Video performance viewing - Essay Example

Response Paper This is a reflection paper on the sixth episode, ‘Putting it Together’, of the 2004 PBS Documentary on Broadway. I was most influencedby the ‘Cats ‘episode, developed by Cameron Mackintosh, however, the dances cannot be judged very well as they are not many scenes in the video about them. In the video, the success of Cats is directed to the characters of the performance, which is evident through quotes such as “audience could not resist the dancing felines” (PBS Documentary, 2004, p. 1). However, the part of dance that is shows reflects rather a happy and excited mood, which is basically concerned with having fun.

The movement of the dancers can be seen to reflect this mood, especially through my favorite dance move during the ‘Jellicle’ Song. My favorite dance move would be the one, where majority of the cats come rushing into the foreground from the background, that is of an elevated platform, while some cats still remain on that platform. The sudden movement is the exact of a cat, which has spotted a ball of yarn and is eager to play with it, and the dance movements that follow, such as the twirl and arm movements, exactly give the feeling of a cat extending its paws to tap the ball of yarn.

Here, the performers are seen to use the maximum space in stage, as they cover up the foreground as well as the background. The characters have been well developed and portrayed, not only do they have great costumes, but they have been able to capture the essence of domestic felines to the best extent. The various dance moves, such as the short leaps represent the movement of real cats, such as when they pounce on their preys etc, thus communicating feelings of victory, happiness etc. Therefore, it becomes clear how dance is used to express or communicate feelings and thoughts through theatre, and moreover, the music or scores are seen to strengthen the portrayal of these thoughts and feelings, thus helping the audience to better grasp the storyline as well as the major themes.

ReferenceMusicalesyOpera. (2014, June 27). Broadway: The American Musical (2004 PBS Documentary). [Video file]. Retrieved from