Initial Solo Studies
Both of our initial choreographic projects, the resiliency study and the strength study, have immensely affected both the way I understand and practice choreography and also my own personal movement abilities. Both assignments were simply restrictions – use a certain quality, in four different ways, for two minutes. Ultimately, however, they serve to free the dancer by contributing a heightened understanding. This isn’t usually the way dances are choreographed - normally, dances include contrast and variation. Each specific piece may favor certain types over others, but they usually include even a small mix of qualities. Being forced into a single style allows us to find dynamic within one quality, and truly explore its nuances. We have to commit to resiliency and strength, but we find ways that we can interpret and play with them; subject them to different levels of energy, different parts of our bodies, etc. At the end of this project, I felt as though I had formed a process, and this an invaluable tool to have as a choreographer.
Marc Solo Video
Collaboration Project: Spaces
Entry #1: At this stage in the process, I hope to the a theater as my space. However, I'm not looking to use the stage - my interest lies with the building itself, primarily the labyrinth that is formed by the extensive catwalk that hangs above the stage and also the corridors and stairs that exist around and under the audience. I've always been interested in these spaces, as they exist only to serve another space (the stage) in mimicking yet another space, real or fictional. I'm not sure at the moment if I want to use the space with that context in mind, or to us the space entirely removed from it's performance associations. Nadja and I have discussed using projections of eyes during each of our pieces - I'm interested in using that to create a sort of dream prison under constant surveillance. Creepy? Yes. Interesting? Also yes.
I'm also interested in potentially finding a way to link our worlds - is there a space similar enough that we could imply a connection?
Both of our initial choreographic projects, the resiliency study and the strength study, have immensely affected both the way I understand and practice choreography and also my own personal movement abilities. Both assignments were simply restrictions – use a certain quality, in four different ways, for two minutes. Ultimately, however, they serve to free the dancer by contributing a heightened understanding. This isn’t usually the way dances are choreographed - normally, dances include contrast and variation. Each specific piece may favor certain types over others, but they usually include even a small mix of qualities. Being forced into a single style allows us to find dynamic within one quality, and truly explore its nuances. We have to commit to resiliency and strength, but we find ways that we can interpret and play with them; subject them to different levels of energy, different parts of our bodies, etc. At the end of this project, I felt as though I had formed a process, and this an invaluable tool to have as a choreographer.
Marc Solo Video
Collaboration Project: Spaces
Entry #1: At this stage in the process, I hope to the a theater as my space. However, I'm not looking to use the stage - my interest lies with the building itself, primarily the labyrinth that is formed by the extensive catwalk that hangs above the stage and also the corridors and stairs that exist around and under the audience. I've always been interested in these spaces, as they exist only to serve another space (the stage) in mimicking yet another space, real or fictional. I'm not sure at the moment if I want to use the space with that context in mind, or to us the space entirely removed from it's performance associations. Nadja and I have discussed using projections of eyes during each of our pieces - I'm interested in using that to create a sort of dream prison under constant surveillance. Creepy? Yes. Interesting? Also yes.
I'm also interested in potentially finding a way to link our worlds - is there a space similar enough that we could imply a connection?
Final Thoughts
Nadja and I started our collaboration by exchanging goals
and expectations we had for the project. It was new ground for everyone
involved, and we had to make sure that we communicated effectively and used our
time well (in retrospect, we didn’t have that much!). Our theme arose from our
selected spaces – I knew I wanted my space to be darker and labyrinthine, and
Nadja knew she wanted hers to be more open and outside. We were hoping to
contrast the two in some way, but as it happens the weather intervened and
Nadja was forced to change spaces. Luckily the new space was able to relate to
mine – where my choreography is trapped in a labyrinth, hers is confined to an
elevator. Once these spaces become finalized, our themes became clear –
confinement, searching, struggle. These themes largely helped guide us, but
that’s not to say there weren’t some creative issues we had to work around. My
space lent itself more to traveling forms of movement (long, thin corridors),
where the elevator is a single location. I believe we were able to solve this
with the power of editing! I also took advantage of areas in the Bolton where I
could sequester and explore for longer amounts of time. I think, given more
time, this project could be expanded into an explicitly dance film basis. I
would be very interested in learning more about this mode (I would love a CLASS
on it, to be honest!) and given the nature of the collaboration, suits it quite
well. I think the overall highlight of the project for me was seeing the
finished product. Often this isn’t the case for me – usually it is somewhere in
the process where I realize everything is coming together. For this project, I
just had the realization that we had created a dance piece without ever having
physically danced with my partner. Technology goes hand in hand with dance in
my opinion, and I’m always interested in seeing ways that it can enhance.
