As Hanna passed the mic to Barbs in her absence, she began by explaining a possible structure from a previous work process she did, concerning a lot of memory work, and a specific structure, not too unlike viewpoints, consisting of 4 main points. I was really excited as it seemed to touch the work I proposed last November working with the frame of memory.
Agos arrived and became our outside eye, which was really, really helpful. This is what we collectively created by the end of the day:
The structure begins by entering clearly the space to a beginning position. Once there, we begin to create a landscape, which should finish in the same beginning position. We worked a lot to be careful not make it too complicated. This is because after we arrive to our beginning position, we have to repeat the exact same thing. And again. By the 3rd repetition, we arrive to understand and see all the elements that are there, and they take importance. After this base is established, we begin to make choices. This is where the viewpoint work can be applied. These decisions are shifts, changes, and adaptations in duration, tempo....etc..... Replacements and playing with the "expected prewritten action" were very strong. Each action can be displaced from it's original context or "stimulas", creating a strong and visible difference. This difference makes the smallest action loaded with potential and reaction.
Again, the hardest part was to allow ourselves to be SIMPLE in the beginning. We learned to trust that there is already a lot a lot a lot in a simple, one minute loop, with simple actions and little dance. This gives a canvas to grow a composition.
As we have 3 sets of 15 minutes in the museum, we can benefit from this precise structure to make a composition.
I look forward to seeing it installed in the museum on monday. We can continue to adapt the structure from the information we receive there.
Yoann and Susu will be with us, making 7 in total.
I think structure will give us something clear and precise to work together on.
besos
d
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Dialogue
Last week I wanted to work on dialogue. The morning was a bit frustrating, as half the group showed up late...without warning me. I am a habitual latecomer myself, but being on the other side, waiting, having prepared to work with a certain number of people is not nice. So please, if you're late, let the others know. Just a reminder.
So after a little erratic warm up trying to not let my anger disturb me, finally the rest of the crowd arrived, and we could start the work. We played with weight, giving and recieving excactly 10, 25 , 50, 75, 90 and finally 100% of our weight. This evolved into carrying each other across the floor while sounding wide aaahhs. Interesting exercise to feel how to negogiate with breath and sound with a big strain on the physical structure, and also to stay connected with everybody else in the room as we were creating a soundscape together.
We finished the morning with lanes and grid work. It was really nice to see how this work is evolving. Keeping the simplicity of the task, it's more and more clear how I make choices and when I make a deliberate choice or one that is in accordance to what is happening.
After lunch in which I indulged in Italian ham that made me sick later on (I'm still suffering), and Susanne shared pictures of her holidays in NZ that looked kind of fake ;-), we finally got to dialogue work.
First we all learned a part (either A or B) of the dialogue (an extract from Harold Pinter's play 'the Lovers'), then we applied viewpoints of voice to it:
PITCH; VOLUME; TEMPO; REPETION; TIMBRE , I forgot Silence.
Again as in working with voice purely this was a bit like swimming exercises without water but proved invaluable, first to experience the distinctions and later give you freedom in making choices. In the end we went into space a couple at a time and played with the dialogue in the space. That's were it got real fun and where we ran out of time.
I think we should get back to this at some point to have more time to play with all the elements freely.
Out for more tomorrow in Hasselt.
So after a little erratic warm up trying to not let my anger disturb me, finally the rest of the crowd arrived, and we could start the work. We played with weight, giving and recieving excactly 10, 25 , 50, 75, 90 and finally 100% of our weight. This evolved into carrying each other across the floor while sounding wide aaahhs. Interesting exercise to feel how to negogiate with breath and sound with a big strain on the physical structure, and also to stay connected with everybody else in the room as we were creating a soundscape together.
We finished the morning with lanes and grid work. It was really nice to see how this work is evolving. Keeping the simplicity of the task, it's more and more clear how I make choices and when I make a deliberate choice or one that is in accordance to what is happening.
After lunch in which I indulged in Italian ham that made me sick later on (I'm still suffering), and Susanne shared pictures of her holidays in NZ that looked kind of fake ;-), we finally got to dialogue work.
First we all learned a part (either A or B) of the dialogue (an extract from Harold Pinter's play 'the Lovers'), then we applied viewpoints of voice to it:
PITCH; VOLUME; TEMPO; REPETION; TIMBRE , I forgot Silence.
Again as in working with voice purely this was a bit like swimming exercises without water but proved invaluable, first to experience the distinctions and later give you freedom in making choices. In the end we went into space a couple at a time and played with the dialogue in the space. That's were it got real fun and where we ran out of time.
I think we should get back to this at some point to have more time to play with all the elements freely.
Out for more tomorrow in Hasselt.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Voice
Last week we worked on the voice. It proved to be really tiring actually. We each chose a word with three syllables, like 'potatoe', that gives a structure of ABC. Then we played with this structure using the viewpoints of voice: Pitch, Volume, Tempo and Duration (which you cannot take apart like in physical work), Timbre (where the voice comes from in the body), one by one. These excercises were quite tiring mentally, but great to make the different elements clear of which sound is made of. And then with growing clarity and mastery being able to use a greater range of possibility.
before the break we also played with voice in relation to space, that is what shape the sound or word is making (ecclectic, as opposed to round, e.g.); and oral gestures (aaah!) that give you an emotion. which made me think of the question: are you running away because you feel fear or is the fear born in the act of running?...it works both ways.
in the afternoon Domenico and Dafni came to watch, which strangely disturbed the concentration of the work. It made me wonder if it is neccessary to have witnesses/audience more often or to exlude 'outsiders' for the sake of the intimacy of the practice. I wasn't the only one wondering.
We did some more grid work, basic viewpoints exercises and a brief recalling of the voice work of the morning to move on to making pieces, with and without music.
I'm curious about tomorrow.
before the break we also played with voice in relation to space, that is what shape the sound or word is making (ecclectic, as opposed to round, e.g.); and oral gestures (aaah!) that give you an emotion. which made me think of the question: are you running away because you feel fear or is the fear born in the act of running?...it works both ways.
in the afternoon Domenico and Dafni came to watch, which strangely disturbed the concentration of the work. It made me wonder if it is neccessary to have witnesses/audience more often or to exlude 'outsiders' for the sake of the intimacy of the practice. I wasn't the only one wondering.
We did some more grid work, basic viewpoints exercises and a brief recalling of the voice work of the morning to move on to making pieces, with and without music.
I'm curious about tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Boris' wish
I forgot:
Boris made a nice suggestion on how to continue the 'rotating leadership'. He mentioned that he would really love to concentrate on one thing, a specific viewpoint, for example 'time', and keep working on that, to dive deeper into it, grow a greater insight. So I thought why not keep the 'rotating leadership' going but giving the restriction, or let's say task to focus one's session on that theme, for a while. For example March is the month of 'time', April of 'architecture'. Like that we all could share our own vision and experience of that specific theme. Cool?
Boris made a nice suggestion on how to continue the 'rotating leadership'. He mentioned that he would really love to concentrate on one thing, a specific viewpoint, for example 'time', and keep working on that, to dive deeper into it, grow a greater insight. So I thought why not keep the 'rotating leadership' going but giving the restriction, or let's say task to focus one's session on that theme, for a while. For example March is the month of 'time', April of 'architecture'. Like that we all could share our own vision and experience of that specific theme. Cool?
Music
Again it was a busy week for me. I would love to write the summaries of the practice right after, but never get to it...untill now.
Last week Agos and Ana joined the crowd, fresh and sunloved from Argentina, what a contrast to Boris, Barbie and me, all white and quiet.
We started with warming up our feet, flesh and bone, articulations as well as sensorially using each others' backs as an alternative to the surface of the floor.
I introduced the viewpoints work to Ana and Agos, who haven't been there in the previous sessions, using again simple exercises to bring the group together, waking up awareness of the energy that we all create together in the space. This time I put more focus on architecture and topography. How does the concrete space (solid mass, texture, colours, lightening) and the objects in it inform our movement? Enjoying building relationships with the floor, pilars ect.. It's nice to fall in love with a brick wall for a while (that's my story). Then we moved on to focus on time, doing the same exercise I have done previously with Boris on linear time. It was great to do the same thing in trios, having the possiblity to not only focus on your actions related to time but also to the others, sharing space and time. And as we were four, one person got to watch. Being more people can really be a treat.
After lunch we warmed up working with a limited movement vocabulary on the grid to juggle with more viewpoints, like duration, repetition, tempo, kinesthetic awareness... to add music to the impros a little later. Music is really an exciting ingredient, it can be overriding, dictating but also like another dancer. Music as someone else's interpretation of time.
The last hour and a half we made pieces, mostly trios, with a spectator adding music to the composition. Music proved to be a very strong frame that embraces all of the actions that are happening, providing a context and therefor meaning. We thought it would be really great to achieve that without this frame.
Really nice work. Looking forward for more. I'm happy the group is taking the dive with me.
Last week Agos and Ana joined the crowd, fresh and sunloved from Argentina, what a contrast to Boris, Barbie and me, all white and quiet.
We started with warming up our feet, flesh and bone, articulations as well as sensorially using each others' backs as an alternative to the surface of the floor.
I introduced the viewpoints work to Ana and Agos, who haven't been there in the previous sessions, using again simple exercises to bring the group together, waking up awareness of the energy that we all create together in the space. This time I put more focus on architecture and topography. How does the concrete space (solid mass, texture, colours, lightening) and the objects in it inform our movement? Enjoying building relationships with the floor, pilars ect.. It's nice to fall in love with a brick wall for a while (that's my story). Then we moved on to focus on time, doing the same exercise I have done previously with Boris on linear time. It was great to do the same thing in trios, having the possiblity to not only focus on your actions related to time but also to the others, sharing space and time. And as we were four, one person got to watch. Being more people can really be a treat.
After lunch we warmed up working with a limited movement vocabulary on the grid to juggle with more viewpoints, like duration, repetition, tempo, kinesthetic awareness... to add music to the impros a little later. Music is really an exciting ingredient, it can be overriding, dictating but also like another dancer. Music as someone else's interpretation of time.
The last hour and a half we made pieces, mostly trios, with a spectator adding music to the composition. Music proved to be a very strong frame that embraces all of the actions that are happening, providing a context and therefor meaning. We thought it would be really great to achieve that without this frame.
Really nice work. Looking forward for more. I'm happy the group is taking the dive with me.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Last week
I didn't get to it sooner...Here's a little review of what we did last week at the Raffinerie:
The morning again it was just me and Barbara. We dove into the very sensorial organ, the skin. Through skin we travelled to fascia. Initiating movement from there is unpredictable because it makes you change directions in surprising ways. Great for catching yourself in your habits. I tried to introduce shape and gesture from bones, but as we were in a different mind it had to wait till after lunch break. Later on in the day Barbara felt that the work with tissues resurfaced unexpetedly, informing her dance. I like when that happens.
In the afternoon Boris joined us. Being three, which is already a group, I came back to the viewpoints work. We tried a few exercises being in the same energy, creating the energy in the room on which to float or surf or play with. It was simply walking together, increasing the speed from stillness to running (max speed) and then decreasing it to stillness again. In this the task was (as actually always is) to live in the triangle of Concentration (here on the task), Attentiveness/Listening (to each other) and Individual Freedom (I stole that insight from Peter Brook).
From there we went into working on shapes, or rather shifiting awareness to it, as you are always in shape (ha!), curves and lines, baby, it's all about curves and lines. And then came gesture and with it meaning. Can be scary at times to be dragged into a situation that the gesture evokes, or emotionality. Live and let die.
The last hour or so, we just created pieces, solos, duos, one trio. It's really fun to let go of the tasks and see how the previous work informs the creations. Out for more tomorrow. Maybe with some music.
The morning again it was just me and Barbara. We dove into the very sensorial organ, the skin. Through skin we travelled to fascia. Initiating movement from there is unpredictable because it makes you change directions in surprising ways. Great for catching yourself in your habits. I tried to introduce shape and gesture from bones, but as we were in a different mind it had to wait till after lunch break. Later on in the day Barbara felt that the work with tissues resurfaced unexpetedly, informing her dance. I like when that happens.
In the afternoon Boris joined us. Being three, which is already a group, I came back to the viewpoints work. We tried a few exercises being in the same energy, creating the energy in the room on which to float or surf or play with. It was simply walking together, increasing the speed from stillness to running (max speed) and then decreasing it to stillness again. In this the task was (as actually always is) to live in the triangle of Concentration (here on the task), Attentiveness/Listening (to each other) and Individual Freedom (I stole that insight from Peter Brook).
From there we went into working on shapes, or rather shifiting awareness to it, as you are always in shape (ha!), curves and lines, baby, it's all about curves and lines. And then came gesture and with it meaning. Can be scary at times to be dragged into a situation that the gesture evokes, or emotionality. Live and let die.
The last hour or so, we just created pieces, solos, duos, one trio. It's really fun to let go of the tasks and see how the previous work informs the creations. Out for more tomorrow. Maybe with some music.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)