Turning choreographies into video series. María Ferrara
My research consists of the question how to turn my choreographies into video series.
I have set off by doing the course “Artistic Direction for Music Videos”. The first task was to prepare a script for my video. This was a revelation. We were told to use presentation software like Impress or Power Point that can include photos and even short clips of video. The aim was, that the artistic team gets a very clear impression of what we are imagining. How come this is not a standard practice in dance applications for funding procedures?
Funding application procedures require written descriptions. However, language is linear and not suitable for describing things that happen simultaneously, because the order in which things are written implies hierarchy. Furthermore, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. With a presentation format you can show the colours you have in mind, the situations and the atmospheres, even brief references to relevant previous works. The description becomes more sensory, multilayered and rhythm like.
I attached the first page of my video script. As I saw the images coming together, the feeling of the video became more clear. I am researching on my own, so it may seem a bit cryptic, because it was only meant for myself.
Also, some juries are multidisciplinary and some members might have no background in dance. A short clip of for example Trisha Brown doing “Accumulation” would make more sense than explaining her term “pure movement” and describing what this way of approaching dance looks like.
Choreographers are not necessarily good writers. So, why is good writing decisive in order to get funding? This is a contradiction and a barrier. Dance is a visual medium and communication of ideas. Inspirations and intentions within this field are needed more than words in my opinion.
I would like that organizations like Dachverband Tanz Deutschland, which represents dance professionals, to campaign for visual formats that are more suitable to dance and increase the accessibility for this formats in application procedures.
