A Linha Curva

• Choreographer

  Itzik Galili for Rambert
• Movement style

  . samba

  . capoeira

  . contemporary
• Stimulus 


  . A celebration of Brazilian life, having fun, Brazilian culture

  . A linha curva- curved line. deliberate contradiction as the piece uses a lot of straight lines
• Choreographic intention


  . Having fun

  . contradiction between curved and straight lines

  . men showing off to women in brazilian culture/ competing
• Dancers

  28 dancers - 15 male, 13 female
• structure

  . distinct sections - some have grid lighting and others are more narrative (men showing off section)
• performance environment

  end stage
• aural setting

  . chanting - at beginning men chant in a low tone, women in a high tone, introduces theme of having fun

  . The change in sound accompaniment for each section reflects how the sound helps to structure the dance

  . the musicians are on stage ( on a raised platform) to show their significance, in traditional samba the movement and music are as one
• aural setting (pt2)

  . Samba style music played with drums, whistles and shouts from dancers and musicians make it fun and powerful- links to brazilian culture and theme of carnival as samba music is played in streets at a carnival

  . Adage septet- music changes, boomwhackers and cymbals are used to create a mysterious atmosphere, dance movements becomes slow and sustained

  . The dancers' movement reflect samba dance style- stepping, isolated hip swings and weighty movements linked to samba style music
• set design 


  . staging is end stage- audience separated from stage

  . no set, black dance floor and raised platform for musicians upstage, backdrop and wings are also black

  . musicians are integral to piece- music and dance working together as they do within Brazilian culture (stimulus) raised platform allows this without reducing performance space

  . emptiness and blackness of stage creates perfect environment for vibrant lighting design that is so important for the dance
• what prop is used during adage septet?

  skateboards

  . dancers lie on them offstage and propel themselves across the stage while waving their arms and legs- creating straight lines/ pathways

  . provide contrast in levels- low level as other dancers are on middle level
• lighting 


  . 49 overhead colourful lights- 7x7 square grid, programmed in a variety of patterns allowing for single strips to highlight dancers in a pattern (formation- big square)

  . different coloured lights adds excitement to the dance adding to theme of celebration and fun

  . lighting allows for dancers to appear and disappear into light or darkness (as they travel across stage, columns of the grid light up their pathway)
• lighting (pt2)


  . integral to the choreography of a linha curva- working with the movement and sound accompaniment throughout. accompaniment and lighting are linked together electronically to ensure they work together throughout the piece

  . the lighting delineates the space for the dancers, for example they stay in their square during adage septet

  . lighting changes for each section therefore helping to structure the dance
• costume 


  . tight fitting costumes- tight lycra hot pants and sheer black tunic tops allow for the audience to see the body easily

  . shorts made from stretchy fabric to allow dancers to move easily

  . different brightly coloured hot pants reflect celebratory party theme- choreographic intention

  . coloured zips form lines across the body- add to the contradiction behind the title as they create straight lines
• costume (pt2)


  . costumes work with the lighting- chosen so that the dancers disappear when out of light

  . gender specific- large cut out in the back of the men's tunics which they turn around halfway through the dance showing their abdominal muscles, links to theme of men showing off in Brazilian culture