Dance artist Susan Thomasson has been working with our class on the meaning of gestures, and how they communicate meaning.

Understood Gestures understood without words: prayer, salute, multiple meaning gestures

Gestures with a special meaning: V for "victory", "peace", "request for silence"
Socially acknowledged gestures:hello and goodbye, handshakes, raised hand in class.
Cultural gesture: bowing, curtsy

The class rehearsed gestures and movements that created patterns.
These gestures do not tell stories, but create patterns in space.

While gestures are associated with meaning, we played with and changed those associations. We used those gestures to create new dance forms.

Our challenge: How can entire sentences be communicated through
gesture and movement?

Some ways of using and changing gesture:
1.repetition 2.change of levels  3.change of speed   4. focusing on using different parts of the body 5.varying rhythm 6.changing energy  7.walking, turning, jumping 8. changing one's place in space 9.changing the size of the gesture (small movement becomes exaggerated)

 The class took on the role of Gesture Detective.  We tried to
  find gestures that communicate feelings, nervousness,
work gestures, and daily gestures in a social context.

    RECOGNIZABLE PATTERNS:   life cycles (of cell development, of growth of man), colors  clothing designs.

Elements of a pattern required in order to be recognized: repetition, order, the same sequence

1. Students work in groups. Each group chooses 4 different gestures.  Students express those gestures in the same way using different parts of the body in a variety of ways.
2. Every group performs its four gestures in unison and then in a canon.  The gestures have been dissociated from any story and original meaning. They are set to music and are performed as dance.

Group 1: "Time out" gesture is enlarged and exaggerated. Cheering becomes cheering and hopping forward simultaneously.  Stamping is performed in slow motion with each member
falling to the ground.

Group 2: Each group member conducts an orchestra while rotating in quarter turns. The motion of strumming a guitar is enlarged while kneeling.  The group plays the flute while bending.  The violin or cello is played while skipping forward to the rhythm of the music.

Group 3:Group members kneel in a gesture of prayer,  then appear to be thinking as they skip forward and back.  Expressions of surprise with flailing arms follow.  There is a nervous movement of hands with each person making quarter turns.

Group 4:The group moves in unison and then in canon, rubbing tummies while turning to the right, expressing surprise, and then thinking.

Group 5: Sports gestures are used including cheering, time out, and stamping angrily with hands folded. They are combined in an unusual way so that the movements no longer have their original associations.

Visit the Joyce Theater web site:   http://www.joyce.org

                                                              Home

New York State Standards in the Arts
Standard 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the arts
Standard 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art
Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts