It worked! I finally have been able to upload this video. "Pause" (working title) performed at EDAM, for a MACHiNENOiSY's fundraiser performance showing of works in progress, September 30th, 2007, Vancouver. I apologize, the focus of the camera is at times quite frustrating. Approximate length: 9 minutes. Dancer: me. Text and sound arrangement: me. Music: Nannou, by Aphex Twin.
I've been wanting to discuss Dance Exchange ideas around 'structure' for a long time, and I think I can use the process of creating this piece as a means to do so. I was easily able to create movement for this work using some of the Dance Exchange tools, (see previous post) but I was left with a great deal of material and little sense of where to take it. I knew it was leading somewhere, but that somewhere was away from the poem - the place where the dance began.
Talking about structure with Liz Lerman. 'Structure' can be a means to craft material you already have or to generate more material. However, it is different from a choreographic assignment in that it acts as a container, forming the overall arc or development of the work. For example, imposing the idea of a logical beginning, middle, end, and arranging the material to fit into those boxes is imposing a structure. But it's more complicated then that. Structure is framing even larger. For example, perhaps you insert announcements between each section to define them, and this creates a through line. How do you decide what is beginning, middle, or end; where is the meaning? How can you categorize what you've done? Take every inquiry seriously, as nothing is too small to notice. Once choosing a structure it can be an in road to discovering more about the work, or it can send you back to the generating room.
There are formal structures and many dancers are familiar with them:
The MASH structure: little stories that have a through line connecting to a bigger story
The Palindrome: ABCDCBA
Chance: arbitrary selection and arrangement of material. Example: numbering sections and picking a number out of the phone book to put them together.
Narrative
Theme & Variation
Accumulation
ABA
Imposing a structure can make it easier to access different material, or difficult material. Structure, and ideas about structure are forever in the world around us, we just have to be curious about it and willing to play. With Liz we did an exercise where she asked us a series of questions about structure. Societal structures, structured experiences, learned structures, organizational structures, and environmental structures. We created movements based on these responses. For example the structured steps of how to drive a car. The structure of how someone organizes their ideas before writing a paper. The structure of a day. The structure of a week. How you organized your room as a child. The structure of an ecological system. Etc, etc... We then annotated our movement in small groups, and noted something that surprised us. We then took it a step further and asked if there were structures within our responses. I think we did this simply to broaden our idea of structure, to underline that sources and ideas about structure are everywhere, and you can always add or subtract meaning from something, you just need to be willing to play. Perhaps the structure you choose will have nothing to do with what the work is about, but it will lead you somewhere else and open new doors.
There is a difference between an arbitrary vs an organic structure. An arbitrary structure imposed on the work from another source can add meaning or give you clues about what the material is. An organic structure grows out of what you've done. None the less, it's a game to help you notice what you're doing. You need to ask questions to discover information within an arbitrary structure. The answers may be bizarre or useless, but they might also provide information. For example, based on the structure of organizing your room as a child you arrange the material into various clumps. How many steps do you take between sections? What age were you? Can you take 7 steps?
So that's what we did at the Dance Exchange. But what did I do? I returned to the poem, and decided that it might be about one becoming the victim of their own perceived reality. I imposed this on my own experiences and started thinking about the process of writing an email (sometimes used as a therapeutic way to confront one's perceptions) and the structure that my thoughts would take. Post script made me curious. The idea of adding on thoughts, taking things away, saying things in a different way, or saying something you shouldn't say, or thought better of and this is why you didn't say it in the first place. I looked at the word post script, and created two other phrases that P.S could stand for. Parallel sentences, and paradigm shift. I think I then also imposed a structure from personal experience. Starting off in a place not seeing eye to eye, or feeling unseen as if in a hallway, on a parallel path but in a different room. Something to say, but no one to hear you (perhaps because you refuse to send that damn email!) And evolving to a place of 'seeing.' Seeing surroundings, and shifting to a place of new perspective, and some sense of resolve. How did this effect the material? Accumulation and adding on is easy. Introducing new ideas. Inserting other material from a different creation period when my perspective was in a different place. This is still a starting place, I think the work can still evolve from here, but my experiments with structure were effective in adding new meaning.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Breaking apart the process
Looking back at some of my posts, I get the impression some of the information I've posted may seem a little ad hoc. If someone's reading this (damn I hope someone's actually reading this!) And you encounter questions or confusions - just send me an email, and I'd be happy to share more or clarify. lauraliann@yahoo.ca
In any case, so the project continues. I'm attempting to expand my learning curve in the methods of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange through several means; teaching the Critical Response Process, hosting creation workshops (teaching the 'tools'), and using the tools to create and share my own work.
I've begun a series at the memelab, an evening comprised of a tutorial in Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process, an open showing, and then the Critical Response in action. We hope to eventually make this a once a month happening where by different disciplines will share their work in the same evening and well get a cross discipline dialogue started using the CR process. The Critical Response Process is a multi step structure designed by the Dance Exchange in order to create an environment that promotes dialogue and aids the artist in receiving useful feedback and inspiration to step back into the studio and continue working. It is extremely versatile, and useful for all kinds of situations where one is looking to develop their work further, or just simply interact with others in a way that avoids defensiveness and promotes understanding. The current dates are Oct 21st and Nov 30th, 7-9 pm at memelab. Please contact me if you would like to take part/show your work in this series.
I am also interested in teaching the creation 'tools' of the Dance Exchange. Extremely adaptable and versatile, both the experienced dancer and the less educated mover can be equally challenged by the same exercises. Let me know if a creation/generating dances workshop would interest you.
With the generous cooperation of the memelab, I've been able to produce a semi final version of the process I began in the Dance Exchange studios. Posted here are excerpts of the work very early on in the process (created and recorded June 14th 2007 at the Dance Exchange - there is a meeting happening in the background). Originally I was creating using the text of a poem "Yipiyuck" by Shell Silverstein. I used the Dance Exchange tool 'movement metaphore' - creating three movements for each of the words or phrases; "desist," "would not let go," and "bit" (as in to bite something). These movements were then rearranged in a short phrase which is the first section you see in this clip. The second phrase, I did the same with "fall," "blow," and "mudglumps." The third, "Whoa!," "whisper," and "soft and low."
In any case, so the project continues. I'm attempting to expand my learning curve in the methods of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange through several means; teaching the Critical Response Process, hosting creation workshops (teaching the 'tools'), and using the tools to create and share my own work.
I've begun a series at the memelab, an evening comprised of a tutorial in Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process, an open showing, and then the Critical Response in action. We hope to eventually make this a once a month happening where by different disciplines will share their work in the same evening and well get a cross discipline dialogue started using the CR process. The Critical Response Process is a multi step structure designed by the Dance Exchange in order to create an environment that promotes dialogue and aids the artist in receiving useful feedback and inspiration to step back into the studio and continue working. It is extremely versatile, and useful for all kinds of situations where one is looking to develop their work further, or just simply interact with others in a way that avoids defensiveness and promotes understanding. The current dates are Oct 21st and Nov 30th, 7-9 pm at memelab. Please contact me if you would like to take part/show your work in this series.
I am also interested in teaching the creation 'tools' of the Dance Exchange. Extremely adaptable and versatile, both the experienced dancer and the less educated mover can be equally challenged by the same exercises. Let me know if a creation/generating dances workshop would interest you.
With the generous cooperation of the memelab, I've been able to produce a semi final version of the process I began in the Dance Exchange studios. Posted here are excerpts of the work very early on in the process (created and recorded June 14th 2007 at the Dance Exchange - there is a meeting happening in the background). Originally I was creating using the text of a poem "Yipiyuck" by Shell Silverstein. I used the Dance Exchange tool 'movement metaphore' - creating three movements for each of the words or phrases; "desist," "would not let go," and "bit" (as in to bite something). These movements were then rearranged in a short phrase which is the first section you see in this clip. The second phrase, I did the same with "fall," "blow," and "mudglumps." The third, "Whoa!," "whisper," and "soft and low."
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Back in Van
Well, what can I say? Another entry or two has been due for a long time coming, and I'm one of the world's greatest procrastinators, even of activities that bring me joy.
I've now returned home to Vancouver, thus looking back on my experiences with a removed perspective. I believe I left off as we were stepping into the Teen Institute...
What a week! The teens were fantastic. I began the week feeling quite discouraged, I'd forgotten what it's like to be a teen and hadn't computed the fact that far from being just another institute to further explore the methodologies of the Dance Exchange, there was a much higher degree of emotion, fledging confidence, confusion, and stubourness that came along with. Surprisingly, I found being a part of their lives for that short time eyeopening to my own disposition: I saw myself as a teen, and what I might have been dealing with then and what perhaps I've been able to let go of (or not) came flooding at me. Needless to say, it was an emotional but hugely fulfilling week for all. I've heard other participants from past institutes at the Dance Exchange refer to their time there as an experience that; changed their life, left them filled with inspiration and excitement, or dramatically changed their perspective, but I am certain that the experiences the teens shared might even compete with such dramatic statements.
As I said, the week seemed to begin very slowly. I feared we might never be able to bring the teens out of their shells. It seemed difficult to get them to engage in or actively participate in the activities in a way that might truly broaden their experience. But none the less, the philosophic approach of Liz Lerman's proved true, and by the end of the week, the teens were so actively participating and enjoying themselves, it almost seemed as if an entirely different group of kids had entered the room.
The philosophy? Well, as the Dance Exchange asks, "who gets to dance?" (eg: why the vertical spectrum?) The idea is that everyone can get to the same place. Or as Liz puts it, everyone can get across the river, different people just need different sized stones. Resistance, is information. Resistance, tells you usually (as teacher, leader, or choreographer) that you missed a step, you've gone too far, too fast. People's experience is always the truth. Asking why when a statement is made may lead you to find out that the expereince is about more then you realized. Figuring out what steps and skills are required for what may seem the simplest of tools (to you) can go a long way in figuring out what steps you need to take first before jumping into an exercise. While also keeping in mind that a: there are different kinds of participation, and b: your well beign is not predicated by the participation of everyone.
For example: How do you get a group of non dancers, and probably strangers, to dance to music together in a room?
We started with 1-10...
I've now returned home to Vancouver, thus looking back on my experiences with a removed perspective. I believe I left off as we were stepping into the Teen Institute...
What a week! The teens were fantastic. I began the week feeling quite discouraged, I'd forgotten what it's like to be a teen and hadn't computed the fact that far from being just another institute to further explore the methodologies of the Dance Exchange, there was a much higher degree of emotion, fledging confidence, confusion, and stubourness that came along with. Surprisingly, I found being a part of their lives for that short time eyeopening to my own disposition: I saw myself as a teen, and what I might have been dealing with then and what perhaps I've been able to let go of (or not) came flooding at me. Needless to say, it was an emotional but hugely fulfilling week for all. I've heard other participants from past institutes at the Dance Exchange refer to their time there as an experience that; changed their life, left them filled with inspiration and excitement, or dramatically changed their perspective, but I am certain that the experiences the teens shared might even compete with such dramatic statements.
As I said, the week seemed to begin very slowly. I feared we might never be able to bring the teens out of their shells. It seemed difficult to get them to engage in or actively participate in the activities in a way that might truly broaden their experience. But none the less, the philosophic approach of Liz Lerman's proved true, and by the end of the week, the teens were so actively participating and enjoying themselves, it almost seemed as if an entirely different group of kids had entered the room.
The philosophy? Well, as the Dance Exchange asks, "who gets to dance?" (eg: why the vertical spectrum?) The idea is that everyone can get to the same place. Or as Liz puts it, everyone can get across the river, different people just need different sized stones. Resistance, is information. Resistance, tells you usually (as teacher, leader, or choreographer) that you missed a step, you've gone too far, too fast. People's experience is always the truth. Asking why when a statement is made may lead you to find out that the expereince is about more then you realized. Figuring out what steps and skills are required for what may seem the simplest of tools (to you) can go a long way in figuring out what steps you need to take first before jumping into an exercise. While also keeping in mind that a: there are different kinds of participation, and b: your well beign is not predicated by the participation of everyone.
For example: How do you get a group of non dancers, and probably strangers, to dance to music together in a room?
We started with 1-10...
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Finding New Meaning
Sitting in the Dance Exchange offices on Sunday with no complaints. We're going into the first day of our Teen Exchange Institute tomorrow for which I've had a hand in recruiting and planning, and will also be leading at different times throughout next week. I'm excited to see who's in the room tomorrow and how they will respond to the week, having had such a large hand in the delivery of this institute.
The last few days I've had the opportunity to partake in rehearsals for Funny Uncles, learning set material, or recapturing it from video with the dancers and improvising to create new material. This creative process, led by Peter (Artistic Director and creative lead on Funny Uncles) reminded me of a useful tool that I have had yet to talk about. I've found Essencing within the institutes and within this process, to be a tool that requires a particular degree of focus, attention and creative skills on behalf of the dancers, while also being extremely accessible to anyone, and in fact inviting different movement adaptations because of it's structure. For these reasons it works very well in creating human, honest, shared movement material that remains interesting to the eye. In a way, Essencing is a prime example of how expertise are used and shared at the Dance Exchange.
In the Funny Uncles process Peter had the dancers do some topic focused writing, and then improvise from that writing. Essencing comes in when other dancers watch the improvisation and then put together a phrase based on what they are able to draw, (or essence) from what they witnessed. A chain of essencing can then continue, resulting in all kinds of material if the dancers continue sharing and essencing each other's movement putting together various phrases that are each unique to their own bodies but have significant overlapping images.
When using this tool in the institute it occurred to me as an interesting way of editing material - to ask an outside eye (dancer or non dancer) to watch and then give back whatever movements stood out to them - thereby allowing the choreographer to find those "golden" moments that stood out for someone else, and to edit the unmemorable. It also places significant importance on the "outside eye" and requires a significant degree of impartiality and willingness to play on behalf of the creator.
It's also a great improvisational structure having dancers enter a space - all essencing from the same phrase, and interacting however they wish.
I realize some of these tools are not new (perhaps none of them are) - many of these ideas are familiar to those of us used to a variety of creative processes. I think what is new and most significant is the ability to articulate the tools in such a way that allows us to find new meaning, create new applications for the tool, and teach them in a way that is accessible to anyone. I think this is a huge key in how and why the Dance Exchange has developed their creative methodology in a way that allows them to work in this "horizontal synthesized way of being", whereby community dance and professional dance all live on the same plane, creativity becomes accessible, and everyone is able to discover their own level of expertise when it comes to creating movement whether they've been doing it for 50 years (as Martha Wittman has - long time senior company member of the Dance Exchange) or if in their first generating movement class ever. A well defined and accessible creative methodology is something that I would like to see developed more within dance communities. I think it could be huge for the viability and success of the art form in general, (by making our work accessible, we can not only underline the significance of creativity in everyday life, we also welcome our audiences into our world as opposed to alienating or marginalizing them.) Articulating the creative methodology also opens doors for the deepening of creative exploration - by knowing where we've bin, we can figure out where we need to go. I wonder if there could be a grant created for dance companies to hire on someone to articulate and synthesize their processes, and help them define ways of teaching them. This would require a high degree of openness on part of dance makers, many of whom might be more interested in keeping their work very private. Why is that?
The last few days I've had the opportunity to partake in rehearsals for Funny Uncles, learning set material, or recapturing it from video with the dancers and improvising to create new material. This creative process, led by Peter (Artistic Director and creative lead on Funny Uncles) reminded me of a useful tool that I have had yet to talk about. I've found Essencing within the institutes and within this process, to be a tool that requires a particular degree of focus, attention and creative skills on behalf of the dancers, while also being extremely accessible to anyone, and in fact inviting different movement adaptations because of it's structure. For these reasons it works very well in creating human, honest, shared movement material that remains interesting to the eye. In a way, Essencing is a prime example of how expertise are used and shared at the Dance Exchange.
In the Funny Uncles process Peter had the dancers do some topic focused writing, and then improvise from that writing. Essencing comes in when other dancers watch the improvisation and then put together a phrase based on what they are able to draw, (or essence) from what they witnessed. A chain of essencing can then continue, resulting in all kinds of material if the dancers continue sharing and essencing each other's movement putting together various phrases that are each unique to their own bodies but have significant overlapping images.
When using this tool in the institute it occurred to me as an interesting way of editing material - to ask an outside eye (dancer or non dancer) to watch and then give back whatever movements stood out to them - thereby allowing the choreographer to find those "golden" moments that stood out for someone else, and to edit the unmemorable. It also places significant importance on the "outside eye" and requires a significant degree of impartiality and willingness to play on behalf of the creator.
It's also a great improvisational structure having dancers enter a space - all essencing from the same phrase, and interacting however they wish.
I realize some of these tools are not new (perhaps none of them are) - many of these ideas are familiar to those of us used to a variety of creative processes. I think what is new and most significant is the ability to articulate the tools in such a way that allows us to find new meaning, create new applications for the tool, and teach them in a way that is accessible to anyone. I think this is a huge key in how and why the Dance Exchange has developed their creative methodology in a way that allows them to work in this "horizontal synthesized way of being", whereby community dance and professional dance all live on the same plane, creativity becomes accessible, and everyone is able to discover their own level of expertise when it comes to creating movement whether they've been doing it for 50 years (as Martha Wittman has - long time senior company member of the Dance Exchange) or if in their first generating movement class ever. A well defined and accessible creative methodology is something that I would like to see developed more within dance communities. I think it could be huge for the viability and success of the art form in general, (by making our work accessible, we can not only underline the significance of creativity in everyday life, we also welcome our audiences into our world as opposed to alienating or marginalizing them.) Articulating the creative methodology also opens doors for the deepening of creative exploration - by knowing where we've bin, we can figure out where we need to go. I wonder if there could be a grant created for dance companies to hire on someone to articulate and synthesize their processes, and help them define ways of teaching them. This would require a high degree of openness on part of dance makers, many of whom might be more interested in keeping their work very private. Why is that?
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Duet with Dorthy
This is an excerpt of my duet with Dorthy, (still dancing at 72) created and performed as part of "Technique, Invention, and Performance" a Dance Exchange Institute with Gerri Houlihan.
Dancers: Dorthy Levy and Laura Hicks
Choreography: Dorthy Levy and Laura Hicks with excerpts of "The Bench Duet" choreographed by Gerri Houlihan.
Text: Dorthy Levy
Enjoy!
Friday, July 6, 2007
Tools for Generating and Crafting
I've been meaning to get on here to at least share some of the material from last week's institute: Generating and Crafting Dances. The focus obviously, was on creating material and crafting it. We were again a varied group, while mostly dancers (including once again, Kip Lee) and dance teachers, we had Doug Fox - dance blogger extraordinaire, and Erin Onweller an extraordinary visual artist and as it turns out, skilled mover as well.
Thoughts on Theme and Variation
What is it: Using material, and finding variations of it to arrive at new material.
Variations can mean change of: levels, different body part, speed, layering of ideas/tools, take out repeats, add repetition, change of direction, timings, stillness, sound, tracing, enlarging/scale/size - various scales to think about: room, house, neighborhood, world.
If crafting a phrase or work using theme and variation - it could mean thinking about what's there and what's missing.
Personal Response:
I began wondering about how to make choices. Do you replace the phrase with a new one, or craft it by adding/subtracting variations/themes. We used variation as a tool to generate and share material, (this is the phrase, make a variation of it using different body parts, scale, etc) but we never used it to add a theme to a phrase or section of material, other then by using Parameters. My impulse was too make big changes (very small becomes very large), I felt I was missing the crafting aspect by skipping out on the less obvious. (Maybe because I feel I do that already when working on material - without thinking about it).
We used Equivalents by selecting a section of journal material and creating a movement equivalent for each word. For an interesting discussion check out Doug's post "The Body As A Verbal Memory Recorder." It's interesting to note that the Dance Exchange is pursuing some projects that will involve working with teachers and ways of using Dance Exchange tools such as Equivalents to help kids learn/absorb information in the classroom.
Parameters:
What is it: Using improvisation with a partner/or group observing, to figure out 3 new parameters for you to focus on to find new ways of moving. We then used parameters to find new phrases with shared themes and also to find a variation on a phrase of material we were already working with.
How does it work: I improvise. My group observes and takes notes on what they see. Eg: rippling spine, small gestures, low plain. Together we find the opposites to what they observed (eg: what was not there), and I pick three I want to focus on eg: straight spine, large gestures, high plain. These are now my parameters for making a new phrase, or a variation of a phrase.
Personal Response:
I began thinking of different ways that parameters could be used to craft a work. You could structure a dance using parameters - each section reflects different parameters that you decide on, based on your goals for that section, or there might be an on running theme throughout. I began wondering about how parameters could help with the desire to create that infamous "dance section." I.e: the part of the dance you struggle with because you want it to be honest, but you also want it to be really "dancy." Parameters could be used by figuring out what parameters you apply to "dancy dance." Eg: I came up with: change of direction, clear choice of rhythm, full bodied movement as parameters I might use to create a "dancy" phrase or section.
Perhaps you can think of even more uses for these tools?
Thoughts on Theme and Variation
What is it: Using material, and finding variations of it to arrive at new material.
Variations can mean change of: levels, different body part, speed, layering of ideas/tools, take out repeats, add repetition, change of direction, timings, stillness, sound, tracing, enlarging/scale/size - various scales to think about: room, house, neighborhood, world.
If crafting a phrase or work using theme and variation - it could mean thinking about what's there and what's missing.
Personal Response:
I began wondering about how to make choices. Do you replace the phrase with a new one, or craft it by adding/subtracting variations/themes. We used variation as a tool to generate and share material, (this is the phrase, make a variation of it using different body parts, scale, etc) but we never used it to add a theme to a phrase or section of material, other then by using Parameters. My impulse was too make big changes (very small becomes very large), I felt I was missing the crafting aspect by skipping out on the less obvious. (Maybe because I feel I do that already when working on material - without thinking about it).
We used Equivalents by selecting a section of journal material and creating a movement equivalent for each word. For an interesting discussion check out Doug's post "The Body As A Verbal Memory Recorder." It's interesting to note that the Dance Exchange is pursuing some projects that will involve working with teachers and ways of using Dance Exchange tools such as Equivalents to help kids learn/absorb information in the classroom.
Parameters:
What is it: Using improvisation with a partner/or group observing, to figure out 3 new parameters for you to focus on to find new ways of moving. We then used parameters to find new phrases with shared themes and also to find a variation on a phrase of material we were already working with.
How does it work: I improvise. My group observes and takes notes on what they see. Eg: rippling spine, small gestures, low plain. Together we find the opposites to what they observed (eg: what was not there), and I pick three I want to focus on eg: straight spine, large gestures, high plain. These are now my parameters for making a new phrase, or a variation of a phrase.
Personal Response:
I began thinking of different ways that parameters could be used to craft a work. You could structure a dance using parameters - each section reflects different parameters that you decide on, based on your goals for that section, or there might be an on running theme throughout. I began wondering about how parameters could help with the desire to create that infamous "dance section." I.e: the part of the dance you struggle with because you want it to be honest, but you also want it to be really "dancy." Parameters could be used by figuring out what parameters you apply to "dancy dance." Eg: I came up with: change of direction, clear choice of rhythm, full bodied movement as parameters I might use to create a "dancy" phrase or section.
Perhaps you can think of even more uses for these tools?
Friday, June 29, 2007
Life Lessons with Liz
I've experienced so many shifts of brain space since last week, I don't know where to begin. I think I'll move backwards.
Liz Lerman said something today which I would like to make note of: There is nothing at the Dance Exchange that is not about expertise. That her mandate (and I'm rephrasing here) in starting the company was to have equal commitment to themselves on stage and equal commitment to the world. In other words, while yes, the Dance Exchange does a great many activities that may be considered in the realm of "community dance" and they also do work on the stage - that the two areas of dance do not need to live on a vertical spectrum. That in fact, placing things on a vertical spectrum is an impoverished way of thinking. She and the Dance Exchange have discovered and continue to propagate the idea that they can be artistically excellent and engage in the community in a horizontal, collaborative, synthesized way of being. Boundaries can be recognized, but they also need to be permeable.
We shared our dance space (the last day of Generating/Crafting Dances Institute) with 40 or so Truman Scholars today. I had no idea that the day would begin with so much insight. Having a large group of young academic achievers in our mist and being part of their experience really underlined how powerful art and physical experience can be. We began with blind lead. Liz related experiences of waiting with eyes closed for a leader to find you with the difficulties of being a follower. Hypersensitivity, desire to nurture, be clear, with the difficulties of being a leader. The desire to break the rules or perhaps change them, with the recognition that entire groups of people can function within a structure and then decide as a group when rules need to be broken, or the structure recreated in order to get to a new place. Someone observed the pleasure associated with simple touch. Again the vertical spectrum, touch has been outlawed in some places because of abuses of touch. What a disaster this is! People can go years without any form of human physical contact. Blind Lead and Sculpting (shaping someone's frozen body) allow complete strangers to engage in a form of touch that requires trust, listening, responding, and mutual respect. Someone observed that they could get ideas for movement by watching others. Liz highlighted the idea that people so often confuse creativity with originality. That in fact, copying in one of the most used forms of creativity. That it's okay to learn and experience from what others have done.
When I told people that I was coming out to intern with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, some assumed that this must mean that I was moving into the realm of "community" dance and leaving my stage pursuits behind. Not the case. So you ask why I'm here? I'm here because my world matters to me. Dance matters to me. And I want to learn how these two things can be mutually enhancing.
Liz Lerman said something today which I would like to make note of: There is nothing at the Dance Exchange that is not about expertise. That her mandate (and I'm rephrasing here) in starting the company was to have equal commitment to themselves on stage and equal commitment to the world. In other words, while yes, the Dance Exchange does a great many activities that may be considered in the realm of "community dance" and they also do work on the stage - that the two areas of dance do not need to live on a vertical spectrum. That in fact, placing things on a vertical spectrum is an impoverished way of thinking. She and the Dance Exchange have discovered and continue to propagate the idea that they can be artistically excellent and engage in the community in a horizontal, collaborative, synthesized way of being. Boundaries can be recognized, but they also need to be permeable.
We shared our dance space (the last day of Generating/Crafting Dances Institute) with 40 or so Truman Scholars today. I had no idea that the day would begin with so much insight. Having a large group of young academic achievers in our mist and being part of their experience really underlined how powerful art and physical experience can be. We began with blind lead. Liz related experiences of waiting with eyes closed for a leader to find you with the difficulties of being a follower. Hypersensitivity, desire to nurture, be clear, with the difficulties of being a leader. The desire to break the rules or perhaps change them, with the recognition that entire groups of people can function within a structure and then decide as a group when rules need to be broken, or the structure recreated in order to get to a new place. Someone observed the pleasure associated with simple touch. Again the vertical spectrum, touch has been outlawed in some places because of abuses of touch. What a disaster this is! People can go years without any form of human physical contact. Blind Lead and Sculpting (shaping someone's frozen body) allow complete strangers to engage in a form of touch that requires trust, listening, responding, and mutual respect. Someone observed that they could get ideas for movement by watching others. Liz highlighted the idea that people so often confuse creativity with originality. That in fact, copying in one of the most used forms of creativity. That it's okay to learn and experience from what others have done.
When I told people that I was coming out to intern with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, some assumed that this must mean that I was moving into the realm of "community" dance and leaving my stage pursuits behind. Not the case. So you ask why I'm here? I'm here because my world matters to me. Dance matters to me. And I want to learn how these two things can be mutually enhancing.
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