January 17, 2008

Creative Process as Performance

I have been thinking about performance work that is deft framing of process.

Years ago I saw a piece at PS 122 for which the choreographer had constructed a large enclosure with small windows. Inside the enclosure were several pieces of furniture and two cats. The audience was invited to look into the windows and watch the cats lounging, playing, sleeping. We were watching behavior, experiencing time passing.

I did not feel cheated. I was fascinated.

I think about this all the time when working with horses.

Framing process.

Last week we were in Florida working with an amazing natural horsemanship trainer. Our assignment was to go into a field with horses, choose a horse and create a kinetic dialogue effective enough that the horse would willingly follow us to the exit gate. An hour later the five of us had gathered our horses. This was a performance of a sort. Gradual time. Gentle outcomes.

That afternoon we learned some new horsemanship tools. The next morning we had the same assignment. This time we gathered our equine partners in less than 20 minutes. Each horse followed its dancer with curiosity.

What would make this event a performance?

A slowly unfolding event.

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