Swamp

First performed: 1986 Choreographer: Michael Clark Music: Bruce Gilbert Costume Design: Bodymap Design: Charles Atlas Lighting: Charles Atlas

Swamp is a development from Do you Me I Did, a piece created by Michael Clark for his own company in 1985. Swamp used material from this dance but also created new material.

The title is a reference to the film Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?in which one of the main characters is called “Swampy” by his wife. Stills from the film are projected during the dance, and the film also inspired some of the movement. For example, the rhythmic structures of some of the movements came from the rhythmic patterns of the dialogue in the film, and the duets in the dance loosely connect to the fact the film is concerned with relationships between couples.

The music is in three sections. It begins with a loud blast of loud rhythmic music. This is followed by a long section of smooth, slowly shifting notes and slowly shifting tones. The final section is also rhythmic, moving towards a climactic cacophony of sound, rhythm and almost ear-splitting volume.

Stills from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf are projected onto the backcloth, as well as words such as STONE, SWAMP and THIS WAY.

The dancers wear brown all-in-one costumes with flared trousers. Each costume has a different section cut out to reveal areas of the dancers’ bodies (eg. shoulders, backs).