Are You Listening Dance Analysis

The first piece, “Are You Listening,” was choreographed by Bethany Tuffy for a single female performance to a prelude musical section by Johann Sebastian Bach and performed by Yo-Yo Ma. The dancer, Rachel Trotter, were costumed in a purple leotard, ballet skirt, tights, bare feet, and hair pulled back in a ponytail. Trotter performed on the dark bare stage in white “specials” as she pirouettes diagonally from stage left to stage right. During the piece, Trotter would often leap across the floor and stand on pointe. I am interpreting this dance as the dancer is hearing someone or something rather than listening to it. The concept of the dance reflects the title of the piece because the dancer is expressing through the choreography the ideal …show more content…
This performance consists of six women: Megan Long, Jessica McFarland, Erika McLendon, Morgan Nawrath, Carly Thompson, and Katie-Laken Weeks. The dancers were dressed in a similar men costume as Bojangles, black tuxedo jackets, black shorts, ties, white V-neck shirt, white flower on the left shoulder, tap shoes, and a black fedora men hat. The lighting began with a blue backdrop and a saturated black floor, but change to a yellow-orange backdrop. The dancers performed on a set of stairs, having each dancer to arrive on the opposing side of the staircase. Like Bojangles choreography, the dancers tapped dance on the staircases, creating a rhythm and making sounds with their feet. The choreography was music responsive to the instrumental music, which was rearranged and recorded by Zinorl Bronola. My interpretation of the dance was easy to figure out because Bojangles’ piece is well known. The dancers did a good job dancing Bojangles’ choreography. However, at a point of time, all the dancers were not on the same beat, which can mess up the rhythm of the