within her eyes

• Who is the choreographer of Within Her Eyes?

  James Cousins.
• What is the dance company from Within Her Eyes?

  James Cousins Company.
• What is the date of the first performance of Within Her Eyes?

  February 2016.
• What is the dance style of Within Her Eyes?

  Contemporary/Contact.
• What is the choreographic approach of Within Her Eyes?

  He worked from a narrative.

  An emotional theme.

  he had the physical idea, keeping the female dancer off of the floor.

  Movement was created in collaboration with the other dancing through improvisation. They filmed the improve and then they learnt it back from the video. James then pieced all the segments together into a structure that reflected the narrative arc of the story.
• What is the stimulus of Within Her Eyes.

  James wanted to create a love story with a twist.

  Inspired by his personal experiences and well-known narratives.

  Portrays a unique narrative and combine themes of love, loss, dependency, loyalty, longing and memory.

  Rather than a conventional love story where, despite the bumpy road, the characters end up together. Cousins wanted to flip it around and portray a story where no matter what happened ultimately, they could never be together.
• Who are the dancers in Within Her Eyes?

  1 male and 1 female.
• What is the duration of Within Her Eyes?

  17 minutes.
• What is the structure of Within Her Eyes?

  A prologue followed by six continuous sections defined by changing locations.

  Physicality and music also reflect the developing relationship.

  The overall effect is one seamless journey.
• What is the aural setting of Within Her Eyes?

  The accompaniment is a composition created specifically for the work which evolved alongside the choreography.

  Created by composer Seymour Milton in collaboration with James.

  Combines electronic elements with strings and piano creating a haunting and emotive accompaniment that blends seamlessly with choreography, flowing as one.
• What are the costumes in Within Her Eyes?

  Costumes are stylized everyday clothes.

  Female dancer wears a beige shirt and skirt and the male dancer wears a khaki jumper and jeans.

  Darkness of his costume contrasted with the lightness of hers adds to illusion of her just floating on him in the space.

  Also links him to the earth whereas the lightness of her costume gives her a more ethereal and celestial feel.
• What is the lighting in Within Her Eyes?

  Only the natural light of the environment.

  Development from daytime to evening in to night to show the passage of the time of the relationship.

  The darker setting, towards the end of the duet also adds to the intensity and intimacy of the final section.
• What is the performance environment for Within Her Eyes?

  Sight sensitive, it is also dance for camera.

  Filmed by Scratch.

  Shot and graded to reflect the dark atmosphere of the inspiration.

  After prologue the camera starts very far away from the dancers, giving the feeling that they are completely isolated in their own world; the viewer is a secret observer. Gradually as the dancer's relationship grows closer and stronger, the camera moves in closer but still keeps distance until the first time the dancers look at each other, when it does a close up on their faces.

  Majority of the film is shot with the camera on a track to give it smooth quality.

  Penultimate it switches to a hand-held camera giving a much more raw and unstable feeling, reflecting the female characters heightened emotional state.
• What is the staging and set of Within Her Eyes?


  Set in remote locations to give the feeling of isolation and highlight the characters and their separation from society.

  Locations progress from very open landscapes to more intimate settings to show a passage of time and to reflect their relationship getting more intimate and restricted as it progresses.
• What is the choreographic intention for Within Her Eyes?

  Intention behind "Within Her Eyes" was create a dance film that maintained the emotional intensity and visceral energy of the live stage performance of "There We Have Been" and to portray an abstract tragic love story that is open for interpretation. Female dancer is constantly reaching, wrapping, balancing and falling on and around the male dancer.

  Choreography contrasts the folding into him with the pulling away to highlight the pull she feels to her late lover whilst trying to allow herself to move on with a man who cares so much for her.

  Male dancer never initiates or manipulates, he merely responds to her every devoted to her. He needs her as much as she needs him.

  Mood is very tender, emotional and somber.

  Intensity achieved by having the dancers perform in complete contact, totally dependent on eachother, with the female dancer never once touching the floor throughout the entire duet.

  Creates a very unique vocabulary and style, both physically and emotionally.

  Duet combines both the impressive physicality with a dark, emotional heart, resulting in a daring and intimate work that both moves the audience emotionally and inspires with its physicality.