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Swansong 
Choreography:​​ ​Christopher​ ​Bruce 
Lighting:​​ ​David​ ​Mohr 
Accompaniment:​ ​Phillip​ ​Chambon 
Costume​ ​designer:​​ ​ ​Christopher​ ​Bruce 
 
Dance​ ​company:  
•​ ​Rambert​ ​Dance​ ​Company 
•​ ​1st​ ​performance:​ ​November​ ​1987 
Dance​ ​style: 
•​ ​Contemporary,​ ​with​ ​physical​ ​contact,​ ​some​ ​balletic​ ​movements 
•​ ​References​ ​to​ ​social​ ​dance,​ ​ballroom,​ ​theatrical​ ​dance​ ​&​ ​tap 
Choreographic​ ​Style: 
•​ ​Episodic,​ ​Dramatic,​ ​Thematic 
Dancers: 
•​ ​3​ ​of​ ​the​ ​same​ ​gender​ ​(male​ ​dancers​ ​originally) 
 
Stimulus: 
•​ ​Amnesty​ ​International:​ ​treatment​ ​of​ ​prisoners 
•​ ​Novel​ ​“A​ ​Man”​ ​by​ ​Oriana​ ​Fallaci:​ ​describes​ ​prisoners​ ​being​ ​tortured 
Theme: 
•​ ​Human​ ​rights 
•​ ​Prisoner​ ​of​ ​Conscience:​ ​Someone​ ​not​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​something,​ ​physically​ ​restrained  
 
Structure: 
•​ ​Introduction​ ​followed​ ​by​ ​7​ ​sections 
•​ ​The​ ​prisoner​ ​is​ ​on​ ​stage​ ​at​ ​all​ ​times;​ ​guards​ ​aren’t  
• 1st​ ​solo​ ​in​ ​section​ ​3,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​continued​ ​in​ ​5​ ​&​ ​7 
•​ ​Motifs​ ​presented​ ​in​ ​1st​ ​solo​ ​are​ ​repeated​ ​&​ ​developed​ ​in​ ​the​ ​following​ ​solos 
 
Description​ ​of​ ​Lighting: 
•​ ​Faded​ ​colour,​ ​dark,​ ​gloomy 
•​ ​White​ ​diagonal​ ​light 
•​ ​Floodlights 
•​ ​Interrogation​ ​section:​ ​overhead​ ​lighting​ ​placed​ ​above​ ​chair 
•​ ​During​ ​prisoner’s​ ​solo:​ ​shaft​ ​of​ ​white​ ​light,​ ​upstage​ ​left,​ ​diagonal 
 
Effects​ ​of​ ​Lighting: 
•​ ​Time​ ​of​ ​day 
•​ ​Context​ ​&​ ​Social​ ​Context 
•​ ​Mood/atmosphere 
•​ ​Highlights​ ​dancers/groups​ ​of​ ​dancers 
•​ ​Aids​ ​the​ ​theme/narrative 
•​ ​Creates​ ​naturalistic​ ​environment 
•​ ​Highlights​ ​structure/sections​ ​of​ ​dance 
•​ ​Symbolism 
Evaluation: 
•​ ​The​ ​lighting​ ​is​ ​very​ ​successful​ ​in​ ​communicating​ ​the​ ​theme​ ​as​ ​it​ ​portrays​ ​the​ ​narrative​ ​of​ ​being​ ​in​ ​a​ ​prison 
cell
...
​ ​Hair 
•​ ​Enhances​ ​the​ ​authority​ ​of​ ​the​ ​guards​ ​over​ ​the​ ​prisoner,​ ​enhances​ ​the​ ​narrative 
•​ ​Shows​ ​how​ ​the​ ​prisoner​ ​is​ ​being​ ​treated 
 
2
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​ ​When​ ​the​ ​music​ ​is​ ​fast​ ​and​ ​strong,​ ​the​ ​dance​ ​becomes​ ​more​ ​dynamic 
 
Movement 
Motif​ ​1​ ​-​ ​Solo 
•​ ​Physically​ ​changes​ ​with​ ​guards​ ​leave 
•​ ​solo 
 
Action: 
•​ ​Sat​ ​on​ ​chair,​ ​centre​ ​forward​ ​on​ ​stage,​ ​chest​ ​forward​ ​onto​ ​lap 
•​ ​Reaching​ ​right​ ​arm​ ​forward,​ ​left​ ​to​ ​side,​ ​with​ ​resistance 
•​ ​Slowly​ ​crouches​ ​out​ ​of​ ​chair 
•​ ​Gradually​ ​makes​ ​quarter​ ​turn​ ​to​ ​stage​ ​right 
•​ ​crouches​ ​on​ ​feet​ ​arms​ ​pushing​ ​behind,​ ​bird​ ​like,​ ​elbows​ ​first,​ ​sustained 
 
Motif​ ​2​ ​-​ ​Interrogation 
Action:  
•​ ​Tap​ ​steps/actions​ ​(stamp​ ​x2,​ ​toe​ ​taps/beats) 
•​ ​hand​ ​gestures/claps 
•​ ​turns 

•​ ​looks​ ​towards​ ​victim 
Space: 
•​ ​Directly​ ​in​ ​from​ ​up​ ​stage​ ​right,​ ​from​ ​wings​ ​(same​ ​exit​ ​&​ ​entrance​ ​for​ ​guards) 
•​ ​Gravitate​ ​towards​ ​victim,​ ​then​ ​away,​ ​then​ ​to​ ​either​ ​side​ ​of​ ​him;​ ​ends​ ​the​ ​phrase​ ​close​ ​to​ ​victim 
Dynamics: 
•​ ​Fast​ ​taps,​ ​increasing​ ​when​ ​dancing​ ​in​ ​unison 
•​ ​Springy,​ ​spongy 
•​ ​Sharp 
•​ ​Low​ ​&​ ​heavy;​ ​puts​ ​emphasis​ ​on​ ​certain​ ​taps 
•​ ​Moment​ ​of​ ​silence​ ​creating​ ​tension 
Relationships​: 
•​ ​Unison 
•​ ​Canon​ ​(claps) 
•​ ​1​ ​guard​ ​enters​ ​and​ ​the​ ​other​ ​follows​ ​&​ ​meets​ ​him 
•​ ​Victim​ ​doesn’t​ ​move​ ​from​ ​chair,​ ​he​ ​responds​ ​only​ ​with​ ​looks 
 
Section​ ​Analysis 
Third​ ​(and​ ​final)​ ​Solo​ ​-​ ​Section​ ​2 
•​ interrogators​ ​are​ ​onstage​ ​but​ ​motionless​;​ ​implication​ ​is​ ​victim​ ​has​ ​died 
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•​ ​audience​ ​are​ ​watching​ ​the​ ​spirit​ ​perform​ ​the​ ​final​ ​solo,​ ​victim​ ​performs​ similar​ ​material​ ​to​ ​first​ ​2​ ​solos​,​ ​but 
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movements​ ​are​ ​more​ birdlike​,​ ​suggesting​ freedom 
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•​ ​finishes​ ​with​ ​victim​ ​turning​ ​to​ ​smile​ ​at​ ​interrogators​​ ​before​ ​moving​ ​into​ ​the​ ​light 
 
 



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