Dance_Analysis

Jerick Catral Dance Analysis: Caught by David Parsons In the dance Caught by David Parsons, we observe a performance that attempts to create the eerie experience of observing something supernatural. In the introductory scene of the performance, we observe a solitary dancer dressed in white pants. This works very well in contrast with the dark background. We can clearly tell that he is the focus of the dance, as the solitary beam of light would suggest. The music played sounds computer generated and unnatural. It is highly irregular, off-rhythm, and inconsistent. However, while the same sounds are being repeated, they are not being repeated at a consistent rhythm. The movement of the dancer follows this music in its inconsistency. We often see him freezing his body in a very awkward position. The dancer also moves along a path instructed created by a beam of light. However, he chooses to transfer from one to one slowly, often performing a few movement before moving on to the next one. Eventually, the strobe effects come into play, and we observe him moving across the stage with the same stance or position, but at different locations. He will assume one position at a location, click the strobe on once, and then move a few feet or so across, assume the same position, and then click the strobe on once again. This effect makes it seem as if he is floating across the stage. By blocking out the transition into his different stances, we focus on the final product, and see only what he desires us to see. In his last movement though, we are allowed to see him fall after his jump. The final movement suggests that he was floating above the stage during the period the strobe light was in effect. What does it all mean' One possible interpretation of the dance would be that the dancer is trying to create the experience of observing something seemingly unnatural by excluding certain details. The awkward contortions, and off-rhythm music, and use of strobe effects would certainly suggest that the dancer is trying to demonstrate something that is unnatural. The choice of clothing however, adds emphasis to the natural. Perhaps the dancer chose this wardrobe to effectively contrast his natural attributes with the unnatural rhythm of the performance.