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October 20, 2007

Structuring Rehearsals

I'm interested in how we structure the rehearsal process when building work.

Firstly, if you are unable to have a separate company class, how do you include the building of a common language or point of view into the rehearsal structure. What I mean is creating an understanding that is larger than just the dance you're working on - concepts, approaches, etc.. that carry over and build from dance to dance. How do you make time and space and not feel like you are loosing time on "the piece"?

Secondly, how does your rehearsal process change due to the work your creating? Obviously the more time I have the more slowly I can build and discover the work. But, beyond that, does the subject matter or structure of the work change your working process? Should it? How?

I think right now, this fall, I'm enjoying our rehearsal process, and that is partly because we are taking a lot of time to dance and explore different approaches and concepts (some of which I'll write about here soon). But, in the next couple of weeks, we'll be spending more time with specific information, images and ideas for My ocean is never blue, but right now we're getting to know one another - especially with our new company members. 

Not long ago I was talking to a fellow choreographer and he was, in a way, boasting about how he had just choreographed a dance in three rehearsals - I couldn't quite wrap my head around that possibility. Even with dancers I know and am familiar with it takes me three rehearsals to even begin to find my grounding in a work. Not that his approach was wrong - it certainly worked for him - but, I do wonder about the end product and is it a fully authentic  expression. Maybe it is and I'm just a slow poke...

Posted by Daniel Burkholder on October 20, 2007 10:40 PM


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