Working with Stories....

March 2013

''Stories...eminating from incidences... we would not be able to live without making up stories... imagine if this happened... developing from feeling responses...eminating...continuously creating an alternative world in my head... whats an odd incidence?... odd but ordinary... things that actually happened...'
                                                    Unknown

In this class, we were looking at the idea of stories. We were asked to bring in a personal item, and give an account of where it belonged in our lives, how we came to have it and what connects with it. The item that I had chosen were my red disneyland woolen mittens.

We were asked to get into groups, tell each other about our items, as well as individually making up a random story about where the items came from.This is my true story:

My red mittens were given to me by my nan. She bought them from Disneyland Paris years ago but hardly wore them, so she gave them to me. If I weren't wearing them, they would always be in my bag. Alot of the time I wouldn't wear them if i needed them, cause they have a slight hole in the top. Wearing them takes me back to Disney Lake, where i stood there admiring the view, with my gloves sticking out since they didn't go with anything else i wore.

This was my random story: My nan told that when she was a little girl,she visited the North Pole. After travelling for many miles she came to where Santa Claus lived. Stading in a huge gateway were Mr and Mrs Claus calling for her to come in. Inside, there was a bunch a sheep, 7 brothers, but they were all the different colours of the rainbow, and they were magical. Santa said that if you use their wool to make something, it will be magical too. Mrs Claus said 'what would you like my deary?'. My nans hands were cold, so she asked for some red mittens. The red sheep was rather cranky because everyone asked for his wool, where the yellow sheep was sad, because not so many people asked him. After some persuasion, the red sheep said okay. After shearing the wool, it was given to a giant elf with the hands to make the mittens. In seconds, the were finished. When my nan tried them on, she started floating in the air. The mittens allowed her to fly! After saying goodbye to the Clauses and the sheep and the giant elf, nan flew off home. Many years later, the mittens don't work anymore, but it you look closely, you can still see them shining as if they were brand new.

When we revisited this task in the next class, we had to create movement to go with our stories, using our items where possible. I did alot of waling and travelling around on my hands whilst wearing my mittens, chaning my position often to keep the other group members attention.

IPP2 showings

On Tuesday 6th March, my class and I spent part of the afternoon watching Dance and Theatre second years' perfoming their work in progress in different spaces around the university. The point was to see what sort of things we would be doing next year, and also to allow us reflect on our own practices.

The first performance we saw was 'The traces left behind' by Fiona Jackson, and was set in the Lanchester Gallery studio. As we came in, long pieces of paper with footprints on it, had been laid out on the floor for us to walk on and leave our own 'traces'.  There were also long pieces of paper along the wall with imprints made using mainly chalk and pastels. On one side of the room, Fiona was drawing on herself and moving along a long piece of paper, using herself like a paintbrush to make an imprint of herself.. Several pictures were hanging on string from the ceiling down the middle of the studio with pictures and writing.

It was interesting to watch Fiona draw as she moved. The only thing critical that i could comment upon, is whether she could have been a little more risky or experimental with her movement, and it seemed more like an art exhibition than a performance. However, her message of looking at the different ways we imprint ourselves definately came across.

The second performance was 'Stages' by Oana Rolanu, and was set in the ICE dance studio. We walked into a room with no light on, except for a small table lamp behing long pieces of material hanging from the ceiling in a short ling, creating some sort of wall. Oana is improvising with these, as well as other parge pieces of material on the floor. She intertwines herself amongst the materials, using them to scrub the floor, even creat the image of a pregnant woman and holding a child.

It felt weird being in the studi with no lights on, i would have felt quite enclosed and a bit uncomfortable. It was quite intimate though, having the audience being so close to the dancer and the setting. Oana performed with a great movement quality even though the whole thing was improvised. I could clearly see some of the images she was showing us, like the stages of a woman.

The third performance was 'Behind the mask' by Julia. It was situated in a downstairs corridor at the end of some stairs. The audience was asked to form two small clusters on either side side of Julia . She was kneeling on a sheet of plastic and cloth. There was a large mirror in one corner, a bucket of water with sponges in the opposite corner, and lots of make up items in front of her. She started by arranging them into a particular order, then started applying it to herself. At first it seems light, but then she keeps putting on layer after layer until she goes over the top.  Once she has finished, she pours water over her face and removes all her make up whilst displaying emotion.

The set up in the corridor was a nice idea, making the scene quite close and intimate, but the only problem with it was the audience one the one side could see properly because Julia spent most of her time facing the other way. I ejoyed watching the natural movement, it was as if we werent there and she was completely alone. I did question whether she needed to spend so much time putting on all that make up. I found that there was something quite sad about the way she put on and took off her makeup, like she had some deepemotion issue that she was trying to cover up.

The final performance was 'Fieldwork' by Joana Tischkau. It was performed in a smaller studio within Ellen Terry that i think is used more for theatre rather than dancing. We sat all around the studio, lining the walls. Joana comes in with lots of bags full of her possessions. After making a cellotape sqare on the floor and placing a book in it, she starts laing all her things in a particular way all over the floor. These things included stuff like clothes, records, shoes, bottles and a record player. Whilst changing her clothes, rearranging them into different order. She plays different records and moves to them to reflect different moods. She puts items in a line and names them in german saying everything out loud. Joana finished by going back to the book in the square and begins writing  in it.

My thought was 'Is she trying to show us the sort of person she is by showing usher possession and how she behaves with them?'. Continuously changing, continuously moving except a few pauses to think, this is what kept my attention her the whole time because i so keen to find out what Joana was going to do next. It was very experimental and unique.

Skinner releasing technique: A.J. reflection

In this lesson, rather than write down my thoughts in words, i put everything into this image. The pupper strings represent skull strings and my floating skull. The image underneath the face, is of my waist with a bridge going acros it. It represents a suspension of the torso (bridge was the first thatcame into my mind). This is where, during a partner graphic, when one person suspends the torso by placing their hands just underneath the ribs, allowing the person being suspending to engage their upper body without necessarily being supported in any way.

Improvisation & gllery visit

On Wednesday 22nd February,

As part of our improvisation class, Amy asked us to get into groups, and then each find any 3 items tat we could find in the room. This inlcuded things like pens, pillows, a cd player and a miniature model of a skeleton. We had to arrange and reaarange the items in our groups to create scultures that reminded me of abstract modern pieces of art. To further develop this, everybody in class brought their items together to make one large pieve of art. Standing around in circle, we each went to the items one person at a time, then everybody together, moving an item to change the arrangement. After that, we arranged oursleves amongst the items to become part of the artwork.

Finally, we each had to chose one item and dance with it, using it as an inspiration for movement. I chose a blanket, and i waved it above my head, twirled it in a circle, and even ran with blanket whilst leaping through the air.

After finishing class early, we all went over to the Lanchester Gallery to observe some third years experimenting with recyclable materials to create artwork. This included things like bottlecaps, plastic bags, bottles, string, paper ect. They told us that they had spent the  day arranging the items into different categories like colour and size, and we invited to join in. So it was quite like what we did in class.

Body story reflections so far.....

For my body story,  I have to reflect on my development as a dancer, by showing an understanding of my physical self and the theory that 'underpins' my practice.

For section 1, the task that i have chosen is: Select 2 systems of the body that you have studied. Discuss their structure, function, interconnectedness and how this understanding contributes to your development as a dancer. The systems that ive chosen are: Skeletal and Articular, as these are the two that interest me the most. Also the articular system is the one i generally pay the least amount of attention to.

  For section 2, i have to reflect on my own experiences of my body moving, and do this by identifying a part of my body to look at. It could be somewhere that stimulates images/ideas, or even somewhere ive injured. It is for the latter reason that i chose my lower back and hips, because ive injured both and they're quite close to each other. I have research the bones, joints and other associated aspects. Using this, i have to consider what activites bring my attention to this area.

Questions that i would like other to comment upon in relation to my work

How would you describe my style/quality of dancing?
Are there any commonly reoccurring feautures?
Is there any thing that you would change/suggest for improvement or development?
What word, thoughts or images come to mind when watching me dance?
What is your general opinion when you see me dance?

Duet choreography homework

On Tuesday 31st January, Fiona (my duet collaborator) and myself went to the Lanchester Gallery as part of our choreography homework. The Lanchester Gallery is quite small, but the exhibition filled up the whole space. 13 separate pieces a work were dotted about the room in a particular order. A lady at the entrance gave us a sheet of paper showing the order we should see the exhibits, and a brief amount of detail about each one.

I generally didnt understand what the exhibition was about, and even thought about how someone could call it art? It wasn't really my taste, but then my partner Fiona pointed out the as artists we may present an art form that other would also think is a bit strange or unappealing.