I was struck by the difference between responding to the work and bringing my own agenda to the work. This process really makes you confront “operations” as usual! I asked the students to mark a few run throughs so that I could understand the spacial patterns. This was an attempt to absorb the material on a level other than the “energetic” and also to give the performers the chance to relax into the experience of listening to each other-cognizant of the fact that repetition is really their only rehearsal opportunity right now!.
Allison had a very interesting comp in my Creative Process One class which I incorporated (in the heels)-example of agenda! Her “chorus” of dancers behind her used that material with splices of Cynthia’s material inside it. I also used some of Kirstie’s partnering material although sans partners…and asked them to punctuate the movement with phrasing more similar to Cynthia’s. These were attempts at finding a kind of nostalgia for moments of earlier material-remnants showing up in the context of a more “performative” self conscious section. This all ultimately led to a performance of “learning” between Brendon and Charles. I see how it is hard for me to escape my fascination with performing “performance”.