Thread: Sword duet - inspiration and advice

I'm looking for advice and opinions on what makes a good sword duet. A close dance friend and I are both learning sword technique and we would like to prepare a small, fairly simple piece to perform together. We have been spending a lot of time recently trying to watch others and to analyse what does and does not work for us (personally I have been unimpressed with hints of girl on girl action that I have seen thus far - why oh why? ) but I'd be interested in canvassing Bhuz opinion on what does/does not work; what makes an impact and what has the yawn factor ,s::.

Sword is not particularly well-known over here though thanks to the work of one fabulous young dancer in our area it is really catching on again.

Neither my dance partner, nor I are experienced with floor work (few UK dancers are) and any performance would be likely to be in a low-key, UK style hafla. That being said, naturally we would like to work something out that will allow us to develop our new skills and that will look as good and as professional as possible.

Any pet hates with sword duets, any tips?

For sword in general (not just duets) think of the sword like any other prop -
1. sometimes it poses while you move
2. sometimes you pose while it moves
3. sometimes you & the sword move together

Don't balance it too soon in the chor., a little suspense goes a long way.

A little floorwork is easy to add - a few knee walks, or movements while kneeling, it doesn't have to be extreme.

Duets can mirror or move in synch; one can pose while the other moves, they can be close together spatially for interesting effects (I agree forget the girl on girl action, that's getting old).

Matching facial expressions is a plus -

Check out Romka's sword duet. I really like their sword choreographies:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo7mT3F0qjU]YouTube - Romka' Sword Dance[/ame]

If you're interested in seeking ideas from the video route, Princess Farhana has a double-sword DVD called "Twin Blades."

No floorwork needed for drum solos.
Also easy to do mirroring, same or opposite effects for duets.
We had done other more acrobatic sword duets together but I think this is one of our simplest but still looks nice.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mcd6a-j5N4]YouTube - Amarain: "Dombaliki"[/ame]

Originally Posted by anthea

For sword in general (not just duets) think of the sword like any other prop -
1. sometimes it poses while you move
2. sometimes you pose while it moves
3. sometimes you & the sword move together

So true! I'd also add:
4. Sometimes it does what you want and sometimes it doesn't.

My personal pet peeve is handling the blade edge of the sword. Everyone knows it's a prop, but I like to maintain the illusion. Plus it avoids putting fingerprints on the sword. This is definitely not a hard & fast community-wide BD rule by any means. Touching the edge doesn't bother some folks at all, but you asked...

One of my pet peeves w/ dancers using swords as prop is that they tend to dance cutsey with it (like cane). C'mon, it's a weapon! even if though the edge is dull or looks really fake. Give it the respect it's due and be the warrior woman when you dance w/ it. Don't be afraid to weld it or rake it down your body.

If you're interested in seeking ideas from the video route, Princess Farhana has a double-sword DVD called "Twin Blades."

Got it, watched it. *Really* disliked it.

However it does make one or two useful points has helped me to identify my own tastes.

Originally Posted by khadiya

Got it, watched it. *Really* disliked it.

However it does make one or two useful points has helped me to identify my own tastes.

Have to say I agree.
Wasn't impressed with this one at all.
But that's just my 2 cents.

I really enjoyed Romka's sword dance - thank's for posting that video!

Originally Posted by khadiya

Got it, watched it. *Really* disliked it.

However it does make one or two useful points has helped me to identify my own tastes.

I hated this video too, thought it a waste of time...and the choreo was not good. You can probably come up with something more exciting just playing around with ideas.

My pet peeves are when dancers grab the blade (reiterating what others have said here), maintain the illusion that it is dangerous and sharp. Don't just plop it on your head, do a few mayas and then take it off...really do something with it while it's up there. Don't balance it on your chin, when you take it off it leaves a huge, hideous red mark.

My dance partner and I love doing sword duets...it's kind of our "thing" around these parts. There are a couple different YouTubes posted of us (Persephone's Daughters). I've also posted a sword solo (Kara). I'd add the links here but YouTube is blocked at my workplace. :o(

In addition to the other excellent words of advice already posted here, I would add a couple other ideas:

1. Levels are nice--one partner on her knees with the other standing behind is one option (no, there doesn't need to be any "touching" or girl on girl stuff for this to look cool).
2. Our rule of thumb is to only balance the sword in two places on the body in one dance number--otherwise it tends to look more like a circus act ("Step right up, see the amazing sword dancer!").

Have fun!

Kara

Funny: I asked for Farahnas Fan DVD for Xmas and really liked it. I've just started watching it and the info was very cool. Sweetie also threw in the Twin Blades-hated it!

It's the girl-on-girl action implication again. Exacerbated by a. Balancing on chest (a cheesy move anyway IMO) and b. the "look" they share.

bleeech!

You've received a lot of good advice here (and some of my other sword pet peeves have been addressed...) so I won't reiterate those points, but here's two more:

1. When picking your music, remember: A sword dance doesn't have to be a dirge! Just because you're balancing something doesn't mean the whole piece has to be slow and whiney sounding. There can be rhythm. The tempo can even be moderately upbeat.

2. Remember it's a dance first, the prop is just part of it. So consider the arc of the dance--how will the movement (and your duet formations) work, where are you building tension, where's the "payoff" for the audience, how do you build to the crescendo (dancewise, not necessarily musically) and how do make the transitions flow and look beautiful. I've seen too many sword dances--especially group and duet sword dances--that were really just a series of "stupid human tricks" with a blade, and the overall DANCING (piece structure, technique) has just been thrown right out the window...ugh. Show some dancing with the sword; even if the "tricks" are few and simple, if the dancing is good and you are coordinated/in unison, it will look good.

Originally Posted by arielarielariel

Check out Romka's sword duet. I really like their sword choreographies:

Romka has the best sword duets I have ever seen! Love them!

Originally Posted by jaded

Our rule of thumb is to only balance the sword in two places on the body in one dance number--otherwise it tends to look more like a circus act ("Step right up, see the amazing sword dancer!").

Kara, that is a great tip! Thank you so much for sharing it. That's one thing that's bugged me about some sword performances I've seen, but I'd never been able to put my finger on why.

To the original poster: like others have already commented, don't make the stupid human tricks more important than the dancing!

Kara, that is a great tip! Thank you so much for sharing it. That's one thing that's bugged me about some sword performances I've seen, but I'd never been able to put my finger on why.

Yup, seconded. I mentioned this one straight away to my duet partner and she was also really glad of the reminder not to let things get too busy.