Map Dance

Watching the performance by 'Map Dance' on Friday really broadened my mind about what dance is, and how it can vary with a stimulus or dance idea.
Each performance was different and I never knew what to expect. It showed a range of movement ideas and even styles, and included a wide variation of performance aspects including voice, use of props and moving in silence as well as use of accompaniment.
I always find that whenever I watch a live performance there's always something inparticular that remains in my mind. The 2nd piece 'The Three Acts of Change' by Hagit Bar had an imapnt on me that I thought about for days after the performance. At on point the whole of the company shouted and repeated the word 'change' for ages, until that very word 'change' began to change into the word 'train'; this then kept changing when they had chanted the word simultaneously for a period of time. This for me meant a variety of things but really reminded me of the game 'chinese whispers' when the word is passed around from person to person and changes are made along the way, and a lot of the time the ending word isnt the same as the beginning word. It then reminded me of the placing practise in context lecture we had with Natalie where we discussed 'multiple realities', so for one person their reality could be one thing (or in this case word) and for another it could be something completely different.
I also noticed the similarities between the piece that we watched choreographed and performed by Liz Aggiss previously, and the one she choreographed for Map Dance 'Cut with the Kitchen Knife'. The similarities included the variation between a dark sinister atmosphere aimed possibly to shock or scare, and a playful colourful one created for humour. The use of singing and the sedductive mannerisms of the dancers were also similar, and showed me that Liz Aggiss must have a certain style of choreographing, which I would like to learn more about.
Overall I really enjoyed watching Map Dance, and will take with me now certain performance aspects into my own practise after seeing how effective their performance was.