Blog Assessment: Task 1

1. Physical theatre is not seen as one singular genre but it can be seen as, fusion of dance and drama where it uses the body to act and express itself. The body becomes the central stage in the devising process where the person can create the character and does not interpret any sort of text like in the conventional stages of drama. The text in a physical theatre is what the person creates from the body language, the use of everyday pedestrian movements, facial expressions and bodily contact. It has opened up doors for many subjects such as, sex, gender and politics. ‘Actions speak louder than words’ e.g. If you want people to believe what you are saying than show them, and this is what physical theatre does, the physical movement delivers the story performers are telling through the body. A majority of the work in physical theatre conveys of signs and ‘interacts with the environment and the consequences upon this subject of an external infringement directed at the body and the personal world it serves to ground’ (Sanchez-Colberg in Keefe, Murray; 2007, p 22, Garner, p.48). The body focuses on the needs in progressing on the language of the body, because the language we speak ‘convey the condition of man in the world’; physical work exposes our feelings and gives the work a whole new purpose.

2. Hybrid character is ‘body focused’ and has a ‘double influence’. Ana Sanchez Colberg describes it being centralised within the theatre space it is a mixture of ‘body/text/theatre'. Ana further explains that the genre that has this ‘double influence’ is not of ‘stylistic features’ but also explains the relationships between performers and the audience. It has a much more large effect then the one genre of dance or just drama on its own and this ‘reality... goes beyond mere representation via the body’ (Sanchez-Colberg in Keefe, Murray; 2007, p 21)
Ionesco explains the work in physical theatre discussing the way we all use our words in gestures and ‘contain mime which at the moment become adequate, take their place’, (Sanchez-Colberg in Keefe, Murray; 2007, p 22). I agree with Ana Sanchez Colberg, no one can define the genre; it is used as a tool to expand in the work of theatre.

3. The Akram Khan Company is well known for its contemporary and Kathak dance. Akrams work focuses on love, culture and acceptance in society. In work such as Zero degrees Akram Khan and ‘Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui the Moroccan-Flemish dancer/choreographer’ have focused on their personal journey. The journey of both performers can relate to people in the audience that have experienced problems they convey ‘In the programme notes, Khan explains that ‘zero degrees’ symbolises the rite of passage between life and death, belonging and non-belonging and most importantly identity and the lack of’ (Mitra, Royona, Dancing Embodiment Theorising Space: Exploring the 'third space' in Akram Khan's zero degrees). The performances show a ‘double influence’ as text is used with movement, just like Ionesco explains to us about the gestures used when we use speech. The fusion of different types of dancing such as the collaboration of contemporary and Kathak is used. Most of the companies work is like a hybrid performance but Zero Degrees is best described as the one that uses body and text the most as Kathak naturally imposes strong body language and expression.




Bibliography.

Article: Dancing Embodiment Theorising Space: Exploring the 'third space' in Akram Khan's zero degrees by Royona Mitra 30 May 2008:
http://www.akramkhancompany.net/html/akram_akram.htm


Keefe, J & Murray, S (2007), Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader. London: Routledge.