Choreography within A Sun Dance is a layered concept. The term refers to the overarching composition of the work across a day, the temporal passage of the earth to sun, the pathways and interplay of sunlight through the building, the unfolding geometries of the architecture, and sequences of choreographic phrases, and open practices (improvisational, within parameters) performed by a group of dancers. The phrases and practices performed by dancers have a close and specific relationship with the architectural design, structure, shaped light, sightlines and sound of the museum. These choreographic materials are observably linear, geometric, prismatic, and kaleidoscopic. They are also slow, absorbing, warm, melting, dispersing. The affect of the performance is calm, attentive, and occasionally playful and spirited in the game elements of the work (See Circuit Game, Hide and Seek)

This part of the manual contains recorded materials for dancers to support their learning of choreography for A Sun Dance. It consists of a series of in-studio style videos of choreographers Ivey Wawn and Angela Goh teaching material (with occasional verbal descriptions by myself) to three dancers Rhiannon Newton, Ashleigh Veitch, Mitchell Christie, who have not performed, learned or seen the material before. There is a total of 19 videos ranging from approx. 4–20 mins in duration. The videos introduce four set phrases in the work, many open practices (improvisational, within parameters), and videos on how these phrases and practice are used together, and within the structure of two games. See Circuit Game, Hide and Seek videos and the Game Logic section.

The videos intend to convey the ‘teaching and learning’ of the material in-studio to dancers who are new to A Sun Dance, like those who will use this manual, rather than demonstrate proficiency with the material. It is imagined that dancers could work with these videos in studio by viewing it on a large screen/projection and moving alongside the recorded dancers. Repetition of sections of the phrase material, building incrementally, allows for real-time learning without as much need to stop and start the recording. The videos also share tools for open practices, describe the parameters for the practices, and give suggestions to spend time exploring and refining them. The videos occasionally include still images and clips of documentation of the premiere performance to extrapolate or clarify an element of the material. Beyond learning the ‘steps,’ I am mindful that future performers need to have a feel for the work while acquiring the choreography. I understand a ‘feel for the work’ to mean a kind of literacy, resonance, and tuning to an aesthetic sense of the work. To this end, the Glossary includes short written subjective reflections and descriptions from myself and previous performers that communicates something of individual/collective sense of the work; what we think, wish and know about A Sun Dance material, and the implicit knowledge we hope to reveal. To understand more about how the materials may be sequenced within the overall structure of the performance, see 3 – Cycles. To view further documentation of the premiere performance at National Gallery of Australia, please see the Resources section of the manual.