Download Bibliography

All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
The Musical Colourings of Jiří Kylián’s Black and White Ballet
Sarabande
The relationship between dance and music often appears to go hand in hand, with
both elements (dance and music) being able to take the lead; for example in dance a
choreographer may create work for or to an established piece of music and in music a
composer may decide to create music solely for dance work. The dance-music
relationship may also be collaborative, with both choreographer and composer
working alongside each other with shared ideas and goals to create a collaborative
work (the most famous collaborative dance-music relationships being that between
George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky).
Music is used in dance in many different ways and contexts. Music may be used to
aid a narrative in the dance, emphasise movements or gestures, evoke moods, feelings
or themes, or present the dancer with a beet, rhythm or melody to work with. When
discussing the relationship between dance and music it is very easy to only think of
the ways in which the music and movements work with or complement each other;
however the dance-music relationship may also produce juxtaposition, paradox or
disconnection.
Writing from a dancer’s point of view this essay will look at the dance-music
relationship in contemporary ballet choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Sarabande (1990). As
well as a stand alone choreography Sarabande is part of a DVD collection of six
works by Kylián named the Black & White Ballets made up of Falling Angels (1989),
No More play (1988), Petite Mort (1991), Sarabande (1990), Six Dances (1986) and
Sweet Dreams (1990). Out of the six dances Sarabande has been chosen as the focus
-1-
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
of this essay as it presents two contrasting pieces of music within the one work
making the study of the music-dance relationship highly interesting. The use of two
pieces of music presents two different moods, themes and atmospheres and in this
case the movement also appears very different between the two pieces of music.
This essay will explore Kylián’s use of music in Sarabande, the relationship the two
pieces of music has to the movement and whether the music colours or suggests ideas
and themes in the piece. For clarification purposes in this essay Sarabande will be
referenced in three sections relating to its music. The first section is the opening shot
in which Sarabande from the partita for violin Nr. 2 in D minor by Bach is used, the
second section will reference the main body of the piece in which Music by Dick
Heuff is used and the last section will reference the Sarabande from the partita for
violin Nr. 2 in D minor music by Bach returning nearer the end of the piece.
In Sarabande Kylián uses two very different pieces of music both of which suggest
strong atmospheres, moods and themes. The opening scene of Sarabande introduces
the music Sarabande from the partita for violin Nr. 2 in D minor by Johan Sebastian
Bach, played as shots of large black dresses come into focus. The juxtaposition of the
slow triple metre of the baroque style music with its drawn out violin stringing and
the period costume black dresses evokes an immediate sense of theme and mood with
the empty dresses arguably becoming an interpretation of how to read the music. The
often subconscious link the audience may have between black dresses and funerals
presents eeriness about the stage leaving the audience to wonder who the dresses are
for or who might have been wearing them, with the next shot revealing six figures
lying on the floor with the dresses now raised above them.
-2-
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
The setting of the sombre mood is forcefully reinforced with a crash of both sound
and light illuminating the six surprisingly male figures crashing on the floor beneath
the hanging dresses. With the introduction of the male dancers comes a disruption in
expectancy, the previous image of the black female dresses suggests there may be
female dancers, however instead Kylián presents six males and introduces the second
and in many ways contrasting piece of music.
Composed by Dick Heuff the second piece of music (which is untitled) consists of
electronic sounds, screams, breathing, crashes and emphasised noises reminiscent of
the movement onstage. Because of the nature of the music the sounds are not always
constantans free flowing as they were in the Sarabande from the partita for violin Nr.
2 in D minor by Bach. Screams and louder electronic noises often appear sporadically
between smaller more natural noises (natural in this context for example noises of the
movement or steps on the floor) and present an element of surprise in the piece, with
the movement carried out by the six dancers directly linking to the music also
reinforcing the element of surprise. It is undoubtedly clear in this section of
Sarabande ‘that the music is an essential component of Jiri Kylián's work’ (Joerg, G J
1997 Pg 18), with the slow contracting and releasing movements of the six men being
mirrored exactly by the electronic eerie breathing sounds in the music.
This mirroring carries on throughout the section, with the men performing a psychotic
nightmare-esque dance of dramatised jumps, screams, rolls, convulsions and other
quirky movements thought up by Kylián which at times bears resemblance to tribal
dance with the six men moving in perfect unison with both each other and also the
music. The almost literal, however unpredictable mirroring of music and movement
-3-
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
continues throughout this section with the music by Heuff often appearing as if it
were a sound recording of the dance itself. The movement of the dancers, their fingers
tapping, arms brushing on the floor and even the rubbing of their faces is presented in
the sound, often leaving the viewer to wonder whether the music is the sounds being
made live or whether it is pre recorded music.
Although the music and the movement in this section has an almost literal connection;
the dancer taps his fingers violently on the floor and at the same time the music is
reminiscent of loud tapping, the movement however is not always predictable. As
Rachel Duerden suggests in an article for Dance Chronicle which discusses the dancemusic relationship in choreographer Mark Morris’ work, ‘if the relationship [between
dance and music] is felicitous, it is because it is not at all predictable, but, rather,
offers a deeply satisfying sense of the inevitable’ (Duerden, R 2008 Pg 239). The
movement Kylián has created in Sarabande is not at all predictable, the music and the
movements work very closely together, with Kylián picking out, emphasising and
often matching the atmospheres, suggestive themes, timing and melodic shape of the
two pieces of music at different times throughout the piece. What is created therefore
is his unique vision or take on the music.
When working closely with music when choreographing it could be argued that the
music limits the range of potential movement, therefore producing predictability in
the movement and dance-music relationship. This however may not always be the
case as any range of material could have been created with the music used and any
one sound may evoke many different movement responses for example a simple slap
noise may be mirrored with a clap, slap of the body, slap of the floor, slap of another
-4-
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
person or slap of the air. As well as direct mirroring of sounds different elements of
tone, rhythm, beat, melodic shape and atmosphere may be picked out of the music
with the choice then being whether to work in conjunction or disjunction with these
elements.
An example of picking out and working with a specific element of the music is in the
quirky trousers down sequence (titled by myself for reference purposes) in the main
section of Sarabande. The dancers perform a rhythmically timed sextet with their
trousers around their ankles whilst the music playing sounds like that of a dog
rhythmically lapping up water. As opposed to going with the direct image the music
suggests, Kylián instead picks out the beat which is emphasised by a repetitive
sequence of points, shuffles, looks and slaps.
Another aspect of the dance-music relationship and also the nature of Kylián’s work
in general is seen in this sequence. As described by Helmut Scheier in the article
Choreographing in Symbols ‘his fundamental decision to tell stories without telling
stories demands that the observer is prepared to let the artistic whole work on him
directly and be intuitively comprehended’ (Scheier, H 1994 Pg 16). Much of Kylián’s
work is arguably suggestive, he sets ideas of themes and structures, however does not
provide the audience with a narrative. The audience therefore must tune into the many
different aspects and elements of the piece as they are left to make their own
judgments about what is being presented before them.
One example of how the audience might have read the trousers down section of
Sarabande described above may be as being reminiscent of the effects of behavioural
-5-
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
conditioning; the music suggesting a dog lapping up water or food placed together
with the immaculately timed and identical choreography linked to the music may
become representational of Ivan Pavlov’s psychological experiment on behavioural
conditioning entitled Pavlov’s Dog, however it could be read entirely different from
person to person. The experiment (in short) conditioned a dog to salivate whenever a
bell was rang, with this being done by ringing a bell every time the dog was presented
with food. The dog eventually was conditioned to associate the sound of the bell with
food. ‘After a while, at the mere sound of the bell, it [the dog] responded by drooling’
(Fredholm, L 2001 [05/05/09]), presenting conditioned behaviour linking an
action/function to a sound.
Kylián arguably allows the audience to colour in the traces of the work set out by him,
with what is read and interpreted by his work often becoming individual. ‘His
choreography is so rich in invention and so intensely oriented towards visual
stimulation that it offers the audience almost unlimited possibilities of interpretation’
(Joerg, G J 1997 Pg 18). This also reinforces the notion set out earlier that although
the music arguably presents a framework for the dance, the amount of visual stimuli
Kylián presents within the piece offers many different possibilities for interpretation
within this framework, therefore any predictability seen in the work may in fact be the
result of a lack of interpretation or imagination of the audience.
Kylián’s use of paradox in his work; presenting ideas, themes and atmospheres
without actually presenting a set narrative, allows the viewer to make what they will
of what is suggested before them. The term paradox is referenced here in regards to
the fact that Kylián presents the contrasting ideas of creating a narrative or the illusion
-6-
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
of a narrative without actually having a narrative. For example in Sarabande the
music, costumes and at times movement are highly suggestive of the baroque period,
however there is no direct storyline within the piece that supports or follows this
theme through.
In relation to the point made above it could be implied that the music used in much of
Kylián’s work including Sarabande is used, rather than a narrative, to colour the
movement, with the overall music-dance relationship being what creates the
suggestions to the audience regarding how it may be read or interpreted. The music in
Sarabande provokes an overwhelming feel and atmosphere of personality conflict
which has also been suggested by Guido Joerg to be that of Kylián’s personality
stating: ‘in this piece [Sarabande], the choreographer expresses his sense of humour
at the same time as he reveals a suddenly triggered, terribly aggressive side of his
nature’ (Joerg, G J 1997 Pg 18).
Both the music and movement in Sarabande reinforce the statement above; presenting
an aggressive, troubled dance within a more subdued and often beautiful framework
of the classical music by Bach heard in the opening sequence and complimented in
the end section by more subdued but equally emotional and beautiful movement.
Kylián deliberately sets the two very different pieces of music against each other to
evoke two contrasting moods, with the music by Bach presenting a range of emotions
however all are sympathetic. An example of this is in the first section in which the
strung out violins and the black dresses onstage present the idea of a funeral, and
nearer the end of the work when the music is heard again presenting a more beautiful
-7-
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
side to the troubled and almost scary characters seen previously to the music by
Heuff.
The dance-music relationship in the end section of Sarabande presents the viewer
with an almost different dance. The link between the two pieces of music and its
significance is realised with the re-introduction of the violin partita by Bach at the end
of the piece. Kylián has used music to create characters within Sarabande with each
of the two pieces of music being representational of the different characteristics of the
same six characters presented; with the screams and eerie sound of Heuff presenting
the deeply troubled and violent side to the characters and the music by Bach
presenting the characters in a more sympathetic and harmless light.
In the wake of the piece that has unfolded the baroque music puts a beautiful twist on
an otherwise disturbing and psychotic dance. Out of the baroque violin music
different personalities emerge which are unlike those of the deeply troubled men
presented beforehand to the music by Heuff. Each man in turn performs a solo as if to
tell their own stories, with this immediately being in contrast to the mainly unison
chorography performed to the music by Heuff. As the characters in the dance evolve
so does the ways in which Kylián uses the music. Bach’s Sarabande from the partita
for violin Nr. 2 in D minor presents more of a melodic shape than the previous
untitled electronic and sound based music by Heuff; with the notes varying in length,
sound intensity and scale, which in turn is picked out by Kylián. Movements such as
arabesques are used in which the extended leg ascends and descends or quivers to
mirror the scales and warbling in the music. Notes emphasised in the music are
emphasised in the movement with the often short flowing sequences of both
-8-
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
movement and music being broken by a slapping of the floor or the execution of a
sharp shape when the music demands.
Kylián's choreography in the last section of Sarabande is very much what you might
expect or associate with classical music. The movements presented suddenly become
lighter and are more evidently ballet based with vocabulary such as arabesques,
coupe’s, pas de bourrée’s and leaps being seen. Although a connection can be drawn
between the ballet choreography and the classical music which so often compliments
it the choreography in this section however bares little resemblance to the traditional
form of a Sarabande dance. ‘The dance was a group dance mainly done by women
and was considered wild in manner and a highly sexual pantomime in nature’ (Dance
History Archives- The Sarabande [05/05/09]). No traces of a sexual or wild nature are
seen in this last section, with Kylián instead presenting the calmer side of the
characters, choosing to focus on the slow triple metre and the melodic shape of the
music rather than its traditions.
What is interesting to note in relation to the point made above is that although no
references are made to the traditional wild and sexual nature of a Sarabande dance
when the Sarabande music is playing, they are however referenced within the piece as
a whole. Challenging expectations and predictability Kylián disjunctively presents
suggestive movements linked to the sexual nature of the Sarabande dance to the music
composed by Dick Heuff used in the main section of the dance including a gyrating
solo performed by one dancer with his trousers around his ankles. The wild nature of
the Sarabande dance as described in the quote above is also highly referenced in both
the movements and the music of the main section of Kylián’s Sarabande, with wild
-9-
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
screams and angry tribal like masculine movements including stomps, jumps and
forceful arm movements, reinforcing the wildness the dance presents.
Overall Kylián uses the two pieces of music in Sarabande; Sarabande from the
partita for violin Nr. 2 in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach and the untitled
electronic sounds composed by Dick Heuff in many different and complex ways. The
two pieces of music are set against each other from the beginning of the work with the
music by Bach introducing the scene with a sombre, however sympathetic mood as a
sense of death fills the stage reinforced by the six black hanging baroque dresses.
Kylián uses music to portray characters; with the introduction of the eerie electronic
music by Heuff presenting new sounds alongside the introduction of the psychotic and
violent characters of the six male dancers. The violin partita music is also used to
present the characteristics of the dancers in a lighter, fragile state acting as ‘a frame
around a nightmare that breaks out in a bizarre sequence of screams and steps’ (Joerg
G J 1997 Pg 18).
The relationship Kylián has created between the music and the structure of Sarabande
presents the notion of the dance being representational of the six characters descent
into madness, with the music by Bach being suggestive of the death of the more
harmless and beautiful characteristics of the six men. As well as providing a possible
narrative and frame for the dance the music in Sarabande also presents different
images which colour the movement and also at times create meanings within the
dance. Images presented in the music such as the lapping up of water and growling
sounds suggest the actions of animals, with the often violent nature of the
- 10 -
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
choreography reinforcing the image of the characters at times being more like animals
than humans.
The movements Kylián uses in Sarabande often work closely with the music; with
Kylián picking up on the rhythm, beats, melodic shape and different qualities
presented in the two pieces of music, often using the choreography to emphasise these
points. The connection between music and choreography in the main section of
Sarabande presents the audience with amplified sounds reminiscent of the action
happening onstage. The music-dance connection Kylián uses in the main section is
highly literal, in which the actions match the sounds in a pleasing inevitable, however
non-predictable manner. The music in this section therefore amplifies the movement
as opposed to adding something new, building a strong sense of atmosphere and
violent tension in the piece.
The music-dance relationship between the Sarabande from the partita for violin Nr. 2
in D minor and the choreography in the last section of Sarabande presents a different
relationship to that seen previously. Kylián picks out and works with the triple metre
and the melodic shape of the music, with the music inspiring softer and more elegant
movements, presenting the male characters and also the dance in a different light.
The different ways Kylián has connected the music and dance in Sarabande work
together to provide interesting and complex ideas and images within the piece. Kylián
presents the audience with a framework, setting up ideas through the linking of the
different elements of chorography and music which the audience must then interpret
themselves; this essay therefore has offered one interpretation of the work Sarabande.
- 11 -
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
Word count: 3339
- 12 -
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
Bibliography
Books
Hodgens, P (1992)
Relationships Between Score and Choreography in
Twentieth-Century Dance – Music, Movement and
Metaphor. USA: Edwin Mellen Press
Kloos, H (1993)
Kylián, Jiří in Bremster, M (Ed) International
Dictionary of Ballet Volume 1. Detroit, London and
Washington: St James Press. Pg 794-797
Sayers, L A (1999)
Jiří Kylián in Bremster, M (Ed) Fifty Contemporary
Choreographers. Oxon, USA and Canada: Routledge.
Pg 133-137
Tech, K (1989)
Music for the Dance- Reflections on a Collaborative
Art. New York, Westport, Connecticut and London:
Greenwood Press
Utrecht, L (1988)
Kylián, Jiří in Cohen, S (Ed) Encyclopedia of Dance
Volume 4. New York and Oxford: Oxford University
Press. Pg 81-82
Journals
Duerden, R (2008)
Predictability and Inevitability in Dance- Music
Relationships in Mark Morris’s Falling Down Stairs.
Dance Chronicle, May 2008 Volume 31 issue 2: Pg
239-257
Moffett, L (1987)
Kylián Changes Keys. Dance Magazine, May 1987: Pg
46-50
Scheier, H (1994)
Choreographing in Symbols. Ballet International
Tanz Aktuell, October 1994: Pg 14-21
Sinclair, J (1991)
Choreographer’s Luck. Dance and Dancers, June/July
1991: Pg 14-15
Von Schaik, E (1995)
Master of Ceremonies, Seeker of Truths. Ballet
International Tanz Aktuell, June 1995: Pg 36-39
- 13 -
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
Websites
Fredholm, L (2001)
Pavlov’s Dog. URL:
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/pavlo
v/readmore.html [05/05/09]
Dance History Archives
The Sarabande. URL:
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3sarbn1.htm
[05/05/09]
DVD and Inserts
Jiří Kylián’s Black & White Ballets (1997) Produced by Arthaus Music and
directed by Hans Hulscher. A collection of six ballets (Falling Angels, Six Dances,
No More Play, Sweet Dreams, Sarabande and petite Mort) specially filmed for the
DVD choreographed by Kylián and performed by The Netherlands Dans Theater.
Falling Angels (1989)
Choreography: Jiří Kylián
Music: Steve Reich – Drumming Part 1
Dancers: The Netherlands Dans Theater
No More Play (1988)
Choreography: Jiří Kylián
Music: Anton Webern – Fünf Sä Für Streichquartett, Opus 5
Dancers: The Netherlands Dans Theater
Petite Mort (1991)
Choreography: Jiří Kylián
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Adagio from the concert for piano and orchestra
Nr. 23, A major and Andante from the concert for piano and orchestra Nr. 21 C major
Dancers: The Netherlands Dans Theater
Sarabande (1990)
Choreography: Jiří Kylián
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach - Sarabande from the partita for violin solo Nr. 2 D
minor
Dancers: The Netherlands Dans Theater
Six Dances (1986)
Choreography: Jiří Kylián
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Six German Dances
Dancers: The Netherlands Dans Theater
Sweet Dreams (1990)
Choreography: Jiří Kylián
Music: Anton Webern – Six Pieces for Orchestra
Dancers: The Netherlands Dans Theater
- 14 -
All rights reserved. Document © Kara Guard 2009
Joerg, G J (1997)
Jiří Kylián’s Black & White Ballets. DVD insert
booklet. Produced with the DVD by Arthaus Music.
Text by Guido Johannes Joerg, photography by Camilla
Van Zuyklen and Joris Jan Bos.
- 15 -