Matt Gough Blog [closed]: movement score
Monday, Apr 5 2004, 03:12
You've probaly noticed my eccentric posting by now, so i'll just get on with it.
with a view to developing a score for the new type of notation / scripting i have been immersing myself in music notation, examples of music scores by avant garde composers [such as cage, stockhausen et al] and examining whatever choreographers notes & scribbles i could get my hands on.
i set out to create a formalised score that would allow a maximum flexibility for development, interpretation and use whilst remaining simple to implement. the constraints were a right to left timeline [to work alongside western reading patterns, music scores and timline based software (visually)] bar lines and double bar lines [to give a visual representation of time] and an ability to script / document emergent or complex works.
it was looking at stockhausen's kontakte that really opened my mind to the options available, the mix of formal and visually descriptive notation layered across the stave identifiable by the elements rather than the context. it became clear that as long as you can 'read' symbols in thier own right the context becomes less important.
because i had already intended to have tags to discribe the specific elements i only needed to throw out my preconceived notion of each group of elements having a stave to themselves [like laban notation]. that was simple enough but left me wondering how to facilitate choreographys who like to separate out the diffrent elements of their work [dynamics, movement, concepts e.t.c], and those who feel constrained by a linear system.
for a moment i thought, it's going to have to be all computer based then i saw my daughter playing with one of the test scores i had been working on, i say playing i mean ripping and folding, but then it all came to me; a hand written score that can exist in 2, 3 and [almost] 1 dimensions.
the 2D score is the standard implementation, left to right like a music or benesh score. the [almost] 1D score is a single continuous stave with bar lines but no double barline to signify the end. this stave is cut ribbon style, twisted and attached to itself to form a mobius ring, a single [exculding the edges] surface that can be continually read. you can also cut along the single staff [see example below] to disrupt the reading even more.
the 3d score uses staves attacted, or bisecting each other to make a multi dimensional form [of any type]. you are probaly asking yourself why would anyone want to do this... well some people do, it's tied up in post structuralism the 'death of the author' the intention is that you find your own way to read the score and perform the choreography thereby adding to the works emergent and complex properties. with a range of approaches it should be possible to document, plan of script your working in your own unique style and retain the 'essense' of your work.
{i feel i should point out here that this style of 'notation' is designed for contemporary dance practice where the choreographer is interested in 'more' than the steps, and instance where the dancers are give the score to perform from, rather than being taught the work in the 'traditional' sense}
the stave is very simple, it has one staff, barlines to indicate the passage of time and a double barline and the end. the duration of time is defined by tags in the score and / or time signatures as suitable.
oddities: the single staff can be at any point on the stave, the defult is the middle. the moveable staff can be used to define junctions for 3D scores or cuts for the 1D score. it is upto the individual how the use this facility. in a linear 2D score when multiple staves occur at the same time the bar lines run across the staves. the staff always ends at the first line of the double barline. the below above shows two staves that occur concurrently, the staff for the staves is slightly off centre.
[ image removed ]
the above score is empty, i am currenty documenting one of my own works and will post it here with instructions for use when finished. it will give you one option of how it can be used in pratcice [note: the barlines are show in bold for clarity they are normally lighter than shown]
why am i doing this? read my first entry, i want to help develop a tool for choreographer for whom traditional notation does not serve thier needs and are frustrated with random scribbles. i intend to document more of my thoughts and proposals on this and comments are more than welcome. developments in dance practice can be cloaked in some much secrecy at times that it prevents the greater community benifiting. i desire something different, something open to all.
with thanks to michael klien, elisabeth anne and sheila
Filed by Article19 at 3:12 PM | 
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