Post 7

In this blog post I will review the work “5 Soldiers” by Rosie Kay and compare it to the previous work of hers that I reviewed “MK Ultra”

5 Soldiers is much more of a narrative piece in comparison to MK Ultra. It portrays the idea of “How you make soldiers, the physicality of the training” but also “the relationships off duty” (R.Kay, 2016) and finally depicts a scene on the front line. The structure of the piece shows a clear chronology of events and how the five soldiers react differently to these events. Despite the differences in storytelling, the way the music is used is quite similar, in times of relaxation both pieces use pop music. I think this lulls the audience into a sense of security in familiarity. By using music many people are familiar with the audience and aren't expecting any surprises. However during these times of relaxation in 5 Soldiers I find the jovial movement style and acting to be almost too childish. Having spent time at three military bases (R.Kay, 2016) I believe that her choreographic decisions are well informed, and perhaps the childish nature is a side effect of the maturity and discipline required for battle. But upon first inspection I perceived the movement as immature. 

When the theme becomes more tortuous and distressed in both pieces, erratic movement and more contemporary music is used. 5 Soldiers shows a soloist separate from the group during down time, clearly distressed their movements become more tormented and fractured similar to the the movements of the soloists in MK Ultra being drugged for experiments into mind control, ironically leaving the person out of control. 

5 Soldiers is meant to take the audience on a journey with the soldiers “You feel involved, you have a sense of empathy” (R.Kay, 2016). This is achieved by Kay through insights into the soldier's personal lives, not just professional. It also leaves viewers with an understanding of the training regime soldiers go through, which Kay actually compares to that of a dancer in terms of strength and endurance.

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References:

Youtube.com. 2016. 5 Soliders - how do you make a soldier? Dance. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9FyCMuueMo&list=PLvcaw6XkvxbllcTrnrgin2oiVc08PwLr7&index=4> [Accessed 10 February 2022].

Youtube.com. 2014. Rosie Kay's 5 Soldiers. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcT9Zm2Kx1c&list=PLvcaw6XkvxbllcTrnrgin2oiVc08PwLr7&index=1> [Accessed 10 February 2022].