week eleven, critical review of dance piece #3
‘Emergence’ by Crystal Pite is a powerful ensemble piece inspired by the idea of many, ‘swarm intelligence and the nature of bees and ants and how their societies work and function’. Pite looked closely at ‘the writings of Thomas D. Seeley and his colleagues at Cornell who have identified some basic characteristics of a swarm that they believe define the nature of highly intelligent groups’, which allowed her to explore the collaborative decision-making of bees. Avoiding the restrictive hierarchy of a ballet company, this excerpt from ‘Emergence’ shows the powerful force of dancers each providing their own contribution to create an electrifying energy on stage. Each seemingly simple movement connects with another, forming an entrancing piece of choreography derived from the collaboration of Pite and her dancers.
The swirling, black, intimidating backdrop provides a menacing and dramatic atmosphere for the swarming dancers on stage, almost as if they have emerged out from the black hole behind them and have taken flight through their dance. The black leotards and combat trousers worn by the dancers blend seamlessly into the surroundings, their boldness and simplicity being both effective and ensuring there is no distraction from the intense choreography. Pite begins the piece with the male and female dancers separated from one another, dancing in segregated colonies in each corner of the stage. The female dancers wear pointe shoes, elongating their spider-like extensions in each slicing arabesque and providing a new dynamic to Pite’s choreography, with impressively executed pirouettes and sharp relevés. Precise and angular port de bras create a striking aura around the male dancers, who delve between low level movement with deep contractions and expansive chest lines and soaring leaps to emulate the unpredictable and fleeting movement of bees. As the female dancers exit the stage for a short period of time, they are immediately replaced by more male dancers, suggesting the enormity of the swarm and showing how they work as one, filling in the gaps when members can’t be present in order to maintain the powerful force of the group. Building the energy through the repetition of arms cutting through the air into an exquisitely precise open fifth and then back behind their heads with raised elbows, the ensemble become a captivating pact on stage, drawing the audience in with their faultless unison. This is followed by the transition from orange lighting to blue, which immediately changes the fiery, intense and buzzing atmosphere in the opening of the piece to an eerie and chilling one.
Owen Belton’s combination of acoustic and electronic instruments and computer processing techniques emulates the buzzing of bees and emphasises the mass of dancers on stage through its’ alluring impact. The harsh and groaning beat which dominates the music mimics the sound of a marching, ‘to signify the power and ominous presence of the body politic’, allowing the audience to understand Pite’s message about the immense strength of the collaboration of many. Furthermore, the piece culminates with the breathy chant of the dancers, counting together as an impressive unit, creating an uneasy but alluring atmosphere.
Emergence shows great contrast to the duets in dance piece 1 and 2, as this piece was one of the largest groups Pite had worked with, after being given the opportunity to choreograph for the National Ballet of Canada in their project called ‘Innovation’ in 2009. Seeing Pite’s choreography on a larger scale made it even more impactful for me, as the use of unison throughout the piece made even her most simple movements greatly effective. Personally, I believe that ‘Emergence’ showcases a blend of dynamics seen in piece 1 and 2, as Pite combines the breathtaking port de bras seen in ‘Flight Pattern’, with the fierce dynamics of ’The Season’s Canon’, which brings an exciting and modern feel to her choreography. This current feel to her work is also enhanced by the use of pointe work and neoclassical style shown in this piece.
Citations/quotes that I have used in this piece and any research to help me has come from this website:
Lea-Saxton, C. (2019). Emergence | Crystal Pite | Pacific Northwest Ballet. [online] Pacific Northwest Ballet. Available at: https://www.pnb.org/repertory/emergence/ [Accessed 27 Nov. 2019].
Emergence by Crystal Pite (link to section that I have reviewed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88mnjR9ejxs
The swirling, black, intimidating backdrop provides a menacing and dramatic atmosphere for the swarming dancers on stage, almost as if they have emerged out from the black hole behind them and have taken flight through their dance. The black leotards and combat trousers worn by the dancers blend seamlessly into the surroundings, their boldness and simplicity being both effective and ensuring there is no distraction from the intense choreography. Pite begins the piece with the male and female dancers separated from one another, dancing in segregated colonies in each corner of the stage. The female dancers wear pointe shoes, elongating their spider-like extensions in each slicing arabesque and providing a new dynamic to Pite’s choreography, with impressively executed pirouettes and sharp relevés. Precise and angular port de bras create a striking aura around the male dancers, who delve between low level movement with deep contractions and expansive chest lines and soaring leaps to emulate the unpredictable and fleeting movement of bees. As the female dancers exit the stage for a short period of time, they are immediately replaced by more male dancers, suggesting the enormity of the swarm and showing how they work as one, filling in the gaps when members can’t be present in order to maintain the powerful force of the group. Building the energy through the repetition of arms cutting through the air into an exquisitely precise open fifth and then back behind their heads with raised elbows, the ensemble become a captivating pact on stage, drawing the audience in with their faultless unison. This is followed by the transition from orange lighting to blue, which immediately changes the fiery, intense and buzzing atmosphere in the opening of the piece to an eerie and chilling one.
Owen Belton’s combination of acoustic and electronic instruments and computer processing techniques emulates the buzzing of bees and emphasises the mass of dancers on stage through its’ alluring impact. The harsh and groaning beat which dominates the music mimics the sound of a marching, ‘to signify the power and ominous presence of the body politic’, allowing the audience to understand Pite’s message about the immense strength of the collaboration of many. Furthermore, the piece culminates with the breathy chant of the dancers, counting together as an impressive unit, creating an uneasy but alluring atmosphere.
Emergence shows great contrast to the duets in dance piece 1 and 2, as this piece was one of the largest groups Pite had worked with, after being given the opportunity to choreograph for the National Ballet of Canada in their project called ‘Innovation’ in 2009. Seeing Pite’s choreography on a larger scale made it even more impactful for me, as the use of unison throughout the piece made even her most simple movements greatly effective. Personally, I believe that ‘Emergence’ showcases a blend of dynamics seen in piece 1 and 2, as Pite combines the breathtaking port de bras seen in ‘Flight Pattern’, with the fierce dynamics of ’The Season’s Canon’, which brings an exciting and modern feel to her choreography. This current feel to her work is also enhanced by the use of pointe work and neoclassical style shown in this piece.
Citations/quotes that I have used in this piece and any research to help me has come from this website:
Lea-Saxton, C. (2019). Emergence | Crystal Pite | Pacific Northwest Ballet. [online] Pacific Northwest Ballet. Available at: https://www.pnb.org/repertory/emergence/ [Accessed 27 Nov. 2019].
Emergence by Crystal Pite (link to section that I have reviewed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88mnjR9ejxs
This blog is laid out really well and the use of pictures give the reader insight of what your are talking about. The detail you have gone into about the piece ‘Emergence’ highlights your knowledge and understanding of the piece. The way you have gone into detail about the music accompanied by the piece is really good and I love the fact you have described the piece as ‘harsh’, how does the music give you the idea of ‘harsh’?
ReplyDeleteThankyou Abi. I found the music to be harsh because of the repetition of the booming beat which reminded me of a powerful march. Furthermore, the intensity of this beat is even more apparent due to the atmospheric sound that it cuts through, which almost sounds like the wind blowing or a whisper.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very clear and detailed blog. I agree with Abi’s comment about the pictures, it really adds to your blog in a very positive way. You have analysed each part of the dance very well, including discussing the dress codes and setting within the piece. Well done Daisy.
ReplyDeleteThankyou for your comment, Rachel.
DeleteWell done! You have paid amazing attention to detail and have thoroughly analysed this piece. Now that you have reviewed all three of Pite's works, which one were you most drawn to and likely to use aspects of in your own choreography?
ReplyDeleteThankyou Caitlyn. I was most drawn to 'Flight Pattern', as I found it to be the most moving, emotional and thought-provoking. After watching this piece, I had a genuine interest in researching the refugee crisis further, as I feel as though this is a topic that I haven't seen spoken about very much in the media. I also loved the intimacy, delicacy and power of the movement in this piece, and the fluidity and expansive port de bras, combined with deep and grounded transitions was something that I found particularly inspiring for my own work.
DeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your review and agreeing with the previous comments, the presentation of the blog overall is very clear.
ReplyDeleteYou go into a lot of depth when discussing the contrast of Pite's two works however I want to know which you preferred and why?
Thankyou Hannah, my favourite piece was Flight Pattern and I have explained why this is in my reply to Caitlyn.
DeleteExcellent work! Your detailed critical analysis shows clear understanding of Crystal Pite alongside her choreographic work. Was the piece successful, how did it make you feel? Do you think the purpose of the piece came across successfully as an audience? Was there any parts you liked/ disliked? Why? Reflecting back at all three pieces, which piece was your favourite and why?
ReplyDeleteThankyou Miss Norman. Personally, I believe that if I had watched this piece without already knowing what it was about, I would have struggled to come to the conclusion that it was about swarm intelligence, as this is such a unique concept. However, I still believe that this piece is successful because although the exact meaning behind it wasn't clear to me, I felt empowered and engaged by the use of unison and I thought that the relationship between all the dancers on stage was engaging and impactful. I understood the idea that when working together, this was when the most intense and exciting energy was created on stage. My favourite part was the moments of unison at the end, combined with the breathy and passionate counting of the dancers, sounding like a booming chant. I didn't particularly like the formation of the piece with the separation of female and male dancers because I felt as though the segregation was slightly contradictory to the intention of the piece. I also struggled to know what to watch, as the stage was quite chaotic and busy, which I found to be slightly distracting rather than interesting. Reflecting back, my favourite piece was 'Flight Pattern' as I found it to be the most moving, emotional and thought-provoking. After watching this piece, I had a genuine interest in researching the refugee crisis further, as I feel as though this is a topic that I haven't seen spoken about very much in the media. I also loved the intimacy, delicacy and power of the movement in this piece, and the fluidity and expansive port de bras, combined with deep and grounded transitions was something that I found particularly inspiring for my own work.
Delete