Friday, October 23, 2009

Last Wednesday

First conclusion: we need to work on how to articulate and project our sounds, words etc...
Boris started with Barbie at his house, then we continued with Susanne on Wed.
What we did: with Barbie basically we listened to the other person, that was the main idea.
Last Wednesday:
- we did exercises to relax the mouth and the body so we could articulate easily.
-We gave ourselves the time to produce sound until we felt confident enough to also produce words. Then the idea was being conscious about where you are in the space when you produce a sound or a word.
- After that: we produced a stream of words (stream of consciousness style, 20-30 words) with out thinking, trying to be as neutral with the voice as possible, not moving.
We were trying not to have connections between the words, but of course sometimes they happen. It gave more emphasis to the rhythm of the words than the meaning - like in poetry, hip hop rhyming etc.
- We noticed: that when you produce words one after the other there is a tendency to talk about a topic, saying words in relation to a subject. We repeat certain words - everyone repeats different ones. We often start a series of words with the same letter, or finish a series of words with the same ending - eg. repetition, addition, abstraction. Words are produced in relation to the action you are doing or in relation to the space around you.
- Mostly we did solos, and then duets - always having someone watching for feedback.
- We didn't get around to the projecting part, that will be for the next sessions, but it also happened that we projected more and more during the session.
- We also talked about being ecological with our performing. Not throwing something away quickly, but developing it until the connection/scene finds its own end.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Keep the channel open- Martha Graham

According to Agnes de Mille: "I was bewildered and worried that my entire scale of values was untrustworthy. ... I confessed that I had a burning desire to be excellent, but no faith that I could be.

Martha said to me, very quietly:
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ..."
from The Life and Work of Martha Graham

Monday, October 5, 2009

Quote of the day

“Every something is an echo of nothing.” – John Cage Lecture on Something

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Improvisation Writings-Aat Hougee


Lecture/Performance
Aat Hougee

Improvisation it is about finding solutions, being good at improvisation it is being good in finding solutions. It is about using one's intuition, curiosity and courage to avoid known solutions to enter new territory.
To be good at improvisation might be the ability to live and work in open systems.
To find perfect solutions and to have them for whenever we need them.
Living and working in open systems means that there is no ending, no definition, no definitive esthetics other than the esthetic of the moment.

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One of the few ways to get audience reaction in improvisation is through humor.

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In performance art & dance the artists use their own physical presence as artistic expression.
The dancer can create a work that will disappear right after the creation.

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Somehow we seem to live in a time when answers are more important than questions.

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To improvise is to research the boundaries of what we know, willing to invest our intuition, talent and courage.

"On the edge" - Nouvelles de danse 32/33
Aat Hougee writings


Barbara Pereyra
....After summer readings on topics related to improvisation practice & performance...