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Swansong 1987. Christopher Bruce COSTUME. Objectives. You will know the costumes worn by the dancers in Swansong You will understand the contributions costumes can make to a performance piece. Costumes - Description.
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Swansong 1987 Christopher Bruce COSTUME
Objectives • You will know the costumes worn by the dancers in Swansong • You will understand the contributions costumes can make to a performance piece
Costumes - Description • The victim wears a faded red t-shirt, blue denim jeans and black jazz shoes. His hair is loose and scruffy. • The guards wear identical ‘uniforms’, khaki shirt and trousers and black jazz shoes with a rubber toe tap (No military badges). Their hair is gelled back and slick.
Costume Contributions – Christopher Bruce • In Swansong, the costumes make a contribution, they allow us to... The costume design suggests the PRESENT DAY. The victim is dressed in blue jeans and a red t shirt, while the interrogators wear khaki coloured trousers and shirts. • Identify GENDER – Both the victim and the guards are wearing costumes that identify them as men. Trousers/jeans for example. Women have played both roles however. • Identify a CHARACTER – It is easy to pick out the guards with their military inspired ‘uniform’ and the victim with his scruffy faded jeans and t-shirt. Each character has a distinctly different costume. • Supports the THEME – The scruffy clothing worn by the victim supports the theme of a prisoner of conscience.
Costume Contributions – Christopher Bruce • COMPLEMENTS OTHER COMPONENTS – The simple costumes complement the simple set design and lighting to create a dull, uninviting atmosphere. • Show STATUS – The fact the interrogators are dressed alike, in ‘uniform’ implies they may be guards or soldiers but they do not have any military badges. This suggests authority and status. • Allows EASE OF MOVEMENT – The victims t shirt is loose fitting allowing him to move his arms free from restriction. • Identifies GROUPS – The guards are dressed identically thus allowing us to see them as one group.
Costume Contributions – Christopher Bruce • SOCIAL CONTEXT – The prison appears to be particularly repressive due to the use of colour. The costumes suggest a sense of interrogation. • ShowBODYLINE – All characters wear tight-fitting trousers to emphasise line and sculpt the body. • Suggests a DANCE STYLE – The black dance shoes worn by all dancers suggest the dance styles of ballet, jazz and contemporary. The rubber taps worn on the shoes of the guards suggests tap dancing.
Describing a costume... • As the costumes in Swansong are so simple make sure you include as much detail about them as you can. • If you are asked to describe a costume it is important to be clear on which one you are describing... the victim or the guards. • This is simply about saying what you see – • colour – style – shape – material – typeof clothing...
Interpreting a costume... • Here they want you to use the features already discussed, e.g. gender, status, body line. • You must say how the costume contributes to the dance work.
Costume task... Draw and label the dancers costumes and then complete all the questions below.