On Thursday during half term I went up to London with my mum and sister because my sister had been begging for weeks to see the lion king, luckily for me we got a bit lost and ended up walking past the dominion theatre where we will rock you is currently playing and she fell in love with the giant gold Freddie mercury and the pictures all around advertising the show and so we ended up getting tickets for that instead. Happy days
I saw well will rock you about 4 years ago and I loved it back then but seeing it again now means I can appreciate it a lot more because I can understand a lot more of the adult humour and I never fully appreciated the technical side to this show such as the lighting and computer animations which are incredible. Another thing I appreciated a lot more this time round was how well it was written, in my opinion we will rock you doesn’t have the most thrilling story line like musicals such as wicked and les mis do but it’s a perfect story line. I think this because my 9 year old sister understood exactly what was going on and it really thrilled her wondering who the killer queen would catch next and would they ever find the lost instrument, where as when she watched wicked bits had to be explained to her. It’s also the perfect story line because there is a lot of very well carried out adult humour which the adults and older children really love! It’s like it can’t go wrong.
Of course the songs are probably the most amazing part of the whole show because they all come from Queen. They also are fitted in perfectly with the show, like there’s not a single song that you think ‘wow that didn’t need to be there’ showing again how well written it was. The cast this time round were just as perfect as the time before and I think the whole show is just so much fun, you leave feeling really excited almost which doesn’t happen with a lot of musicals, I think the somewhat light-hearted story line helps this a lot because shows like les mis and blood brothers are truly amazing but the story line means you leave feeling like you’ve been on a roller coaster of emotions, unlike we will rock you.
I love this show and it’s my second favourite musical of all time and I could honestly go and watch it every day and not get bored because it just has so many amazing moments in it! I would recommend it to everyone
Sunday, 19 February 2012
variety show
Variety show.
In performing arts now we are working towards a big end of year show that will show off all that we have been learning through the last two years. Firstly we had to pick a theme that would enable us to have a wide variety of acts so we weren’t limited. We toyed with the idea of an Oscar’s themed show and an ‘around the world’ theme but in the end we settled of loosely basing it around the musical ‘Annie’ but focussing more on the dreams of the orphans. Straight away we got started on choreographing the opening number which we decided should be two popular Annie songs ‘maybe’ and ‘its a hard knock life’. We decided for maybe we would just focus on the singing and make sure it sounded good; for it’s a hard knock life we choreographed simple dance moves that fitted well with the musical we had chosen. Rehearsals for both these numbers were very successful and everyone had a lot of good ideas to put forward meaning it was easy for us to get it done quickly which was important as we have a whole show to devise.
To incorporate our costume construction work into our show so because our costumes were made based on the show ‘we will rock you’ the easiest thing for us to do was choreograph a we will rock you number. We settled for two songs ‘don’t stop me now’ and ‘somebody to love’. We choose these songs because they are very well known and there is a lot of room for dance and singing in both of them. Getting a routine devised for ‘don’t stop me now’ proved harder than the Annie songs because everyone had a bit of a different idea about how it should look. I think because a lot of people haven’t seen the show they interpret it differently to those who have but this was interesting because in the end we got a very good routine devised that everyone really loves performing.
In performing arts now we are working towards a big end of year show that will show off all that we have been learning through the last two years. Firstly we had to pick a theme that would enable us to have a wide variety of acts so we weren’t limited. We toyed with the idea of an Oscar’s themed show and an ‘around the world’ theme but in the end we settled of loosely basing it around the musical ‘Annie’ but focussing more on the dreams of the orphans. Straight away we got started on choreographing the opening number which we decided should be two popular Annie songs ‘maybe’ and ‘its a hard knock life’. We decided for maybe we would just focus on the singing and make sure it sounded good; for it’s a hard knock life we choreographed simple dance moves that fitted well with the musical we had chosen. Rehearsals for both these numbers were very successful and everyone had a lot of good ideas to put forward meaning it was easy for us to get it done quickly which was important as we have a whole show to devise.
To incorporate our costume construction work into our show so because our costumes were made based on the show ‘we will rock you’ the easiest thing for us to do was choreograph a we will rock you number. We settled for two songs ‘don’t stop me now’ and ‘somebody to love’. We choose these songs because they are very well known and there is a lot of room for dance and singing in both of them. Getting a routine devised for ‘don’t stop me now’ proved harder than the Annie songs because everyone had a bit of a different idea about how it should look. I think because a lot of people haven’t seen the show they interpret it differently to those who have but this was interesting because in the end we got a very good routine devised that everyone really loves performing.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
costume construction evaluation
EVALUATION
For costume constriction our task was to design a fairy costume for the production of a midsummer night’s dream. We were told to focus on the fairies in the production and design a costume that would be effective on stage as well as easy to dance in and comfortable. It must also fit the theme of a midsummer night’s dream. To make the skirt I folded bits of satin fabric over in two and sewed them onto the top band of the skirt. I did repeat this step with a variety of colours that fit the scheme that I had chosen which were pinks, purples and greens. I choose these colours because they are fairy-like and also have the woodland colours that fit the production. Once I had finished sewing on the satin I added roses and leaves to the skirt to add to the effect it will have on stage and to make it more fairy-like. The leotard and tights were dyed to match the colours id chosen for my skirt and then I sewed on more roses and a few leaves onto the leotard so that it would look prettier and match the skirt better so they look like a proper set. I had to make sure the roses and leaves were secure by adding a few more stitches than really needed as if it was to fall apart on stage the whole effect would be lost and the performer wearing it would be put off. Making this costume was quite easy once id got the hang of sewing on the satin as this was the fiddliest part.
For costume constriction our task was to design a fairy costume for the production of a midsummer night’s dream. We were told to focus on the fairies in the production and design a costume that would be effective on stage as well as easy to dance in and comfortable. It must also fit the theme of a midsummer night’s dream. To make the skirt I folded bits of satin fabric over in two and sewed them onto the top band of the skirt. I did repeat this step with a variety of colours that fit the scheme that I had chosen which were pinks, purples and greens. I choose these colours because they are fairy-like and also have the woodland colours that fit the production. Once I had finished sewing on the satin I added roses and leaves to the skirt to add to the effect it will have on stage and to make it more fairy-like. The leotard and tights were dyed to match the colours id chosen for my skirt and then I sewed on more roses and a few leaves onto the leotard so that it would look prettier and match the skirt better so they look like a proper set. I had to make sure the roses and leaves were secure by adding a few more stitches than really needed as if it was to fall apart on stage the whole effect would be lost and the performer wearing it would be put off. Making this costume was quite easy once id got the hang of sewing on the satin as this was the fiddliest part.
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Chicago and Blood brothers
Yesterday I went to London to see Chicago and I've been waiting so long to see this musical I honestly couldn’t wait. The only film I seem to watch lately is Chicago and I thought the show would be just as spectacular. To start with I was a bit disappointed because I found I really didn’t like the opening. I’m not sure why because the dancing was amazing and the girl playing Velma had such a stunning voice but for me it didn’t feel big enough for some reason. But I quickly fell in love with the whole production and especially the dancing. For me it was really hard not to compare it to the film considering the songs and speech were pretty much the same and this meant at some points I didn’t like how it was carried out on stage but for my mum who had never watched the film before it was amazing and perfectly portrayed on stage.
The dancing was the main thing I noticed throughout because it was so perfect and unique to the show. I started off being really unsure about the band being on the stage because it’s unheard of but I soon realised it made the show and Chicago is probably the only show that can get away with such a bold moved. I think anyone would love this show!
After walking out of the Chicago theatre I jokingly said to my mum that I hadn’t seen blood brother for a few years and thought it was about time I went again... and she said ‘ok is it near here?’ The next thing I know we’ve found half price tickets and are sitting in another theatre for the second time of the day. Best.day.ever!
Blood brothers is the all time perfect musical. It has absolutely everything! And there aren’t that many musicals I’ve seen that I would happily go back to again and again but you can’t ever get bored of this one. It’s so beautifully written and the songs just get to you. There is nothing bad about it at all. It always amazes me how child-like the adults are and they have to go from being impossibly happy to completely depressed and out of hope in such a small space of time it must be very challenging and I admire their talent. I am also very jealous of the performers who get to be in this musical.
Seeing two musicals in one day means you can’t help but compare them. The audience reaction to Chicago was nowhere near as good as the reaction to blood brothers. I think this is because Chicago is a very almost jolly musical despite its somewhat dark themes. Whereas blood brothers is a real journey and people do connect and sympathise a lot more.
The dancing was the main thing I noticed throughout because it was so perfect and unique to the show. I started off being really unsure about the band being on the stage because it’s unheard of but I soon realised it made the show and Chicago is probably the only show that can get away with such a bold moved. I think anyone would love this show!
After walking out of the Chicago theatre I jokingly said to my mum that I hadn’t seen blood brother for a few years and thought it was about time I went again... and she said ‘ok is it near here?’ The next thing I know we’ve found half price tickets and are sitting in another theatre for the second time of the day. Best.day.ever!
Blood brothers is the all time perfect musical. It has absolutely everything! And there aren’t that many musicals I’ve seen that I would happily go back to again and again but you can’t ever get bored of this one. It’s so beautifully written and the songs just get to you. There is nothing bad about it at all. It always amazes me how child-like the adults are and they have to go from being impossibly happy to completely depressed and out of hope in such a small space of time it must be very challenging and I admire their talent. I am also very jealous of the performers who get to be in this musical.
Seeing two musicals in one day means you can’t help but compare them. The audience reaction to Chicago was nowhere near as good as the reaction to blood brothers. I think this is because Chicago is a very almost jolly musical despite its somewhat dark themes. Whereas blood brothers is a real journey and people do connect and sympathise a lot more.
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse is known as one of the greatest pioneers of jazz dance. He was born on June 23rd 1927. He was born in Chicago he admired the great tap dancer Fred Astaire and wanted to follow in his footsteps with the hope of becoming a great dancer himself. For this to be even attempted he moved to New York early on in his life.
He first attempted to make it as an actor but found he wasn’t offered enough roles to continue this as a career his next move was to choreograph the Pyjama game a musical that is still popular today. Perhaps his most famous musical ‘Chicago’ is what most people know Fosse for. And its in this musical his influence on the world of jazz is really shown. His evolution of jazz dance meant that routines were more stylised and specific to the story that was attempting to be told as opposed to the more improvised style of jazz previously seen. Some admirers of his work say that Fosse added ‘sex appeal’ something that hadn’t been allowed into the world of jazz before.
Fosse’s style of jazz meant a lot more people wanted to learn the dance because now it was more appealing to younger people searching for a more expressive style of dance. Some of his moves such as jazz hands have stuck around and become a massive part in jazz dance.
Fosse was drug addict and self confessed womanizer which was shown clearly in his autobiographical film ‘all that jazz’. However its his struggle though life that makes his amazing work even more admirable.
He first attempted to make it as an actor but found he wasn’t offered enough roles to continue this as a career his next move was to choreograph the Pyjama game a musical that is still popular today. Perhaps his most famous musical ‘Chicago’ is what most people know Fosse for. And its in this musical his influence on the world of jazz is really shown. His evolution of jazz dance meant that routines were more stylised and specific to the story that was attempting to be told as opposed to the more improvised style of jazz previously seen. Some admirers of his work say that Fosse added ‘sex appeal’ something that hadn’t been allowed into the world of jazz before.
Fosse’s style of jazz meant a lot more people wanted to learn the dance because now it was more appealing to younger people searching for a more expressive style of dance. Some of his moves such as jazz hands have stuck around and become a massive part in jazz dance.
Fosse was drug addict and self confessed womanizer which was shown clearly in his autobiographical film ‘all that jazz’. However its his struggle though life that makes his amazing work even more admirable.
Jazz costumes
Jazz costumes
Traditional jazz costumes are black with shoes that somewhat resemble tap shoes. The general stereotype is that jazz dancers wear black hats which is true in a lot of films and routines, this makes the dance more easily identified as people will recognise this sort of costuming. Jazz costumes are about fun and should reflect the dance style well. More modern costumes consist of crop tops and baggy trousers. These outfits must allow the dancers to carry out the energetic dance style well whilst not taking away form the all important dance moves.
Depending on what the choreography is aiming to get across to the audience also effects the costume choice. Jazz, like most other dances, lets the costumes compliment the dancing and more modern costumes are very bright to add to the impact of the fun music and enjoyable dance routines.
Traditional jazz costumes are black with shoes that somewhat resemble tap shoes. The general stereotype is that jazz dancers wear black hats which is true in a lot of films and routines, this makes the dance more easily identified as people will recognise this sort of costuming. Jazz costumes are about fun and should reflect the dance style well. More modern costumes consist of crop tops and baggy trousers. These outfits must allow the dancers to carry out the energetic dance style well whilst not taking away form the all important dance moves.
Depending on what the choreography is aiming to get across to the audience also effects the costume choice. Jazz, like most other dances, lets the costumes compliment the dancing and more modern costumes are very bright to add to the impact of the fun music and enjoyable dance routines.
The history of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a dance style that has had some influence in almost all modern dance styles today. Its recognised world wide as a fun, swing-like dance that films always portray as having a full scale band behind it as a music source.
The history of jazz
Jazz dance has been around for many years however what we class as jazz dance today is nothing like what the original forms of jazz actually were. Prior to the 1920’s jazz was used to refer to the African American vernacular dance. This vernacular dance was like a folk dance used at social gatherings to bring people closer together. It was mostly improvised but had an odd twist to it and was mostly based on improvisation. This completely different dance style had to have a completely different name and the term jazz was devised. Its not the dance itself that resembles modern jazz in any way it was more the instruments that go along side it that let it lend its name to what we call jazz today. Although this was the first time the term ‘jazz’ was used its thought that the dance side of the creation of jazz began in the 1800’s with African slaves dancing as a method of keeping fit.
However it wasn’t until the 1950’s that the dance we know and recognise as jazz began to take form. Jazz music came before jazz dance and the brass instruments with a smooth sort of sound led to the creation of jazz dance. Pioneers of the dance form such as Katherine Dunham took the traditional Caribbean/African dance and transformed it into a performing art that became not just enjoyable to perform but to watch. Still at this point jazz was not a very popular dance form.
As the music at the time was the main influence in starting modern jazz when the music began to make a regular appearance in Broadway it follows suit that jazz dance also found a way to the stage. It was on Broadway that the dance continued to evolve into what is known and taught as jazz today, much smoother and more flowing than the very first origins of the style.
Today jazz has become a dance style in its own right. Its thanks to inspirational choreographers such ad Bob Fosse that so many people have become interested in the dance style. Its break into the modern world through films such as ‘Caberat’ and ‘all that jazz’ mean that younger people are constantly being drawn to the style and mean its popularity continues into the modern world.
Jazz is a dance style that has had some influence in almost all modern dance styles today. Its recognised world wide as a fun, swing-like dance that films always portray as having a full scale band behind it as a music source.
The history of jazz
Jazz dance has been around for many years however what we class as jazz dance today is nothing like what the original forms of jazz actually were. Prior to the 1920’s jazz was used to refer to the African American vernacular dance. This vernacular dance was like a folk dance used at social gatherings to bring people closer together. It was mostly improvised but had an odd twist to it and was mostly based on improvisation. This completely different dance style had to have a completely different name and the term jazz was devised. Its not the dance itself that resembles modern jazz in any way it was more the instruments that go along side it that let it lend its name to what we call jazz today. Although this was the first time the term ‘jazz’ was used its thought that the dance side of the creation of jazz began in the 1800’s with African slaves dancing as a method of keeping fit.
However it wasn’t until the 1950’s that the dance we know and recognise as jazz began to take form. Jazz music came before jazz dance and the brass instruments with a smooth sort of sound led to the creation of jazz dance. Pioneers of the dance form such as Katherine Dunham took the traditional Caribbean/African dance and transformed it into a performing art that became not just enjoyable to perform but to watch. Still at this point jazz was not a very popular dance form.
As the music at the time was the main influence in starting modern jazz when the music began to make a regular appearance in Broadway it follows suit that jazz dance also found a way to the stage. It was on Broadway that the dance continued to evolve into what is known and taught as jazz today, much smoother and more flowing than the very first origins of the style.
Today jazz has become a dance style in its own right. Its thanks to inspirational choreographers such ad Bob Fosse that so many people have become interested in the dance style. Its break into the modern world through films such as ‘Caberat’ and ‘all that jazz’ mean that younger people are constantly being drawn to the style and mean its popularity continues into the modern world.
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