Looking for Somethings
looking for something
All improvisations are about 'something'. Often the 'something' is hidden because we don't take enough time to look for it. I teach improvisation for performance (rather than devising), so my students learn to look for and shape 'somethings'.
We don't have the time to make full works, so 'rapid prototyping' is an effective alternative. The target duration is 8 to 10 minutes, this gives you time to settle in. I find that shorter durations leave you feeling 'cheated' as the 'something' does not have time to emerge.
The rapid prototyping process is simple; perform, review, re-do. We let the dancing do the teaching, observing what does not seem to work, what we liked, and areas to develop.
I find it useful to change the parameters of the first few iterations. This allows you to focus on developing what makes a work 'watchable'. the video at the end of this post is the third of three iterations:
- No contact
- Close proximity
- Performative
In my experience, 10 to 20 iterations will get you to the start of a 'performable' (short) work. With pacing, focus and stamina you can do this over a two day course.
As you will see, this iteration is a long way from being performable. But it is somewhere to work from. I find that iterations tend to oscillate around the point you are aiming for. Finding a balance between the 'understood' and the 'emergent' can be tricky.
There are some clear issues with this footage. Next time i will remember the tripod. Hopefully, despite the 'distractions' you will see why i posted this footage (9.5 mins).
Patrick is one of my acting students. The theatrical context within this iteration did not occur in the first two runs. There is also a lot of 'dampening'. I think this style of work is polarizing for some people, it is not the flowing abstraction they assume (contact) improvisation to be.
Most (online) dance improvisation videos lack context, this makes is hard to see why 'practice' is important. Many of the videos are edited excerpts, these can also be misleading. But improvisation can be hard to watch, highlights make it easier to view.
As a raw 'sketch in progress' i hope these 9.5 mins give you some insight into where and how improvisations can be developed whilst remaining 'improvised'. Doug was asking for longer videos recently. and whilst this is not polished work, i think we also need to see more process.
Last note ... did you see the masking tape on the floor? It defines a 'proximal square'. One purpose for this square is establish the natural incidence of contact within the performance volume. every fourth iteration the size of the square is increased until the 'natural' volume is found.
Posted by
Matt Gough on February 12, 2008 3:52 AM
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hi doug, thanks for your thoughts responses.
i think if you find the text dense the best place to start is the video. i.e to ignore what i have written and think about what you enjoyed or did not enjoy.
feel free to laugh if you find parts funny. we had some fun, there are some silly moments but things that might work in a performance.
don't get caught up in trying to find the 'somethings' that we found. you should develop you own 'eye' for reading 'somethings'. with improvisation the key is understanding how you engage in processes.
what did you like in the video, why did you like it?
what didn't you like, why not and what would you do differently?
for me an improvisation should be 'watchable' that is what we work towards.
there really isn't a 'solution' here, just an (optional) approach i would encourage you to try. pick a 2 min track and dance around a bit. then think about what you didn't like, and try to make the dance 'better'. developing an improvisation is about experimenting with 'options' and learning to make 'informed' choices when you improvise.
the 'general' trends you find yourself returning to may be the 'something'.
i think the text in the post is for students / artists with some experience to take/leave as they wish. the video is for all, to enjoy or not as they wish.
i think next time will post the video first, and follow up with the text.