This key stage 4 unit of work takes an extract of "Swan Lake" a starting point for appreciation through performing and composing, then broadens out to study other professional works linked by theme or choreographer.

Swans are the subject matter for many classical and contemporary ballets and dances and there are a great many stimulating works with reference to these creatures which teachers may be fortunate to have seen or have access to, including Siobhan Davies' Carnival and Mats Ek's Swan Lake. Examples given below have either recently been televised or are available on commercial video.

For GCSE
this unit of work could form the basis of a flexible coursework assignment in which students might be assessed on performance, composition or written appreciation. Alternatively it could provide an opportunity for the "performance in a dance" module. Practice in describing, analysing and interpreting dances in a variety of contexts and styles will help prepare students for the written paper. Students could also be asked to research, consider and suggest why swans have been so popular in art and literature.

Matthew Bourne's "Swan Lake" - the young swans' dance, Act 2 Same work another section of  Bourne' "Swan Lake" eg crowd waving & saluting in Act 1or violent swans inAct 2 Same choreographer another quartet in Bourne's "Late Flowering Lust" eg the swimmers Same music/theme the cygnets in Petipa/Ivanov's Swan Lake Similar subject matter The penguins in Bintley's "Still Life at the Penguin Cafe"

VIEWING TASK Watch the young swans' dance in Act 2 at least twice Work in pairs and focus on one given aspect:- actions use of space use of body or relationships Share and compare findings - draw up a chart together which students can keep for reference. PERFORMANCE TASK In same pairs watch again and select 3 contrasting actions to practise and perform, checking accuracy against the professional work. Compose a short duo study in unison using the selected actions. Join with another duo, evaluate each other's studies in terms of accuracy and expression.

English national Ballet's Swan lake by Derek Deane. photos: Dee Conway

COMPOSITION TASK

Combine duo performance task ideas to create a quartet. Focus particularly on:-

• relationship with music
• expression
• floor patterns
• entrance and exit
• use of number

Compare own dances with A.M.P 's. and ask the students to consider how Matthew Bourne might have approached the choreography of this particular section

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

The young swans' dance with one or more of the other examples given, depending on the preferred focus. The classical version would provide an excellent contrast in terms of gender, style, expression, costume and treatment of subject matter. Always have clear and explicit criteria for comparison.

You could select from the following list of features :-

• kind of dance e.g. narrative, lyrical, dramatic
• genre or style of dance
• number, gender, role of dancers
• treatment of subject matter
• action
• dynamics
• use of space
• structure & compositional devices
• set design
• costume & make-up
• accompaniment

EXTENSION TASKS

Whilst creating and rehearsing "Swan Lake" Matthew Bourne and the dancers studied films of real swans. Students could research a selected animal in books, photographs and/or video to create a short study in abstraction and symbolism but stress the need to compose for the human body - they are not PRETENDING to BE animals!
or
the following quote describing "Wings", a composition by Christopher Bruce in 1971, could be used as a stimulus for a solo or group improvisation and composition.

"The choreography suggests birds without exact imitation. Balances, slow falls, stretching arms, small hops and sometimes bigger leaps do the trick. The wings are shown as powerful ... they beat with a crash against bodies or on the ground."

John Percival
The Times
18 May 1971

Lyn Paine, Dance Adviser for Dorset Education Authority