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The Game

Ars combinatoria

The Game is a ludic structure created for the exploration of creativity in the dance. It was developed for the first time with the sponsorship of the Non-Conformist Museum of St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2017. 

THE GAME

First, some theory

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The dancers are, at the same time, poets and players.

They have a vocabulary: the step-words.

And a grammar or system of combinatorial rules.

The vocabulary is a finite set of pieces that, when combined, can create countless sequence-phrases.

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In tango, the vocabulary includes, among others, the following step-words: sacada, barrida, boleo, gancho, etc.

In this game, we will play only with the step-words SACADAS. However, the variables used can be applied to any of the other pieces of the vocabulary.​​​​​

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VARIABLES

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Starting from a specific step, all other steps of the same family can be obtained by applying different variables.

In the case of SACADAS, the variables are:

change of position, direction, system, and performer.

 

The positions: front, side, back.

The directions: clockwise or counterclockwise.

The systems: parallel or crossed.

The performers: lider or follower.

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By considering, for example, the Mirror Resource (understood as a reversed copy), we can obtain, from this given step, the other three possible options.

Ace of Spades
 

Performer: Leader
Positions: Forward to forward
System: Crossed
Direction: Clockwise

 

Ace of Clubs
Variable: "change of direction"
Performer: Leader
Positions: Forward to forward
System: Crossed
Direction: Counterclockwise

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Ace of Hearts
Variable: "change of performer"
Performer: Follower
Positions: Forward to forward
System: Crossed
Direction: Clockwise

 

Ace of Diamonds
Variable: "change of direction"
Performer: Follower
Positions: Forward to forward
System: Crossed
Direction: Counterclockwise

As Picas.png
As trebol.png
As Corazones.png
As diamantes.png

​​​​Variable: change of position 

Each number indicates a change of positions. 

Odd numbers for the crossed system

even numbers for the parallel system.

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  • Ace: Forward to Forward.

  • 2: Side to Forward

  • 3: Forward to Side

  • 4: Side to Side

  • 5: Forward to Back

  • 6: Side to Back

  • 7: Back to Forward

  • 8: Back to Side

  • 9: Back to Back

 

Cards from 10 to Q are known as the fourth sacada:

back sacada in the direction opposite to the turn.

As Picas.png
dos picas.png
3 picas.png
4 picas.png
5 Picas.png
6 picas.png
7 picas.png
8 picas.png
9 picas.png
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J picas.png
Q picas.png

AXES

The art of combinatorics has two axes:

  1. The syntagm or horizontal axis,

  2. And the paradigm or vertical axis.

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On the horizontal axis, the numbers are arranged, representing the changes in system and positions. And on the vertical axis, the four suits are arranged, representing the changes in direction and performer.

Syntagm
As Picas.png
Paradigm
dos picas.png
3 picas.png
4 picas.png
As Corazones.png
As trebol.png
As diamantes.png

In both poetry and dance, we can interchange the elements, the step-words, using either axis.

In poetry, for example, by applying syntagmatic rotation to the phrase "the order of the elements does not alter the product," we can contravene its own meaning: "the alteration of the product does not order the elements."

By applying paradigmatic rotation, we obtain a completely different effect: "the order of the dreams does not alter the reality."

GAME 1: CHOREOGRAPHIC POEM

 

Shuffle the deck of steps, choose four at random, and place them on the vertical axis: you now have the first verse.

Write down the sequence on a piece of paper and start again. Take the same four cards, shuffle, and construct the next verse.

Repeat the process as many times as needed until you complete the choreographic poem.

To finish, perform the poem by dancing it.

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