Hidden Exposure - Working Diary :: Drama

Hidden Exposure - Working Diary =============================== This is a written analysis and evaluation of the creative process leading up to, and applied during, the dance performance of 'Hidden Exposure', based on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Dreams. The piece, was choreographed by 'Dance Performance Experience' year 2, and performed on January 13, 1998. The aims of this 'Dance Performance' module were to apply newly learnt techniques, movement skills, and the research of existing practitioners, combine them with existing dance skills and knowledge to create an original innovative dance performance. Members of the class will choreograph sections, with the common theme, in pairs or individually that will be put together to create a collage style dance. Each individually choreographed section should make use of some recurring motifs and demonstrate contact improvisation where possible. Before we started any of our own choreography we had to decide on a stimuli. This is very important, as it will be the idea that all movements are representing. This is called Ideational Stimuli and is when "the movement is stimulated and formed with the intention to convey an idea or tell a story."[1], as opposed to us taking a piece of music and dancing to it. As a group we had many ideas to choose from but after weighing out the options we opted for OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The idea of counting within the disorder gives us a good basis for a dance, because we perform to a beat, or a count, usually of eight. It is an interesting subject with much scope for contact improvisation, or non-contact, as the sufferers would prefer. The stimulus for the dance, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is a condition that affects approximately 2.5% of the UK population. More common in females than males, the sufferer has an irresistible impulse to perform relatively meaningless acts repeatedly and in a specific manner. Compulsive persons do not enjoy their ritualistic behaviour and view the activity as foreign to their personality. They are unaware of the absurdity of their behaviour and yet are unable to stop it. Compulsive hand washers may wash their hands several times in an hour. In addition to being time consuming, compulsions can be costly to a person's well being. Other common compulsions are counting things to make sure that they are all there, checking the placements of objects, checking appliances are switched off, Exercising, cleaning, and feeling suffocated. (See appendix 1) A dance session should always start with a warm up; this comprises of warming up the different body parts in a range of exercises. Start, standing in parallel, beginning with the head and neck, we gently roll the head slowly to the left and then to the right repeating this