The 3/2 Scores of Ensemble Thinking

ABSTRACT

Ensemble Thinking (ET) is a toolkit of movement scores developed by dance-maker Nina Martin in the 1980s in New York City. The scores of ET arose out of a confluence of Martin’s choreographic and improvisational performance practices. The impetus for developing ET was to develop a technical language for creating and discussing improvised dance. The scores of ET relate to the temporal and spatial relationships of the dancers on stage and allow for clarity amidst the potential complexity of improvised dance. This essay focuses on the group of scores known as 3/2, a set of movement scores that examine the variables of level, spatial location, facing, contact, and stillness within a group of five dancers.

KEYWORDS:

• Ensemble thinking
• improvisation
• scores
• composition
• performance