Structure: Prologue followed by 6 continuous sections, defined by changing locations, physicality and music that reflect the developing relationship. The effect is one seamless journey.
Costume: Costumes are stylised everyday clothes. The female dancer wears a beige shirt and skirt, the male dancer khaki jumper and jeans. What could the costumes imply?
Aural setting: The accompaniment was created specifically for the work by Seymour Milton, which evolved alongside the choreography. The music combines electronic elements with strings and piano. How does the music relate to the overall piece?
Lighting: The film uses the environment’s natural light. It shifts from daytime to evening to night to show the passage of time of the relationship. How does the darkness at the end of the piece relate to the narrative?
WITHIN HER EYES
FACT FILE
Choreographer: James Cousins
Performed by: James Cousins Company
Premiered on: February 2016 (launch of Within Her Eyes)
7th September 2012 (date of first performance of There We Have Been).
Dancers: 2 (1 male and 1 female)
Duration: 17 minutes
Performance space: Site sensitive; dance for camera.
Dance style: contemporary/contact work
Accompaniment: Seymour Milton (created specifically for this dance).
James Cousins was branded 'strikingly original' by The Guardian, called ‘a rising star’ by the Independent and described by Matthew Bourne as ‘one of the UK’s most promising choreographic talents’.
James Cousins Company, founded in 2014 by James and Creative Producer Francesca Moseley, allows James to explore new ideas with his team of collaborators. Why could this allow him to create innovative works?
The film uses the choreography from Cousins’ stage production There We Have Been (2012) and sets it outdoors in a bleak landscape. For the original choreography James worked from two starting points; narrative and emotional themes and the physical idea of keeping the female dancer off the floor. What could this be showing?
The movement was created in collaboration with the dancers through improvisation, which was all filmed and then learnt back from the video. How could the use of improvisation have influenced the movement? James then pieced these segments together into a structure that reflected the narrative arc of the story.
For Within Her Eyes, James wanted to create a love story with a twist. Inspired by both personal experiences and well known narratives, Cousins wanted to portray a unique story combining themes of love and loss, dependency and loyalty, longing and memory. Rather than a usual love story where, despite the adversity, the characters end up together; Cousins wanted to flip it around to show a story where, no matter what happened, they could never be together. How can you see this within the piece?
The intention behind Within Her Eyes was to create a dance film that maintained the emotional intensity of the live stage performance of There We Have Been (2012) and to show an abstract tragic love story that is open for interpretation. How do you interpret this piece?
The female dancer is constantly reaching, wrapping, balancing and falling on and around the male dancer. How does this relate to the outlined themes?
The choreography contrasts the folding in to him with the pulling away to highlight the pull she feels to her late lover whilst trying to allow herself to move on with the man who cares so much for her. The male dancer never initiates or manipulates, he just responds to her every move. What could this show? What mood do you feel in this piece?
The piece creates a very unique vocabulary and style both physically and emotionally. How is intensity achieved throughout Within Her Eyes? The duet combines impressive physicality with a dark, emotional heart, resulting in a daring and intimate work. How do you feel as an audience member?
Performance environment: After the prologue the camera is far away from the dancers. How does this impact the audience? As the dancers’ relationship grows closer, the camera moves closer but still keeps distance until the dancers look at each other when it moves close up on their faces. Most of the film is shot with the camera on a track, giving a very smooth quality.
Staging/set: The piece is set in remote locations. What does this imply to the audience? The locations progress from open landscapes to more intimate settings to show a passage of time. What else could this show?