Choreographer Christopher Bruce was born in 1945 in England and started dancing at the age of 11. He trained at the Rambert School and joined Ballet Rambert in 1963, soon becoming the leading male dancer appearing in many works including Don Quixote 1964, Coppelia 1966 and Pierrot Lunaire 1967. In 1977 he became associate director of the company and from 1979 to 1987 he was associate choreographer and created more than 20 works.
From 1986 to 1991 he was associate choreographer with the London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) and he was resident choreographer with Houston Ballet in 1989. In 1994 he became the artistic director of Rambert Dance Company until 2002. In recent years he has worked with Scottish Ballet on Shift and Ten Poems. Two interviews on the Scottish Ballet website give an insight into his working method: https://www.scottishballet.co.uk/profile/christopher-bruce
Key works
Cruel Garden 1977; Ghost Dances 1981; Intimate Pages 1984; Sergeant Early's Dream 1984; Swansong 1987; Rooster 1991; Shift 2013; Ten Poems 2014.
Influences
Classical Ballet; Graham technique (Martha Graham); Acrobatics; Tap; Musical theatre; Folk; Social Dance.
Key Features
Spiralling torso; Flexion and contraction; One movement falling into another; Off centre balances; Eclectic styles; Direct correlation with music; Physically challenging; Strong use of imagery; Strong design elements (costume, set, lighting, music).
Themes
Political messages; Injustice; Entrapment; Oppression; Gender issues.
Exercise one – using animals
Watch Ghost Dances, Rooster and the victim's three solos from Swansong. In these pieces, Bruce has used animal movement and imagery to create the movement. Discuss some of the movements and ask the class to describe the animal movement. They should look closely at the way the limbs are used, the position of the spine and the neck. They should focus on the use of the head and levels. How is Bruce connecting with the audience through this animal imagery? Students should then pick their own animal and watch clips on from nature documentaries such as Dynasties by David Attenborough. Each student should create between 3 and 5 motifs inspired by the animal movement. The music from Dynasties would make a good soundscape. Add some Graham-inspired flexions and contractions and the idea of falling from one movement into another. Ask students to perform in pairs. Film and evaluate it.
Exercise two – using the spoken word
Watch the video of Scottish Ballet dancers working on Ten Poems. Bruce explains how he was listening to Richard Burton reading poems by Dylan Thomas and was inspired to make a dance piece based on the rhythms and musicality heard in the voice. Use one of the poems or another poem read by Richard Burton, e.g. Under Milk Wood. Ask the students to lie on their backs and listen to the poem three times and try to envisage movements they would like to do. They should consider the tempo and dynamics of the movements. Have them spend 15 minutes experimenting with these movements for a solo piece, then perform them with the poem being read. They should pair up and use the movement they have made to choreograph duets and even trios, as in Ghost Dances.
Exercise three – making a political point
Watch Ghost Dances, Swansong and Hurricane. You might want to start with Hurricane as it is a solo lasting 8/9 minutes. Discuss the content and structure of the piece and how Bruce uses the white face of Pierrot from Commedia dell’arte so that the dancer can multi role all the characters in the story of the wrongful imprisonment of the boxer, Hurricane Carter. Discuss how the design elements and the use of a bare stage help to set the scene and highlight his incarceration. The other two pieces are longer but are in sections so you could give different sections to small groups. Explain the background behind each piece and discuss how Bruce is using dance to make a political point. He does not give out programme notes and likes the audience to make up their own mind about the interpretation of the piece so you may wish to show each piece in its entirety and then discuss the meaning. Next ask how they feel about current political issues and ask them to create a piece based on these opinions. Brexit could be easy as they will realise that there is a big divide in the country. Or they might use environmental issues such as plastic in the oceans.
Further reading: National Resource Centre for Dance (NRCD) can provide you with a bibliography for Rooster and a very useful Choreographer Fact Card on Christopher Bruce.Rambert have several useful resource packs on Bruce's works.Sanders, L. (2016) Rooster: a dance education resource. Guildford: NRCD http://www.rambert.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Ghost-Dances-Teachers-Notes-1.pdfhe – a resource pack on Ghost DancesRambert will also provide workshops in your school/college on Bruce's works. You can visit Rambert at 99 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PP learning@rambert.org.uk 020 8630 0600