CHOREOGRAPHY || a major discourse || master in writing a CHOREOGRAPHY

 Choreography Script

Choreography is a dance form through which the performer(s) bring out certain themes. It resembles a drama or skit but there will not be any dialogues or props. The chorus sing the poem giving some gestures and the others enact or dance according to the situation in the poem or song. Make sure to mention all the six features of the choreography script.

Important Features of the Choreography Script:

1.      Title of the poem                    : Here the title along with the author’s name should be mentioned.

2.      Theme of the poem                : There may be whole theme and stanza wise themes. Regarding the

                                                               given stanzas, theme has to be written here.

3.      Instances of the theme         : Example statements from the poem have to be written here or you can           

                                                            write in your own words that support the scenes to be performed.

4.      Location                                    : The place where the scenes would happen is to be mentioned.

                                                             Sometimes there may be more than one location.

5.      Characters                                 : These are the names of the characters involved in the scenes

6.      Sequence of the actions: (scene wise) Here how the actions to be performed on the dais is to be

 written scene by scene.

Model-1: Here is a poem. Write a choreography script for it.

Another Woman

(Imtiaz Dharkar)

This morning she bought green 'methi'

in the market, choosing the freshest bunch;

picked up a white radish,

imagined the crunch it would make

between her teeth, the sweet sharp taste,

then put it aside, thinking it

an extravagance, counted her coins

out carefully, tied them, a small bundle

into her sari at the waist;

came home, faced her mother-in-law's

dark looks, took

the leaves and chopped them,

her hands stained yellow from the juice;

cut an onion, fine and cooked

the whole thing in the pot

over the stove,

shielding her face from the heat.

The usual words came and beat

their wings against her: the money spent,

curses heaped upon her parents,

who had sent her out

to darken other people's doors.

Choreography Script for the poem – “Another woman” by Imtiaz Dharkar

       I.          Name of the poem: ANOTHER WOMAN by Imtiaz Dharkar

     II.          The theme of the poem:

Ø  The hardships of a woman as a homemaker at her in law’s home.

Ø   The unfriendly relationship between the woman and her mother-in-law and husband

    III.          Instances of the theme:

Ø  came home, faced her mother-in-law's dark looks

Ø  The usual words came and beat their wings against her

   IV.          Locations:

Ø  The market

Ø  The kitchen

     V.          Characters:

Ø  The woman (the chief character)

Ø  Her mother in law

Ø  The chorus for setting the location

Ø  The vegetable vendors

Ø  Two or three people at the market

Ø  6 to 8 performers to set the different locations

   VI.          Sequence of actions:

Scene -1:

Ø  The chorus enters and creates the setting of a market.

Ø  Two vegetable vendors sit on the ground and selling vegetable.

Ø  A person buys vegetable.

Ø  Two or three people enter the market and exit.

Ø  The woman enters.

Ø  She chooses vegetables and bargains with the vendor.

Ø  She collects vegetables and exit.

Ø  All performers exit.

Scene -2:

Ø  The chorus enters the stage and pose themselves in such a way that a visual effect of a house is created.

Ø  The woman enters from outside.

Ø  The mother-in law comes from indoors and scolds the woman for her purchase.

Ø  The mother in law commands the woman to cook fast

Ø  She keeps the pot on the stove.

Ø  The woman cuts vegetables.

Ø  The mother in law comes near and scolds the woman.

Ø  All performers exit the stage.

Model-2: Here is a poem. Write a choreography script for it.

Another Woman

(Imtiaz Dharkar)

She crouched, as usual, on the floor

beside the stove,

When the man came home

she did not look into his face

nor raise her head; but bent

her back a little more.

Nothing gave her the right

to speak

She watched the flame hiss up

and beat against the cheap old pot,

a wing of brightness

against its blackened cheek.

This was the house she had been sent to,

the man she had been bound to,

the future she had been born into.

So, when the kerosene was thrown

(just a moment of surprise,

A brilliant spark)

It was the only choice

that she had ever known.

Choreography Script for the poem – “Another woman” by Imtiaz Dharkar

       I.          Name of the poem: ANOTHER WOMAN by Imtiaz Dharkar

     II.          The theme of the poem:

Ø  The harassment of the in-laws.

Ø  The unfriendly relationship between the woman and her husband and other in-laws.

Ø  The cruelty of husband and in-laws.

    III.          Instances of the theme:

Ø  She crouched, as usual, on the floor beside the stove.

Ø  Nothing gave her the right to speak

Ø  It was the only choice that she had ever known.

   IV.          Locations:

Ø  The in-law’s house

Ø  The kitchen

     V.          Characters:

Ø  The woman (the central character)

Ø  Her mother in law

Ø  The chorus for setting the location (in-laws)

Ø  5 or 6 chorus who don’t care of the fire caught woman.

   VI.          Sequence of actions:

 

Scene -1:

Ø  The chorus enters the stage and creates the visual effect of a kitchen.

Ø  The woman crouches on the floor behind the stove.

Ø  The mother in law comes from indoors and scolds the woman.

Ø  The husband comes and beats her.

Ø  The other in-laws come and go out meanwhile.

Ø  Other side of the stage, on a stove with a pot seen.

Ø  The chorus exits the stage.

 

Scene -2:

Ø  The chorus enters creates the setting of the kitchen.

Ø  A woman seen in flames and cries and runs all the sides of the stage.

Ø  Some people seen unaware of the incident.

Ø  She collapses to the ground and enacts died.

Ø  The chorus exits the stage.

 

Model-3: Here is a poem. Write a choreography script for it.

Once upon a Time

(Gabriel Okara)

Once upon a time, son,

they used to laugh with their hearts

and laugh with their eyes:

but now they only laugh with their teeth,

while their ice-block-cold eyes

search behind my shadow.

There was a time indeed

they used to shake hands with their hearts:

but that's gone, son.

Now they shake hands without hearts:

while their left hands search

my empty pockets.

Choreography Script for the poem – “Once upon a time” by Gabriel Okara

I.                 Title of the poem: ONCE UPON A TIME (By Gabriel Okara)

II.               Theme of the poem:

Ø  Disapproval of the now a day’s unreal life of the people.

III.              Instances of the poem:

Ø  they used to laugh with their hearts

Ø  Now-a-days while their ice-block-cold eyes

Ø  Now they shake hands without hearts

IV.             Location:

Ø  The house of an old man

Ø  The olden days’ meeting place (One side of the stage)

Ø  Now-a-days’ meeting place (The other side of the stage)

V.               Characters:

Ø  Father

Ø  Son

Ø  Few people resembling olden days

Ø  Few people resembling now-a-days

VI.             Sequence of actions:

Scene-1:

The chorus enters the stage and creates the visual effects of the home. The father approaches the son and pretends to be speaking with his son.

Scene-2: (Behind the father and his son)

Chorus enters the stage and creates the atmosphere of the olden days and enacts that they are laughing with hearts and enacts that they are shaking hands with love and affection.

Scene-3: (Behind the father and his son other side of the olden days)

Chorus enters the stage and creates the atmosphere of now a day and enacts that they are laughing with teeth and enacts that they are shaking hands without love and affection.

Model-4: Here is a poem. Write a choreography script for it.

Abandoned

Abandoned to the garbage bin,

With mosquitoes and insects

eating its tiny fingers away,

Little baby crying for help

as foul smells comes into play,

irradiating from disposed bacteria.

Unheard shrieks of the baby's hysteria

die in eerie silence of the night,

"An outcast of destiny"

Its labored breath

racing in quick gasps

forced lonely like crap

with cyanosed lips

sea-blue nose and finger-tips,

Its tattered and torn dirty wrap

make it shiver in freezing grasp.

A filthy black cat

edges on to the holed bin

searching for easy rats

And finds its food

tearing at the babe's hair

with their sharp teeth

gnawing at its ears

to complete their feed,

As the cat jumps in

with a screeching meow

the rats let loose

a clicking squeak

A bloody chaos ensues,

The only sin of the infant—

BEING BORN.

- Dr. Suraya Nasim

 

Choreography Script for the poem – “Abandoned” by Dr. Suraya Nasim

 

       I.          Title of the poem:   Abandoned by Suraya Nasim

      II.          Theme of the poem: 

The agony of the abandoned child, who was thrown to the garbage bin, is pictured.

    III.          Instances of the poem:

v  A child was abandoned to the garbage bin.

v  It was being eaten by mosquitoes, insects and rats.

v  The baby cries in agony and no one notices it.

    IV.          Location:

 Dust bin at the corner of the street with foul smell and garbage around.

     V.          Characters:

       1. Child

                      2. Mosquitoes

                      3. Rats

                      4. Cat

   VI.          Scene of Actions:

v  The chorus enters the stage and creates the visual effects of garbage bin.

v  A woman enters with a tiny baby and leaves it on the garbage bin.

v  The baby cries in agony when the insects and rats trying to eat it.

v  A cat jumps in, all the rats let loose and the cry of the baby continuous.

v  At the end the unheard shrieks stop their sounds. (That the baby dies)

Model-5: Here is a poem. Write a choreography script for it.

Or will the Dreamer Wake?

Out in the East the jungle listens

The tigress, plaintive, growls in pain,

The great trees hear her breathing, shaking

Inside her still, the new lives wait,

These cubs could be the last ones ever

To freely live and roam and mate.

Our grandchild knows the tiger never

Or will the dreamer wake?

 

Far in the North the white bear snuffles

Down in her lair the gleaming snow

She waits for all the life she's making

Outside the crashing glaciers grow.

These cubs could be the last cubs ever

To freely live and roam and mate.

Our grandchild knows the white bear never

Or will the dreamer wake?

-        Medora Chevalier

 

Choreography Script for the poem – “Or will the dreamer, wake?”

by Medora Chevalier

       I.          Title of the poem: Or will the dreamer, wake?           -by Medora Chevalier

      II.          Theme of the poem: The theme of the poem is about endangered species in the world.

    III.          Instances of the poem:

v  May be the last cubs are being born by the tigers, who growls in pain.

v  The white bear suffers for new lives.

    IV.          Location:

1. The forest

             2. The snow field in polar region

     V.          Characters:

v  Tigers and cubs

v  Bears and cubs

v  A hunter

v  Other animals

   VI.          Scenes of actions:

Scene 1:

v  The chorus enters the stage and creates the visual effects of a forest.

v  A hunter tries to hunt animals in the forest.

v  A tigress growls in pain to give birth and to save them from the man.

v  The cubs clutch their mom in fear.

v  They exit the stage

Scene 2:

v  The chorus enters the stage and creates the visual effects of the polar region’s snow field.

v  A large bear snuffles to give new lives.

v  The cubs clutch their mom in fear.

v  They quit the stage.

Model-6: Here is a poem. Write a choreography script for it.

A Plea for India

We, Indians, are proud to be a strong nation,

our roots, we declare , cannot be shaken.

Then why these fights,

which leave us in poor plight?

Irrespective of our region,

forget the castes,

which makes us lose our charm.

Let's ignore the selfish call of each region,

and listen for once to the call of the nation.

Why do we spend our time bickering

when so many tasks need finishing?

Don't we have better things to do

than indulge in creating problems anew?

Is all this violence needed

with the people being cheated?

Who will return this only son

whom she loves a ton?

Who will bring back his brother

whose ashes he is still to gather?

Where has all the love gone

which resided in the heart of all?

There is no reason to be proud,

and be on high cloud.

We have to go a long way,

we have to think seriously,

else we end up miserably.

Then let our minds throw out the rot,

and devote our time to pious thoughts.

Let us control the riots,

which leave us with no choice,

but to hang our heads in shame,

and say we have miserably failed.

We have the power to win,

so why not end this din?

Let us unite,

and fight against those who incite.

Let us not be misled,

by those who want to see us dead.

We are a strong united nation,

all we need is a bit of dedication.

 

Choreography Script for the poem – “A  Plea for India”

       I.          Title of the poem: A Plea for India -by Anonymous poet

      II.          Theme of the poem: The theme of the poem is the patriotism.

    III.          Instances of the poem:

   Proud to be strong nation

   Why these fights

   forget casts

   call of the nation

    IV.          Locations: A place in India

     V.          Characters:

    1. People of different religions and casts.

          2. Bharath Maatha

   VI.          Scenes of action:

v  The chorus enters the stage and creates visual effects of India.

v  People from different religious come together and raises hands to show united and Bharath Maatha with Indian flag smiles.

v  Some religious leaders call from each side of the stage.

v  Some people move towards their leaders and come to center to fight with others and Bharath Maatha cries with flag.

v  Bharath Maatha comes to center and signals not to fight.

v  People come together and raise their hands to show united, Bharath Maatha smiles.

v  The culprit leaders hang their heads.

Practice these questions:

1.     Prepare a choreography script for the poem, ‘Another Woman.’

2.     Write a choreography script for the poem, ‘Abandoned.’

3.     Prepare a choreography script for the poem, ‘Or will the Dreamer Wake?’

4.     Write a choreography script for the poem, ‘A Plea for India.’

Write a choreography script for the poem, ‘Once Upon A Time.’