Dance

Dance – Dancing in the Rain vs. Revelations From initial viewing, Dancing in the Rain and Revelations appear to be extremely different especially because of the settings. Dancing in the Rain exudes more energy as compared to Revelations. While the former consists mainly of sharp movements, the latter has movements that are fluid and easy on the eye. Revelations shows movements that are musical, while Dancing in the Rain has sudden pulses which though at first seem to go against the beat, fall into a pulsating rhythm. The two dances, however, bear semblance as they keep rising and falling. The aspect of level is well maintained, and carried through the entire span of the two dances.
Revelations uses the idea of repetition very well since it has minimal basic information that gets expanded and decorated in several ways. The entire piece is also rhythmically soothing. In the entire span of the dance the opening theme of the dancers standing together with their arms rising and falling like swans gets repeated severally. This movement is then developed differently with each scene such as to create variation. In the first scene, the dancers start out together then all of them spread but still sticking to a similar routine. The second scene starts out similarly, but for its development, only three dancers remain on stage. The motions of the dancers are rhythmically soothing as they sway in a manner that makes one want to join in. Revelations soothing rhythm reminded me of water as it flows through a river. In some instances the water flows gently but in the course there are also rapids that break the easy flow with sharp, jerky movements.
Dancing in the Rain is spread out and busy as there are several dancers each one of them following a unique pattern. In the entire course of the dance, variation is also widely used with no seeming restrictions as to what movements the dancer can incorporate or not. At one point in the dance, two male dancers are dancing concurrently but each one of them sticking to his routine. At another point in the dance, we see a dancer who focuses on moving his feet as he pulsates his chest. Immediately after him, there steps in another dancer who does a summersault effortlessly and synchronizes it into the rhythm of the dance. Dancing in the Rain reminds one of the workings of a well-oiled machine. Like any machine, different parts serve different functions but all work together seamlessly. It is in line with this that those movements though different, all are in harmony.
A careful examination of both Dancing in the Rain and Revelations fulfil the expectations of the audience but in different ways. In watching dance, expectation is important and can be attained by satisfied hopes as in Revelations. The motions of dance are fluid all through and make the audience to want to sway with the dancers. In Dancing in the Rain, expectations are satisfied by the dancers catching the audience by surprise. The sudden changes in routine add to the excitement of the dance and in totality serve to meet the expectations of the audience.
From these two dances, the truth in Joan Acocella’s words resonate true, that during dance, the kinetic imagination takes over with logic of its own. The world of gesture is then filled with unique meaning. For the entire span of Revelations, the motions are smooth and continuous, much like a flowing river. Even the sudden rises and falls are well incorporated to move the audience. In Dancing in the Rain, the sudden movements keep the audience in expectation and satisfy it with variations of movements. The different movements establish synchrony even though they may appear to be disjointed. Both dances create a new experience for the audience, and one that satisfies the experience.
Works Cited
Acocella, Joan. ” Imagining Dance.” Dils, Ann and Ann Cooper Albright. Moving History/Dancing Cultures: A Dance History Reader. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2001. 12 – 16. Print.