Unit 50 - Lesson 2 | Gesture

What is a gesture?
a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning.

Examples of Gestures we use everyday:
Waving, nodding, thumbs up, clapping, sign language, hand shake, clicking, pointing, signals like 'come here', peace sign, fist bump, high five, rude gestures etc ...

We then created a sequence in pairs, to tell a story through gestures. I was working with Harry, on an idea based on him being very enthusiastic and keen, and myself not being interested in any kind of communication with him. Eventually, my rude manners turn Harry's mood from friendly, to just as rude, and we end up fighting.

Evidence in Ideas:
At the start of the piece, i am approached by Harry in a friendly, exited fashion, and I simply turn away from him. This communicates to an audience that I didn't want to enter any kind of conversation or interaction with him. The movement is swift, smooth and seamless, showing that i am above his childlike movement, and didn't have to think twice before I turn away from his interactions.
Further on, Harry tries to catch my attention with a friendly fist bump, a way for me to redeem by previously rude actions. I fist bump, but the lack of effort put into it shows that I am only doing it to keep him from bothering my again, I show this through my stand offish posture, and weight in my arm/hand as I attempt a sarcastic fist bump. This is effective because it shows the audience that even though I'm doing what would be perceived as a positive gesture, it is done in a way that lets them conclude that Harry and I are not friends.
Later on we are angered by each other's behaviour, and intently and strongly walk/march back towards one another in synchronisation. This shows that his anger levels have now matched my own, and is effective as the sound of our feet together in time project thuds implying anger.
Harry then goes to punch me, but I move out the way. Then I go to punch him. I do this by pivoting my whole body around the slow movement punch (We chose to do it in slow motion so that we have a variety in tempo in our routine, but also for dramatic effect) I throw, this shows the strength and effort put into the punch, and turns what could just be a gesture from the arm, to a gesture or movement carried out by the whole body, making it more visually effective.

What Went Well:
The second half of our routine was something I was proud of because of how we played with the tempo of each section. For example, the punches we 'threw' were slowed down so that we could react in a dramatic/ realistic way. The smoothness from punch to duck made the fight look seamless and 'in the moment' giving the effect of the audience forgetting their watching a rehoused performance, rather than real life live events.

What I could do to improve:
The first half of the sequence could be include more precise and crisp movement to exaggerate the emotion my character is feeling in the pair, rather than looking sloppy or unprepared. This would give the opening a much more dynamic feel, and get the audience interested straight away.