In Wicked, which I loved and have watched three times, there is a dance scene that speaks to me in a very special way.
It’s the dance scene that takes place in the Ozdust Ballroom. We are introduced to the Ballroom by the animals playing the musical instruments – a fun touch to make this experience resonant in a different way. This isn’t any ballroom; it is the Ozdust Ballroom.
Immediately a stomp kind of dance begins, introduced by Fijero, the main male love character. This section becomes unique when Nessarose and her partner join in. Nessarose is confined to a wheelchair, and energetic movement has been designed by the choreographer to match what the rest of the dance partners are doing. Watch Marissa Bode talk about her role in Wicked and see clips from this scene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP4nZI24osI
When Elphaba enters she does very intense abrupt movement, different than we have seen in the movie before. In an interview of choreographer Christopher Scott in Dance Spirit magazine, he explains, “Elphaba does have a voice through movement, but it’s a very specific voice and it’s different ….And that’s who she is, she’s just different.”
The movement is jarring and establishes Elphaba’s character. That was one of Scott’s goals, as the interviewer in the Dance Spirit recounts. The process was a collaborative exploration. “First, he sat down with each cast member to discuss their version of their character, so that his choreography could enhance, rather than conflict with, their vision. ‘It was amazing how much information they had at the beginning, how thoughtful they were from the day they came into the first rehearsal.’”
In the ballroom scene it couldn’t be clearer how movement enhances Elphaba’s character development. Elphaba’s dance begins with sharp movements and then quiets down with hand movements. At first the others in the room make fun of her. What happens next affirms how thoughtfully the choreography was created to advance the plot. Glinda joins her and slowly takes on her movement. She is mirroring Elphaba’s simple gestures and establishing a total connection to her that captivates all the other participants in the ballroom, and soon they are also picking up the gestures. Elphaba and Glinda’s duet ends with a hug establishing their closeness.
While there is much more to say about how powerful dance is throughout the film, I want to focus on this segment of choreography and the power of Glinda’s mirroring of Elphaba’s movement. Elphaba’s choice of movement establishes her character at a deeper level. Glinda’s mirroring of the movement shows a change in their relationship and empathy between the two. The community of dancers at the ballroom taking up the gestures further enhances Elphaba’s acceptance.
While as a choreographer I don’t remember using mirroring as part of any pieces I created, it was a regular technique I used when leading workshops. In fact, when I occasionally lead a movement activity today it is often the way I invite a group of non-dancers to begin to experience moving together. It is simple to instruct: 1) find a partner; 2) decide that one person in the pair is the leader and that the other will be the follower; 3) begin moving using simple movements that will be easy to follow, with the goal that an observer can’t tell who is leading and who is following.
Once the partners are working well together, give the instruction to switch the roles within each pair without stopping the movement. Give these directions quite a few times so the pairs are regularly alternating leadership. Next invite them to change partners and repeat the same process again. Repeat this as many times as seems appropriate for the group.
The result I have observed is that people begin to get to know each other. They quickly build relationships, and especially if they really focus on each other, it can build a special connection. During COVID I participated in a movement workshop on Zoom, where we were divided into rooms with one other person and did the mirroring activity, and it was extremely meaningful.
A good example of how mirroring works can be seen in a film I directed for Healing Voices-Personal Stories where we used mirroring both in building trust and empathy with the group of domestic violence survivors. We then demonstrated the activity as part of a performance the group shared. Here’s a photo from the film and a link to the film. The section on mirroring occurs at 5:00 minutes in.
standing behind the two girls. Kezia notes that when working with children, it is often necessary to remind them that the goal is NOT to try to trick each other, but to match each other as closely as possible, and WITHOUT touching each other.
If you haven’t seen Wicked yet, I encourage you to. And if you have and you decide to see it again, pay attention to the Ozdust Ballroom scene. It was very special to see a movement technique that I often used to build community and introduce non-movers to dance used in a strong artistic way to further the plot and the main characters’ relationships.