But the music and the overall tone was a controlled sense of riotousness. Near the end of the dance, when the dancers were all gesturing up at the sky, they seemed to be asking something of nature or of God. Also, towards the end when a man and woman came out dancing in sync while hand in hand, this appeared to denote mating. When he man in purple with the long hair had the solo in which he jumped up and down and spun around a lot, he seemed to be demanding something of nature. When all four women were dancing the same moves in synonymously, they appeared to be taking part in a mating ritual dance. The woman in the very beginning who was kicking her legs above her head appeared to be expressing her power.
The sound score is based on percussion. There seems to be at least three different types of drum instruments used. There are also vocal chanting and flute/pipe sounding instruments near the end. In terms of interpreting the work, it is crucial to note that in the beginning the male and female dancers are largely separate from one another. Even within the sex, they appear to be separate from one another. As the dance progresses the men and the women appear to unify with one another based on sex; near the end they unify with one another as a basic group. This dance seems to be about the coming together of different peoples for a common purpose, probably religious as denoted by the constant gazing above. If the purpose is not expressly religious it appears to be to invoke nature in some sort of way. The choreographer is attempting to express this purpose through those who are dancing.
Fagan's cultural background shapes his artistic process by helping to provide the theme and the...
There is an obvious African influence in this work, in the movements an in the music, that is part of the choreographer's culture as an African-American. One specific movement motif is when the dancers clasp their hands together in front of them and rhythmically move to the movement, first with their heads turned to one side and then with their heads to the other. Finally, they do this move with their heads positioned straight in front of them. This particular motif seems to express unity because initially, it is performed by individuals, then by pairs, while near the end of the dance several of the dancers are moving this way synonymously. The coming together of the dancers and performing this motif at the end truly emphasizes a feeling of togetherness,, especially since the spaces between them are narrower.
This motif is initially demonstrated at 1:50 by a single dancer. A pair of dancers then perform this motif at the 1:50 mark. This motif is also performed again near the end of the dance. The information in the prologue that I heard really didn't pertain to any particular interpretation of the dance's meaning. The choreographer merely discussed how he found the dancers and the fact that he did not want them eating Kentucky Fried Chicken before a performance.
If I were one of the dancers, I would be feeling excited and exultant during the bulk of the performance. However, I would be constantly thinking in attempts to keep my emotions in check, so that I could know when to freeze and pause in mid-action. Also, I would be thinking about watching other dancers to know when my cue to perform was.
