Tuesday 24th November
All Together Now……….
Dear All.
And so we move on; as an ensemble rather than individuals or pairs.
We were still building on the learning of a sequence, but this time you generated the sequences both for full ensemble work and for smaller pieces. Crucially, the small group work was created using gestures and images drawn from real-life observation.
As with last week’s work, movements could be a simple or complex as you wish, pedestrian movements taken into abstract movements to emphasise or enhance a meaning.
It is important to reflect on the techniques used in yesterday’s session. The ‘clap’ method for devising work is designed to give the group the maximum opportunity to explore movement with the minimum of discussion and diversion from the task. This is difficult at first but now you have had an experience of this way of working you can refine the process and reduce the need to talk; difficult in large groups but necessary to get the full benefit from this technique.
We also learned that by adding intention and emotion to the series of gestures, meaning can be created and that meaning can be given greater intensity by having a clear focal point.
The creation of the ensemble piece and the methods used are huge steps forward in our working methods and a great addition to the palette.
Task for this week:
Continue to observe the everyday and ordinary, but this time look for those unusual and extraordinary moments within these pedestrian gestures. This week, do not superficially look or glance but, and again you need to be discrete, really observe the detail in people’s gestures and movement.
Questions for this week:
1. How effective did you find the ‘clap’ method in creating a sequence?
2. What was challenging for you in the large ensemble work?
3. What was challenging for you in the small ensemble work?
4. Comment on the physical and mental effort required in both the creation and the performance of the work?
5. In what way or ways did the music affect your performance? Think in terms of technique and emotion
6. 3 words for yesterday’s session
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Tuesday 17th November - Generating Creativity From Set Material
Dear All,
Today marked a significant departure in our process and put to test several skills simultaneously. Building on last week's success of learning a sequence and delivering it as an ensemble, we advanced the work by making the sequence develop in pairs. To create this sequence we drew on a range of physical techniques learnt through the process and strung them together into a smooth routine. Once the routine was embedded into your own bodies we then asked of you a very specific task. And this is where the process moved on and provided a glimpse of the order of things to follow.
By allowing you to develop your own sequences in pairs in the spirit, energy and pace of what we taught you - we opened up a vast creative space. You could make the work as simple or complex, as pedestrian or abstract and as demanding or contained as you wished. It hopefully got you used to the idea of using the language we have been learning to create physical dialogues and exchanges.
The range of work generated was refreshing, original, some pushing boundaries more than others, but all in small ways taking small steps towards claiming your own creative voice. This was great to see.
Questions for this week:
1. What challenges did you experience in learning the first routine?
2. How did this routine build on the nature of last week's routine?
3. Describe the rewarding nature of learning the routine.
4. Describe the challenges and rewards of creating and developing your own partner work following on from the sequence we taught you.
5. How did this add to the palette?
6. 3 words for today's session.
Looking forward to your responses.
Royona
Today marked a significant departure in our process and put to test several skills simultaneously. Building on last week's success of learning a sequence and delivering it as an ensemble, we advanced the work by making the sequence develop in pairs. To create this sequence we drew on a range of physical techniques learnt through the process and strung them together into a smooth routine. Once the routine was embedded into your own bodies we then asked of you a very specific task. And this is where the process moved on and provided a glimpse of the order of things to follow.
By allowing you to develop your own sequences in pairs in the spirit, energy and pace of what we taught you - we opened up a vast creative space. You could make the work as simple or complex, as pedestrian or abstract and as demanding or contained as you wished. It hopefully got you used to the idea of using the language we have been learning to create physical dialogues and exchanges.
The range of work generated was refreshing, original, some pushing boundaries more than others, but all in small ways taking small steps towards claiming your own creative voice. This was great to see.
Questions for this week:
1. What challenges did you experience in learning the first routine?
2. How did this routine build on the nature of last week's routine?
3. Describe the rewarding nature of learning the routine.
4. Describe the challenges and rewards of creating and developing your own partner work following on from the sequence we taught you.
5. How did this add to the palette?
6. 3 words for today's session.
Looking forward to your responses.
Royona
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Tuesday 10th November - Feeling Buoyant Once Again
Dear All,
Today (for the majority) was testimony to what Paul and I have talked about a lot but perhaps until you experience the moment, it makes little sense. Today, most of you managed to emerge through the brick wall you hit upon last week. This does not mean all of you hit a brick wall last or that all of you came out of this morning's session feeling a hundred percent buoyant. However I think it is fair to say that overall a far more positive and productive environment was created in this morning's session and at different levels, people achieved different things. I see this due to the following:
1. Excellent focus during the warm up
2. Tangible creative atmosphere and energy straight after the warm up
3. Positivity with which you attacked the sequence learning process
4. A sense of maturity to deal with little failiures to work towards a bigger pay-off
What we all need to continue to build on now is a truly focused working environment where there is never any need to talk, never any need to apologise, never any need to giggle and mock. Never.
Questions for this week:
1. What were the strengths you discovered in your own learning style/process while learning the sequence? Can you compare this to learning the sequence with JVC two weeks ago?
2. What were the challenges you faced while learning the sequence? What do you need to work on harder?
3. Reflect briefly on how your body responded to the task of revisiting the falls and catches from last week - but in a newly constructed set up of the circle.
4. Reflect briefly on the importance of the 'pivot' as the point where weight transfer takes place whether the 'table' is on all fours, raised or fully standing. Talk about the basic principles of carrying and transferring weight.
5. The phrase 'active weight' was discussed at the session. Any ideas on what this means?
6. 3 words to sum up the session.
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Royona
Today (for the majority) was testimony to what Paul and I have talked about a lot but perhaps until you experience the moment, it makes little sense. Today, most of you managed to emerge through the brick wall you hit upon last week. This does not mean all of you hit a brick wall last or that all of you came out of this morning's session feeling a hundred percent buoyant. However I think it is fair to say that overall a far more positive and productive environment was created in this morning's session and at different levels, people achieved different things. I see this due to the following:
1. Excellent focus during the warm up
2. Tangible creative atmosphere and energy straight after the warm up
3. Positivity with which you attacked the sequence learning process
4. A sense of maturity to deal with little failiures to work towards a bigger pay-off
What we all need to continue to build on now is a truly focused working environment where there is never any need to talk, never any need to apologise, never any need to giggle and mock. Never.
Questions for this week:
1. What were the strengths you discovered in your own learning style/process while learning the sequence? Can you compare this to learning the sequence with JVC two weeks ago?
2. What were the challenges you faced while learning the sequence? What do you need to work on harder?
3. Reflect briefly on how your body responded to the task of revisiting the falls and catches from last week - but in a newly constructed set up of the circle.
4. Reflect briefly on the importance of the 'pivot' as the point where weight transfer takes place whether the 'table' is on all fours, raised or fully standing. Talk about the basic principles of carrying and transferring weight.
5. The phrase 'active weight' was discussed at the session. Any ideas on what this means?
6. 3 words to sum up the session.
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Royona
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Tuesday 3rd November - Letting Emotion Surface
Dear All,
Apologies for the delay in putting up this post.
After the extreme physical challenge of last week's work with Jasmin Vardimon Company, this week it was time to expose ourselves to emotionally challenging material. As discussed in the session this morning, this emotional challenge manifest itself at various levels and in various ways.
1. Social barriers: the intensity and embarrassment of the eye exercise brought with it the need for you to re-evaluate and get over the ways in which you interacted with bodies through the eyes. This was also a physically demanding task in order to keep the connection dynamic and exciting.
2. Emotional barriers: we tested your ability to trust and be trusted through the various techniques of falls and catches. These once again required a greater level of engagement with the spine, weight distribution and a precision to technique to carry out the work safely. As pointed out, this work also made you incredibly responsible for your partner's safety at all times. It required to read their intentions through your eyes and through observing their points of balance and weight distribution.
3. Physical barriers: for a lot of you, once again the fear of being too heavy got in the way of trusting the correct technique to carry out of the fall and catch smoothly.
We've got to stop the brain from controlling what we are capable of! It's vital that we use the warm up to shut the brain down from getting in the way and then to keep this level of focus through the session.
You were pretty awful this morning at keeping your discipline and focus sharp and centred through the session. This made a lot of the work simply harder to achieve.
Questions for this morning:
1. What are the different kinds of risks we experienced today? How did you respond to these risks?
2. We have been working for 6 weeks now on a very specific training programme. Evaluate the point you managed to reach in this journey after today's session. Reflect on both your physical and emotional growth through the work so far.
3. Three words to describe today's session.
4. As we move our training towards the surfacing of narrative and relationships through the use of technique, what are the new challenges you will need to meet in the work?
Looking forward to your response.
Royona
Apologies for the delay in putting up this post.
After the extreme physical challenge of last week's work with Jasmin Vardimon Company, this week it was time to expose ourselves to emotionally challenging material. As discussed in the session this morning, this emotional challenge manifest itself at various levels and in various ways.
1. Social barriers: the intensity and embarrassment of the eye exercise brought with it the need for you to re-evaluate and get over the ways in which you interacted with bodies through the eyes. This was also a physically demanding task in order to keep the connection dynamic and exciting.
2. Emotional barriers: we tested your ability to trust and be trusted through the various techniques of falls and catches. These once again required a greater level of engagement with the spine, weight distribution and a precision to technique to carry out the work safely. As pointed out, this work also made you incredibly responsible for your partner's safety at all times. It required to read their intentions through your eyes and through observing their points of balance and weight distribution.
3. Physical barriers: for a lot of you, once again the fear of being too heavy got in the way of trusting the correct technique to carry out of the fall and catch smoothly.
We've got to stop the brain from controlling what we are capable of! It's vital that we use the warm up to shut the brain down from getting in the way and then to keep this level of focus through the session.
You were pretty awful this morning at keeping your discipline and focus sharp and centred through the session. This made a lot of the work simply harder to achieve.
Questions for this morning:
1. What are the different kinds of risks we experienced today? How did you respond to these risks?
2. We have been working for 6 weeks now on a very specific training programme. Evaluate the point you managed to reach in this journey after today's session. Reflect on both your physical and emotional growth through the work so far.
3. Three words to describe today's session.
4. As we move our training towards the surfacing of narrative and relationships through the use of technique, what are the new challenges you will need to meet in the work?
Looking forward to your response.
Royona
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