Rosas Danst Rosas - Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker (ANALYSIS)

Rosas Danst rosas was first performed in 1983 and the filmed version was made in 1997. It has been companied by Rosas and the choreographer of the dance is Anne Teresa d Keersmaeker. The dance style is post-modern, physical with pedestrian actions and repetitive, compulsive gestures with energetic and dynamic having a strong connections to the audience and viewers.  The film is directed by Thierry de Mey.

The choreographic style highlights single parts of their body, drawing attention to small human gestures making movements and structure fluent and movements are patterned and structured to create rhythms. The film takes place in the corridors and rooms of a large, austere, empty school in Belgium. Windows, doors and walls frame the action. An assortment of wooden chairs is used for one section.

The themed of the film is based in human behaviour and rage. This is been present by the way the dancers presents the dance in some of the sections moving their body aggressively creating a big gestures to create a strong emotions to the viewer’s showing rage and strong body language.

There are 5 sections of the film. I am focusing and analysing section 2, 3 and 5.

Section 2 – Floor

This section is focusing on the floor itself. The 5 dancers starts of walking in this corridor silent and the video is very dark and creepy as they are in this abandoned sinister building which is effective to the audience making them understand what type of motif they are going to dance (DARK THEME = FAST AND QUICK MOVEMENTS). This section produces contrast and dynamics with an emphasis on suspension, fall and release such as when they fall of the floor and they quickly stand up back again. The tempo they are doing is like a roller coaster, they start with building suspension and without knowing they produce this quick and fast gestures making compelling to watch 

They do a lot of different actions such as rolls, push up on the elbows, arch, fall. This is because they are doing floor work that they have to rely on their arms and feet to get a good balance. They create their ‘beat’ on breathing which they will help them be synchronise by using heavy breathe as a way to make a tempo for them to dance on.

All of them looks the same by the use of their clothing but what makes them unique is by their hair which makes them different from others making a good visuals. 

Camera Techniques:

Left Angle

Left Angle

Establishing shot was used to show the dancers placements before they start dancing. This is to get the scene started and creates a build up feeling. The shot is changed very quick by the sound they ‘breathe’ that creates tension as it’s about human behaviour that will make it more interesting to watch because if it was just a normal camera recording the dancers with no different angle it will get very boring to watch.

                       

Right Angle

Right Angle

There are 2 main camera that has been used trough out the video and its been placed in the side of the dancers, one on the right and one on the left. This is a way to express different views and angles seeing the contrast and the variation of the motifs every time the camera switches. And it shows more the movements differently by showing it each side of the dance.

The eye catches a lot of attention when there is a lot of actions going on in the screen. That’s why having a quick change of camera makes it more interesting and creates a lot of tension trough the audience perspective. 

Girl setting up the chair section for later dance

As it was the beginning of the film, the camera starts panning the corridors not changing any angles. The camera is stable not moving direction just simple being panned to the left direction. This is effective as the building is spooky that it is only suitable if the camera doesn't change any angles making it more creepy and ominous to the audience focusing on the corridors and visuals. 

Section 3 – Chairs

This scene is a very well-choreographed because it’s very well crafted by the way they make a motif with the chairs. They presented a lot of dance techniques such as the use of canon at the start for example when someone started doing something with a chair then another one follows until they reach the point they all do it and generates a very smooth transition to the audience. Everyone has sharp movement's that creates a lot of aggressive emotions to their body language and facial expressions that link with the main theme of the dance which is about human behaviour and rage.  The action of section 3 can be divided into 4 main motifs and are fragmented and re-ordered throughout this 8 minute section. 

All of them are very synchronised and 

Camera Techniques: 

This time there's a unusual percussion music that builds the whole dance itself and the way the motifs is presented is suitable with the music, fast and sharp movements. 

Dance Technique: Canon

One of the camera techniques is that the camera is changed by the beat called (cutting with the beat) every 2 seconds that shows a lot of quick variation of the motif and builds a strong tension. This cutting with beat technique is very effective to the audience as the dance is fascinating to watch whenever the camera changes, because if the camera is only still with no change of angles it makes the dance film boring and uninteresting to watch that's why having a quick change of camera's that shows different type of angles from the dance is not also for entertainment it is also for creating an effect to the audience.

Dance Technique: Canon

I've realised that the camera ensures that every dancers is in the screen which makes it better that having all the dancers in a video is always good for presenting the motif of the dance such as when they did the canon it shows how it's done effectively of the technique 'canon' by how the camera is focusing on the 4 dancers with different angles. 

Close-Up shot: Focusing on the facial expresssions

There's also a close-up shot that show's a lot about the dancer's facial expressions and a bit of body language. This is to show the audience what emotions they are in giving them more an idea of what the main theme is about. The picture is showing a depressed and unemotional face giving the audience an idea that it is about human behaviour. Also, an effective way to show the viewers a clearer meaning of each and every dancers personality on the video

Panning shot: Making you feel like your'e in the scene

There's a lot of panning at the beginning of this section this is because it's a way of introducing a new scene by panning the character's sitting down in a mid shot and also panning the place which gives better visual and details of the place they are in for the watchers. Panning also makes an effect that it makes you think that your'e in the actual scene itself by how the camera is being panned in a slow pace like a person walking.