The Four Strands of the Medium
Preston Dunlop writes that; ‘The strands of the dance medium are stated in the first place as the performer, the movement, the sound and the space.’ She then goes on to explain that these terms are very general, and are dependent on the circumstances in order to decipher what they are actually referring to (2002, p39).
Performer:
The performer primarily embodies the choreographer’s visions; the way they look, perform and dress are all covered by this strand.
Can include: -Physique -Hair -Ethnicity -Shoes/feet -Technical Ability -Reification - Personal Style -Gender -Costume -Age
Sound:
The sound covers all aural parts of a performance; be this music, speech, or other noises created.
Space:
The space in a performance is not only the stage or wherever it may be being performed, but also the set, lighting, backdrop or anything other that is in the space.
Movement:
The movement covers all the motion in the piece, be it the technique or the action
(Preston-Dunlop, 2002, p41-42)
The Nexus
'The various ways in which the strands interweave and signify in practice gave rise to the concept of the Nexus of the Strands of the Dance Medium, which is a central methodological position in a choreological perspective within the wider concpet of the triadic perspective of the art and dance itself.' (Preston-Dunlop, 2002, p42).
Six Fundamental nexial connections:
The performer-movement connection
The performer-sound connection
The performer-space connection
The movement-sound connection
The movement-space connection
The sound-space connection
These connections can be coexisting, juxtaposed or integrated depending on the way in which they are executed alongside one another.
Six Fundamental nexial connections:
The performer-movement connection
The performer-sound connection
The performer-space connection
The movement-sound connection
The movement-space connection
The sound-space connection
These connections can be coexisting, juxtaposed or integrated depending on the way in which they are executed alongside one another.