Choreographer: Katy Biver

Dancers: Sarah Lammie, Sarah Legowski, Amanda Smith, Meghan Tippy

Music: “Chi Mi Na Morbheanna” performed by the Rankin Family from The Planet Sleeps

Anticipated Performances:

American College Dance Festival Informal 2003, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Knox College Spring Formal Dance Concert 2003
 

Duration: 9 Minutes

Concept:

            I often dream choreography. One night during fall term 2002 I fell asleep and dreamt of choreographing a dance about sleep and dreams. The dream was very soft and tender, safe and maternal, warm and fuzzy. The ease and lightness of how the dancers moved together was soothing. They moved in and out and became one person and then several again. I woke up and thought, “how silly,” but then couldn’t get it out of my head. Movement ideas started coming to me and I assembled a beautiful and talented cast. When performed, the movement has an ebb-and-flow feeling to it. The breath in and out is the constant, but it never gets frantic or busy. The dancers care for each other and are nurturing and protective. The breath and weight of sleep are carried through the movement. My movement notes have not been changed from how they were originally written.
 

The Movement:

            Meghan starts DL (downstage left)—“s” sit, head down and arms up. She is asleep and not asleep and her movement goes at the same tempo throughout. Her movement has the same feel as the CR (center stage right) scenario in its softness but contrasts it with its technicality. Her head slowly looks up, she brings her torso up with her head, R arm reaches back, up to high on knee, step R foot through, L foot up to standing (arms wrapped)

            At the same time the Sarahs & Amanda go through “waking up” scenario— caring, maternal, soft. They pull each other into the dream. Are they awake? Are they asleep? Everything is so soft and almost floating.

            They join Meghan standing and wrapped (ideally these moments match up—Meghan never really stops, the others just come into the movement with grace and perfect ease).

            All together and with the breath: R foot up to II passé, bent over in contraction, step out with R foot, L foot up to attitude, reach down, contraction in lumbar and L foot stretches at the same time, L leg brushes against ground and out to front corner one, rond de jambé en l’air around to corner two, bend knee and tuck leg behind with deep plié, arms wrap around head and beautiful arabesque with shoulders pinched and palms facing in (but not strained). Hold arabesque for a long breath and step behind self and walk upstage to straight line very close. Head pulls us around to the front and we begin.

            Quartet (we are truly together, moving together and experiencing together, we have entered this space together, we are one and we are four)—L arm behind person to L, up to relevé, R hand flat and out to audience then up overhead as L hand drops to L hip then arch back slightly, hands then meet in center (palms out) and switch positions. R hand goes behind next person’s waist, L arm brushes up in front all the way overhead while L leg extends out at a diagonal tendu, back to neutral. Exact opposite extension but this time R hand stays over and comes down in front with palm out, then turn to corner two. It almost feels like we’re swimming but without the effort. Floating, maybe.

            Person 1 (Amanda) and 3 (Legowski) step out to grande plié in second position and swishy arms, then feet back together and wrists high, then slowly lower as 2 (Meghan) and 4 (Lammie) do the same. All repeat at same time but 1 and 3 go same direction as before while 2 and 4 go the other way. This movement is a little different but it has the feel of riding a gentle breeze; we go up and down but are never in danger.

            All, windmill arms into vertical line and lean away from center (1 and 3 L, 2 and 4 R). Dancers’ heads pull them in a complete circle and leaning back with arms pulling away and high. Person 1 starts windmill, turns in place and others add on in cannon (three total), on last turn get self to horizontal again. The windmill has a very definite lift to it. Through the center and through the chest and through the neck, head, shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand. We pause briefly in between each turn because it’s like a ride. We ride the momentum of the lift.

            Facing front—same grande plié in second with swishy arms but 1 and 3 L, 2 and 4 high up. Then 1 and 3 do legs together wrist action while 2 and 4 reach L and grab something and pull it back to second plié. Swishy down while 1 and 3 swishy up, 1 and 3 grab thing on L while 2 and 4 are legs together wrist actions then 2 and 4 pull R.

            All windmill to penchée on other side, then pinch with hands flat on the ground. Walk self to back and other side, stand up (in diagonal) and lower arms (1 and 3 R, 2 and 4 L).

            1 and 3 contract in, hands on thighs, 2 and 4 gently grab them by their necks and walk to R of them and both counter-stretch away from center—this action has a very protective feel to it. And up and facing each other, counter stretch again—partners facing in towards each other.

            Step into diagonal. Hands to elbows in front and lean head back onto person behind. We close our eyes for a moment and breath. Gently push elbows and arms to high and stand straight. As we lower our arms and step into a straight line…

Person 1 softly begins to fall, we help.

Person 3 softly begins to fall, we help.

Person 2 softly begins to fall, we help.

            Person 4—double contraction, then we gently lay her down onto the ground and go to sleep with her. We softly move around each other. Amanda, Meghan, and Legowski move to hands and knees, making a platform. Lammie has a moment by herself—focus on the face—soft and sleepy and happy. One hand moves around and pulls her one way and then the other. She eases herself onto the platform the others have made.

Sleep.

            We still hear the breath as the three go from neutral to cat to neutral to cow giving a gentle rocking motion, lulling her to sleep. They are not static. They are asleep but the dance continues.