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Commissioned by Techniquest and Millennium Commission as part of their Sounds for Science project, Yggdrasil is a dance work for primary school children and chamber ensemble. In addition to the obvious dance element, the work can be used to teach the properties of fire, water and ice as well as the idea of death and re-birth. The work has been designed so that it may be used for various types of classwork - art, creative writing, dance, science and storytelling, in the weeks leading up to the performance.
SYNOPSIS
At first there was only a void of empty blackness.
Out of this void there emerged two distinct regions; Niflheim and Muspellsheim.
Niflheim was a barren region of ice and mist whilst Muspellshiem was a land of
fire.
These two regions were joined by the roots of the
great world tree, Yggdrasil, which reached throughout time and space. Under
Yggdrasil, where the regions of Niflheim and Muspellsheim were closest, the
fire had melted part of the ice and had formed a river, Hvergelmir, which was
the source of all wisdom.
This world was watched over by Erde, the
Earth-Mother, who is responsible for all Creation. In time, she created two
races of dwarves to people both Niflheim and Muspellheim. To rule over these
two regions she created her two sons, Nifl and Muspell, who are giant gods of
Ice and Fire respectively.
From the depths of Hvergelmir came forth Nidhogg,
the evil darkness-dragon who continually attacked Yggdrasil. Seeing this
eternal conflict, Erde created the god Odin to be guardian of Yggdrasil and to
battle against Nidhogg.
The two regions of Niflheim and Muspellsheim are
constantly at war with each other and fight over control of Hvergelmir, for he
who has total wisdom will rule the world and will control Yggdrasil, the Tree
of Life.
The two gods and their armies battle endlessly with
Nifl first freezing the river with his Ice-wand and then Muspell thawing it and
turning it to steam with his flaming sword before Nifl turns the vapour back to
water.
Whilst Nifl and Muspell are fighting they fail to
see that Odin is being overpowered by Nidhogg and before they can stop it Odin
is defeated. Nidhogg breathes it's fire over Yggdrasil which burns and turns to
ash.
With the destruction of Yggdrasil all life ends and
Erde flees. The gods and their armies fall to the ground, lifeless. Darkness
once again overcomes everything. After a short period, Erde reappears and sheds
her light on the world and Yggdrasil is rejuvenated thus continuing the cycle
of creation, death and re-birth.
SCENARIO
BLACKOUT
MUSIC - Prelude:
A slow introduction building from the lowest registers at
the lowest dynamic to
the higher registers at louder dynamics, ending with a
shimmering held chord. (Ensemble only)
During the
prelude, the stage (performance area) will be lit by spollights, one blue and
one red, shining on the respective areas of Niflheim and Muspellheim. Upon
arrival on the shimmering held chord, Yggdrasil will be lit by a golden light
with, if possible, a green light shining upwards through the centre of the
trunk. The roots of the tree will spread in two opposite directions, each
joining the ground at Niflheim and Muspellheim. The space under the tree
between these two sets of roots will form an archway through which all the
dancers will pass. Also, through this archway flows Hvergelmir.
As the
shimmering chord subsides, Erde appears in the archway.
MUSIC - Erde's Dance: A light solo dance (Ensemble only) leading to:
MUSIC: Creation of the Dwarves:
A dance where the dwarves tentatively appear (individually and in groups of two,
three and four) at the archway and are led out to their respective lands by Erde.
As the last
dwarf (or group of dwarves) reaches Niflheim or Muspellheim, Erde turns upstage
and seeing chaos in the two lands where all the dwarves are milling around
aimlessly; claps her hands and with a flash (stage flashes here, either side of
Yggdrasil, if possible and safe) there appear Nifl and Muspell, gods of ice and
fire. (Nifl could be clad in silver and Muspell in red with felt tongues of
fire sticking out in all directions.) Nifl holds his Ice-wand (about three-feet
in length and transparent?) whilst Muspell holds his flaming sword aloft. Erde
approaches each in turn, dances with them each and then in a trio. During this
trio, the two gods start to get rougher and rougher with each other and
eventually push Erde away. They begin to fight but Erde intervenes and banishes
each to their respective regions.
MUSIC: Nitl's Dance: A slow passacaglia (Ensemble only)
MUSIC: Muspell's Dance: A fiely tarantella (Ensemble + children)
MUSIC: Trio:
A rondo which gets faster and faster
The music
stops abruptly and Erde pushes each of the gods towards their kingdoms. The
gods begin to organise their armies.
MUSIC: March and fanfares
When they have
each organised the armies and lined them up facing each other across
Hvergelmir, Erde turns towards Yggdrasil. Before Erde can return to the
archway, there is a flash and Nidhogg appears in the midst of Hvergelmir,
breathingfire.
MUSIC: Nidhogg's Dance: A menacing dance-macabre.
During
Nidhogg's dance Erde flees back to Yggdrasil and whilst the armies of Niflheim
and Muspellheim are so engrossed in their confrontation that they fail to
notice Nidhogg, Erde creates (another flash, or is this one too many) Odin,
clad in golden armour and carrying a long spear, to protect Yggdrasil.
MUSIC: Entry of Odin: Martial music
Odin stabs at
Nidhogg, who turns away breathing fire over Niflheim. Thinking this is an
attack from Muspell, Nifl and his army attack Muspellheim.
MUSIC: The Battle for Hvergelmir:
The conflict
is long and hard with Nifl pointing his ice wand at Muspell's dwarves and
freezing them and Muspell throwing flames at Nifl's army from his great sword.
They are alternately freezing and thawing Hvergelmir in their efforts to
overcome each other. After a time, when the river is frozen, Nidhogg stands on
it to fight Odin, he (Odin) comes onto the frozen river but Muspell aims his
flaming sword at it and melts the ice. Odin falls into the water and is
drowned. Nidhogg turns to Yggdrasil and breathes fire over it, setting it
ablaze. The green light shining up through the trunk turns red and the golden
light fades out. At the sight of this the fighting dies off quickly and all stand
motionless looking at Yggdrasil in terror.
MUSIC: The Battle for Hvergelmir leads to:
The Burning of Yggdrasil:
Loud, sustained, hymn-like chords, moving downwards and becomingquieter and quieter until they
rest on a sustained chord.
During The Burning of Yggdrasil the lights on Niflheim and Muspellheim dim
until all is dark except the red light shining through Yggdrasil. As the
sustained chord is reached this red light also fades out until the stage is
once again blacked out. During the blackout, Nifl, Muspell, Nidhogg and Odin
all exit and the dwarves all lie face down in their respective regions.
MUSIC: Rebirth: A return to the opening music.
As the
sustained chord gives way to the opening music a golden spotlight illuminates
Erde who is gathering the ashes of Yggdrasil. She dances around the stage
scattering the ashes and with a wave of her arms the respective spotlights come
back on to reveal a regenerated Yggdrasil, Niflheim and Muspellheim (but not
Nifl, Muspell, Nidhogg or Odin). She waves here arms over Niflheim and
Muspellheim and the dwarves begin to stir and stand up, one by one. When they
are all standing, facing away from Yggdrasil, they turn as one and face Yggdrasil. Erde is seen standing in the branches,
bathed in it's green light holding a baby (a doll for our purposes). The music
ends on a long pause and then........
BLACKOUT
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