Component 2 - (Professional) Big God, Florence and the Machine

'Big God' by Florence and the Machine's was about...

• independence

• unity

• ghosting

• desire

Answer explanation

Big God was based on the idea of 'ghosting'. The idea of leaving a relationship by abruptly ending all contact with the other person. Referring to needing a 'Big God' for someone to help and fill the hole that she feels cannot be filled.

What did Florence mean by needing a 'Big God'?

• Fill our hearts with a sense of being loved unconditionally, that we move beyond the anguish of being ghosted.

• Fill our minds with positivity, that we move beyond the anguish of being ghosted.

• Fill our hearts with void of the situation, ignoring that the ghosting has happened.

• Fill our hearts with a new mind set and that ghosting does not effect you.

How does the Big God performance show a sense of pain and anger?

• Punching sections

• Following your hands with your head/eyes

• Sharp sudden movements

• Soft floaty sections

• A combination of sharp sudden movements and soft movements

What did Florence suggest that she was angry at in the song?

• Herself

• The ghost (ghosting)

• Other people

• Confusion between the ghosting effect and herself pain

What is Big God about?

• Spirituality - power of beliefs, getting through difficult situations.

• Power of desire, left with anger for being 'ghosted'.

• Celebrating a new found freedom - overcoming difficult situations.

• Ghosting - The feeling of being rejected and disconnected to someone.

• Celebrating the sense of being ghosted and alone.

​ (a)   is the choreographer of Big God.

• Akram Khan
• Florence Welsh
• Mel Simpson

​ Akram Khan combined ​ (a)   and ​ (b)   dance forms for the choreography, and was the first person to do so.

• contemporary
• Asian
• lyrical
• jazz

Contemporary and Asian dance forms choreography consisted of the following styles:

• Expression based choreography

• Portraying a narrative

• Focus of hand movements to express the intensity of emotions

• Focus on jump based movements to express the intensity of emotions

How did Akram Khan choreograph the music video dance?

• Created it from scratch on his own.

• Developed with working with Florence, making it up step by step together.

• Akram asked Florence to improvise whilst she sang Big God and filmed it. Then adapted it from this.

• Combined improvised video of Florence singing with his own choreography. Lots of which were used in his final choreography.

When was 'Big God' released?

• Feburary 19th 2017

• June 19th 2018

• January 19th 2012

• March 19th 2021