December 20, 2007

Doing One Thing

Toward the end of the improv class I was teaching at the university we were working to integrate many of the skills we'd worked on over the semester. Solo, duet, and group scores, as well as authentic movement and contact improvisation were all part of the mix. I wanted them to work on entering the space and performing with no or very little predetermined structures - or what is sometimes called an open score. The challenge of the open score is to have everyone stay on the same page as the dance progresses and develops. One way to do this is for each dancer to have the intention of the group, at any one moment, to just be doing one thing. Often in open scores I see, for example, a duet on one part of the stage and a trio somewhere else with little awareness of one another - as if there were two separate dances being performed at the same time.But, if everyone is focused on doing one thing they cultivate an awareness of the group as a whole and work towards a kind of group unity and clarity.

This idea is sometimes presented as agreeing - so as to hold the idea of adding to what is happening and not breaking it or countering it. I like that idea as well, but sometimes it is too abstract for beginning improvisers who don't have experience with framing while creating. Doing one thing, in a way, is simple to grasp. After they get the basic idea you can start questioning what one thing is and add juxtaposition, foreground/background, naming, initiator/supporter, The 3 Rs, and an array of other concepts/approaches.

Some examples of doing one thing could be:
     • Everyone rising and falling to the floor
     • A duet that keeps changing as dancers continually enter and exit from it
     • Everyone gradually, continually slowing down
     • Dancers playing with proximity - moving towards and away from one another

Obviously, doing one thing could also be more complicated with different people contributing different elements to make a complete whole.

With the class this idea seemed to give them a handle to keep coming back to as they tried to create a coherent work - even though they have very little direction to begin (in a way).

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December 4, 2007

The Three Rs

When working with students (and my company, for that matter) I try and work on a number of different levels - intuitive, intellectual, kinesthetic, etc... At times I am intentionally vague, other times I try and be very direct. When building their composition skills I usually try and be on the direct side of things. One of these skills that I introduce (and recently introduced to my university class) is what I call "The 3 Rs", or repeat, repetition and reoccurrence. I first use The 3 Rs in relation to movement vocabulary, or picking up and passing specific movements or phrases back and forth among the dancers. Specifically, The 3 Rs are:
       • Repeat: directly repeating something you see or sense someone else do. This could be a turn, lifting a leg, or any specific movement repeated directly or soon after another person.
       • Repetition: doing a movement or sequence a number of times in a row. This could be your own movement or someone else's movement, but it is repeated a multiple of times.
       • Reoccurrence: returning to a movement that was performed earlier in the dance. This could be your own movement, someone else's movement, or repetitive movement.

Having this type of simple strategy gives the dancers a tool for connecting, paying attention to one another, building a coherent structure and creating a vocabulary for the current dance. I wish I had alittle video to add to this post, but I don't right now....

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October 16, 2007

(c.)ontact and Weight

Today in my improvisation class I'm currently teaching I introduced (c.)ontact (i.)mprovisation and the idea of giving and receiving weight. It is always such a challenge to get people to use their weight in relation to another person - there is hesintancy to really use weight - "I feel like I'm going to crush them." Though, I find that most people either have a fear of giving their weight or a fear of receiving weight - some, a few, are either fearless or fearful of both. Most people fall into one camp. So, I start slow - with lying, gently giving alittle weight and then alittle more. Slowly lying on top of their partner - not doing anything, just lying there. And then gradually adding in small rolling and shifts. Usually, and it was true today, there are looks of disbelief and then giggles and finally "Wow! I feel so relaxed." My main point this first day was for them to start to experience the difference between partnering work in c.i. and other forms of dance - mainly, in c.i. we support our partners and in other forms of dance you lift your partner. Lifting is done with muscles and supporting is done with bones and structure. We can support alot more weight than we can lift. But, we start slowly.

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September 29, 2007

Starting Again

For the last year I've been working on My ocean is never blue - a 3-year project exploring our mythological, personal, ecological and political relationships to water. Also for the last year I've been writing a blog about the creation and performance process of this work, as well as posting video of rehearsals and performances to YouTube. As I start this second year of the project I'm moving my blog here to be a part of the Great Dance community, and I'm going to be moving most of my video posting to blip.tv. With the move to GD I will be opening up the content of my blog - now titled "act/re/act" - to include posts beyond just My ocean is never blue, though this will stay the main focus. The move to blip.tv will hopefully give me better quality videos to share.

At the same time I will be beginning again to dive into the research mode of creating work. Last year our research culminated in our performance at Dance Place in April. This year I have 3 new dancers, in addition to 4 returning, and lots of new topics to dig into. Last year we focused quite abit on larger political and ecological issues with the work, this year we'll be taking some time to examine more personal and spiritual aspects - including baptism and the Japanese Tea Ceremony, among others. I am excited to get back into the studio and start working.

Everything new starts this week, as we begin again. Digging in and seeing what reveals itself.

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