WITHIN HER EYES
● Choreographer: James Cousins
● Composer: Seymour Milton, in collaboration with the choreographer
● Costume: styled by Katie McGoldrick
● Company: James Cousins company
● Film director: Scratch
● Date performed: September 7th 2012 (date of first performance of There We Have Been) & February 2016 (launch of Within Her Eyes)
● Dance style: Contemporary & contact work
● Duration: 17 minutes
● No. of dancers: 2 (small) – 1 male, 1 female
● Performance environment: Site sensitive (dance for camera)
● Structure: Narrative
● Sections: 7 – Prologue, The Beginning, Moving closer, Flow one, Kneeling, Flow two & Floor
● Choreographic approach: Collaborative and improvisational tasks, keeping the female dancer off the floor, using the choreography from a previous work adapted for an outdoor setting
● Movement was created in collaboration with the dancers through improvisation, which was all filmed and then learnt back from the video. James then pieced these segments together
into a structure that reflected the narrative arc of the story.
● Choreographic intent: Emotional intent, abstract love story & desire to move on from a late lover.
● Stimulus: Love story with a twist & dancers can never be together
● Themes: A love story with a twist, (love, loss, longing, memory, dependency, loyalty), dancers can never be together & the pull back towards the girl’s late lover contrasted with her
desire to move on
● Mood & atmosphere: Mystery, sadness, empathy
No. & gender of dancers Movement Aural setting
- The female wears a delicate skirt, hair loose and - The Beginning: The dancers are in the centre of the frame. The - Each section the accompaniment matches
down. The man wears trousers. female dancer is standing on the male dancer’s right thigh, the scenes of the narrative becoming darker
- Gender specific holding his hands. She slowly leans forward and develops her and more twisted, sections previously heard
- His clothes are fitted she has bare legs with a right leg high with a flexed foot – extending at the last are repeated but developed with lower
short skirt which links to lust (a form of the moment. They use contact but have some space between (minor key) notes
stimulus love), which is part of a romantic them. - Linking to the narrative of a dark, twisted
relationship - Suggest the relationship isn’t intimate and close yet, as she is love story
- The costume and the number and gender of the still apprehensive.
dancers, links to the stimulus of A Love Story as it
, helps differentiate a romantic couple, rather than - Suggests she needs his support but is still reaching for
a friendship. someone in her past. Linking to the stimuli of loss, longing and
memory, and the choreographic intent of the pull back to the
girl’s late lover contrasted with her desire to move on.
- Forebodes the stimulus that the dancers can never be together
and that it’s inevitable that at some point he will no longer be
able to hold her if she keeps moving away.
- 2 dancers use contact work performed - Kneeling: The dancers are in the centre of the frame and close - Prologue: Ominous soundscape, subtle,
throughout the dance to the camera. The man is kneeling on the left and the woman quiet and electronic
- Supports the dance style of contemporary and is kneeling on top of his legs, on the right. She initiates - Limited music suggests a deserted location
contact work movement by hugging her arms around his body to create an - Links to the female’s isolation and feelings of
- Supports the choreographic approach of keeping embrace, in a legato dynamic. loss (stimulus)
the female dancer off the floor - Is very intimate and affectionate, showing the stimuli of love, in - Creates a sinister mood/atmosphere and a
the relationship sad story
- Links to the stimulus of dependency as she needs the man to
provide her comfort
- Links to the intent of the woman starting all the movement and
opening/closing movements.
- The dancers are in the middle of vast spaces e.g - Flow 2: The dancers are in the centre of the frame. The male - The Beginning: Peaceful, soft, quiet, piano
field or cliff top. dancer is holding the female's left leg near his head and her melody over wind sounds. Lots of pauses.
- Having only 2 dancers is effective in showing the legs are in a split position in the air. She has her arms around The wind increases in volume and shaking
stimulus of loss, and the female dancers’ feelings his neck and her right pointed foot is very close to the ground. strings join in
of isolation. He travels left rapidly in a horizontal line, in plie, as he drags - Soft piano notes suggest apprehension and
the woman. uncertainty at the start of a relationship
- Links to the stimulus of dependency, as she’s still dependent on - Wind enhances the vast site sensitive
him. environment and the feeling of isolation and
- But her grip is slipping and they’re low to the floor, suggesting loss (stimulus)
the relationship is coming to an end, which links to the
stimulus of the dancers never being together.
- Previously the man acted apprehensively to not move too soon
as he knows she is still grieving. However now, he instead
initiates movement and manipulates the female. Suggesting
there’s been an argument or a change in the relationship
dynamic – which is more tense.
● Choreographer: James Cousins
● Composer: Seymour Milton, in collaboration with the choreographer
● Costume: styled by Katie McGoldrick
● Company: James Cousins company
● Film director: Scratch
● Date performed: September 7th 2012 (date of first performance of There We Have Been) & February 2016 (launch of Within Her Eyes)
● Dance style: Contemporary & contact work
● Duration: 17 minutes
● No. of dancers: 2 (small) – 1 male, 1 female
● Performance environment: Site sensitive (dance for camera)
● Structure: Narrative
● Sections: 7 – Prologue, The Beginning, Moving closer, Flow one, Kneeling, Flow two & Floor
● Choreographic approach: Collaborative and improvisational tasks, keeping the female dancer off the floor, using the choreography from a previous work adapted for an outdoor setting
● Movement was created in collaboration with the dancers through improvisation, which was all filmed and then learnt back from the video. James then pieced these segments together
into a structure that reflected the narrative arc of the story.
● Choreographic intent: Emotional intent, abstract love story & desire to move on from a late lover.
● Stimulus: Love story with a twist & dancers can never be together
● Themes: A love story with a twist, (love, loss, longing, memory, dependency, loyalty), dancers can never be together & the pull back towards the girl’s late lover contrasted with her
desire to move on
● Mood & atmosphere: Mystery, sadness, empathy
No. & gender of dancers Movement Aural setting
- The female wears a delicate skirt, hair loose and - The Beginning: The dancers are in the centre of the frame. The - Each section the accompaniment matches
down. The man wears trousers. female dancer is standing on the male dancer’s right thigh, the scenes of the narrative becoming darker
- Gender specific holding his hands. She slowly leans forward and develops her and more twisted, sections previously heard
- His clothes are fitted she has bare legs with a right leg high with a flexed foot – extending at the last are repeated but developed with lower
short skirt which links to lust (a form of the moment. They use contact but have some space between (minor key) notes
stimulus love), which is part of a romantic them. - Linking to the narrative of a dark, twisted
relationship - Suggest the relationship isn’t intimate and close yet, as she is love story
- The costume and the number and gender of the still apprehensive.
dancers, links to the stimulus of A Love Story as it
, helps differentiate a romantic couple, rather than - Suggests she needs his support but is still reaching for
a friendship. someone in her past. Linking to the stimuli of loss, longing and
memory, and the choreographic intent of the pull back to the
girl’s late lover contrasted with her desire to move on.
- Forebodes the stimulus that the dancers can never be together
and that it’s inevitable that at some point he will no longer be
able to hold her if she keeps moving away.
- 2 dancers use contact work performed - Kneeling: The dancers are in the centre of the frame and close - Prologue: Ominous soundscape, subtle,
throughout the dance to the camera. The man is kneeling on the left and the woman quiet and electronic
- Supports the dance style of contemporary and is kneeling on top of his legs, on the right. She initiates - Limited music suggests a deserted location
contact work movement by hugging her arms around his body to create an - Links to the female’s isolation and feelings of
- Supports the choreographic approach of keeping embrace, in a legato dynamic. loss (stimulus)
the female dancer off the floor - Is very intimate and affectionate, showing the stimuli of love, in - Creates a sinister mood/atmosphere and a
the relationship sad story
- Links to the stimulus of dependency as she needs the man to
provide her comfort
- Links to the intent of the woman starting all the movement and
opening/closing movements.
- The dancers are in the middle of vast spaces e.g - Flow 2: The dancers are in the centre of the frame. The male - The Beginning: Peaceful, soft, quiet, piano
field or cliff top. dancer is holding the female's left leg near his head and her melody over wind sounds. Lots of pauses.
- Having only 2 dancers is effective in showing the legs are in a split position in the air. She has her arms around The wind increases in volume and shaking
stimulus of loss, and the female dancers’ feelings his neck and her right pointed foot is very close to the ground. strings join in
of isolation. He travels left rapidly in a horizontal line, in plie, as he drags - Soft piano notes suggest apprehension and
the woman. uncertainty at the start of a relationship
- Links to the stimulus of dependency, as she’s still dependent on - Wind enhances the vast site sensitive
him. environment and the feeling of isolation and
- But her grip is slipping and they’re low to the floor, suggesting loss (stimulus)
the relationship is coming to an end, which links to the
stimulus of the dancers never being together.
- Previously the man acted apprehensively to not move too soon
as he knows she is still grieving. However now, he instead
initiates movement and manipulates the female. Suggesting
there’s been an argument or a change in the relationship
dynamic – which is more tense.
