The Devil (or Something) Is in the Details...

End of week 4! Fourth solo completed! And, yes: yet another process to assimilate and ponder.

Wednesday, June 26th

I have rarely used video while creating a new piece, but Chris videotaped every day - not necessarily everything, but a lot of what we did. She finds that watching the footage helps the process come more quickly than normal.
We worked on shifts of state: geographical, psychological, mental and emotional. Is the cause external or internal? Also, we used the idea of being in two places at once or bringing the shift to you: for example, being present (or, in the present) and thinking about the past.
Chris created a spatial structure, using the diagonal from the up right to the down left corner. The solo's narrative seemed more-or-less linear at first, but then shifted (!), by the use of inserts. The disruptions evoke emotional shifts, time shifts, shifts in place, shifts in attention. We started "constructing" my childhood home, then worked on a "displacement of self," with me "leaving bits behind." The next part involved two versions of the map of my physical journeys, one filling the space and one on the spot. The inserts came from the videos of the improvisations we had done Monday and Tuesday: turning in place, pointing to the ceiling, touching my face, shooing fireflies (the feather touch), blowing a kiss, circling the head with the hands... Quite a progression. The ending was left open for the time being.
Luke left us in the afternoon. We are still "here." He will work "there."

Thursday, June 27th

Today was mostly about paring down, discarding, going deeper into each moment, using stillness and my imagination. Everything began from the feeling - physical and/or emotional - that provokes the movement, that changes from one activity to the next. Working on really seeing each location, and putting a person, a place, a reason to go there. Going into fewer rooms in the apartment, being less literal, not miming objects or actions.
[Everyone in this project seems to be drawing on acting skills, in addition to dance.]
The showing at the end of the day elicited some really perceptive comments about life's journey, embodiment, layers, nuances, noticing interruptions and shifts in time, place and situation. Frank talked about how we take people with us, bringing everyone we've ever meet along wherever we go.

Friday, June 28th - last day working with Chris

Chris used the feedback on Friday to work on a couple of elements: in the shifting section, she asked for more stillness, fewer shifts, and some "incomplete" movement. We then ran the entire solo on the original diagonal, the opposite diagonal (up left to down right), and the opposite diagonal reversed (down right to up left). The feeling from the "inside" was totally different in each case. I performed a mirror image of some of the movement, in order to be able to continue on the main path; some parts happened on the same side. My relationship to Bill, who sits at his console table triggering the music, changed each time. Chris decided to keep the original diagonal, but it was revealing to do the solo in different directions. Keep that thought!

When we had finished, I ran Chris's solo again, then Matthew's, Steinvor's and Frank's. Still not sure of the ultimate order. Still have not had the time/space/mental space to work on responses. We have the weekend off - going to Inverness on Saturday for the afternoon. Ian arrives Sunday night. He will work with Bill and me next week, making the final Here, There and Everywhere solo. Then, back to Edinburgh for the last few days of work and the performance at Dance Base.

Week 4: with Chris and Luke

 Day 1: Monday, June 25th

I knew when I asked Christine Devaney if she would like to be a part of Here, There and Everywhere that she would contribute in a very different way from everyone else. Chris works very closely with Luke Sutherland and several other artists, improvising and building in a more-or-less instinctive way. Her physical and mental intelligence are sharp, delicate but strong, and crystal clear. She has a vivid and luminescent presence as a performer, writes touching scripts, and uses space and time in deliberate and unusual ways. As with Frank, we met just five years ago and do not know each other well. So, this week is another one of exploration and discovery shared with a recent acquaintance with whom I feel a real bond.

Chris Devaney - day 1 at The Shed

We began the day separately, each of us warming up in the space: Chris and me on the dance floor, Luke with his guitar, violin and numerous pedals - each performs a different function (echo, distortion, sustain...).

Luke's pedals

Meanwhile, Bill went outside to record environmental sounds - mostly from the trash heap equipment - lots of metal being dumped and moved around - that might get included in the sound track for Ian Spink and/or me. We will see about that later on in the process.
After warming up, improvisation: in pairs and with all three. First, Chris and I moved together, rolling across the floor, then offering each other resistance or impetus, responding and contrasting the energy and direction of the touch. Luke joined us with his music and presence in the space. In a four-minute threesome, one of us led, the second person followed the leader, and the third person followed the second person; we then switched roles. Finally, Luke and I did a six minute improvisation: he led for two minutes, I led for two minutes, and the we had a movement and music conversation for two minutes.
After a short break, Chris shared her research about the word displacement, as used by psychologists: transferring emotions from one object onto another to hide the true nature - such as, a security blanket; also, this displacement is often an unconscious shift of inappropriate emotions, ideas or wishes. "Displacement activities" include scratching one's head as a substitution for making a decision. These actions can bring comfort, or relieve stress. They often cover anxiety.
We also talked about the notion of displacement from oneself: "I'm not quite myself today." The cause of this feeling can be external or internal, enforced or chosen. It contrasts the feeling of being placed or grounded, at one with the world.
Finally, displacement is associated with vectors: straight paths from one point to another (as opposed to circuitous wanderings).
We started from the body and music, improvising on the idea of displacement from oneself. We added the action of pulling sleeves and pant legs up and down, touching the face, brushing the hair away from the forehead.
That's a lot of improvisation, a lot of thought and emotional investment. A curious and satisfying day, with a supportive, safe feeling in the studio. We spend the evening together, over a dinner I make at the apartment Bill and I are sharing for the three weeks at the Shed.

Day 2: Tuesday, June 26th

We continue our improvisation activities after warming up separately for a good hour. Luke plays violin while Chris and I alternate: one of us, eyes closed, follows the touch of the other. We do this for about an hour, then write our thoughts down, and then share them.
I list what we did: feather touch on ear, sternum, solar plexus, head; squeezing hips or shoulders, followed by a movement of compression and confinement; elbows out; the body folding and unfolding; walking in a circle; gentle; slow music that suddenly becomes a waltz; holding waists; holding a hand and guiding the torso; repeating movements in a pattern until it becomes rhythmic; losing balance; the direction and/or energy of the touch gives the direction or energy of the response movement.
Chris mentions the listening quality; being held by Luke in music and space; being taken by Luke's music; trusting uncertainty; internal/external; there/not there; here/not here.

Luke Sutherland

Luke and Chris

 Luke says that the music wouldn't exist as it was without whatever is going on in the room; he feels he was playing a feedback loop, that he was channeling the energy of the room.
We talked about the idea of letting go while holding on - or, of letting go and staying present.
After a break, Chris brought out some paper and pastels. She asked me to draw my journey through the world. It came out looking like a sort of Mercator projection of the Northern Hemisphere:

So many places...

The next series of improvisations involved reproducing the "map" in movement - first in space (displacing myself), and then indicating places with my body. Another series of improvisations recalled the place where I grew up, with the addition of a "displacement" improvisation from Monday. Getting somewhere, slowly but surely!
Bill and I also ran Frank's solo twice. Keeping everything going, accumulating a fabulously diverse collection of movement, music and ideas. What a wonderful, rich process!

A Week at the Shed with Frank and Bill

What an adventure! I had seen one piece by Frank McConnell five years ago: parallel/parallels. The work was performed on Dance Base's Edinburgh Festival Fringe program. The same summer, I created Homing/In, which was also performed at Dance Base. Something clicked then. Christine Devaney, who will work with me next week, was Associate Choreographer for and performed in parallel/parallels.

This week, Frank, Bill and I worked at The Shed, a Nissen hut owned by John McGeoch, Artistic Director of Arts in Motion (http://artsinmotion.co.uk/artsinmotion/). Inside are a large black box studio, an additional work space in back, an office for administrative work, storage space, a small kitchen and rest rooms.

The Shed

Across the road

Outside the front door

Frank and I had seen each others' work and have had very friendly chats - but, unlike Steinvor or Matthew, whom I have known since the 1980s, we hardly know each other. So, we took time to talk and just be in the space together. We did our own warm-ups, worked for an hour or so, had coffee (and sweet snacks), worked another hour, had an hour lunch break, worked for three hours - some days with another break for tea ... another rhythm from the two weeks in Edinburgh.

The array of teas and mugs at The Shed

We quickly discovered that the ways we organize movement, the ways we understand coordination, are very different. Frank initiates from his upper torso and arms; he is extremely light on his feet. I might start movements in my arms or torso, but I have a grounded feeling in my legs, feet and pelvis. While working from the spiral as the basis for movement, he tends to be homologous in his use. I favor oppositional movement. So, it was a very challenging and at times confounding few days, until I was able to integrate this different way of moving into my muscles and brain.
The Shed itself was a very different environment from Dance Base, from the studios at Missouri State University, or any other studio space I have used. The floor is not sprung. There is a cushion under the Marley/lino covering that makes it possible to dance in the space without injuring joints, muscles, or ligaments; however, the cushioning dampens my usual ability to push against the floor and feel that effort resonating through my body. Also, the space is totally black, and the lighting is "daylight" florescent bulbs - a huge contrast to Dance Base's studio 4's natural lighting, white walls and mirror.

Frank in the studio

Given all these factors, the enormity of creating a solo in one week became even more apparent than it had been with Matthew and Steinvor. Frank started by teaching me a sequence of movements traveling through space, to acquaint himself with how I learn and move - and to acquaint me with his style (this sequence is not included in the choreography). Then, we talked. Then, I learned some more movement. We talked again. We had lunch. I felt as though I wasn't doing anything. It was all very pleasant, but hard to remember. At the end of the day, I was very tired. And, strangely, I don't know if anything we did that day is in the solo.
Frank had the idea of using some music from another piece, and some dancing from another piece. Here and there, then and now, present and away. On Tuesday, while waiting for an answer about those elements, he gave Bill and me instructions, so that we would generate some material. My instructions were to make 4 steps (how one defines "step" is, of course, open for discussion), 3 hops, 2 jumps and 1 spin. Bill's instructions were similar, but related to music. Thus, we each had a ground (a term from the pibroch, a Scottish bagpipes musical form); using our ground, we then created an extended phrase by stretching some of the movement and taking it farther into space and time, and Bill also developed one small part of his ground. Then, Frank shadowed me while I danced my extended phrase, creating what he calls a tracing. My extended phrase and his tracing are included in the solo. He also made another phrase which he taught me the second day.
On Wednesday, we started assembling the various movement pieces, and Bill continued working on the music he was generating. The other composer's music could not be used because no one has the file (!). Frank was intrigued by the number of places I have lived. I had sent him a list a couple of months ago, and he wanted to use it. Bill recorded me saying the street names, and then added effects (echo, reverberation, etc). Frank found an adorable pink suitcase that I might carry around. I asked if I should bring my own suitcase, which has wheels. We seemed to have a lot of disparate elements ... how would they fit together?

 

On Thursday, the movement finally started to settle in my body and mind. Saying the place names. Using my suitcase. Putting objects inside it and taking them out: Matthew's costume (in its yellow silk "hobo bag"), Steinvor's globe (in its box), two cell phones (one used "here"; the other, "there"), my notebook (which will be replaced by my map of Paris), a one-quart plastic bag and a universal electrical outlet adapter. Practicing walking backwards very slowly. Looking around because I am lost, or have forgotten what I'm supposed to be doing, or because I feel out of place. Organizing all the parts, practicing it...and then the showing/sharing! Three very attentive viewers with LOTS of thoughts. Brilliant! The difference between theatre and dance: do they go together (does it matter?); what about timing (mine was off!), rhythm, space, intention...? This was a really productive day. But, we still weren't sure about the sequence, nor how the solo would end.
Friday, Frank shuffled everything we had, inserted other things, asked me to say three words to describe a few places I have lived to define dynamic qualities for certain sequences of movement. He also added this poem from Knots, by R.D. Laing:
http://www.thepositivemind.com/tpm/poetry/RDlaing.htm
which Bill recorded. First, he had me speak into the upright piano and then sitting on the couch.
Frank had me say the last line from Steinvor's solo in French, the new ending for his part of Here, There and Everywhere.
Things fell into place. The solo feels good. The journey it represents seems clear to me now, and I hope the audience will have the same impression. The process of making this third solo was as generous and intelligent as what either Steinvor or Matthew did, but so very different from both of those solos. I am looking forward to seeing Chris Devaney next week...and to working with/in yet another way of understanding dance and dancing.

Extra added attraction of working at The Shed: b-boy spinning toys!

The Shed b-boy toys in action (give it a second or two to load):

Pause: The Weekend Before Starting Work at The Shed

So much has happened in a week. Wifi connection in the flat in Dingwall is hit-and-miss, making posting on the blog a bit challenging. Here are some updates...

Saturday, June 15th: mini-reunion

MSU Dance alumnae Lauren Clark and Nicole Meyer were in Edinburgh, as was NYC friend Joanna Brotman. We met for a stroll and a pub lunch - and photos!

Nicole, me, Lauren

Lauren has finished her second year of the Arcadia University Physical Therapy program, and is doing an internship at Bart's Hospital, London; she and a friend decided to take a weekend excursion to Edinburgh. Nicole was traveling throughout Great Britain with a friend before going to Paris (for a day!).

Joanna (R) and me

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Joanna is in Edinburgh for a three-week Laban course. She'll have a few days with her daughter to travel around Scotland before heading back to New York.

Sunday, June 16th

In the morning, Susie and Margaret (and Archie and Alan) set out for the Race for Life 5K. 

Susie, Archie and Margaret

Susie and Margaret running/walking for people they love

Alan

We drove into town, dropped Susie and Margaret off at the race site, then back to Waverly Station. I met Chris Devaney for lunch at the National Gallery of Scotland's restaurant (delicious!) in Princes Street Gardens, to catch up and discuss her part of the Here, There and Everywhere project. On the way back to the train station, we saw this bit of "flora":

Someone lost ...

... a wig!

Then, Bill and I took the train to Dingwall. Beautiful scenery, and some "local flavo(u)r" in the form of a group of young men returning to Inverness from a rather long stag party in Newcastle (no pictures of them here...)

Crossing the Forth Bridge

Sheep...everywhere...of course...

We arrived at Dingwall in time for dinner, got set up in the flat and had a really good rest, to be ready for another intensive - and intense - week of work. More in a bit...

Last Day and Showing at Dance Base

Both Steinvor and Matthew added endings to their contributions Friday morning. Steinvor's refers back to the beginning, creating a cyclical feel to the solo. Matthew added a one-minute stillness and then a sort of dissolution of the costume and the character that had evolved over the course of the solo; his prompt to me for the final moment was that I am contemplating the space, as if thinking of a new beginning or starting a new adventure.
I then worked with Bill for about an hour or so while Susan Hays took photos. After a short break, we did the showing for approximately 50 attentive and appreciative spectators. The feedback touched on the notion of distance (not only spatial, but also temporal), how the costume for Matthew's part came into being, and how I will join all the various parts together (still to be determined).

Choreography: Steinvor Palsson

Choreography: Steinvor Palsson

Choreography: Matthew Hawkins

Matthew Hawkins and I rehearse an arm pattern

rehearsal photos by Susan Hays

After the showing and feedback, a group of us went out for drinks and dinner.

From left: Matthew Hawkins, Debbie Watson, Ian Spink, Stella, Bill Thompson, Skye Reynolds, Steve Kettley, Steinvor Pallson, Helena Palsson, Sheila McDougall, 
Alan Gregg

Second solo done...almost...

Matthew has almost finished his contribution, using Pearl's costume elements/accessories - kokoshnik, peplum, leg flares and sleeves - and Bill's "cusp" music edits. The process has been revealing, on many levels.

Having always prided myself on my ability to pick up movement quickly and retain it (as well as any and all manipulations, permutations, compilations), the first revelation was how addled I now become if we go beyond a certain amount of changes to combinations. Also, Steinvor seemed to work in more-or-less small movement "bites" and worked/cleaned each one before moving on. After the first day, she also built the solo from beginning to end. In that way, she made decisions progressively and the sequence was clear from the outset. Matthew, on the other hand, generated longer swaths of movement and then had me do the phrases in at least four different ways. So, I learned a new movement phrase Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning that in the afternoon I did 1) full out; 2) without the arm movements; 3) repeated with different orientation; 4) - if there was any floor work - without the floor work. Then, Wednesday afternoon, Bill arrived with the "cusp" music and Matthew started cutting out parts of each phrase. The order/sequencing also kept shifting. By 4:30, my brain was "fried" and I was sure I'd never remember any of the sequencing, nor which parts of any of the three phrases I was supposed to do, nor where I should be facing.

And now, today. The intimacy of making work has always struck me. Having had an evening for things to settle - both in my own mind and body and in Matthew's imagination - we warmed up separately in the studio, and then chatted about learning and rehearsal processes. I believe that one of the most delicious aspects of Here, There and Everywhere is the opportunity to have in-depth conversations with the people who have agreed to participate in this project. Our discussion today revolved around different needs in rehearsal: I am a predominantly kinesthetic learner (although, verbal prompts also help); Matthew seems to favor verbal description, partly because he often works with groups of dancers, rather than making solos. I wonder, too, how much of this has to do with our first experiences in dance classes. In any case, while some others absolutely love being told what to do while they are dancing, once I have assimilated a movement or a phrase, having another person talk me through what I am doing only disrupts my process. So, we reached a sort of compromise, with Matthew adapting to my preferred learning style and me incorporating his (very clear) descriptions of the movement.

Figuring out the joins/seams between the phrases was also important. For example, I return to the same corner of the space several times. How do I know what the next "scene" (Matthew's term) is? Bill helped with that for one occasion ("Your arms," he said), and Matthew with another ("Continue": just one word to say, "Continue turning the same direction"). Once the entire movement puzzle was organized, they talked about the music: when it comes in, when there is silence - and we ran the solo several times.

Sheila came in again today, watched and gave feedback. Once again, her comments were perceptive, generous and useful. She also took these photos!

rehearsal photos by Sheila MacDougall

For the costume, in addition the accessories by Pearl, Charlotte Jarvis will make a basic outfit for the performance in July.

Tomorrow: Sharing/showing at Dance Base, 4:00 pm. I am looking forward to that!

Week 2, Day 3 (very early...)

Up with the birds today (the dawn chorus started at 4:00 am!). Two days of work with Matthew Hawkins, with Bill in briefly on Monday to see what we had so far, and Mr. Pearl arriving with costume elements yesterday. Reviewing Steinvor's solo each day, too.

We have had marvelous conversations about ballet history, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Merce Cunningham and John Cage, family histories, and food! Today, we'll hear Bill's edited "cusp" music (beginnings and endings, only), and probably some Tchaikovsky (a recording of Iolantha, and Matthew humming bits of The Nutcracker, especially "Les Mirletons"). We'll also continue working with the costume accessories (Matthew had requested a kokoshnik, a peplum and leg flares, and Pearl added sleeves). At some point before Friday, Matthew and I will have a more formal conversation (to tape or not to tape?) about "here, there and everywhere," and how/why he requested the costume elements.

What a privilege to be working with this collection of nine artists! Their integrity and sense of purpose is impressive, and they are all so inquisitive and generous. I have not done anyone else's choreography since Ian Spink made ZARaBandA for me in 2006 - and then, shortly after, Ian and I worked on his 26 Solos video project. So, this is a time of discovery, play and concentration - especially mental: this entire process is really flexing my memory "muscles"! Also, I might propose a movement or ask a question to clarify how to do something, but I do not make the final decision about anything. I am enjoying the shift in responsibility from choreographer to dancer, and relishing the possibility of seeing how the others use the notions I tossed out to them - here, there and everywhere, and displacement/dislocation - to create work.

And my "postcards"? In process. Percolating. Brewing in my mind. Glimmers, only, at the moment. Maybe I'll have something by Friday, for the first sharing at Dance Base...

All work and no play?

Decidedly not! Edinburgh is so beautiful, the weather has been gorgeous, the sun rises very early and sets around 11:00 pm... What could be better than a walk in town with Dmytro Morykit, with a good amount of time spent in Princes Street Gardens?

Edinburgh Castle from Princes Street Gardens

Dmytro Morykit

This was Saturday. On Sunday, I visited the Edinburgh College of Art degree show - with Susie and Archie in the morning, and continued after lunch by myself. Very impressive, as these photos of the Performance Design course show:

First weekend

One down, four solos - plus my responses - to go!!
My intention with this blog was to post either daily or at least twice a week... The best laid plans... So much happening, both in the studio and after we finish. So, here goes, in an effort to include everything that has happened so far around Here, There and Everywhere.

Making the dance
Had a fantastic week working with Steinvor, Steve and Bill. It was a marvelous, collaborative time. Steinvor made some movement, gave me some instructions/requests, and Sheila MacDougall and Morag gave feedback from that sparked a few changes and a lot of clarification. The whole week was extremely satisfying. This first solo is eight minutes long, includes Steinvor's text and the toy globe, and some haunting and quirky music from Steve. Bill videotaped a lot of what we did. Will include some of that footage in a later post.

Steinvor in Studio 4

My response to this first solo will probably come out of a few elements: the synonyms for displacement and dislocation left over from Steinvor's list, a recording of her telling the story (in Icelandic) of how her great-grandmother gave her grandmother a name from outside the family tracition, and having Bill record the squeak of the glove as it spins (plastic against plastic). Not sure yet how all of this will become a dance "postcard" (or, maybe, "text message" or "tweet"), but ideas are percolating.

Interview

Steinvor and I had a conversations about the reasons we live where we do. She was born and raised in Edinburgh. Her parents were born and raised in Iceland, and they all spoke Icelandic at home - so, she is bilingual (as is her daughter). Steinvor and I met in London, in the early 1980s. From there, she moved to Liverpool, where she worked with Spiral Dance Company, before returning to London for several years - and then she came back to Scotland, where she completed a doctorate in Icelandic Literature at the University of Edinburgh. At the same time, she began teaching - both ballet and contemporary dance. So, Steinvor's response to "why here?" is that it was a personal decision, and that the reason for staying in Edinburgh now is because of the feeling that this truly is home - both the city and Dance Base. The atmosphere at Dance Base is remarkable: warm, welcoming and supportive. That ambiance is thanks to Morag and the entire staff. Here are a few photos of the windows in Studio 4 - light enters the space on all four sides:

The stone wall outside the high window is part of
Edinburgh Castle

Sliding doors/windows that lead to a balcony looking onto the Grassmarket - turn around, look up, and see Edinburgh Castle

The wall opposite the castle

The weather has been absolutely glorious: most mornings are a bit overcast, windy and chilly; by mid-day the sun is out and the temperature warms up; by the end of the day, it is really warm - and many of the Grassmarket's restaurants and pubs have outside seating... who could resist? On Thursday, Sheila Steve and I went out for refreshments when we had finished working.

Sheila MacDougall and Steve Kettley, enjoying a sunny afternoon in the Grassmarket