INFRA
● Choreographer: Wayne Mc Gregor
● Music: by Max Richtes
● Set: Julian Opie
● Costume: Moritz Junge
● Lighting: Lucy Carter
● Company: The Royal Ballet
● Date performed: 13th November 2008, Royal Opera House, London
● Dance style: Contemporary ballet
● Duration: 28 minutes
● No. of dancers: 12 (medium) – 6 males, 6 females
● Performance environment: Proscenium arch
● Structure: Episodic
● Sections: 8
● Choreographic approach: Show phrase & dancers’ copy/adapt it, teach movement to selected dancers whilst others watch/copy and task setting
● Choreographic intent: Human relationships and seeing below the surface of things
● Stimulus: Vide infra means see below in Latin, life beneath the surface of a city, human interactions, The Waste Land poem by T.S Eliot “Under the brown fog of a winter dawn. / A
crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many.”, the London bombings of 2007
● Themes: Seeing below the surface of things, human relationships, life beneath the surface of a city, inference, The Waste Land poem by T.S Eliot, aftermath of war & the London
Bombings of 2007
● Mood & atmosphere: intense, sombre, sad
No. & gender of dancers Movement Aural setting
- In Section 8, a large number of ensemble dancers - Section 1: Counterpoint with a male duet downstage right and - Section 1: Soundscape fused with brisk
of different genders join the 12 main dancers and a solo upstage left. In the duet they perform movements such melodies of violin and piano & rapid notes
walk as a crowd past the female soloist crying. as ripples towards each other and back extensions fluidly. To running through. The soundscape contains
- Links to the stimulus of ‘The Wasteland’ poem by contrast, the solo’s dancer’s movements are more electrical sounds of morse code, radio static,
TS Eliot and specifically the quote “A crowd unpredictable, for example, abruptly picking up pace and muffled/distorted speech and train whistles.
flowed over London Bridge, so many”. pirouetting or kicking forward with arms in the air. - Sounds from below the ground, which links to
- Links to the stimulus of life beneath the surface - The unpredictability of his movements could link to the stimuli the choreographic intention of seeing below
of a city as the crowd replicates people walking of the 2007 London bombings and the unpredictability of the surface (vida infra) and the stimulus of life
in the underground during rush hour. events like that and the uncertainty of safety it causes in day to beneath the surface of a city – as it’s like the
day life. sounds of the underground tube lines.
, - Having both genders it is more inclusive and a - The found sounds, such as the voices and
better mirror of real-life society. morse code beeps, link to the choreographic
- The counterpoint between the large crowd v. one intent of human relationships and the stimuli of
soloist links to the intent of seeing below the human interactions. We can’t see/hear the
surface of things, as even though you can be truth, so we can’t tell what is under the surface
surrounded by lots of people you can still feel and the real meaning of these secret
alone. relationships and private communication
- Links to the intent of human relationships and between people.
how we may see someone who needs help but
just move on with our own life and ignore it.
- Adds to a climax
- Mirrors the set of the LED figures on the screen
who are all walking the same way and have also
increased in number
- By having 12 dancers, 6 females and 6 males, in - Section 2: The male and female duet, travelling around the - Section 2: In the male and female pas de deux,
section 2 it enables 6 couples doing a pas de stage with a linear use of space. The male manipulates the we hear eerie music that shifts from major to
deux. In these pairs, they performed moves such female into contortionist positions, for example an attitude. minor chords. A soft haunting melody is played
as the man supporting the woman doing an However, he holds her waist with his left hand and pushes her on a solo violin and distant radio waves can be
attitude but each couple performs it in a right leg forcefully past her point of comfort, so it is touching heard.
different way. For example, one couple has a her head to make a needle. - Links to the choreographic intention of seeing
man forcing the woman's leg up in a - This use of contact links to the theme of inference in a below the surface and the stimulus of human
contortionist manner. relationship. It implies that although the relationship seems interactions, as its secret communication in the
- This all links to the stimuli of vide infra and fine on the outside, the forceful movement the man is creating distant radio waves.
human interactions as it demonstrates how on and the dynamics shows it’s not. - Links to stimulus of human interactions and
the surface couples may look happy but if you - The relationship when you see below the surface (vida infra), is inference implied in different relationships.
look at the inference you can see below the aggressive as the man is controlling/pushing the women - The music is uncomfortable and uncertain,
surface of different relationships. emotionally behind closed doors. which reflects the uncertainty and discomfort
- The small pairings of a male and female, suggests in this specific relationship, linking to the
romantic couples/relationships. choreographic intention of seeing below the
surface. From the outside the relationship looks
okay, when in reality the man is forceful to his
partner (minor chords) and you have to look
past the facade (major chords).
