N. Carlson Movement Analysis - An American in Paris

Nicole Carlson

Stage Movement

Jenn Zuko

March 22, 2017

Movement Analysis

An American in Paris

American in Paris was performed to rave reviews from numerous critics in Denver and from the audiences as well.  It was a beautifully put together show in every way.  Because this show is an extremely intense dance show, it was a perfect show to analyze movement.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the leads were extremely strong in not just dance but also in their character movement choices.  

From the very first scene where we were introduced to Adam Hochberg played by Etai Benson we immediately recognized that he used potency to create his character.  In the musical, Hochberg had an injured leg from World War II and even the light amount of dancing he did seemed heavy.  Watching him move made me feel exhausted for him.  He drug his leg around throughout the entire show and never faltered.  I kept waiting for him to forget about it, especially in the dance scenes but he never did.  He kept it consistent and believable.  He also led his movement from his waist.  Which fit well with his injury.  

Most of the characters in this play were very upright.  They had excellent posture.  Of course, the majority of the actors in this play are extremely strong dancers so their physical body presence is excellent. Dancers seem to have a natural ability to express emotion with their bodies and have it read perfectly from the audience.  Most of the actors in this show were also using buoyancy.   They were light on their feet as if they were floating across the stage.  All of the movement was smooth, light, and had a sense of freedom about it. 

During one part of the show Lise Dassin, played by Sara Esty, jumped into Jerry Mulligan’s  arms, played by Ryan Steele.  When she did this she looked literally light as a feather.  Her buoyancy was impeccable and Steele made it look like she weighed nothing and they were floating on a cloud.  Here again is the factor of buoyancy.   It was amazing for Steele to not show the heaviness of Esty jumping into his arms. 

The use of stillness in this show was excellent.  One particular area that struck me was the fishermen that sat on a wall.  They were still through an entire scene and seemed to be part of the scenery but midway through the scene they rose from the wall and left and it really worked nicely.  Dancers seem to have an upper hand on stillness since it is used in dance. Another part that stillness really impacted the audience was when everyone found out that Lise and Henri were engaged.  At that moment, the five main actors: Adam, Henri, Lise, Milo, and Jerry all came to the front of the stage and had a moment alone.  They were spread out evenly but the audience knew that they were each having a moment alone.  We knew that they were all unhappy with the choices that had been made and it was a very powerful moment.  

The use of stage space was excellent.  This is one of the first shows I have seen at the Buelle that used the entire stage in specific parts.  Of course they were dancing, but it worked.  There was not a spot on the stage that the two dancers Jerry and Lise did not touch.  That was also apparent when they had no sets on stage and they danced all the way back to the sky drop.  

Milo, the American female in the show had a very upright, tight posture.  She was portraying a wealthy American aristocrat and she was very rigid with her movements.  It worked well and fit perfectly with her character.

Jerry used a Captain Kirk and it was so smooth and not a sound was heard.  It was more of a dancing captain kirk than a fall but it was still well done. There was one fight scene where Jerry hit Henri and knocked him down.  That fight choreography was a little slow but looked realistic with Henri falling onto his back exactly as we have learned.  His head also did not touch the floor.  Jerry also knocks down the injured Adam and he does a side fall.

Literally everything in this show was a dance.  The set changes were done with dancing or smooth movement and I absolutely loved it.  It turned the most complex set changes into a scene and everything into a dance.  The set changes took on new meaning and it was beautifully done.  The actors would use the set pieces as part of their ballet.  It was inventive and fresh.

It was obvious that the Director was also the Choreographer because everything was so smooth and clear.  The pictures painted by the cast in each scene were quite beautiful.  I have never seen a show so together and I think that having the Director and Choreographer as the same person really took that to a new level.  The blocking, dancing, set changes, and stillness all joined together to form a beautiful piece that was artful.  So much of this show was utilizing the actors and dancers bodies and their movement to give us perspective and make us feel something and it worked quite well.