FAN FARE MUSIC PROGRAMS
QUOTES FROM CHOREOGRAPHERS



THEME FROM "A SUMMER PLACE"
PERFORMED BY PERCY FAITH & HIS ORCHESTRA
FOUNTAIN CHOREOGRAPHED BY JENN CHAN


The theme from A Summer Place is a romantic, dreamy piece that is reminiscent of the ocean. The drawn out violins and horns inspired me to build a continuous, unified movement across the water basin, so I treated the numerous fan jets as one cohesive element and generated a series of waves. The fans start out low and gentle then build in both height and speed. The seemingly innocent and orderly manner of the fans quickly shifts to become unpredictable, growing wilder as the water and music become increasingly dense and powerful.



HAWAIIAN WAR CHANT
PERFORMED BY TERESA BRIGHT

FOUNTAIN CHOREOGRAPHED BY PETER KOPIK


This piece was challenging, as it is more rhythmic than melodic with an intense and persistent drumbeat. To me, the piece recalls a Hawaiian hula dance, so I imagined the swaying motions of straw-skirted girls moving their hips back and forth, and I applied that to the choreography. The rhythmic simplicity of the song is then reflected in the water's movement.




LARA'S THEME

FROM DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, 1965

CONDUCTED BY MAURICE JARRE

FOUNTAIN CHOREOGRAPHED BY CLAIRE KAHN

The theme music from the film Doctor Zhivago, by Maurice Jarre, is an ideal choice for the Fanfare Fountain at San Pedro Gateway. The music is familiar and nostalgic, an MGM epic that celebrates the region's film industry. I enjoy the way the music progresses from delicate to full bodied and dramatic, an important part of creating the choreography's passion and romance. The swaying fans are the perfect technology for this music. They twirl and bend in luxurious sweeps and grand gestures. They range in size to respond to the music's build, and can even be programmed to create unique kinetic texture, spinning rapidly to simulate the snow flurries implied by the beautiful Balalaika sequences in the theme.