What to say?

Dear Blog,

What to say when you don’t know what to say!?

I am writing to you because I have been neglectful. I have spent the last few weeks or so thinking about all the things I wanted to get  done rather than celebrating the things that I have learnt or achieved. It is so easy to get caught up by the personal thoughts of ‘the unattainable’ rather working with your situation.

At the moment I am working intensively with Natasha on the project for ’16 Days of Action’. This is an interesting project because we are all women performing in the piece. It seems that we all have information and material to share about situations that make women feel vulnerable and insecure. By performing and contextualizing this information through movement I find it is easier to disconnect the emotional connection you can have with the material. Instead we are using our bodies to create images or promote feelings of vulnerability or terrifying nature of the subjects such as violence, rape etc.

As a participant and acting as a facilitator through the rehearsal as a participant it is easier to build bonds with the other performers. By doing so it has allowed me to communicate my ideas and experience how to work with non-trained dancer’s compared to other such as training with Natasha’s dancer’s in the touring production of ‘The Blank Album’. Having this opportunity to see Natasha’s workshops implemented after discussing what she wishes to do with the group, it is invaluable because it allows me to see how Natasha executes her ideas and how my suggestions may be taken on board. It is useful to see how one facilitator may change or rearrange the way he/she will communicate with the group or ask for material to be created compared to may be the decisions I would make or example. This reminds me of an exercise where we were asked to repeat a series of movements in a figure of eight. After trying this for several times and noticing how complicated this was proving to be I would have stopped and moved onto something else, most probably taken it out of the production. However Natasha continued to repeat this exercise, finally stopping when it seemed about ok. Each session she would make us repeat the sequence. Now this is a manageable and enjoyable part of the production that reinforces previous material in the show. This has proven to me that trial and error is sometime unavoidable but you have to keep pushing through if you have a vision that you are positive will make sense for the performance. Only by trying you will be able to see results! 

Over the last two weeks we have used material that have been created through warm ups and routine. His has then been placed into more narrative structures that allow individuals to share their own devised material with the audience through spatial decisions. By see that material can be created right from the start of a rehearsal process it has made me appreciate how ANYTHING can become something in a performance. Also when working with individuals who are less experienced with how material can be created or performed for an audience it is important to make them feel secure and comfortable with the work. Natasha has achieved this by teaching smaller versions of a larger routine right from the start. I have also notice that Natasha will structure her workshops in a safe and familiar environment, highlighting a rehearsal routine so that the participants walk into the room, knowing what will be expected of them. For example participants are asked to stand in a circle as quickly as , while music is playing but most importantly Natasha will already be encouraging the group to move with her and copy her movements.  

While working on this project it has become more and more aware about how working with Natasha is a social network for this group. This is a group of people who are coming together because they have something they would like to share and dance/ e is an appropriate way for them to do this. It is a time where crèche is open, women are carefree, we are allowed to express our feelings, we are allowed to focus on something new, we can create our own material or work with others, we can share tea and fruit, chat, laugh and most importantly do something together – DANCE. When else have we had the excuse today to just get up dance? In the warm room in Maryhill us 16 girls have a need and right to dance. On the 10^th December we will share with others the material we have e to use that will challenge women’s rights.

I’m sorry again blog! Mostly I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you what has been going on in my head sooner. I often resort to dancing in my room alone in front of my laptop rather than my fingers on the keys.

 What to say when you don’t know what to say – There turns out to be quiet a lot!

Love Steph xxx

~ by stephblack on November 24, 2008.