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As an extension of
previous studies into pattern making and the urban
environment, it was suggested in a tutorial that ‘crowds’
might provide an interesting vehicle for the further
examination of pattern.
The football crowds of
Swansea’s Vetch Field were particularly significant in that
the football ground is located in the city centre, the
context and focus of previous work. The aim of the
theoretical and practical studies was to examine the gesture
and body language, together with the visual and auditory
patterns and rhythms that are created as a direct response
to the action on the pitch. This investigation was explored
through the medium of dance, physical theatre and film.
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Researching the
theme was particularly fruitful and rewarding.
Information was uncovered and analysed and was
derived from a wealth of sources.
Public and media
interest in crowd behaviour, particularly football
violence, has prompted the creation of several
recently screened television documentaries and the
publication of many books, which proved extremely
valuable in terms of understanding and accessing the
subject holistically. The most valuable research
however, was attending a series of games to make
independent observations. Although the game itself
was interesting, the crowds of football fans were
highly animated and provocative as they moved en
masse, shouted and chanted in unison and created
the most exhilarating environment. The visual and
auditory patterns witnessed as a direct response to
the game were immediately recognised as potential
for the creation of a dance piece.
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In
relation to behavioural research, several
attempts were made to contact Desmond Morris
by writing to his publishers and to websites
featuring his work. Unfortunately, there
were no responses. A contact name given by
Lorna Packer was approached at
www.speakers.com (see appendix), who
employ Desmond Morris on a regular basis to
lecture at a number of functions. Once again
there was no response, which was
particularly disappointing, because an
interview would have been particularly
rewarding in respect of the chosen theme.
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Investigations into communication
and repetition of gesture led to
exploring the work of several
choreographers. The most notable,
German choreographer Pina Bausch
uses repetition as a device to
communicate aggression and
frustration. Bausch collages
fragments of dance, speech and
gesture with recorded music to
create highly visual, postmodern
performances. She relies heavily on
the audience to give her work
meaning, posing open questions that
relate to her obsessions. Pina
Bausch and Tanztheater Wuppertal
presented Kontakthof at the
Barbican, London on 30 November
2002. The three-hour piece of
theatre was almost experienced in
‘real time’, a device that is used
to initiate ‘battle exhaustion.’
Performed by mainly over 65’s and
all untrained dancers, they were
brought together to explore the
angers and desires that drive adult
relationships. They paraded their
attractions and inadequacies,
trapped in what seemed like a
timeless limbo. The accompanying
melodies dated from the 1920’s and
1930’s, the costumes from the
1950’s. It appeared that what dated
this generation was the social
convention of dancing in couples or
in-groups, situations perfect for
the potential for humiliation, which
is an element that Baucsh frequently
examines. Repetition and gesture
played a vital role in the exposure
of the couples’ personalities.
Bausch’s choreographic talent lies
in layering. Beginning with a simple
movement, she draws out a hidden
emotion and lets it transform and
distort the movement as it is
repeated over and over again.
Observing this piece and its
structure provided an excellent
starting point in terms of studio
practice, particularly the
appreciation of how simple motifs
can be fully explored to create
powerful imagery. |
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Similarly, the drawings of Evelyn
Williams provided a fruitful point
of reference. Her drawings depicting
prisoners of war portray aggression
and hostility. The emotion and
visual rhythm of the repeated forms
in her work almost mirror the
emotive characteristics of the
chanting crowds observed on the
terraces. |
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The repetition of the human form
displayed in the elaborately
decorated Assyrian low relief panels
at The British Museum also
implemented visual rhythm and
meaning to illustrate many
processions and scenes of warfare.
The sculptures aestheticised the
social and political affairs of that
time, as the Assyrians
chronologically recorded their
accounts in stone to decorate the
interior and exterior walls of
temples. |
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In the initial planning stages, the
decision was made to involve groups
of students and volunteers, who
could explore the theme through a
series of workshops and eventually
perform in unison, recreating and
responding to elements of the
football environment.
Three choreographers, a filmmaker
and website designer were selected.
The project was discussed in detail
and an outline of the proposed dates
and deadlines were agreed.
Performing Arts staff and students
from Gorseinon College were also
approached, and the proposed project
was presented to anyone wishing to
volunteer. It was well received and
a guaranteed group of 60 students
was made available. It was crucial
to communicate at this stage the
deployment of visual and auditory
pattern, ensuring that everyone
involved understood these key
elements. It was agreed that
repetitive motifs should be
incorporated so that a clear
reference to the research could be
made. |
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The intrinsic need to perform the
dance piece in a public space was
necessary in terms of the very
nature of the medium; therefore an
appropriate venue needed to be
sourced. The ideal location would be
the football ground itself, but any
performance involving 60 students
would make little impact and might
appear ‘lost’ in front of a noisy
and possibly confrontational
audience of over 3,000.
The solution was to create a film of
the performance, and possibly
integrate non-performance footage,
which could then be shown to the
football fans on screen in the
football ground. |
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The project outline was presented at
interview to one of the directors of
Swansea City Football Club, who
eventually agreed sponsorship in
kind. He permitted full use of the
North Bank section of the ground as
a rehearsal and performance venue.
He also supported the promotion of
the project in the match day
programme and the display of the
completed film on screen before a
match at a home game.
At the time of interview, the
average home game attendance was
approximately 3,000. The intention
was to develop new ‘art audiences’
by exposing the fans to a series of
familiar images that directly relate
to their particular environment. In
addition to screening the film
before a match, it became apparent
that a downloadable version on a
website could be offered as a
previous viewing opportunity at the
end of the project. With this in
mind the domain
www.sarah-hopkins.co.uk was
registered |
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With the support from the football
club, an application was made to the
Arts Council of Wales for a bursary
for financial assistance with the
development of the performance and
creation of a film and website. With
little experience of filmmaking,
sound recording and website design,
the hiring of professional skills
was crucial. An Arts Council Officer
steered the proposal towards the
‘Production and Audience
Development’ award even though the
closing date for applications was
two weeks’ away.
Time and effort was invested in the
collection of supporting letters and
the application itself. Letters of
support were collected from all the
artists and technicians involved,
staff at Swansea Institute, the
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Gorseinon
College and the directors at Swansea
City Football Club. Evidence was
also required of a demographic
breakdown of the fan base at Swansea
City to prove the diversity of its
audience. Fortunately, this
information was easily located on
the club’s official website.
Notification was given six weeks
later that the pot of money set
aside for this bursary had run dry.
However, keen to assist, it was
suggested that another application
should be made via a partner
organisation, Gorseinon College, for
the ‘Children, Young People and the
Arts’ award. This application
required more detail in relation to
local authority strategies for youth
arts education activities and gaps
in provision in the locality. It
also required confirmation that the
project was wanted by the youth
involved. This entailed the locating
of Course Review and Evaluation
questionnaires previously completed
by students at the college, who
would make up the main body of
performers. As anticipated, this
meant added research and as a
consequence loss of time. It was
early December when the grant of
£5,000 was approved. |
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Swansea Institute Marketing
Department was informed about the
project and requested an interview.
The outcomes were articles in The
Western Mail,
and Insite
and an interview on Real Radio.
The response was very positive
considering the proposal had not yet
got off the ground.
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A production meeting was
organised so that all
parties could meet and
discuss the project. This
was an opportunity to
brainstorm ideas and to air
any foreseeable problems. A
rehearsal schedule was put
together and distributed to
everyone involved. The start
date proposed was December
2002, which would commence
with a series of dance
workshops at Gorseinon
College. A more intensive
programme followed in
January and February 2003
with the performance at the
Vetch Field planned for 26
February. The editing of the
film and creation of a sound
track were arranged for
March, and the finished
piece displayed in April.
The intention was also to
show the film and supporting
artwork in a gallery space
and on a specially designed
website.
Experiencing the game first
hand was a fundamental part
of the research programme.
Sound recordings were made
at a number of fixtures so
that such material could be
accessed as a resource at
any point. The recordings
included chanting clapping
and kicking sounds as well
as terrace banter. The choir
at Gorseinon College was
also recorded, formally
re-working the chants heard
on the terraces.
It was imperative that the
choreographers attend a home
game to help them with their
creative process. It was
particularly interesting for
them, as they had never
attended or ‘experienced’ a
football match.
The rehearsals were spread
over a period of six weeks.
It was agreed that a public
performance at Theatr Einon,
Gorseinon College would give
all involved the opportunity
to experience the same
performance piece set in two
contrasting settings, the
football ground and a
theatre space. The
challenges of adapting a
site-specific piece would be
a steep learning curve for
the students and would also
achieve two visual outcomes
for filming.
Dance ideas were explored
and devised through a series
of workshops lead by the
choreographers. The students
contributed to the bank of
ideas, many of which were
developed and used in the
final piece. The dance was
broken down into manageable
sections: mass movement,
aggression, tribal and
humorous. Motifs were
developed through intensive
workshop sessions and
integrated at crucial
stages. The sequence had a
start, middle and end and
was structured so that it
would stand on its own as a
dance piece. |
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In the role as project
director, some difficulty
was experienced initially in
finding a balance between
the imposition of authority
over others and the
surrendering of all control.
It was important to
relinquish some control in
the rehearsal period to
allow others the freedom to
create, as they had
specialist knowledge within
their fields. As a result,
this led to a strongly
motivated group that became
increasingly productive as
the project progressed.
However, containing the
creativity within the
boundaries of the thesis was
difficult, as the scope for
exploration was enormous.
The group dynamics and
membership grew increasingly
important as the
choreography developed under
the pressure of an advancing
deadline. It was necessary
to compromise and conciliate
between group members to
ensure harmony and quality
of work.
It soon came to light that a
legal document would be
required for distribution to
all performers, in which
they relinquished all
copyright to photographs and
film. It was also necessary
to confirm in writing that
no payment would be issued
to the students for the
performance or for filming.
This was necessary, as some
of the students were legally
bound to agents. Nationally
recognised release forms
were located and issued to
the performers, which would
enable full use of all
footage to meet the needs of
the project. The forms
needed the
counter-signatures of
parents, as many of the
students were under the age
of eighteen. |
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The filming took place at
the Vetch Field on 26
February 2003. Performing on
the terraces and within the
environment that the
students had researched
injected enthusiasm into the
team, and into the tasks
that were required
throughout the course of the
day. Performing in-situ
allowed the students to
create the appropriate
atmosphere and behave as
required within a controlled
and professional
environment. However, the
process of filming:
experimenting with, and
re-running sequences so that
specific moments were
captured on film, was
demanding for a few of the
inexperienced group members.
There were 60 students
involved and directing
everybody to behave in a
particular way was difficult
at times. The
over-excitement and
juvenility of a minority
resulted in unfocused
performances. Also, the
effeminate behaviour of some
male students (which might
be seen as a reaction to the
violence on the terraces)
could be interpreted in the
film as a ‘send-up’. This is
of course the nature of many
of the taunts seen and heard
in and out of the football
ground. Hours of footage
were required to compensate
for student frivolity.
The ground safety officer at
the Vetch Field was
contacted to discuss the
possibility of using CCTV
footage. After a series of
discussions and
cross-examinations with the
directors at the club, the
ground safety officer and
the football liaison officer
of South Wales Constabulary,
it was agreed that access to
footage was acceptable. A
meeting with the ground
safety officer in the CCTV
surveillance room was
interesting, as the crowds
could be observed anywhere
around the ground. The CCTV
team filmed specific
locations as requested and
at the end of the match
delivered the tapes. |
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The importance of choice and
the selection of material
for inclusion, was a process
that could only be exercised
after a period of
deliberation. The editing
process was extremely
time-consuming. The footage
amounted to six hours in
total, made up of sequences
shot at the Vetch Field and
CCTV footage from recent
games. Much of this material
was unnecessarily repetitive
and was omitted in the first
editing session.
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The use of CCTV
footage was
permitted under
strict guidelines.
To avoid issues
relating to the
infringement of
human rights, the
facial features of
individuals needed
to be obliterated so
that the crowds were
not recognisable.
This was achieved by
inverting the colour
of the footage at
the editing stage.
The results were
interesting in
several respects.
The nature of the
colour inversion
made visual
references to
previous prints on
the same theme
(refer to ‘previous
work’ on website
www.sarah-hopkins.co.uk),
but more curiously,
once the colour had
been inverted the
fan’s faces appeared
black and almost
mask-like.
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Mask-work was fully
explored at the
filming stage as
loss of identity and
the anonymity of
hooligans was
considered. The
students performed
each sequence
wearing faceless,
white masks in
addition to the
animated
performances
rehearsed in the
studio. The notion
of mask wearing and
assuming anonymity
at a game or wearing
a mask which
represents a type of
uniform to symbolise
group identity,
conflicted with the
act of filming fans
on CCTV, which is
specifically
designed to pick out
individuals.
Therefore the
wearing of masks on
the terraces was not
appropriate. This
was unfortunate in
many respects, as
the connotations of
mask wearing are
associated with
theatre, carnival
and forms of
ceremony, which
imply the essence of
the environment and
atmosphere at a
football game.
Football culture was
researched in
general and although
the discoveries were
both interesting and
significant, some
information found
was not wholly
relevant to the main
theme of the study.
However, one
extraordinary
statement influenced
the content of the
film: |
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Man is a better
cook, a better
painter, a better
musician, composer.
Everything is man –
sports – everything.
Why? Because we have
muscles, and we’re
made that way. And
woman accepts this.
It is her business
to accept. She knows
what’s beautiful.
Men are great poets,
because they have to
write beautiful
poetry for women –
odes to a beautiful
woman. Woman accepts
the beautiful
poetry. You see; man
is the servant – a
good servant. In
ballet, however,
woman is first.
Everywhere else man
is first. But in
ballet, it’s the
woman. All my life I
have dedicated my
art to her.
The decision was
made to include a
masked ballet
dancer. She would
dance on the pitch
itself, and make
sharp contrast to
the crowds around
her.
In contrast to their
usual setting, it is
ironic that the
half-time
entertainment at the
Vetch Field is
currently a small
group of
pole-dancers. They
too looked
vulnerable in the
space.
The placing of the
ballet dancer within
the football ground
environment makes
reference to an
expressive art form,
which traditionally
was only available
to the privileged
social elite, a
sociological and
cultural contrast to
the crowds that
traditionally
watched football.
The ballet dancer
has an acute
awareness of the
body’s precise
placement and
shaping in space.
She is viewed from a
distance and is
disciplined in her
movement. The dancer
is in complete
control of her body;
her gestures are
contained and
focused, unlike the
fans, who are
disorderly and
chaotic. Although
individually the
supporters are in
control of their
actions, the masses
appear to allow
emotion and
atmosphere to
dominate their
behaviour. The
ballet performance
on the pitch is a
deliberate attempt
to take the dancer
out of her ‘natural’
environment and
place her in a
surreal situation, a
trademark that
Bausch often makes
reference to in her
work. Bausch covers
the stage with
leaves, water, grass
or dirt, introducing
organic material to
a theatrical
context.
The solitary ballet
dancer was
accompanied by a
recorded piano
composition of
Robert Schumann. As
well as
complimenting the
dancer, the piano
music was intended
to provide relief at
pressured moments in
the film. It also
contrasted with the
repetitive pulsating
tones, which were
designed to achieve
tension. The kicking
boots provided a
tribal rhythm that
underscored much of
the sound and also
signified the
threatening nature
of the environment.
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The chants and
choral recordings
were eventually
omitted from the
finished film, owing
to many of them
being club-specific.
The approach was
intended to be
general and not
specific to Swansea
City. The content
and intonation of
the chants were also
too humorous, which
interfered with the
quality of tension
achieved. The amount
of unused material
was phenomenal.
However, the process
of exploring and
ultimately arriving
at the finished
piece was worthy of
the time invested.
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The aim of the
website was to
display the
progression and
completion of the
project in the
context of previous
work. It was
imperative that a
user-friendly system
was created to
display and provide
clear information.
The site consisted
of 96 pages, 229
files of which 133
were pictures, a
total of 1728
hyper-links of which
35 were directed
outside of the
website, linking to
supporting sites and
galleries.
The site was
designed on a
hierarchal
structure, which
enables the viewer
to navigate
successfully. The
website is a system
that requires design
and construction; it
is not simply a
visual platform.
It is a known fact
that viewers will
take different
‘threads’ or
‘journeys’ through
the site. A large
proportion of
visitors to any
given website may
never actually see
it all and therefore
it is not a problem
if information is
partly repeated. It
is essential that
all the relevant
information and
facts are displayed
in designated
sections.
It was agreed that
the main priorities
were the download
quality, with a
slick, professional,
clean appearance. It
was also necessary
to offer an
opportunity for
correspondence and
project feedback so
that information
might be gathered
and analysed in the
future.
The completed
website was launched
on-line and the film
was finally
delivered to the
club director and
the screening date
was arranged.
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Swansea City
Football Club at
this stage was
facing possible
relegation and in
previous matches the
club was drawing
audiences of
approximately 9,000,
an impressive
increase in the
anticipated audience
figures. The date
for the screening of
the film was
Saturday, 3 May,
Swansea City vs.
Hull City, the last
game of the season
and the deciding
game as to the
future of the club.
Unsure about the
interest the film
would generate at
this particular
match, it had to go
ahead, as it might
have been the last.
The film and the
website were
promoted in the
match day programme
and sold in the run
up to the game. The
film was shown in
the bars before the
game, although there
was not an
opportunity to
discuss the film and
gauge feedback, as
the noisy and
boisterous
atmosphere was
mostly fired by the
importance of the
game. Potentially
the last league
game, whose audience
was 9585, was a
roller coaster
experience. Tension
and emotions ran
high as the fear of
relegation dominated
the whole football
ground. The fans
were incredibly
animated, chanting
and singing as if
their lives depended
on it. On an
afternoon packed
with tension,
emotion and passion,
the Swans emerged
from the most
important match in
their history with
their Football
League status still
intact … the
wonderful Swansea
supporters - the
self-styled – Jack
Army – more than
played their part.
They sang and
chanted, roared and
cheered as their
heroes battled from
behind to preserve
their league status
… as the clock
ticked down and the
fans began to
celebrate, the
referee’s whistle
blew and there were
scenes of absolute
bedlam as the Swans
secured their
survival.
A sense of relief
and euphoria, it was
an incredible finale
for the supporters
and for everyone
involved in the
project. |
|
It is hoped that
feedback from the
screening will
filter through the
website, as there is
an opportunity for
the user to watch
the film again and
to submit comments.
As part of the
funding opportunity,
it is obligatory to
write a full report
and evaluation and
submit this to the
Arts Council of
Wales. Statistical
information and
feedback will be
collected and
collated over the
next few months. The
website will be
promoted by
‘blanketing’ all
staff and students
at Gorseinon
College. The purpose
of this strategy is
to persuade people
to visit the Gesture
page, a project they
are familiar with,
and comment on the
results. As a
bi-product the
website will appear
higher in the search
engine ratings and
the Arts Council of
Wales will receive
genuine statistical
feedback. The
results may also
provide useful
information that
could possibly
enrich and inform
future work.
Student evaluations
and comments will
make up a
substantial part of
the report. Their
experience of the
project and the
skills they
developed are
evidently
significant. (See
Appendix for student
feedback). |
|
The adoption of new
ideas to explore and
express the formal
qualities of rhythm
and pattern
introduced a layered
study of extensive
research.
The practical and
theoretical elements
were explored in
tandem, each
influencing the
working practice of
the other. The
introduction to the
work of Susanne
Langer assisted with
the appreciation of
the rhythmic
qualities in
personal artwork and
also in the work of
others. Her study
into the form and
meaning of gesture
and its particular
relationship to
music and dance has
provided an insight
into sequences of
pattern that are
worthy of further
investigation. |
The orchestration of the
differing facets of the
theory and studio practice
was time consuming, as
expected. Moreover, the
planning and organisational
skill that was required for
a project of this scale
superseded all previous
ventures. Yet the experience
has been extremely rewarding
as every personal objective
was achieved. |
|
Jane Desmond,
Meaning in Motion: New
Cultural Studies of Dance
(Duke University Press,
1997), p.106
The Western Mail, 17
December 2002, p.8
Insite, Swansea
Institute Staff Newsletter,
March 2003, p.6
Real Radio Interview
with Emma Llewelyn,
Breakfast Show News, 10
December 2002
George Balanchine made this
statement in 1976, Ann Daly,
Critical Gestures:
Writings on Dance and
Culture (Wesleyan
University Press, 2002),
p.279
Source: Lorna Packer, 13
April 2003
Phil Dillon quoted in The
Weekend Sporting, South
Wales Evening Post, 3
May 2003, p.2 |
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