A STUDY OF CHOREOGRAPHER/DANCER COMMUNICATION
A Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of the Department of Theatre Arts
San Jose State University
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
by
KERRY LYNNE DILEONARDO
December 2003
Abstract
REHEARSAL TO PERFORMANCE:
A STUDY OF CHOREOGRAPHER/DANCER COMMUNICATION
By Kerry Lynne DiLeonardo
Within the performing arts, the rehearsal process is the forge of the creative act and is essential to the process of performance. Little systematic study has been undertaken concerning either process. Using multiple approaches, this study examines the rehearsal process of a modern dance company, Company Chaddick, through the creation of a single work. An ethnographic study entailed observation of rehearsals throughout the process. Additionally, a detailed analysis of communication patterns examined channels of communication and spatial orientation during communication. Finally, interviews with the company explored participants' experience of the process. Results of the study indicate that aspects of rehearsal such as play and exploration are essential, both in facilitating the creation of the work and in the process of performance. In the larger context of the performing arts such activities, outside of the literal text or score, may be essential for creating the framework or environment for the performance.
Table of Contents
List of Tables ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉ.ix
Chapter 1 The Study of Choreographer Dancer Interactions Within
the Rehearsal Process ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.É.ÉÉÉ....1
Introduction ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉ...É1
Literature Review ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...É4
Relevance of the Study ÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ7
Methodology ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..É..9
Ethnography ÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ11
Organization ÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ13
Discussion ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..13
Chapter 2 Research Methodologies ÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..14
Laban Movement Analysis ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...É14
Language of Dance® ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.É18
Communication Theory ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉ.ÉÉÉ19
Chapter 3 Ethnographic Study of Rehearsals ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ21
Overview of Observation ÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉ...21
The First Cluster of Rehearsals (November 11, 18, and 25, 2002) ...23
The Second Cluster of Rehearsals (December 14 and 21, 2002) É..26
The Third Cluster of Rehearsals (January 10, 24, and 27, 2003) É.33
Discussion ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.36
Chapter 4 Analysis from Rehearsal Video ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ39
Criteria for Detailed Study ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.39
Recording Communicative EventsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉ.44
Quantitative Considerations ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉ..68
Points in the Rehearsal Process ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..70
Movement Analysis of Spatial Relationships ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ....72
Discussion ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.75
Chapter 5 Interviews with Members of Company ChaddickÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..É..ÉÉ.ÉÉÉ.É É...79
Understandings Predating the Rehearsal Process ÉÉÉÉÉ..É.80
Setting Movement on Dancers ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.É81
Participants' Experience of the Process ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.É.85
Discussion ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉ.89
Chapter 6 Conclusions ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.91
The Elements of Play ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.92
The Element of Exploration ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.93
Multi-Focused Aspect of the Process ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ93
Nonlinear Aspects of Rehearsal ÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.94
Company Chaddick's Performance ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ95
Discussion ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.96
Bibliography ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...100
Appendix A: Human Subject Review Waiver ÉÉÉÉÉÉ...É.ÉÉÉÉ....103
Appendix B: Interview Questions ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉ...É105
Appendix C: Rehearsal Observation Dates ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.107
Appendix D: Recording Worksheet ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉ..ÉÉ..108
List of Tables
Table 3.1 December 14, 2002 (Tape 2): Discussion
Concerning Tai Chi Walks ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉ29
Table 4.1 Index of Rehearsal Video ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ40
Table 4.2 Motif Occurrence in Performance Video .ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ45
Table 4.3 November 11, 2002 (Tape 1 .,ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ......46
Table 4.4 November 18, 2002 (Tape 1) ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉ...49
Table 4.5 November 18, 2002 (Tape 2) ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...51
Table 4.6 November 25, 2002 (Tape 2) ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...52
Table 4.7 December 14, 2002 (Tape 1) ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...54
Table 4.8 December 21, 2002 (Tape 1) ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.É...55
Table 4.9 December 21, 2002 (Tape 2) ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉ...59
Table 4.10 January 10, 2003 (Tape 1) .ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..62
Table 4.11 January 10, 2003 (Tape 2) .ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉ..64
Table 4.12 January 24, 2003 (Tape 2) .ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..66
Table 4.13 Single vs. Multiple Channel Communicative Acts ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ69
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