This is for my people - My Party People!!

Wow, what a show!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to the coolest party people!
Well done on an excellent performance!
XxXx

Count down

Excellent rehearsal yesterday. I'm really happy with the way the work has developed. Everything is a lot clearer, and having some new people of different ages is really fun and interesting. Things to work on today... the contrast between being deadpan while walking and being completely animated when talking. In 'Celebrate' we will do more dance moves facing the back. The second walking section should be a bit shorter and move into singing sooner .
I think that Shirley and Jordan's duet might have a place in this section. The Eminem and 007 stuff seems to be working, and I love the Whitney Huston section. Nicky's playful balloon dance is excellent with the (now cheesy) passion-ballad.
Philips interference and the impro group are also great contrasts. Nicky and Pilip's duet it beautiful/funny/sad... laugh? cry??
I think that the cake duet can get deeper and make the audience more uncomfortable. Perhaps it needs to start slower and then build up, and uP, and UP. Also I think that Nicola can move her limbs more and manipulate Lesley's body. Lesley's talking should become intermittent as the movement becomes more suffocating. The balloon section needs a bit of clarification, but it helps when the jumping castle is there. Also I will encourage to use the 'dance' option more and not be influenced by the music, but keep the traffic flowing.

Cake Duet

We rehearsed the cake duet today. Lesley will be dancing with Nicky because Charl is on a film shoot. Lesley and Nicky have great chemistry. We started off with some basic contact improvisation principles... moving around the space with changing points of contact... The I went on to the same process that I went through with Brittany and Cameron... except that we did in an hour what they did in 4 rehearsals.. anyway it worked... we started off with each person trying to catch hold of one part of the other persons body (head, hand, chest, waist) as the other person backs away... then we combined this with the contact and found ways to move smoothly between the two intentions... from there we began with the feeding and talking. Today we used strawberries. I was cool, less messy, but I like the mess. I think we'll use a slice of cake with a big strawberry on top. So then we layered the feeding, talking, contact.... which eventually becomes smothering... then the chasing... contact... rough smothering.... chasing.... contact...exhausted...
Oh and the Chopin too.
I like it!

Looking good

Last week the two groups met for the first time. It was a great rehearsal. We were in the big studio and almost everyone was there. I spent about the first 20 minutes talking about the work and my reasons for wanting to explore pedestrian movement and improvisation structures. I'm glad I took the time to do that because it's always better to perform when you understand what's going on. Then we did some warm-up/zone in exercises. It was so much fun with a large group. I've slightly re-structured the piece and added 2 extra sections. The singing is great. I hope that the pop songs after that will be as effective as I imagine them and I also hope that I will be able to get the 5 specials that I imagine... Shirley and Jordan's chasing-the-hand dance it cool, but we decided to leave out the talking in that part because it's too much. Soz and Sherman do a similar task based duet thing, but this time Soz will do the talking while trying to engage with Sherman who is popping and crunching. The group impro section was also pretty cool, I think I'll try it with 7 people... I imagine these 3 sections happening one at a time in different specials while Whitney Husten is belting 'I will always love you'... Hope it works and does not fall in the slapstick side off funny. I'm trying to achieve irony here... in other words if these 3 vignettes were accompanied by music more fitting to the action they would probably be evocative or appealing, but to this song they seem trivial, pathetic, funny... Well I hope so anyway... We will find out on Saturday - that's the last rehearsal, then tech on Wednesday then performance on Thursday. WoooohooOooo!

The aim of this blog is to provide a space for the development of the work to be influenced and shaped by all who come into contact with it.

The Saturday group

Had the first rehearsal with the new group today. It was so much fun!
We started off with some games to get us into good physical awareness with one another (Making a group decision to clap all at the same time. Passing a hand squeeze around the circle. Leading a partner with closed eyes around the room).
Then we started with the improvisation structure - grid walking, stopping, and talking 'options'.
This is the third group that I have explored these 'options' with, and I think that the clarity of my explanation and direction has improved.
Once we had explored those options a while I introduces a forth option - singing a song to someone. This was fun, and really funny too. At one stage we were all just laughing at each other. But I don't think that anyone thought that they were making a fool or themselves.. It's more like we could all associate with each other... like we were laughing at ourselves through the other one another.
I really enjoyed hearing the feedback from everyone on how they experienced the impro structure and 'options'. Everyone really engaged with the task, and when I did slip out from participating to watch, what I saw was most intriguing... poignant even.

Phase 3..

So, this is where my thoughts are at the moment with regards to developing the work for the October performance.
Following comments (verbal mostly) from colleagues and friends that it would be really great if I could work with a group of more mature adults, I have decided to begin rehearsals with a second group of more generationally diverse individuals.
I will still keep the structure of the work the same, and find ways to meld the material that develops from the new group with that of the original group.
I definitely want the new group to explore the same 'options' from the improvisation structure. I also think that it will be very interesting to notice the different kind of performance atmospheres that are generated by each group.
I plan to add in another popular song 'dance' bit...(minimal, recognizably social and pedestrian (like Celebrate) . I'm thinking either Whitney Huston/Elvis/Johnny Cash/Michael Jackson).
I've got some good ideas for more task-based movement duets (like the cake duet)
I'm still deciding weather or not to make the jumping castle into a separate section... (some say the balloons, dancing, walking and jumping castle are too much all at the same time.. others disagree and say it is great like that) maybe I should just move the jumping castle further upstage and clean up the traffic a bit... I do love the contrast of about 10 people talking loudly on a deflating jumping castle, while one person stands alone holding a bunch of balloons..

Crits, Comments, Crits, Comments

I would like to encourage everyone to please comment on how they received, perceived, enjoyed, interpreted the work on Thursday.
Any ideas for possible development and improvement would be greatly appreciated. Highlight any strengths/weaknesses.
Your comments are most valuable and will influence the development the work for the next performance.
Feel free to throw tomatoes. I can take it.

Crits and Comments

Steve and I were really proud of our performers and the production on Thursday evening. I think that the work was a success, and I received some very positive feedback.
It is true that the work may not have appealed to everyone, true, there were some flaws, but of course there is always room for development and improvement.
I had a chat with Ms. R yesterday. She said that the work was good and that she enjoyed it, but mentioned ways in which I could improve it for my exam in October. She noted the following;

• The voices in the traffic section should be louder.
• Individual characters ans relationships could be more developed.
• The gold hangings should fly out after 'Celebrate'.
• The title 'So long....' is too in-house
  
• The section with the jumping castle and balloons was too cluttered - the jumping castle activity distracted from the movement, and especially from the various solos - perhaps split them up into two sections.
• There must be more of my own choreographic style and movement vocabulary

Rehearsals will start up again next Monday 6 September. I juggled with the idea of having a completely new cast to see how the work would take on a new character.. perhaps only young children or ladies and gentleman over 45yrs like Kontakthof(over65) or a mixture.. that along with the party theme would build a metaphor around childhood, aging, birthdays...
But since I only have 1 month before my exam and quite a bit to extend and develop, I have decided to keep the original cast, with perhaps minor additions. Also I will keep to my initial impulse which was to explore the theme of alienation and intimacy.

I have some good ideas for more duets around this theme. Similar to the 'cake duet' where one person is talking while the other, who is supposedly listening, is actually more interested with manipulation the talking person's body in some or another way. The 'cake duet' showed how something intimate like feeding someone cake eventually became a way of suffocating them.

I want to try one duet where one person is talking about something while the other is constantly lifting, twisting and turning them up-side-down. At various intervals the lifting person repeats 'I can't hear you', 'Can't hear you'.

Another duet idea is for one person to be talking while the other tries to catch hold of that persons hand. It's quite playful at first, but then it's just mean because the 'catcher' never get's hold of the other persons hand as they continue talking about whatever it is they are talking about. This could be cool with one short and one really tall person.

The 'it's not her head' trio from the UNCG version as well as the mocking and Wesley's awkward moments could also find a place somewhere.

All these little vignettes express through dialogue and movement ways in which human interaction can be superficial and often quite alienating..
But I don't want to be all doom and gloom..
"Humour is also a way of saying something serious" (T. S. Elliot)
I like the way in which each performer is shown as a unique individual. They wear clothes from their own wardrobes, speak about things that are relevant to them and present themselves as themselves.. and their own quirks and idiosyncrasies. This is where the humour comes from, no one is over-the-top trying to be funny. In the 'Celebrate' section especially this comes through, but throughout the piece, the performers reveal certain whims and vulnerabilities that are in themselves charming and endearing.

Perhaps the jumping castle section needs more development. I think that the Radiohead song is too short to contain all the images off the balloon section and the jumping castle metaphore. I am really happy with the way in which the ballon section developed from an improvisation structure: "Walk forwards, you may stop, you may turn at 90 degrees. There are 5 balloons they are passed between people when the stop near each other. If you have a balloon you may walk forwards, stop, turn 90 degrees, pass it to someone else, or do a small section of the 'balloon dance' phrase. The order and duration of the events are your choice."

I plan to develop more action and movement related to the jumping castle and make it a different section. What I need to figure out now is a good transition as well as suitable sound/music

I also have an idea to use a piece of opera music (maybe German) for another dance section. It will be quite minimal... and funny...in a sad sort of way. Perhaps a series of solos or a group of solos isolated by lighting specials.

Alone in a crowd
Laughing till you cry
Suffocated by intimacy






A structured improvisation
from the people who brought you..

Thalia Laric and
Steven van Wyk

Ode to Steven

Ode to Steven

Steven you are wonderful
Your mind is a an enchanted forest
At 20'something you still play kung fu destruction
and 'let's-pretend'...
then engage in academic discourse on social theory and anthropological philosophy
Your creativity inspires me, as does your intellect
I so enjoy working, talking, playing, thinking and creating with you
Look how the crazy things we imagined became a magical reality..


Thalala

Awesome, awesome, awesome performance!

Well done you fabulous people, you rocked that stage!


I'd love to know how you all felt about the rehearsal process, the performance and the work as a whole.

Is there anything that you would have done differently? music, costumes, choreography, cake...?

How did you feel about having 'options'? Would you prefer more choreographic 'structure' or more improvisation 'freedom'?

idea

Ooh, I've just had a great idea for a site specific installation version of this work... Beware Jammie steps.
Also a choreography by correspondence, long distance installation at UNCG...
Beware fountain in front of cafeteria.
This is going to be ReaLLy cool :)

Yay!

Good rehearsal tonight.
We're ready.
Everything works and looks great.
I am so excited to see the performance.
Thank you to the awesome cast, you guys are fabulous!

about the cake

I have a solution for the cake.
1. no icing
2. keep the movement contained
3. someone follows the couple around, picking up the crumbs
and wiping the floor with a big yellow cloth.
It fits the metaphor... and is sort of funny... in a sad kind of way.

Chance and Control

Just booked the jumping castle and gold decor :)
Still a bit worried about all the cake that's going to end up on the floor. It looks awesome, and really enhances the metaphor.. wish we were last on the programme instead of first.. we will think of something.
Rehearsals have been great. The work has really evolved since the first performance. I think a lot of it has to do with the new cast of performers. Everybody brings something unique. There were certain things from the original (like the 'It's not here head' trio) that seemed odd on the new cast. But then there were also new things that developed from working with the new personalities. This revealed the extent to which each individual performer influences not only the performance, but also the process.


I started feeling a little uneasy about how much of the design of the work we have started to shape and control. My initial aim was to provide a structure for a 'series of events' in which the performers had space to make their own decisions, within certain parameters.
I think that I achieved this more in the UNCG performance, however, I think that the Baxter performance will be far more enjoyable and accessible to the audience. I suppose that even when working through improvisation there are certain things that one has to predetermine and 'control' in presentation/performance. It has been exciting to work with this interplay of chance and control. I am really excited for next week and can't wait to see the work.

Cast Party

in the middle

I love the balloon section. It looks great. This is how it happened: Steve wanted to choreograph a solo for someone holding a balloon. On Tuesday we decided to teach it to everyone. I wanted to see how it would work if we combined it with the grid-walking and made it one of the 'options'. We decided to structure it as follows.. 'walk forwards, you may turn at 90 degrees, you may stop when you choose and for as long as you choose. There are 4 or 5 balloons which are passed around between people. When you receive a balloon you may continue walking, turning and stopping, or you may do a small bit of the balloon dance, pass the balloon on when next you come near to someone.' I really liked it to the Radiohead, but we also tried it with Chopin which was cool too. I think the highlight of the rehearsal was when we played KungFu Distruction. Fun games like that are so great to encourage a sense of community and lift everyones mood.
Steve and I have been chatting a lot about the work, it's so great to share the process with someone, and to build off of each others ideas. Tomorrow we will have some new cast members.. we thought some extra guys would be good to balance the gender ratio. We are a bit anxious bringing in performers halfway through the process, but perhaps this will charge the atmosphere with more uncertainty and spontaneity. We also need to work on transitions. I think the cake will help with this, also the clever lighting ideas we came up with late Thursday night.
For tomorrow I must remember to buy cake and balloons. We need to cut the music soon and also figure out how the jumping castle is going to work.

First rehearsals

We had our first two rehearsals this week and they went really well. Steve has been doing some great focus exercises to get get us all on the same page before we start. We got a lot done on Monday and things are starting to take shape. We worked on the walking and dialogue sections and then did 'Celebrate', which was great fun! At the end of the rehearsal, we asked the cast to tell as how they felt about everything so far. Their responses were positive, enthusiastic and reassuring.
On Tuesday we worked with a smaller group to further investigate ways in which text and movement would compliment and contradict the themes of alienation, intimacy and suffocation. Some good dialogues have started to develop. Sherman wins man of the match for being such a great sport in the cake duet. We really need to figure out a way to contain the mess from that. It is so effective, but I don't think Baxter will be very impressed if we leave cake all over the stage..

Planning..

Had an excellent brainstorming session with Steve yesterday. We've got some great ideas. Some of them are a bit crazy, but if we can pull them off logistically, it will be totally awesome! We're going to have to be near interval or the end of the show, because this is becoming a prop-heavy production. As soon as we have sourced a jumping castle and gold hanging-decorations we'll start working with them in rehearsal.
We were talking about elements from the first performance that we want to retain. The theme (alienation and intimacy) and the improvisatory approach are essential. I would also like to maintain the nonchalance, in other words not having anything over-acted, but at the same time not miserable or vacant. We also spoke about the dialogues that we will facilitate developing. I want them to develop from each persons own knowledge and experiences. This means that the performers will not be pretending to be anyone else but themselves. This is quite important to me.

The 'grid-walking' will give the piece a cohesive structure. It also gives the stage space depth and perspective and a flow of energy. Like a Mondrian painting. Clean, fascinating. Originally the 'grid-walking' was done with the sound of traffic in the background. Perhaps this time, since we are in a more party environment, there should be the sound of many conversations coming from a large crowd. This will introduce the theme right away. Then the 'grid-walking' evokes a feeling of alienation, many people walking past each other, never engaging in contact.
Eventually everyone will walk behind the gold hangings. This will be followed by 'Celebrate good times, come on' song -which will be very minimal in movement to contrast the jovial soundtrack (walking out of, and back behind the gold hangings and then a 'small' fun dance). I think that the crowd sounds should transition back after this. We need to find a good transition into the Chopin duet and also a transition to the conversations on the jumping castle.

Ready, steady, GO!

Great Auditions on Tuesday! I got the sense that everyone auditioning had just as much fun as we did. Steve and I did a whole bunch of games/exercises that combined movement and voice.
One of the main aims of the work is to use ordinary, practical pedestrian movement. This can sometimes be a bit awkward for trained dancers, but on the other hand, we were pleasantly surprised by the good use of voice and by the way in which the conversational approach was grasped.
It was enjoyable to take the audition with Steven, as our instructions to the performers would gain momentum from each other, complementing the central ideas and directing their development.
I'm really glad that the audition had such a fun atmosphere. We plan to maintain this in performance. We're thinking of going with a party theme, shiny gold decorations and maybe a disco ball.. chocolate cake and cheesy 80's/90's music. It will be funny, but not in a slick or slap-stick way. The humor will arise from the seriousness of the situation. Kind of like that under-cut hair cut that boys used to get back in the day, or those ugly platform shoes that we used to think were so cool. We look back now and laugh at ourselves. It's funny, but also sort of pathetic.
We are going to work with repetition quite a bit to explore how it changes the meaning of gestures and actions. We've decided to cast everyone who
attended the audition and then begin to develop relationships between some central figures.
We also hope to get some non-dancers and drama students on board.
Looks like things are off to a great start. We're really looking forward to the next rehearsal. I wonder what everyone thought about the audition... I'd love to know which aspects they found most fun, challenging, engaging, difficult, uncomfortable, enjoyable...
(hint hint - cue for performers to comment on this post)

Thanks Justi

Thanks go to Justin Tornow for the inspiration to share this process, and blog the planning. We salute you! and the wonderfulness of Transparency.

An improvisation investigation, of alienation and intimacy

So, we've decided to keep with the theme of 'alienation and intimacy'.
As well as an improvisation investigation, - we also plan to explore-
humour, movement, dialogue and chance.

'Between alienation and suffocation, fleeting moments of intimacy disrupt the chaos of the crowd.'

Auditions

Auditions for the Cape Town cast are happening on 27 July.
We're looking for interesting individuals to explore with us through improvisation.
For the audition I'd like to start with some of the stuff we'll be working on.
I think I'll put everyone into partners and begin with the dialogue that we're going to explore.
Working from the structure of Cameron's character from the last performance, I will ask everyone to think of something recent that happened that was either interesting, annoying, sad, memorable or funny (the kind of thing you would tell a friend when debriefing). The other partner will just stare at them blankly. Then they swap roles. It's like you're talking AT someone... kind of like an email or blog...
I'm looking for people who are comfortable talking, without acting.. spontaneous and pedestrian. I'll also give a movement sequence that can be played with, alone or in partners.
It will be fun to see what different people come up with..

So long and thanks... but can you juggle?

Today is exactly a month before the next performance installment of 'So long and thanks for all the sidewalk'. The first performance was on April 30th at UNCG Dance Department (USA). The next performance will be on August 26th at the Baxter Dance Festival (Cape Town). I have asked Steven Van Wyk to collaborate with me on this chapter of the project. We have decided to call the second performance 'So long and thanks... but can you juggle?'
(It has nothing to do with juggling)