Lemongirl Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Dd (12) needs a new character solo and we're trying to think of ideas. She finds it hard to do happy so a sad or more serious character is needed. Needs to last her a few years too. Thought about Anne Frank but there's a girl in her age group doing that. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 When you say character does she have to be.....a character.....or do you mean character as in Russian, Spanish , dances etc. There's a lovely rather sad Russian dance to lovely music....and as soon as my memory gets working I may be able to tell you the name of it!! I think it is originally from a ballet or from their Folk company but you could sort of make up your own dance to it......assuming it has to be original?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I've always loved the poem "The Lady of Shallot" - any scope there? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thecatsmother Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 There is a great track from the film Munich which I always thought about choreographing to. It would tick boxes of sad and age appropriate. PM me if you want more details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 LinMM - I presume it's for a festival solo so character dances are acting out a story or showing a "character" through the dance. It's meant to be classical technique (although we see quite a few that are modern which can cause problems for adjudicators!). Best not to choose music from classical rep. Sorry I'm not much good with suggestions (which is why dd never did a character solo - I'm not good with this sort of thing) Am I right in thinking that you can also do a "demi-character" in the character section? (a normal classical dance with a prop) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad house Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Hi lemon girl Few suggestions Red shoes, little women , Jayne eyre Have seen these done at festivals . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 The music I was thinking of is from Swan Lake .....the Russian dance!! Ive just posted this on going back to ballet thread because of a sort of discussion ongoing there about suitable dances for Adults to have a go at!! That will give you the music anyway.....starts of very slow then gets faster so could develop a character within this .......... That is if you can use ballet music but looks like you may not be able to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
symphonyinc Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 How about The Little Match Girl? Age appropriate now but also, no one really knows how old the girl actually was so could mature it as the years go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss.pointe Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I second the Little Women idea! Pollyanna might be sweet. Anne of Green Gables, though she'd have to be a red-head or wear a wig Can only seem to think of American stories for some reason! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldermum Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I haven't seen Lady Of Shallot for years, I did it at about 13 borrowed a book from the library with the poem so I could understand the character, also Ophelia or Lady Macbeth. Princess and the seven swans. Jayne Eyre has many story lines, Jayne Eyre in the Red Room. Anything to do with ghosts stories. Anastasia. Medussa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Does it have to be a well known character from Fiction as such or does it just have to be.....a character....telling a story. Ive got some ideas for that Russian Music......starting from sorrowful and leading to joyful ness but also of course have no idea how long it has to be!! Someone suggested Little Match girl and there is some music on the chariots of fire film music CD ...it may be called "snow" but would need to check.....sorry....which could be suitable for this character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 The track is called Abrahams theme. I used it many years ago as part of a science project to show melting/ and freezing!! (Hence the link with snow!!) as part of linking Dance with the curriculum!! It could work for Little Match girl! However it's better that people who've had their DC's actually do these character solos advise! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilac Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 My 14 year old has sometimes done character dances at festivals. At that the last festival the winning dance was Roberta from the Railway children which was sad. We've also seen people doing dances as evacuees. Also seen people portray birds and animals. Don't know if any of that helps! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanprincess Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Dont know if it may be a bit 'old' for her but for one of my gcse Dance assessments i choreographed a solo about an abused child, to the theme music from "Schindlers List". The music is gorgeous for showing a range of emotions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taximom Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 How about Marcel Marceaux the mime artist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 As an aside.....I read Marceaux's auto-biography. There's not a word in the book. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletdancer5299 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 (edited) How about the Secret Garden. The young girl finds a key to open a door to a garden of colour, wonderment and excitment. Edited October 29, 2013 by balletdancer5299 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pastel Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Hi, my daughter has been doing Arabian Princess this year. Not a huge storyline, but definitely a strong character. I didn't think the adjudicators would like it because there isn't a strong change of mood, but it has gone well. She did the Arabian Coffee solo in the Nutcracker last year and everyone enjoyed it, plus we had access to a costume, so her teacher used different music and changed the choreography. Her other one is Coppelia Comes to Life - lots more scope for acting in that one, not sad, but it isn't a real happy one either. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemongirl Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 Thank you for all the suggestions. She's already doing a Jayne Eyre character duet! I did think about something classic like Little Women or the Secret Garden but I've seen these done often at festivals. Dd thinks something about WW2 might appeal - maybe an evacuee as Lilac suggested.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thecatsmother Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 The message re music would work well then if you like the piece in my message???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilac Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Another thought! Watched two character sessions today including an effective dance based on Schindler's List. I have the same issue with my DD - often lets herself down in festivals by not smiling enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet? Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 The adjudicator renamed Character section at my DD festival this week - "over 15 Doom and Gloom" section!!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Lol - I'm with your adjudicator on this - I find the senior section so depressing! ;-) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Never underestimate teenage angst! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemongirl Posted November 2, 2013 Author Share Posted November 2, 2013 Think we might be going with Jo from Little Women, not sure what bit though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachaelballet12 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Yay just done a festival and a lot of morbid characters and some with blood and guts some one performed a Spanish matador fighting a bull also Joan of ark which was very dramatic . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 For some reason when I was 8 or 9 years old, I was Bluebeard's Eighth Wife! Totally unsuitable I would have thought, but I loved it. I remember I had an enormous silver key and I think I had to open the door at the end revealing all the previous dead wives, or something like that! Blood and doom and gloom for babies! I always loved demi-character dances and emoted for dear life. Wonderful grounding for my professional career as a character artist in later life. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddsballetmum Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Have you thought about Lady McBeth, that can be quite dramatic and sad, or go a slightly different route with Beethoven as he went mad, could be tragic and comic at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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