'I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people's mind is not in my mind. I just do my thing.'

As I began to create more material for my piece, I reflected on what I had learnt about myself and Lopez Ochoa to help myself develop as a choreographer.

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa discussed how creativity works best when you are unafraid to make mistakes  (The Joyce Theater, 2019) and I found personally that tasks enable me to work without pressure. She demonstrated the strength in simplicity (King Ferraro and Sean Breeden, 2019), where previously I had a tendency to overcomplicate steps, so I brought this into my mannerisms task to quietly draw the audience in. I also hope to gain attention by mirroring Lopez Ochoa’s strong connections in the ‘Requiem for a Rose’ duet between parters (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, 2019). In a solo, the connection lies with the dancer and audience, so I used strong eye contact to break the fourth wall.

My methods enabled me to play Audrey Hepburn as a character (Windley, 2017), and without intending to, at times I created work in the style of physical theatre, such as the Mannerisms Phrase. This reflected how Lopez Ochoa doesn’t confine herself to styles (PennsylvaniaBallet, 2009). I organically formed movement that best conveyed my message instead of fitting into categories. The physical theatre will also create an effective contrast with the contemporary.

The main difference between the Mannerisms Phrase and the first phrase I made inspired by quotes, was that my work was less abstract but equally analytical. This is something I always aimed to achieve, as I think it highlights my skills better as a performer, but previously struggled to know where to begin. Therefore my new choreography better communicates my theme. I think by combining the two choreographies I have created so far, in the first musical track, I will form an interesting opening, which creates intrigue, establishes my question, leaves room for further development, and has beautiful movement. 

Bibliography

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (2019). Requiem for a rose - Excerpt. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ_qcfmaPEw&list=WL&index=13&t=0s [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

Windley, A. (2017). How Audrey Hepburn Changed The Way Hollywood Looked At Women. [online] Geeks. Available at: https://vocal.media/geeks/how-audrey-hepburn-changed-the-way-hollywood-looked-at-women [Accessed 11 Nov. 2019].

The Joyce Theater (2019). Annabelle Lopez Ochoa on Being Open to the Piece In Front of You. [podcast] Still Spinning. Available at: http://stillspinning.libsyn.com/annabelle-lopez-ochoa-on-being-open-to-the-piece-in-front-of-you [Accessed 11 Nov. 2019].

King Ferraro, R. and Sean Breeden, M. (2019). (90) Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, LIVE from San Francisco Ballet’s Unbound Festival. [podcast] Conversations on Dance. Available at: https://podcasts.apple.com/fm/podcast/90-annabelle-lopez-ochoa-live-from-san-francisco-ballets/id1128237763?i=1000410314769 [Accessed 11 Nov. 2019].