📚 Artificial Things — 6a.4
Choreographic Content
Four movement examples · RADS breakdown · Devices · DLIE & interpretation
📚 What you'll learn on this page
- Describe each of the four key movement examples using precise vocabulary
- Analyse Actions, Dynamics, Space and Relationships for each section
- Identify choreographic devices and link them to intent
- Build DLIE answers using model examples and your own interpretations
How to use this page
Each movement example has four sections — Overview, RADS, Devices, DLIE and Interpretation. Open each accordion in turn. For every example, start by watching or recalling the movement, then build your analysis using the DLIE panel as a model.
6a.4.1 Movement Example 1 — Dave & Laura's Duet
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Dave & Laura's Duet
Ground-based contact duet · Both disabled dancers · Downstage right
A pensive, ground-based contact duet reflecting on loss. Built around a dismantled wheelchair — used to push off, sit on and lean on. Dave enters on a diagonal from USL, tenderly reaches to Laura. They use each other as a ledge — pushing weight, sitting, leaning. The dancers splay fingers on the wheelchair, pushing up and releasing as if breathing.
Actions
Sit · reach · pull · embrace · push up · release · lean · roll · sweep
Dynamics
Slow · delicate · tender · steady · light · sudden
Space
Diagonal pathway USL → DSR. Duet performed DSR. Low level throughout.
Relationships
Duet. Close contact. Support / ledge relationship. Canon.
Motif & development
Contrast
Repetition
Motif & development — the reach–embrace–focus motif is introduced and then developed throughout the duet, building from tentative reach to full contact.
Contrast — Dave travels on a diagonal entering the space; Laura remains static. This creates a contrast in spatial use that reflects their different relationships to mobility.
Repetition — the pushing and releasing motion on the wheelchair (as if breathing) is repeated, creating a rhythmic, motif-like quality.
Sort the four statements into the correct DLIE category. Click a statement to select it, then click the correct slot to place it. Click a filled slot to return the card.
💡 D and L are facts · I and E are opinions
D Describe✓
Click to place here
L Link✓
Click to place here
I Interpret✓
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E Evaluate✓
Click to place here
The dismantled wheelchair could represent broken limitations — the dancers rebuild movement from it. The breathing motif on the wheelchair could suggest life continuing despite difficulty.
The duet features slow, delicate ground-based contact work around a dismantled wheelchair. Dave and Laura use each other as a ledge — sitting, leaning and pushing off with light, sustained dynamics.
This is effective because the duet creates a movement vocabulary that could only exist with these specific bodies, drawing the audience into an intimate, personal world.
This links to the intent — both disabled dancers creating beautiful movement embodies the resolution of life's limitations. Laura isolated downstage right links to the gaze of 'the other'.
💬 Bank of model interpretations — tap each to reveal:
Using each other as a ledge… ›
Using each other as a ledge could represent dependence and support in the face of adversity — the movement embodies the idea that limitations are easier to bear when shared with another person.
The dismantled wheelchair could suggest… ›
The dismantled wheelchair could represent broken limitations — the dancers don't work around it, they rebuild movement from it, suggesting that what appears as restriction can become a source of creativity and connection.
The 'breathing' motif on the wheelchair… ›
The pushing and releasing on the wheelchair frame — like breathing — could suggest life continuing despite difficulty. The rhythm is gentle and persistent, like breath itself — something that cannot be stopped.
💜 Your turn — personal prompts
Watching the duet, which gesture or moment feels most significant to you personally, and why?
Does watching two disabled dancers performing together change how you experience the movement? How?
6a.4.2 Movement Example 2 — The Gliding Trio
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The Gliding Trio
Laura, David Willdridge & Amy Butler · Unison of Textures · Across the space
David and Amy control Laura's wheelchair, propelling her across the space in smooth, gliding pathways. Full of ebb and flow, suspension and release. Laura turns her chair in a smooth circle with an outstretched arm. David circles the wheel on a diagonal. Amy uses wide pliés. Laura's arms circle and soar as if flying. She had to build deep trust with David and Amy — this is Unison of Textures in action.
Actions
Turn · reach · roll · lunge · plié · tilt · slice · attitude · soar
Dynamics
Smooth · fluid · gliding · soaring · ebb & flow · fast · whip
Space
Linear and circular pathways. DSR → USL. Levels contrast throughout.
Relationships
Trio. Push and pull. Manipulation of the chair. Unison. Canon.
Motif & development
Unison
Canon
Complement
Contrast
Motif & development — Laura's circular arm motif is translated onto the standing dancers. Each finds their own version of her vocabulary, developing the original motif into new forms.
Unison & canon — moments where all three dancers move in the same timing (unison) contrast with canon, where the movement ripples between performers.
Contrast (levels) — Laura's low wheelchair level contrasts with the standing dancers' height, creating a rich visual contrast in spatial levels across the trio.
Sort the four statements into the correct DLIE category. Click a statement to select it, then click the correct slot to place it. Click a filled slot to return the card.
💡 D and L are facts · I and E are opinions
D Describe✓
Click to place here
L Link✓
Click to place here
I Interpret✓
Click to place here
E Evaluate✓
Click to place here
This links to the collaborative approach — Laura's wheelchair vocabulary is translated by the standing dancers through 'Unison of Textures'. Laura initiates and the others follow, embodying the intent of resolution through togetherness.
Laura soaring in her chair could suggest liberation from limitation — a moment of freedom. The ebb and flow dynamics could represent the tide of emotions — the push and pull of living with limitations.
Laura's wheelchair is propelled by David and Amy in smooth, gliding pathways from DSR to USL. Her arms circle and soar as if flying. The dynamics are fluid, with ebb and flow and moments of fast whipping movement.
This is effective because it is the most inclusive moment in the work — all three dancers moving as one unit. The soaring dynamics create a sense of joy and liberation that powerfully contrasts with the grounded duet before it.
💬 Bank of model interpretations — tap each to reveal:
Laura's arms soaring could suggest… ›
Laura's arms soaring as she is propelled through the space could suggest liberation from her wheelchair — a moment where limitation becomes flight. In my opinion, this is the most powerful image of freedom in the whole work.
The circular pathways could suggest… ›
The circular pathways could suggest being trapped in a cycle — going round and round without escape. This creates an irony: the movement looks free, but the path keeps returning to where it started.
The ebb and flow dynamics could represent… ›
The ebb and flow could represent the tide of emotions — the push and pull of living with limitations. Just as a tide never fully retreats, the characters are never completely free of their confinements.
💜 Your turn
Does watching Laura being propelled through the space feel empowering or restricting to you? Can it feel like both at the same time?
How does knowing this movement was developed through 'Unison of Textures' change how you watch the trio?
6a.4.3 Movement Example 3 — Family Portraits
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Family Portraits
Quartet · 7 tableaux · Upstage left · Inspired by Djurovic
Dancers sit in a line — David on a chair, Dave on the vitrine, Amy on a chair, Laura in her wheelchair. They re-enact old family portraits, poised and serious. The cast take on different roles — sometimes Amy is the father, sometimes Laura a little boy. 7 tableaux with formation changes. After holding each pose, they relax and melt into the next.
Actions
Stand · sit · stillness · gesture (hands placed) · look · walk · melt
Dynamics
Proud · rigid · formal → then relaxed · casual as they melt between poses
Space
USL, around the vitrine and stools. Focus varies throughout — direct and indirect.
Relationships
Quartet. Close formation. No contact. Contrast in levels.
Key detail for the exam
The relationships in this section are specifically described as having NO contact. This is unusual in this work — note it, and consider what it communicates about emotional distance or formality.
Repetition
Contrast
Highlights
Manipulation of number
Repetition — the same pose-and-melt structure is repeated seven times across the tableaux, creating a sense of accumulation and ritual.
Contrast — formal, rigid dynamics contrast sharply with the relaxed melt between poses. Levels, directions and facing also contrast within each tableau.
Highlights — certain tableaux are more formally composed or held longer, creating key visual images that stand out to the audience.
Manipulation of number — all four performers are on stage for the first time here, marking a structural shift from trio to full quartet.
Sort the four statements into the correct DLIE category. Click a statement to select it, then click the correct slot to place it. Click a filled slot to return the card.
💡 D and L are facts · I and E are opinions
D Describe✓
Click to place here
L Link✓
Click to place here
I Interpret✓
Click to place here
E Evaluate✓
Click to place here
This is effective because the extreme stillness contrasts with the fluid movement around it. The audience feels the weight of time, and the melting transitions show how memories blur and shift.
This links to Stimulus 2 — the Djurovic paintings — and to Stimulus 1: the characters appear frozen as if trapped within the snow globe, subject to the gaze of 'the other'.
The frozen tableaux could suggest being trapped in time, unable to move on from the past. Taking on different family roles could suggest identity is fluid — not fixed by disability.
All four dancers adopt rigid, formal poses inspired by old family photographs. After holding each tableau they melt fluidly into the next. Seven tableaux are performed with formation changes.
💬 Bank of model interpretations — tap each to reveal:
The frozen tableaux could suggest… ›
The frozen tableaux could suggest being trapped in time — unable to move on from the past. The repetition of seven poses creates a sense that the characters are going through the same moments over and over, unable to escape.
The lack of contact could suggest… ›
The complete absence of physical contact in this section — unusual throughout the rest of Scene Three — could suggest emotional distance between the characters. They are close in proximity but separate in their experience of regret and grief.
Taking on different family roles could suggest… ›
The fluid shifting of roles — Amy as the father, Laura as a child — could suggest that identity is not fixed by disability. In this moment, all four dancers are simply human beings inhabiting a shared family history.
💜 Your turn
How does watching the dancers melt between poses make you feel? Does the transition feel like relief, sadness, or something else?
Which of the seven tableaux do you think would be the most striking image on stage, and why?
6a.4.4 Movement Example 4 — Dave's Solo
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Dave's Solo
Solo → group · Centre stage · 'The Sunshine of Your Smile'
A solo full of hand and arm gestures where focus expresses Dave's personal experiences of his father. Dave drums his fingers, sweeps his hand along the floor in a circle, rolls onto his back, unfolds his arms, lets his hand draw down his cheek. Towards the end he lip syncs — then forgets his words. The group lip sync for him. The ultimate gesture of support.
Actions
Push up · drum fingers · sway · shoulder roll · hand/arm sweep · roll · reach
Dynamics
Gentle · rapid · smooth · sudden. Focus is the key dynamic quality throughout.
Space
Centre stage. Facing DSR. Low level throughout — close to the floor.
Relationships
Solo throughout → group lip sync at the end = support = resolution.
Motif & development
Climax
Contrast
Highlights
Motif & development — the hand and arm gestures function as a motif, developed throughout the solo into increasingly expressive forms, telling a chronological story of Dave's memories.
Climax — the lip sync is the structural and emotional climax of the entire scene. The moment Dave forgets the words and the group joins in is the peak of the work's intent.
Contrast — the isolation of the solo contrasts directly with the group joining at the end, making the resolution more powerful by comparison.
Highlights — specific gestural moments (hand sweeping the floor, hand drawing down the cheek) stand out as visual and emotional peaks within the solo.
Sort the four statements into the correct DLIE category. Click a statement to select it, then click the correct slot to place it. Click a filled slot to return the card.
💡 D and L are facts · I and E are opinions
D Describe✓
Click to place here
L Link✓
Click to place here
I Interpret✓
Click to place here
E Evaluate✓
Click to place here
Dave Toole performs a solo at centre stage in a single spotlight, built on personal hand and arm gestures. He lip syncs to 'The Sunshine of Your Smile', then stops. The group completes the words for him.
This is effective because the raw personal quality creates a direct emotional connection. The group lip sync is one of the most powerful expressions of resolution in the work — from individual grief to collective support.
This links to Stimulus 3 — Dave's father who used to sing this song. The group lip sync links to the intent: resolution found through coming together and surrendering to individual regrets.
Dave's hand drawing down his cheek could represent wiping away tears — grief made physical. The group joining in could suggest they are carrying his memory for him — sharing the burden of loss.
💬 Bank of model interpretations — tap each to reveal:
Dave's hand drawing down his cheek could represent… ›
Dave's hand slowly drawing down his cheek could represent wiping away tears — grief made visible through physical gesture. In my opinion, this is one of the most quietly devastating moments in contemporary dance.
The lip sync could suggest… ›
The lip sync could suggest trying to hold onto his father's memory — keeping him alive through song. When Dave forgets the words, it could represent how memory fades no matter how hard we hold on.
The group joining in could suggest… ›
The group joining in the lip sync could suggest they are carrying his memory for him — sharing the burden of grief. This is the most direct expression of the intent: resolution achieved through coming together.
💜 Your turn
Watching the solo, which gesture feels most personally expressive to you, and what do you think it communicates?
How does the moment the group joins in make you feel as an audience member? Do you feel it achieves the intent of 'resolution through coming together'?
📌 Revisit This — Key Points from This Page
ME1 — Duet key dynamicSlow, delicate, tender, light — sustained contact work with the dismantled wheelchair
ME2 — Gliding key deviceMotif & development — circular arm motif translated from Laura onto standing dancers (Unison of Textures)
ME3 — Portraits key fact7 tableaux · Quartet · NO contact · Contrast of rigid formal and relaxed casual dynamics
ME4 — Solo key deviceClimax — the group lip sync is the structural and emotional peak of the whole scene
DLIE reminderD+L for 6-mark · D+L+I+E for 12-mark. I = "This could suggest…" E = "This is effective because…"
RADS coloursActions (orange) · Dynamics (green) · Space (purple) · Relationships (amber) — fixed across all set works
6a.4.5 Revision Check
✍️ Revision Check
8 questions covering all four movement examples. Answer all eight, then submit.
1. Which two dancers perform the ground-based contact duet that opens Scene Three?
2. What are the dynamics of the opening duet?
3. In the Gliding Trio, which choreographic device is used when Laura's circular arm motif is taken on by the standing dancers?
4. Which stimulus inspired the Family Portraits section?
5. What is notable about the relationships in the Family Portraits section compared to the rest of Scene Three?
6. What is the structural climax of Dave's Solo?
7. What phrase should begin an INTERPRET point in a Section C answer?
8. Which movement example most directly links to Stimulus 3 (the dancers' personal experiences)?
Take a screenshot of your score and paste it into your ePortfolio document so your teacher can see your progress.