The Set.

My set ideas have changed quite a bit. One of my first ideas was to perform my show in a dance studio setting. At first, I liked this idea but then as my ideas developed I realised that I was potentially going to create a barrier between myself and the audience because I was in one defined space and they would be the spectator. In addition, I have only ever danced in a dance studio a handful of times.

This then made me think about the times I did want to dance and this always happened in my bedroom. I would always watch music videos or listen to the radio and perform in front of my mirror while miming to the lyrics into a can of hairspray or my hairbrush. It was then that I notice I had to stay true to what actually happened to me and what felt comfortable. If I set it in my bedroom I can break the barriers of the performer spectator relationship and address the fact that they are in my bedroom and the reasons why.

Furthermore, my bedroom was something special to me. When my parents got divorced, I moved to a small two bedroom council house and had to share with my sister. She had her side and I had my side. But even though were shared this bedroom, we had our own little space to escape from every day life.

To make my bedroom feel authentic, I will have a bed centre stage left next to a side table with books and a photo frame. I will have a mirror with my clothes basket full of washing upstage right where I can sing into the mirror. I will also have pots and rubbish laying around my room as at times in very busy times of my life, I forget to take the pots downstairs.

The Opening.

I’ve always had an idea of opening my show with Craig Morrow’s usual voice over of welcoming the audience to the show and informing them to turn of mobile phones. However, I wanted to write my own version of his usual opening. I chose this approach as Dr Morrow is the voice of Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, and as an audience member myself visiting the Lincoln Performing Art Centre, listening to his voice overs makes me listen and engage with the performance. I want to ensure the audience are listening as I am going to be talking directly to them for the next ten minutes and I feel this is the best way for the audience to engage with what is happening on stage.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Lincoln Performing Arts Centre.

Please can I remind you to turn off your mobile phones and that flash photography is not permitted.

The flash is very unflattering. If you do choice to to take a photo and upload it to Instagram, then please use the Valencia filter

WARNING- Do not feed the Fatty. She may bite.

Thank you, and enjoy this evenings performance of The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fatty.

The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fatty

Poster Image

I created this image a while ago when I was developing my title idea. I used a serious photo of a larger lady dancing to convey that my subject choice is serious, but the play on words of the title sells my show as a comedy which is exactly what my intentions are. I then used this image as my poster and advertised my show throughout the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre.

As a further marketing tool, I created a Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dance-of-the-Sugarplum-Fatty/1393803240936125?ref=aymt_homepage_panel (Spencer, 2015). I made this very early in to my process for the purpose of  keeping my followers up to date with my latest rehearsals and script writing, as well as inviting them to an events page. This was very helpful as I could see how many people were interested in my ideas. After such a great response, with over seventy people liking the page, I decided to have a larger audience capacity. I felt that a larger audience was needed for my show so that I can respond to the audience, and get a feel of what joke works where and when; especially if I want to develop my idea further. As a result I have chosen to have a audience capacity of fifty.

References

Spencer, J. (2015). The Dance of the Sugarplum Fatty. [online] Facebook. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dance-of-the-Sugarplum-Fatty/1393803240936125?ref=aymt_homepage_panel [Accessed 14 Mar. 2015].

“If a dancer dances- which is not the same as having theories about dancing or wishing to dance or trying to dance or remembering in his body some else’s dance- but if the dancer dances, everything is there… Our ecstacy in dance comes from the possible gift of freedom, the exhilarating moment that this exposing of the bare energy can give us. What is meant is not license, but freedom… (Mercecunningham.org, 2015)

I asked Emily Nichols, a Dance and Drama student at the University of Lincoln, to teach me a dance and to give me lessons. She decided to teach me one of her Technique class exam pieces which was inspired by Merce Cunningham. Cunningham “was a leader of the American avant-garde throughout his seventy year career and is considered one of the most important choreographers of our time” (Mercecunningham.org, 2015). He was also considered America’s greatest dancer. Emily informed me that Cunningham liked to contrast the idea of straight lines and physique with the curve of the body. I found this quite interesting as I brake the normal criteria of the image of a dancer with my curves. 

pooping position (Spencer, 2015)

We started with Emily teaching me the dance, going very very slowly indeed. I started in first position and did a few points with my feet and I also learnt how to plie, or what I like to call, ‘the pooping position’. Then we introduced my chosen song which is The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Technohouse Remix). (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Electrohouse Remix), 2012). 

Below are a few videos of myself and Emily dancing. Well, me trying to remember what she has taught me. This video shows my first practice and well, lets just say it did not go to plan. However, this conveys how far I will hopefully develop in my final solo performance.

Practicing the turn (Spencer, 2015).

https://youtu.be/RmkaSS_YKaw

 My first run after being taught everything (Spencer, 2015).

https://youtu.be/lmhq8ZUs9j4

In reference to my previous blog post about Dawn French and her performance in The Mirror Dance, I see a lot of similarities, especially dancing with Emily. She’s the thin, perfectly poised dancer and I try to mirror her. However, like Dawn French I am not intentionally trying to be bad, I am actually trying to learn this dance and I hope to prove to my audience that I can dance.

References

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Electrohouse Remix). (2012). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chOtemRAYNc [Accessed 18 Apr. 2015].

Mercecunningham.org, (2015). Merce Cunningham – Merce Cunningham Trust. [online] Available at: http://www.mercecunningham.org/merce-cunningham/ [Accessed 1 May 2015].

Spencer, J. (2015). Dance Practice. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmhq8ZUs9j4 [Accessed 1 May 2015].

Spencer, J. (2015). Practicing the turn. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmkaSS_YKaw [Accessed 1 May 2015].

Fat performance.

“Fat performance is a broad term covering everything from mundane performances of fat individuals to staged performances of fatness. The latter includes both mainstream media performances that present fat people as grotesque, and fat-positive performances which aim to challenge preconceived stereotypes of fat and fat people.” (Hole, 2003)

It complexes me that fat performance is an actual term used to describe fat people acting or performing on stage. I don’t know about you but I find this absolutely ludicrous. Fat people should not have a genre of theatre to themselves just because they are of a larger size. If you want to perform, go and perform no matter what your size is. If you have the talent to do so, go and do it. This is my main inspiration for why I am performing a dance. I want to dance, so I am. I should not let my size get in the way of that.

Another beautiful quote from Becoming the Subject of Your Own Story: Creating Fat-positive Representations, was a reflection on Anne Hole’s quot about Dawn French.

“Hole analyzes the “body politics” of Dawn French’s collaboration with another comedian in the “French & Saunders series” as a performance based on a completely different type of politics. In different episodes, French and Saunders accentuate the physicality of their fat bodies by wearing skin-tight, flashy dresses (that are usually reserved for fashionably-thin women).” (Hole, 2003)

Firstly, I appologise for the clothes I wear. Especially on a night out. God only knows how offensive they are to others. I mean am I not allowed to look good? Yes I probably don’t wear “skin-tight” dresses, but I do wear dresses that make me feel good, and if that means I show a bit of flesh, then you will just have to deal with it. I am not going to dress ‘fat’ because my body is fat. I dress for myself, no one else.

In my performance, when I do dance, I had planned to wear a leotard because that is the normal dance attire. However, I do not want to accentuate my fat body, I want to feel comfortable because I am comfortable. I am not after a cheap laugh with my body. I want people to look at me dancing and hopefully go, shes ok. For this, I want to wear leggings and a over sized jumper because this is when I am most comfortable.

References

Hole, A. (2003). Performing identity: Dawn French and the funny fat female body. Feminist Media Studies, 3(3), pp.315-328.