Monday, February 28, 2011
How to Throw Punches Without Getting Hurt
NYTimes.com: "THE explosive and angst-ridden writhing, jerking and lunging that Steven Hoggett choreographed for the musical “American Idiot” is hardly typical of Broadway dancing, and to some theatergoers (including, apparently, the Tony voters last season) the approach was not necessarily impressive. Still, the merit of the movement there and in most shows is ultimately a matter of taste. Sometimes, though, the choreography in a show can be just plain incorrect.
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5 comments:
Although this new approach to dance may not be initially accepted as shown by the success of the "American Idiot" choreography, it is definitely exciting to hear talk of a new approach. We constantly see inspiring choreographers create beautifully creative pieces but how often do we actually see them reinvent the wheel or define a new style? The approach to "Beautiful Burnout" is taking a risk which could inspire a new way to dance. It may not take right away, or at all, but at least the choreographers and reaching out to find something new. It makes me wonder how different "West Side Story" would look if fighting influence the choreography more than ballet.
I agree that this sounds like some interesting work. I think this approach to choreography, and perhaps even the fact that it lacks that "normal" background, is an interesting step forward. It is devised work. It is from people not classically trained in the field. It has the same intention, some of the same ideas, but a different process. Having watched Black Watch at St. Ann's, which the article makes repeated mention of , I can attest first hand that that the people behind this work have an interesting and successful background in movement work.
To me this sounds like a combination of dancing and fight choreography. I wonder if they had a fight consultant on the show. From the sound of it I don't think they did. I don't understand why they wouldn't. If they are concerned with the boxing looking real, they should have brought in an expert to collaborate with them.
However, I think they went through the process correctly. They taught some basics, kept it slow, and built the scenes punch by punch. But are they really landing punches on stage? That is a dangerous prospect. It is amazing that no one has been injured yet, but with a long run like this, it is only a matter of time. I am sure the injuries will be minor (unlike Spider-Man), but they will happen. I hope they are prepared for that.
This is certainly a different approach than, say, West Side Story. I like it for it's authenticity. Research on the proper way to fight is important in a piece like this, because stage combat choreography can often be funny when it isn't done well, and I don't think American Idiot is looking to be a mockery. I thought it was interesting how long in advance the actors were expected to start working. It said they got a stipend to learn boxing themselves; I'm wondering if they got paid for the time as well.
I wonder how feasible it is to rotate a person in and out if need be due to injury or sickness. From what they have described, it sounds like a very trust based system. I'm curious if what they have can allow for it, or do they have to have the same people every night because it's that intense of a choreography.
Bouncing off what Cody said, I too found it interesting when reading this article that there was no mention of a fight director. My assumption would want one for a piece of this nature. It seems like the took a group fight direction approach instead.
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