read more of Rafael’s biography here.
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Dancers
Chloe Young
Coco Wood
Connor McMahon
Dean Elliott
Emily Seymour
Jesse Scales
Liam Green
Lucy Angel
Luke Hayward
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Madeline Harms
Morgan Hurrell
Naiara de Matos
Piran Scott
Riley Fitzgerald
Sophie Jones
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About Up Close: Somos
Up Close: Somos is a world-premiere work choreographed by Sydney Dance Company’s Artistic Director, Rafael Bonachela. Meaning “we are” in Spanish, Somos explores the interpersonal and instinctual connections that surround us. “We are” shaped by our experiences, our interactions and our relationships with the people we meet. Somos is about people, human emotion and behaviors, which is explored through the interaction between the dancers as individuals, a couple and as a group.
The Music One of the first decisions Rafael made when developing Somos was to choose a selection of Hispanic music. When selecting what tracks would be featured, Rafael looked for a variety of traditional and modern songs by iconic Spanishspeaking female artists that provided different textures, energies, emotions and atmospheres to explore. He wanted to ensure there was contrast between the tracks to create unexpected tension and unity, whilst also ensuring the soundtrack made sense holistically. The result is a rich soundscape that encompasses a distinctive Latin feel with a contemporary essence. Listen to the Somos Spotify Playlist here.
Watch the Behind the Scenes: The creation of Rafael Bonachela’s Somos
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The Choreography Rafael’s choreography often involves large groups of dancers with complex rhythmical and spatial patterning. The premise of Somos allowed Rafael to focus on making a series of intimate dances: duets, solos, and trios; something that has been a big part of his interest and focus as a choreographer. The choreography is driven by the relationships between the performers, and the impulses that bring them together or apart. Like the playlist of songs, the work is episodic in structure and performed in the round. These elements have also greatly influenced the creation of the choreography.
Rafael worked in a collaborative manner with the dancers by developing a series of creative tasks to assist them with creating new movement. Students can explore some of these creative tasks included in the resource pack.
Watch the preview of Somos
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About the Production Elements
Somos is the first Sydney Dance Company performance season to be held in Sydney Dance Company’s Neilson Studio Theatre Space. This intimate setting provides audiences with an unparalleled connection to the Company dancers, as audiences witness their formidable artistry and breathtaking physicality up close. The intention for Somos is to have all of the production elements - staging, lighting, costumes, music and the choreography – integrated and working as one. This work is performed in the round, with the audience seated in a circular way around the stage, so the dancers will perform without a designated front; each audience member will experience the show slightly differently based on where they’re seated. Everything that is happening around the dancers is connected, inspired and triggered by the dancers and the choreography.
Somos mood board staging inspiration
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About the team who created Up Close: Somos
A production like Somos requires many people to contribute to the final product that you see on stage. To create a dance for the stage there are two phases: 1. Choreographic Creation and Pre-Production this phase involves planning, creating, working as a team and problem solving prior to being on stage. 2. Performance and Production, this phase brings a work to life and is what the audience gets to enjoy every performance.
Watch a video about Kelsey’s vision for the costume design of Somos
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About the team who created Up Close: Somos
Meet Damien Cooper – Lighting Designer Damien Cooper works internationally across theatre, opera and dance. Damien’s dance credits for Sydney Dance company include; ab [intra], Impermanence, Cinco, Ocho, Grand, Air and Other Invisible Forces and Orb. Other dance credits include; State (Western Australian Ballet), Of Earth and Sky (Bangarra), The Narrative of Nothing, Firebird and Swan Lake (Australian Ballet), Giselle (Universal Ballet), Birdbrain, Supernature, Habitus and Be Yourself (Australian Dance Theatre), The Frock (Ten days on the Island Festival), Affinity (Tas Dance), Mortal Engine (Chunky Move) and Grey Rhino (Performing Lines). Other theatre credits include Edinburgh International Festival, Belvoir, Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia, Houston Grand Opera, Canadian Opera and Lyric Opera Chicago. For lighting design, Damien has won three Sydney Theatre Awards, three Green Room Awards, and two Australian Production Design Guild Awards. A note from the Lighting Designer I’ve done many shows for Sydney Dance Company, all in huge venues, in many places throughout the world. None of these till now have had the intimacy that Somos will bring. You will be less than three metres away from the stage, less than three metres away from the dancers. The stage design by Kelsey Lee frames the dancers, hides and reveals them. Rafael’s choice of music, his choreography and the decision to rehearse in Spain. We have brought all the power of a main stage show and compressed it into this intimate space.
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Meet Kelsey Lee – Costume and Production Designer Kelsey is a Sydney based lighting, set and costume designer. Her work is primarily created for live performance, including theatre, dance and events, for mainstage and independent companies. Her designs fuse lighting, set and costumes and aim to explore scenography through the sculpting of architecture and space to tell a story. She is highly collaborative as a designer, working closely with the creative team to develop the vision of the show. Kelsey is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (Design for Performance), and is the first person to have solely designed the set, lighting, props and costume for her graduating show. Kelsey has received a Sydney Theatre Award for her work as the Co-Designer on Destroy, She Said, and has been nominated another two times for lighting design. A note from the Costume and Production Designer Somos is an experience quite unlike any other. I would say it is rare to find yourself sharing a space with 150 people and a Company of dancers less than 2-3 meters away from you. Here, the opportunity to have the audience and dancers as exposed and vulnerable as each other, an encompassing connection between all bodies in the space. A reflection. Knowing this, I endeavoured to design a space that allowed for being hidden and revealed, intimate yet also isolated. Damien Cooper’s lighting design allows this, and sculpts the dancers and the space intrinsically. Raf, Damien and I wanted to “transform” the space, knowing it had to be something that audiences had never seen before, or more importantly, felt, in a space like the Neilson Studio. The costumes embrace the idea of identity, which is something so important to Raf and this piece. They reflect the notion of Somos “we are”, each individual, each bespoke to the dancer, designed intricately with minute detailing, but altogether forming a collection. They are detailed, textural, to be observed up close. Raf has choreographed an exquisitely beautiful, raw and intimate work that will be a special one to experience.
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About the team who created Somos Performance and Production There are many people who work with the creative team to bring a work to the stage. The team who have worked on Somos are listed below.
Richard Cilli — Rehearsal Director Guy Harding Charmene Yap — Technical Director — Rehearsal Associate Guy is the technical expert who supervises various As key members of the artistic team, Richard and Charmene lead rehearsals to make the performance the best it can be every performance. Richard creates the dancers’ schedule when they are in the studio rehearsing and performing.
aspects of Somos like lighting and set changes throughout the work. Guy worked closely with costume and set designer, Kelsey Lee to bring her vision to life, including the staging elements and the seating in the round for Somos.
Simon Turner — Stage Manager
Annie Robinson — Head of Wardrobe
Simon communicates with the whole team to ensure the show runs smoothly, letting the dancers know when they’re needed on stage, and telling the sound engineer to start a new sound cue.
Annie’s job is to sew the costume designer’s ideas into items of clothing, making sure the dancers costumes are comfortable to dance in, and ensuring they’re clean and mended for every performance.
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Exploring the Stimulus Part A: Creative Development Task - Solo Creation Create palm cards • •
A set with each body part on a card (List A) A set with each action word on a card (List B)
You can use the listed words, or you can create your own. List A: Body parts
List B: Action words
List C: Dynamic words
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Right shoulder Elbows Left thumb Right big toe Right palm Nose Right ball of foot Chin Forehead Left fingertips Right wrist Right elbow Left shoulder Spine Left ankle
Drop Turn Run Laugh Shake Fall Fly Dive Climb Jump Construct
Fragile Soft Strong Delicate Fluid Smooth Sharp
Create a phrase 1. Place the body part cards on one side of the room face down, action cards on the other side of the room face down
Example:
2. Randomly choose one body part card and one action card.
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3. Physically explore what it means to articulate the action on your card using the body part on your card.
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Spinal cord & run (you might run backwards leading with your spinal cord) Elbow & drop (leading with elbow drop towards the floor) Armpit & turn (expose armpit towards and rotate/spin around)
4. Create a short phrase (1 x 8 counts) using the body part and action card. Movements don’t all need to start from standing – you could be seated, kneeling, lying down. This is Phrase 1. 5. Repeat the above steps three more times, to create four short phrases in total. (Phrases 1, 2, 3 & 4)
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Exploring the Stimulus Part A: Creative Development Task - Solo Creation (continued) Exploring speeds, dynamics, and rhythms 6. Manipulating the four short phrases, find ways to add changes in speed by using fast, medium and slow tempos. Some ways you could do this are: • Add elements of pause and interesting musical rhythms • Adding movement to an “&” count between a regular 1-8 phrase makes for an interesting choreographic rhythm break Example: Instead of 1-2-3-4, you could go
Choose an aural accompaniment. You could use any music to accompany this task, or use the Somos playlist or another song from Sydney Dance Company’s playlist as you create.
Extension: Explore how using different tracks with a different tempo, dynamic or irregular time signature can manipulate and change your phrase in response to what you hear.
• &1, &2, 3, hold 4 • 1, 2, hold 3, move 4 • 1, 2 & 3 & 4 7. Using dynamics from List C, apply one of these to each of your phrases (eg, Phrase 1: fragile, Phrase 2: strong, Phrase 3: fluid, Phrase 4: delicate) and explore how you can physicalise these dynamics. 8. Combine the four phrases (with their relevant tempo and dynamic filters)
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Exploring the Stimulus Part B: Creative Development Task - Solo Creation Mind Map Task
Resource
To reference the ever-changing ‘front’ of the Somos stage (as the work is performed in the round), this mind map task will help spark creativity around spatial orientations and how choreography can be manipulated to be performed without a specified ‘front’.
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Floor Pattern Map The M shape image of the map on page 20 represents your spatial pattern in the room (birds eye view)
1. Using your phrase created in Part A, use the floor pattern map (or create your own). Start at the beginning of the M shaped Map (at the circle shape) and choreographically make your way around the space following the shape of an M (the map) 2. At every Shape location, change the direction your choreography faces. 3. There are more shapes and changes of direction than phrases, so plan how you’ll travel through the space. You might choose to repeat a phrase. 4. When creating your phrase to move along the map, be mindful of where your audience may be and work towards creating your phrase that reads from all directions.
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Exploring the Stimulus Part B: Creative Development Task - Solo Creation (continued)
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Reflective Task
Suggested Questions for Discussion Write down your initial thoughts after watching Up Close: Somos. You may wish to brainstorm this as a group. Use the questions below to assist with articulating your thoughts and ideas: •
What sections, movements or pieces did you like or dislike, and why? Can you describe these using the elements of dance?
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What feelings or emotions did you experience when watching the work? What specifically about the performance made you feel this way?
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What did the work make you think about?
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What is your interpretation of the work? Compare and contrast your interpretation of Somos with someone else’s.
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Did you observe any choreographic tools used throughout the work such as symmetrical and asymmetrical movements, unison, repetition, canon, group formations and changes of directions and levels? How did these impact on your interpretation of the work?
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How did having lyrics in the music influence the way you viewed the performance?
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How did the different aspects (movement, music, set, lighting and costumes) impact your experience?
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After considering all the aspects above, would you recommend the performance to someone else?
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Written Appreciation Task Writing a review Using your notes from the Reflective Task, write a review of Up Close: Somos Consider who you are writing for and where the review will be published to inform the style of writing You can present your review as one of the following • • • •
Newspaper or online article Podcast Social Media influencer video Written essay
Your review must include the following elements and use descriptive words to be clear in your explanations • • • • •
First Impression Description Interpretation Compare and contrast of the works Evaluation (informed criticism)
Description
Compare and contrast
The description should describe WHAT happened in Up Close: Somos and what the performance looked like. You can note how many dancers were in each of the sections, who they were, and what they were wearing. Include the type of movement used, the music used; the lighting before, during, and at the end of the works; and the overall atmosphere of the performance.
After analyzing each of the pieces, you can discuss how each of the songs and pieces relate to each other. What were the contrasting elements?
Interpretation The interpretation of the performance is entirely up to the audience. This step answers the WHY question. What did the dance mean to you and why? What connections or relationships did you see between the performers and each other or between the movement and the music?
Evaluation The evaluation answers the question: “Did the dance do what it set out to do?” The evaluation is a place to discuss live performance aspects and identify areas of improvement, or what you might like to see next.
Is the theme obvious or is there a memory or story you can relate to? How would you describe your mood after watching the dance and what contributed to your reaction?
You can read some examples of review here: • •
Timeout Review - Impermanence Dance Magazine Review - ab [intra]
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Appreciation Task Creative Response A creative response is another way for you to communicate how the performance made you feel, or what impact it made on you. Using a medium that you feel comfortable with, express your reaction to Up Close: Somos. The creative response doesn’t have to be a polished artistic product, but rather is a way of processing your personal response to the show. This is also a way in which art can inspire more art.
Some examples of a creative response could be in the form of: • • • • • •
drawing or painting photography sculpture collage poetry writing
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