Aesthetics - Environment Final Paper
S. Asher Gelman
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
Aesthetics - Environment
Maida Withers
I don’t know if I can really “define” my aesthetic yet. But this course has helped me to realize that that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I feel that I explored a lot about myself during the past few months. What was fascinating to me was just how much I could do with sometimes very little (sometimes no) preparation. People want to see dance, even if they don’t know it yet. Every time I performed, I found myself surprised by how often people stopped to watch, and even participated! I was both intimidated and inspired by this course. I felt that a lot of the assignments really put me outside of my comfort zone.
The Invisible Dances assignment was a wonderful tool. I felt that it allowed me to really figure out what performance is, even if no one else knows it is performance. It was a very interesting way to begin this course, because it set the tone for the rest of the semester. It forced me to ask myself several questions which I continued to ask throughout the semester:
What makes a performance?
What identifies oneself as a performer?
Is it a performance if no one else knows about it?
Is the simple act of deigning something a performance enough to make it so?
These questions (and more) ended up shaping the rest of the work I did this semester. Another factor that I had not considered was the use of a video camera. I soon realized that although this was a distance-learning course and the only way to share my experience was through video, the very act of video-taping effectively altered the performance. Consequently, I often chose to not video my performances, for fear that the videoing of it would alert others to the performance. Many of my performances (especially at the beginning of the semester) were subversive, under-the-radar, performances. One of the first performances I videoed was a piece I called “Streetwalker,” in which I used mostly pedestrian movement with some more stylized movements spliced in between while walking back to our hotel room in New York. What I noticed was that people seemed less interested in was doing once the camera came out. Perhaps that was because the simple act of being documented somehow erases what I like to refer to as the “crazy factor.” The crazy factor exists when one is simply performing solo, but as soon as one has an accomplice of sorts - either another performer or a documenter - suddenly the crazy factor is lost, because you were able to at least sane enough to convince one other person to partake in said activity. Truth be told, I kind of love the crazy factor. I loved just going out and doing something spontaneous without anyone else being the wiser.
There were certain scripts that I felt would have been ruined by the use of documentation. One script in particular - my “Just Say No” script entitled “Parasite” (although technically done for the Choreography course) - would have been destroyed by the use of documentation. The entire point of that performance was that the audience (a friend of mine) was unaware that it was a performance. The presence of a video camera would have immediately alerted her to the fact that my constant eating from her plate was a performance, and she would not have reacted the way I wanted her to.
I felt that certain artists we explored also really spoke to me. I was fascinated by Jill Sigman. I thought her work was so bizarre and wonderful, and furthermore I appreciated her stance on interpretation, how she felt that it was okay for the audience to glean different meanings from her work and that it wasn’t important to “get it right.” To me, that very much speaks to my own personal aesthetic. It is less important to me that you understand my work; frankly it is less important to me that even I understand my work. What is important to me is that it stirs something inside - inside me, inside you, inside my performers. I did not decide to become an artist so that I could make nice pretty dances that pleased the eye and didn’t require you to think too hard about them. I did not decide to become an artist so that my work could be forgotten moments after being viewed. I want to make a splash. I want to be noticed. I want to be remembered.
My personal aesthetic - how I achieve those goals - is less clear. To me dance is about people, not just the bodies. When I dance (or choreograph), I am looking for relationships between ourselves and the people, places, and things around us. That is where this course in Environment comes in for me. While I have dome a lot of exploring regarding the people aspect, I have, until now, done very little exploring regarding the places and things aspects of performance. What is the difference between performing a piece in a dance studio or theater and performing that same piece on the street or in a lobby? What does the place do to the performance?
By far, my favorite assignment from this course was the yellow box project. I found a great deal of difficulty securing a business that would let me perform in front of them, due to the fact that it was the middle of the holidays here in Israel. I ended up reverting to my Plan B, which ended up being a blessing in disguise. I took the assignment to the middle of the highway on Yom Kippur - the only day of the year when no one drives in Israel. I set up my one meter yellow tape box in the middle of the highway and had my fiancé film me from the overpass. What transpired was nothing short of performative magic. People around me who were walking and biking on the highway stopped to film and photograph me. Several people started “planking” (see an excerpt from “The Office” for an explanation) behind me. Then those same people started actually dancing! I was really impressed by the outcome and felt that the project said a lot about many issues, but my favorite aspect was using a very tiny space in this huge expansive area to create my performance. I believe that I was able to really accentuate the dichotomy I created regarding scale. I felt that my most effective use of environment was with this piece.
Although I felt it had less to do with environment, I also really appreciated the Choreography in Performance assignment. I really enjoyed exploring the concept of the act of choreography being its own performance. It was interesting being the creator and the subject in the same instance, and led to some ideas that I may end up using in the future.
My only disappointment in this course was my final project, which I felt did not reflect the work I had done previously. As I stated on my blog, I was not thrilled by the final result. I felt that I was capable of doing something amazing, and instead ended up with a mediocre product. I believe I was both simultaneously too inflexible and too flexible. I was inflexible regarding the fact that although it should have been obvious to me that I needed to change my idea, I was too stubborn to change it, since I had already committed to the idea months ago. I was flexible regarding the fact that despite the fact that literally nothing panned out the way I wanted it to, I still found a way to create a performance. Given the opportunity to do this assignment again, I would have taken more time to get to know the space I was using. I would have really taken advantage of the space and the wonderful possibilities that lie within it. I felt that my ideas about making our first cooked meal together in our new home into a performance was an interesting idea. I thought there were a lot of places I could have gone with this idea, yet unfortunately I was not able to explore them. I believe that, due in large part to the unlucky circumstances I faced, the performance was alright. I, however, am not content with alright. I ultimately felt that this project did not reach my expectations, and I felt it was not worthy of being called my “final project” for this course. I felt that I did some pretty incredible work this semester, and that the final project was sub-par. I would like to work on a similar project once the apartment is complete, because I believe there is a fantastic dance to be made, and unfortunately, it did not happen with that performance.
In summation, I felt that I grew a lot this semester. I felt that I was not only able to identify my successes, but also my failures. I believe that being honest with oneself is crucial. I probably could have defended my final project in a way that would have made everyone buy into it, but the truth is that I didn’t feel it was worth defending. I am very interested in how my work relates to its environment, and sincerely look forward to the plethora of dance opportunities that I can create for myself in interesting and fantastic locales.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
FINAL AESTHETICS PROJECT: "First Egg"
VIDEO:
First Egg
TITLE:
First Egg
INTENTION:
To celebrate moving into the new apartment with my fiancé by creating a site-specific dance piece in our salon and simultaneously cooking our first meal together in the new space.
INSPIRATION:
The idea behind this piece came from my desire to “christen” our new home with a dance piece. Originally, I had expected that our renovation would have been finished long before we performed this piece.
SCRIPT:
The script was very simple. Both performers start in the kitchen cooking an egg. After a minute or so, one of them begins to relate to the space as a dancer, not as a “normal person.” The person cooking the egg continues until the other takes over. The two performers switch back and forth until the egg is finished, then continue to relate to each other and the space as dancers until the music finishes.
DETAILS:
On Thursday, December 8th, 2011, at 21:30, "First Egg” was performed at 5 Yosef Hanasi St. Apartment 1, to an audience of a few friends and several passers by who could see into the apartment from the street. I chose to perform the piece at night so that the light from the apartment would draw attention from passers-by on the street. There is a huge floor-to-ceiling window in front of the performance area that spans the entire six-meter wall and faces the street.
CAST:
Mati Bardosh
S. Asher Gelman
Because of the nature of this piece, there were only two of us who could have danced it. Originally I had intended to create a solo, but it occurred to me that because it was our home, both of us should partake in this piece.
PREPARATION:
Due to the fact that Mati studies in Haifa during the week, I was forced to work on this piece during the weekends. Originally, I had intended to create a choreographed piece, but due to the ongoing construction, I was only able to work on the piece the day of the performance, since the kitchen itself and the couches only arrived the previous day. Furthermore, the entire space was filled with garbage and cardboard boxes up until 24 hours before the performance.I decided that rather than scrap the production entirely, we could turn it into a site-specific improvisation.
ADVERTISEMENT:
My primary means of advertising this performance was Facebook. I also called a few friends and asked them to come.
MUSIC:
Originally I wanted to use music about the home, but I couldn’t find any that fit. I decided to use music from The Magnetic Fields instead The tracks are all from their album “69 Love Songs”:
Two Kinds of People - The Magnetic Fields
Long-Forgotten Fairytale - The Magnetic Fields
You’re My Only Home - The Magnetic Fields
COSTUMES:
I chose to have us both dressed in street clothes. I wanted to create a sense that the performance aspect was almost an accident. I wanted passers-by to stop and watch because of the movement, not because of the costumes, indicating a performance.
DOCUMENTATION:
I set up my video camera in the back of the room to record the performance. The video does not include the giant window behind it. Since our apartment is on the ground floor, passers-by were able to see the performance from the street.
RESULTS:
Several of my friends attended the performance of “First Egg,” as well as several people who stopped to watch from the street. The feedback I received was positive.
PERSONAL ASSESSMENT:
I was not thrilled by the final result. Mati was feeling very sick the night we performed. I did not have the option to postpone the performance, due to the fact that Mati had surgery the following day and would not be able to partake in any physical activity for the next few weeks to keep the stitches from ripping. Furthermore, had I known that by this point we would still not be living in a finished apartment, I would have planned another performance entirely. I decided to do this performance shortly after returning to Israel in September, at that time, I had no way of knowing that the apartment would still be unfinished. That said, I felt that it is important to be flexible - when God gives you lemons, make lemonade.
I believe that Mati and I did a fine job dancing this script, especially in light of how sick he felt. I felt that my ideas about making our first cooked meal together in our new home into a performance was an interesting idea. The egg took a bit longer to cook than I had anticipated, mostly due to the fact that neither of us were very familiar with using the stove. I would have rehearsed with the egg, but I wanted the performance to be the event itself. I felt that using an egg in rehearsal would cheapen the performance itself.
There are a lot of changes I would make to this performance given the opportunity to do it again. I would create something rehearsed and set. I would make sure the apartment was finished before committing to the performance. I would have given myself ample time to rehearse the performance. Unfortunately, this time around, that was simply not possible due to extenuating circumstances regarding the renovation. I believe I was a little too set on doing this specific piece, and would have been better served changing my project.
I believe that, due in large part to the unlucky circumstances I faced, the performance was alright. I, however, am not content with alright. I ultimately felt that this project did not reach my expectations, and I feel it is not worthy of being called my “final project” for this course. I feel that I did some pretty incredible work this semester, and that this is sub-par. I would like to work on a similar project once the apartment is complete, because I believe there is a fantastic dance to be made, and unfortunately, it did not happen with this performance.
First Egg
TITLE:
First Egg
INTENTION:
To celebrate moving into the new apartment with my fiancé by creating a site-specific dance piece in our salon and simultaneously cooking our first meal together in the new space.
INSPIRATION:
The idea behind this piece came from my desire to “christen” our new home with a dance piece. Originally, I had expected that our renovation would have been finished long before we performed this piece.
SCRIPT:
The script was very simple. Both performers start in the kitchen cooking an egg. After a minute or so, one of them begins to relate to the space as a dancer, not as a “normal person.” The person cooking the egg continues until the other takes over. The two performers switch back and forth until the egg is finished, then continue to relate to each other and the space as dancers until the music finishes.
DETAILS:
On Thursday, December 8th, 2011, at 21:30, "First Egg” was performed at 5 Yosef Hanasi St. Apartment 1, to an audience of a few friends and several passers by who could see into the apartment from the street. I chose to perform the piece at night so that the light from the apartment would draw attention from passers-by on the street. There is a huge floor-to-ceiling window in front of the performance area that spans the entire six-meter wall and faces the street.
CAST:
Mati Bardosh
S. Asher Gelman
Because of the nature of this piece, there were only two of us who could have danced it. Originally I had intended to create a solo, but it occurred to me that because it was our home, both of us should partake in this piece.
PREPARATION:
Due to the fact that Mati studies in Haifa during the week, I was forced to work on this piece during the weekends. Originally, I had intended to create a choreographed piece, but due to the ongoing construction, I was only able to work on the piece the day of the performance, since the kitchen itself and the couches only arrived the previous day. Furthermore, the entire space was filled with garbage and cardboard boxes up until 24 hours before the performance.I decided that rather than scrap the production entirely, we could turn it into a site-specific improvisation.
ADVERTISEMENT:
My primary means of advertising this performance was Facebook. I also called a few friends and asked them to come.
MUSIC:
Originally I wanted to use music about the home, but I couldn’t find any that fit. I decided to use music from The Magnetic Fields instead The tracks are all from their album “69 Love Songs”:
Two Kinds of People - The Magnetic Fields
Long-Forgotten Fairytale - The Magnetic Fields
You’re My Only Home - The Magnetic Fields
COSTUMES:
I chose to have us both dressed in street clothes. I wanted to create a sense that the performance aspect was almost an accident. I wanted passers-by to stop and watch because of the movement, not because of the costumes, indicating a performance.
DOCUMENTATION:
I set up my video camera in the back of the room to record the performance. The video does not include the giant window behind it. Since our apartment is on the ground floor, passers-by were able to see the performance from the street.
RESULTS:
Several of my friends attended the performance of “First Egg,” as well as several people who stopped to watch from the street. The feedback I received was positive.
PERSONAL ASSESSMENT:
I was not thrilled by the final result. Mati was feeling very sick the night we performed. I did not have the option to postpone the performance, due to the fact that Mati had surgery the following day and would not be able to partake in any physical activity for the next few weeks to keep the stitches from ripping. Furthermore, had I known that by this point we would still not be living in a finished apartment, I would have planned another performance entirely. I decided to do this performance shortly after returning to Israel in September, at that time, I had no way of knowing that the apartment would still be unfinished. That said, I felt that it is important to be flexible - when God gives you lemons, make lemonade.
I believe that Mati and I did a fine job dancing this script, especially in light of how sick he felt. I felt that my ideas about making our first cooked meal together in our new home into a performance was an interesting idea. The egg took a bit longer to cook than I had anticipated, mostly due to the fact that neither of us were very familiar with using the stove. I would have rehearsed with the egg, but I wanted the performance to be the event itself. I felt that using an egg in rehearsal would cheapen the performance itself.
There are a lot of changes I would make to this performance given the opportunity to do it again. I would create something rehearsed and set. I would make sure the apartment was finished before committing to the performance. I would have given myself ample time to rehearse the performance. Unfortunately, this time around, that was simply not possible due to extenuating circumstances regarding the renovation. I believe I was a little too set on doing this specific piece, and would have been better served changing my project.
I believe that, due in large part to the unlucky circumstances I faced, the performance was alright. I, however, am not content with alright. I ultimately felt that this project did not reach my expectations, and I feel it is not worthy of being called my “final project” for this course. I feel that I did some pretty incredible work this semester, and that this is sub-par. I would like to work on a similar project once the apartment is complete, because I believe there is a fantastic dance to be made, and unfortunately, it did not happen with this performance.
FINAL CHOREOGRAPHY PROJECT: "Silent Counting"
Silent Counting - Large Format
Silent Counting - Medium Format
Silent Counting Panel Discussion
TITLE:
Silent Counting
INTENTION:
To create a dance piece with dancers and non-dancers together in which neither population feels neglected or sidelined. Through a very intense collaborative process involving many assignments and exercises, performers will create a cohesive production together in which all participants feel like they have contributed equally.
INSPIRATION:
The idea behind this piece generated from my fiancé, Mati, who has been bugging me for the past three years to put him in a piece. As someone who has long fought for dance to become more universal, I decided to create a piece with dancers and non-dancers in an attempt to open up the world of dance to those who might not otherwise be able to access it.
PROCESS:
To lead a cast of two dancers (Allison and myself) and two non-dancers (Alexandra and Mati) in a series of rehearsals (twice a week, three hours each) for a month and a half in which we use our personal relationships to movement and various other exercises to compose phrases. At the beginning of the process, I relied heavily on personal stories and memories to serve as inspiration for phrases. Towards the end of the process, as the non-dancers became more accustomed to generating phrases, I relied less and less on these exercises until I was able to simply ask them to create movement phrases regardless of any point of inspiration. On December 4th, we had our first showing of “Silent Counting,” a piece I am continuing to work on for my final thesis project.
DETAILS:
On Sunday, December 4th, 2011, at 21:00, "Silent Counting" was performed at the Pride Center Theater in Tel Aviv, Israel. The piece was approximately 23 minutes long and was followed by a panel discussion about the work. Tickets were 20 NIS.
CAST:
Mati Bardosh
Alexandra Fred
S. Asher Gelman
Allison Shir
I did not hold auditions for this project. I was more interested in creating a group of people who could work well with each other. Mati and my friend Alexandra became involved with the project at my request. I also posted the project information on Facebook, and through a mutual friend, I got in touch with Allison, who I also invited to join the project after meeting with her over lunch. It was very important to me to get a feel for who she was before I invited her into what I thought could have become a very awkward situation, since Mati, Alexandra, and I are all extremely close. In the end, the fit was perfect, and it did not take long before the four of us were getting together outside rehearsal time.
REHEARSALS:
Due to the fact that Mati studies in Haifa during the week, I was forced to hold rehearsals exclusively on the weekends. Rehearsals were on Fridays and Saturdays, 12:00-15:00 in the Pride Center Studio. Because of the six days between rehearsals, I relied heavily on the posting of videos on Vimeo in order so that the dancers would not forget the movement they had generated nearly a week prior. As the project moved forward, the non-dancers became better at remembering movement from week to week and no longer relied on the videos during the long time between rehearsals. Due to my trip to the United States, the dancers held a rehearsal in my absence a week before the performance. I had video-taped the previous rehearsal and gave detailed notes that corresponded to the timecode on the video.
ADVERTISEMENT:
My primary means of advertising this performance was Facebook. I also created a poster which I hung up in the Pride Center, included below.
MUSIC:
I used many different pieces of music throughout the rehearsal process to bring out different aspects of my performers. The final performance comprised of these pieces of music:
King of the Mountain - Kate Bush
Xtal - Aphex Twin
You Belong To Me - Vonda Shepard
Blooms Eventually - Pulse Programming
I Wish You Love - Natalie Cole
COSTUMES:
I chose to keep all of us in simple black, since I did not want to use costumes as a distraction. For this piece in particular, I felt that it was important that the performers themselves create their characters, without any help from costuming. I asked everyone to go home and find black clothing they felt comfortable dancing in to bring to rehearsal. I then selected which items each person wore, because I did not want us dressing too similarly.
DOCUMENTATION:
I set up my video camera in the back of the theater to record the performance. I originally wanted an additional videographer to film close-up shots, but this proved too difficult to arrange, since I was in the US until two days before the performance. I also had a friend of mine, Morten Berthelsen, photograph the performance. Some of his photographs are included at the end of this post. I also created programs, included below.
RESULTS:
33 tickets were sold for the premiere of “Silent Counting," almost completely filling the small theater. Of the 33 audience members, only one of them came from a dance background. All of the audience members stayed for the panel discussion. I got a lot of very positive responses to the work we did.
Several comments I received (translated for your convenience):
- “I don’t like Modern Dance. I don’t understand it. About halfway through the piece, I found myself sitting up in my chair, really focused on the piece and the characters. Really, I couldn’t believe how invested I was in the dance.”
- “I cannot believe you did all of this in less than two months! This was really, really professional! And Mati! Mati was AMAZING!”
- “I am so glad I came to see this. It was totally worth the drive from Jerusalem (about an hour away from Tel Aviv).”
- “Mati needs to switch careers. He needs to become a dancer. I can’t believe he has never danced before.”
- “Not one of you looked like a non-dancer. Everyone looked incredibly professional.”
- “Do you teach classes? I would love to take class with you. I can’t believe you were able to do that with non-dancers!”
- “It was really, really good. I really felt the different stages of a relationship. It was very sensual and very passionate and you guys did a great job. I didn’t understand the story exactly but the emotions came through and that’s what art and dance is about and it was really amazing.”
- “The piece was really intimate, I got a real sense of relationship between the performers and the audience.”
PERSONAL ASSESSMENT:
I am extremely proud of the work we did on “Silent Counting.” The piece really reflected the collaborative work we did together - I definitely felt like more of an arranger than a choreographer, which was my goal. It was really important to me from the very beginning that the piece really belong to everyone, that everyone felt that they had ownership of it, that it was something that couldn’t have been made without them.
I believe the final result exceeded my initial goals. I believe that our performance looked really professional - it did not look like a project of dancers and non-dancers. I was particularly impressed by Alexandra (who last danced 12 years ago) and Mati, who has never danced before. I have known for a while that Mati is a great mover - he has studied yoga with his mother (a yoga teacher) for most of his life and recently began studying gymnastics. That said, I was floored by the work he did in a VERY short period of time. I have never seen anyone transform so fast into, well, anything.
I was also impressed by the turnout for the premiere. Of the 33 audience members, only one of them was a dancer. I also really appreciated that everyone wanted to stay for the panel discussion. I felt that giving the audience the chance to talk about the work furthered my quest to open up the world of dance, because we got some fantastic questions and responses.
I was also really impressed by the small community we created. Although Allison came into the project as a stranger to the rest of us, I feel that everyone involved was very open to each other and it was reflected in the final product.
I am excited to continue working with my cast on the continuation of this project. The work they did was phenomenal, and I am very much looking forward to beginning work on my final thesis project next fall.
Here are a few of the photographs taken by Morten Berthelsen:
Dance Review
Strange Angels - Heather Pultz
I saw this piece on November 22nd at the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington DC. I thought the piece was very pretty, but I felt that it lacked depth. It was pretty girls in pretty dresses doing pretty movements; nothing more. I would challenge Ms. Pultz to focus less on lines and technique and focus more on character and intention. I didn't feel like any of the dancers knew why they were there or what they were doing, besides (obviously) dancing. The title I also didn't understand, because there was nothing strange about the piece. I would have welcomed strange, but unfortunately it felt a bit too safe. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it, but I would have welcomed a strong reaction either way.
I saw this piece on November 22nd at the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington DC. I thought the piece was very pretty, but I felt that it lacked depth. It was pretty girls in pretty dresses doing pretty movements; nothing more. I would challenge Ms. Pultz to focus less on lines and technique and focus more on character and intention. I didn't feel like any of the dancers knew why they were there or what they were doing, besides (obviously) dancing. The title I also didn't understand, because there was nothing strange about the piece. I would have welcomed strange, but unfortunately it felt a bit too safe. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it, but I would have welcomed a strong reaction either way.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Dance Review
Performance by Les Ballets Truckadero de Monte Carlo - Tel Aviv Opera House
I had high expectations of this company. Expectations which were, sadly, unmet. Les Ballets Truckadero de Monte Carlo is a ballet company made up exclusively men, the catch is that they all dance and dress up as women - in full costumes and make up (but with chest and armpit hair). I expected mostly dance and a little humor; what I saw was mostly humor and a little dance. The majority of the performance seemed to be about making fun of ballet. Most of the time, I felt like the dancers were trying too hard to be funny. Even as someone who doesn’t particularly like ballet, I found myself craving technique and cringing at all the slapstick. I felt that the entire performance was way too long (two and a half hours) and was, frankly, not very funny and not very well danced. They simply tried too hard. I believe what I saw in this performance can be applied to teaching - driving home your point can be counter-productive, because rather than gravitating towards it, your students will resist it. I didn’t like being told throughout the piece, “this is funny - you should be laughing.” It wasn’t funny and I wasn’t laughing. Don’t get me wrong, some moments were hysterical - at one point, four dancers ran out onstage and took their starting positions. After a minute, one of them started very slowly moving his feet, and it was at that moment that I realized he was facing the wrong way and was trying to correct it. That was hilarious for me, because I could relate to that moment of panic when one is onstage and in the middle of a mistake that he or she is painfully aware of. That said, I felt that the piece was not a success. I felt that it tried too hard and I have no interest in seeing this company again.
I had high expectations of this company. Expectations which were, sadly, unmet. Les Ballets Truckadero de Monte Carlo is a ballet company made up exclusively men, the catch is that they all dance and dress up as women - in full costumes and make up (but with chest and armpit hair). I expected mostly dance and a little humor; what I saw was mostly humor and a little dance. The majority of the performance seemed to be about making fun of ballet. Most of the time, I felt like the dancers were trying too hard to be funny. Even as someone who doesn’t particularly like ballet, I found myself craving technique and cringing at all the slapstick. I felt that the entire performance was way too long (two and a half hours) and was, frankly, not very funny and not very well danced. They simply tried too hard. I believe what I saw in this performance can be applied to teaching - driving home your point can be counter-productive, because rather than gravitating towards it, your students will resist it. I didn’t like being told throughout the piece, “this is funny - you should be laughing.” It wasn’t funny and I wasn’t laughing. Don’t get me wrong, some moments were hysterical - at one point, four dancers ran out onstage and took their starting positions. After a minute, one of them started very slowly moving his feet, and it was at that moment that I realized he was facing the wrong way and was trying to correct it. That was hilarious for me, because I could relate to that moment of panic when one is onstage and in the middle of a mistake that he or she is painfully aware of. That said, I felt that the piece was not a success. I felt that it tried too hard and I have no interest in seeing this company again.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Rehearsal - 11/12/11
Huge progress today! Finished the structure of the piece, which is now over 20 minutes long. I am very happy with it. The piece is entitled "Silent Counting" after an inside joke that the dancers and I have after Mati requested to count in his head. The video below is to dummy, random music, although I do love where "You Belong to Me" comes in at Mati and Allison's duet.
Silent Counting - First Run
I am really looking forward to seeing the piece this upcoming weekend and working out all of the transitions (which in my opinion is the weakest part of the piece). I also need to figure out the music.
Very exciting times!
Silent Counting - First Run
I am really looking forward to seeing the piece this upcoming weekend and working out all of the transitions (which in my opinion is the weakest part of the piece). I also need to figure out the music.
Very exciting times!
Monday, November 7, 2011
New Me
New Me
Title: Birth on Red Couch
Statement of Intention: To explore the opposite of my choreographic self.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 red couch, 1 purple blanket
Direction: The performer begins completely covered by the blanket and slowly emerges from it.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the he has emerged from the blanket.
Reflection: For this assignment, we were asked to find "the opposite of our dancing self." This proved more challenging than our other assignments, as I have made a conscientious effort to explore throughout my choreographic journey; if my last piece was a high-energy group piece, my next one would be a contemplative solo, the one after that would be an abstract trio, etc. In the end, I gleaned inspiration from one of my peers, Kelly Southall, whose solo this summer was very much the opposite of what I think of as dance. It was interesting, intense, and hard to watch. It made me squirm in my seat and I felt that if art can illicit that kind of reaction, then it is successful, whether or not it is one's own personal taste. I decided to use stillness and suspension and nudity and color. It is very low energy, which to me is new. I guess this dance is a new me that I can use to push myself as a performer.
Title: Birth on Red Couch
Statement of Intention: To explore the opposite of my choreographic self.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 red couch, 1 purple blanket
Direction: The performer begins completely covered by the blanket and slowly emerges from it.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the he has emerged from the blanket.
Reflection: For this assignment, we were asked to find "the opposite of our dancing self." This proved more challenging than our other assignments, as I have made a conscientious effort to explore throughout my choreographic journey; if my last piece was a high-energy group piece, my next one would be a contemplative solo, the one after that would be an abstract trio, etc. In the end, I gleaned inspiration from one of my peers, Kelly Southall, whose solo this summer was very much the opposite of what I think of as dance. It was interesting, intense, and hard to watch. It made me squirm in my seat and I felt that if art can illicit that kind of reaction, then it is successful, whether or not it is one's own personal taste. I decided to use stillness and suspension and nudity and color. It is very low energy, which to me is new. I guess this dance is a new me that I can use to push myself as a performer.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Choreography in Performance
Title: Choreography in Performance
Statement of Intention: To explore the performative qualities of live choreography.
Objects: 1 choreographer, 1 performer, 1 audience member.
Direction: The performer takes instruction from the choreographer while the audience member observes the entire process as a performance.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the choreographer ends it (between 10 and 15 minutes).
Reflection: I really enjoyed this assignment. I worked with Mati as my performer. He has only been dancing since we began my choreography project, and already I can see just how strong of a performer he will become. It was interesting having our friend Kate there as our audience member; she had never seen Mati dance and was equally impressed. I felt the concept of the act of choreography being the performance was interesting and allowed me to see new possibilities in my own work.
Title: Choreography in Performance
Statement of Intention: To explore the performative qualities of live choreography.
Objects: 1 choreographer, 1 performer, 1 audience member.
Direction: The performer takes instruction from the choreographer while the audience member observes the entire process as a performance.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the choreographer ends it (between 10 and 15 minutes).
Reflection: I really enjoyed this assignment. I worked with Mati as my performer. He has only been dancing since we began my choreography project, and already I can see just how strong of a performer he will become. It was interesting having our friend Kate there as our audience member; she had never seen Mati dance and was equally impressed. I felt the concept of the act of choreography being the performance was interesting and allowed me to see new possibilities in my own work.
Duet - Allison & Mati
Duet - Allison & Mati
Today someone was in our rehearsal space and refused to leave, so we had rehearsal in the theater in which we will be performing in a month. Alex was sick, so I took the body part phrases that we worked on last rehearsal and combined them and then continued it in the form of a duet between Allison and Mati.
Today someone was in our rehearsal space and refused to leave, so we had rehearsal in the theater in which we will be performing in a month. Alex was sick, so I took the body part phrases that we worked on last rehearsal and combined them and then continued it in the form of a duet between Allison and Mati.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Rehearsal Log - 10/7/11
Today was our first rehearsal. I was very excited and nervous since I had no idea how successful it would be and how the group would work together. As of now, there are four people in the project: myself, Mati, Alex, and Allison. I was worried about the dynamic in the group, because Mati (my fiancé), Alex, and I are extremely close, whereas Allison was new to the group. Allison and I were connected by a mutual friend who heard about the project on facebook and thought she would be interested. My primary concern during the first rehearsal (and subsequent project) was that Allison might feel left out. Knowing that she was a Pilates instructor, I thought it best that she lead the first warm-up (which was amazing). I thought it was important to have her voice heard from the beginning. After the warm-up, I asked everyone to remember an early movement memory. Then I split us up in to pairs and asked everyone to share their memory with their partner. Then I asked everyone to make a dance based on their partner’s memory. Then we split up into different pairs, and taught each other the phrases and combined them and performed them as two duets. We then took those two phrases and combined them into a long phrase, which we all learned. Lastly, I instructed everyone to take the long phrase and play with it to create a version that felt natural to each person’s style of movement. Here are those phrases:
Allison Shir
Alex Fred
Mati Bardosh
S. Asher Gelman
I finished up rehearsal with a 20-minute improvisation. I was really impressed by the work everyone did. The energy in the rehearsal was fantastic. My fears that I may have inadvertently created an uncomfortable situation were completely unfounded; Allison was a wonderful addition and had a great positive energy. One would not have known that she was new to the group. I was really glad, because while I had met her before and knew she was very friendly and positive, I had no way of knowing how she would get along with the group. I was also very impressed with my “non-dancers.” Alex had had training when she was younger and takes dance classes every so often, while Mati had never danced before in his life. While initially, both of them struggled a bit with the material, once they made it their own, their individual performative qualities really shone through. Alex brought a more feminine, fluid quality to the movement, while Mati brought a more angular, precise quality to it. I couldn’t be happier with their natural abilities. I am very lucky to have these people in my project. I was worried that I might have difficulty working with my close friend and my romantic partner, but when both of them entered the studio, they were nothing but professional. I can only hope that future rehearsals will be as successful as this one was.
Allison Shir
Alex Fred
Mati Bardosh
S. Asher Gelman
I finished up rehearsal with a 20-minute improvisation. I was really impressed by the work everyone did. The energy in the rehearsal was fantastic. My fears that I may have inadvertently created an uncomfortable situation were completely unfounded; Allison was a wonderful addition and had a great positive energy. One would not have known that she was new to the group. I was really glad, because while I had met her before and knew she was very friendly and positive, I had no way of knowing how she would get along with the group. I was also very impressed with my “non-dancers.” Alex had had training when she was younger and takes dance classes every so often, while Mati had never danced before in his life. While initially, both of them struggled a bit with the material, once they made it their own, their individual performative qualities really shone through. Alex brought a more feminine, fluid quality to the movement, while Mati brought a more angular, precise quality to it. I couldn’t be happier with their natural abilities. I am very lucky to have these people in my project. I was worried that I might have difficulty working with my close friend and my romantic partner, but when both of them entered the studio, they were nothing but professional. I can only hope that future rehearsals will be as successful as this one was.
Performance in Yellow Taped Box
Highway Dancer
Title: My Way or the Highway
Resources: Roll of 2" wide yellow tape.
Intention: To express the impact of societal limitation on the dancer in a confined space of a taped square
Preparation: Create a three foot square on the floor with the tape.
Instructions: One dancer performs movement inside a 2 1/2 to 3 foot square-shaped box (yellow tape) on the floor / sidewalk / other space for 10 to 15 minutes that reflects the comfort or conflict with limitation as defined by the performer.
Conclusion: 10 to 15 minute time period.
Outcome: I loved this project. It was so much fun doing it. Because of the holiday season going on right now in Israel, many places that would normally allow me to perform in their space would not, forcing me to plan B - dancing in the middle of Israel’s busiest highway. I’d like to say I got special permission to close it off, however, in actuality, on Yom Kippur, no one drives in Israel, so I was able to perform there without any traffic. I decided not to make a sign of my performance, because I did not want people to be preoccupied with what they would think I would want them to take away from this performance. I was photographed, filmed, and even joined by members of my found audience. It was truly a unique experience - performing on Israel’s largest flat surface yet only being able to use a single square meter of it. It made me think about the protests going on here about the price of living - how people are paying obscene amounts for tiny spaces in which to live. I was really glad we had this assignment and look forward to others like it.
Title: My Way or the Highway
Resources: Roll of 2" wide yellow tape.
Intention: To express the impact of societal limitation on the dancer in a confined space of a taped square
Preparation: Create a three foot square on the floor with the tape.
Instructions: One dancer performs movement inside a 2 1/2 to 3 foot square-shaped box (yellow tape) on the floor / sidewalk / other space for 10 to 15 minutes that reflects the comfort or conflict with limitation as defined by the performer.
Conclusion: 10 to 15 minute time period.
Outcome: I loved this project. It was so much fun doing it. Because of the holiday season going on right now in Israel, many places that would normally allow me to perform in their space would not, forcing me to plan B - dancing in the middle of Israel’s busiest highway. I’d like to say I got special permission to close it off, however, in actuality, on Yom Kippur, no one drives in Israel, so I was able to perform there without any traffic. I decided not to make a sign of my performance, because I did not want people to be preoccupied with what they would think I would want them to take away from this performance. I was photographed, filmed, and even joined by members of my found audience. It was truly a unique experience - performing on Israel’s largest flat surface yet only being able to use a single square meter of it. It made me think about the protests going on here about the price of living - how people are paying obscene amounts for tiny spaces in which to live. I was really glad we had this assignment and look forward to others like it.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Creative Assignment
Collaboration with Jen and Kelly
Title: Danger Danger
Statement of Intention: To exemplify the vulnerability of art in society.
Objects Needed: one performer
Description: The performer must create a dangerous situation that satisfies the intention of the performance. They may include other performers and/or objects if necessary.
Conclusion: The performance concludes after 2 minutes.
I chose to perform my dance over a hot plate, while throwing water upon it and dancing in the steam. I wanted to work with the idea of the artist pushing himself further and where that fuzzy line is between challenging oneself and putting oneself in harm’s way. At the beginning of the performance, I found myself relatively far away from the heat, because I did not want to get injured. As I moved through the steam, I worked my way closer and closer to the source of the heat, to the point where it started to hurt a little.
I really found myself getting into this performance, because the idea of danger kind of turned me on a bit. I think there has always been a part of me that wants to test the waters. I love pushing things to the limit; as a child, I would push my parents to their limit. I liked figuring out where the breaking point was. To me, that is where I find my artistry - just before the breaking point.
I think collaboration in dance can be a lot of things. I have had collaborations that felt very much like two parties contributing equally to a piece as well as collaborations in which other people (or myself) made small yet meaningful contributions. Sometimes people can collaborate without their knowledge. I have collaborated with famous musicians simply by using their music. In this case, I collaborated with two dancers to create and perform a script in three separate locations. For me, it was an interesting experience, although in hindsight, I wish the script had been a bit more specific, because I felt that our three performances couldn’t really be compared to each other because they ended up being so different.
Title: Danger Danger
Statement of Intention: To exemplify the vulnerability of art in society.
Objects Needed: one performer
Description: The performer must create a dangerous situation that satisfies the intention of the performance. They may include other performers and/or objects if necessary.
Conclusion: The performance concludes after 2 minutes.
I chose to perform my dance over a hot plate, while throwing water upon it and dancing in the steam. I wanted to work with the idea of the artist pushing himself further and where that fuzzy line is between challenging oneself and putting oneself in harm’s way. At the beginning of the performance, I found myself relatively far away from the heat, because I did not want to get injured. As I moved through the steam, I worked my way closer and closer to the source of the heat, to the point where it started to hurt a little.
I really found myself getting into this performance, because the idea of danger kind of turned me on a bit. I think there has always been a part of me that wants to test the waters. I love pushing things to the limit; as a child, I would push my parents to their limit. I liked figuring out where the breaking point was. To me, that is where I find my artistry - just before the breaking point.
I think collaboration in dance can be a lot of things. I have had collaborations that felt very much like two parties contributing equally to a piece as well as collaborations in which other people (or myself) made small yet meaningful contributions. Sometimes people can collaborate without their knowledge. I have collaborated with famous musicians simply by using their music. In this case, I collaborated with two dancers to create and perform a script in three separate locations. For me, it was an interesting experience, although in hindsight, I wish the script had been a bit more specific, because I felt that our three performances couldn’t really be compared to each other because they ended up being so different.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Research
1. Trained vs. Untrained Movement
The juxtaposition between the highly stylized and the pedestrian
2. Personal Relationships
The way people’s relationships outside the dance studio affect their relationships inside the studio
3. Movement History
The background of a person’s relationship to movement and how it fits into the group.
The juxtaposition between the highly stylized and the pedestrian
2. Personal Relationships
The way people’s relationships outside the dance studio affect their relationships inside the studio
3. Movement History
The background of a person’s relationship to movement and how it fits into the group.
Lab 4
Title: Dearly Departed
Statement of Intention: To remember someone who is no longer living through dance.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 memory of a loved one who has passed away
Direction: The performer dances a specific memory he or she had with a person who has passed away.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the performer reaches the end of the memory.
Reflection: For my performance, I chose a memory I had with my late grandfather. He and I drove down the California coast from San Francisco to Big Sur while I was in college. I flew out to San Francisco specifically to spend time with him, because my mother told me that he was getting older and I would regret not taking advantage of the time I had with him. The truth is, I don’t remember much about the trip. I remember the drive down in my grandfather’s hybrid car. I remember letting him drive for a bit even though my father explicitly told me he was forbidden from driving while I was in the car. I remember the hotel room we slept in and the crows that congregated outside the window, in a very Hitchcockian manner. All of these moments became a part of my performance.
The performance itself took place inside my apartment. I assigned various parts of the memory to various rooms. As I moved from one memory to the next, I moved from one room to the next. I noticed that at the beginning of the piece, I was full of energy and joy. As I progressed, I realized that reminiscing about my grandfather and thinking about how he was no longer here was depressing me and my movement. Even writing this down is making me upset. By the end of the piece, I was sitting on my bed, motionless, for about twenty minutes as my mind wandered to other memories of him.
I felt that this script was successful, since the subject was memory and it led me to remember a lot. I am grateful for this assignment, because I felt that I was able to connect with my grandfather, who died in late November of last year. In short, this was a hard but ultimately fruitful assignment.
Statement of Intention: To remember someone who is no longer living through dance.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 memory of a loved one who has passed away
Direction: The performer dances a specific memory he or she had with a person who has passed away.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the performer reaches the end of the memory.
Reflection: For my performance, I chose a memory I had with my late grandfather. He and I drove down the California coast from San Francisco to Big Sur while I was in college. I flew out to San Francisco specifically to spend time with him, because my mother told me that he was getting older and I would regret not taking advantage of the time I had with him. The truth is, I don’t remember much about the trip. I remember the drive down in my grandfather’s hybrid car. I remember letting him drive for a bit even though my father explicitly told me he was forbidden from driving while I was in the car. I remember the hotel room we slept in and the crows that congregated outside the window, in a very Hitchcockian manner. All of these moments became a part of my performance.
The performance itself took place inside my apartment. I assigned various parts of the memory to various rooms. As I moved from one memory to the next, I moved from one room to the next. I noticed that at the beginning of the piece, I was full of energy and joy. As I progressed, I realized that reminiscing about my grandfather and thinking about how he was no longer here was depressing me and my movement. Even writing this down is making me upset. By the end of the piece, I was sitting on my bed, motionless, for about twenty minutes as my mind wandered to other memories of him.
I felt that this script was successful, since the subject was memory and it led me to remember a lot. I am grateful for this assignment, because I felt that I was able to connect with my grandfather, who died in late November of last year. In short, this was a hard but ultimately fruitful assignment.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Choreography Project
Intention: To create a piece using a combination of both dancers and non-dancers in which both populations feel their needs met, both onstage and during rehearsal.
The piece will be created through various means, including but not limited to improvisation, assignments, word association, etc., and will culminate in a performance in early December 2011. Dancers have been recruited via social networking and will be paid per performance. Most of the dancers are friends of mine, and I intend to use the very possibly awkward exchanges in rehearsal to fuel the piece’s creation. There will be at least one performance, possibly more. Rehearsals will take place on the weekends, both on Friday and Saturday, as many of the performers have jobs during the week. I may add rehearsals during the week for those who can attend depending upon scheduling and need.
The piece will be created through various means, including but not limited to improvisation, assignments, word association, etc., and will culminate in a performance in early December 2011. Dancers have been recruited via social networking and will be paid per performance. Most of the dancers are friends of mine, and I intend to use the very possibly awkward exchanges in rehearsal to fuel the piece’s creation. There will be at least one performance, possibly more. Rehearsals will take place on the weekends, both on Friday and Saturday, as many of the performers have jobs during the week. I may add rehearsals during the week for those who can attend depending upon scheduling and need.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Dance Review Review
With Nods to Schoenberg and Dr. King
By GIA KOURLAS
Published: September 19, 2011
I was unimpressed by this review of Monstah Black's "Black Moon." Kourklas feels the need to describe everything she sees, albeit too briefly. Rather than delving deeply into a few select images, she glosses over what seems like the entire piece. Truth be told, I could not tell whether or not she even liked the piece, or whether or not I should be interested in seeing it. In my opinion, this was not a very well written review, because it seemed to serve no purpose, other than the author’s ability to say, “I saw this. This is what happened.”
By GIA KOURLAS
Published: September 19, 2011
I was unimpressed by this review of Monstah Black's "Black Moon." Kourklas feels the need to describe everything she sees, albeit too briefly. Rather than delving deeply into a few select images, she glosses over what seems like the entire piece. Truth be told, I could not tell whether or not she even liked the piece, or whether or not I should be interested in seeing it. In my opinion, this was not a very well written review, because it seemed to serve no purpose, other than the author’s ability to say, “I saw this. This is what happened.”
Dance Viewed This Week
"Sleep No More"
Last week, I was fortunate enough to score three tickets to "Sleep No More" by the group Punchdrunk. The piece was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It is a telling of Shakespeare's "MacBeth" through dance. The setting is the fictional McKittrick Hotel, which is in reality, a completely refurbished warehouse (there are over 100 rooms created for this performance, including an enchanted forest, a graveyard, a banquet hall, a hospital, etc.). The audience is required to wear masks, which is what separates them from the performers. Each performer has his or her own path that they follow from the beginning of the piece until the end. During their performances, they seemingly seamlessly intersect with other performers for duets, trios, and group sections. Part of the excitement of the piece as an audience member is chasing after the characters to see where he or she will go and what he or she will do. I do not want to give too much away here, because I really do believe that this piece absolutely needs to be seen. I went with my fiancé and one of my best friends and all three of us had completely different experiences, but all of us found it to be one of the most incredible theatrical experiences of our lives. This show is worth a trip to New York. Book your tickets now, because they will sell out.
Last week, I was fortunate enough to score three tickets to "Sleep No More" by the group Punchdrunk. The piece was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It is a telling of Shakespeare's "MacBeth" through dance. The setting is the fictional McKittrick Hotel, which is in reality, a completely refurbished warehouse (there are over 100 rooms created for this performance, including an enchanted forest, a graveyard, a banquet hall, a hospital, etc.). The audience is required to wear masks, which is what separates them from the performers. Each performer has his or her own path that they follow from the beginning of the piece until the end. During their performances, they seemingly seamlessly intersect with other performers for duets, trios, and group sections. Part of the excitement of the piece as an audience member is chasing after the characters to see where he or she will go and what he or she will do. I do not want to give too much away here, because I really do believe that this piece absolutely needs to be seen. I went with my fiancé and one of my best friends and all three of us had completely different experiences, but all of us found it to be one of the most incredible theatrical experiences of our lives. This show is worth a trip to New York. Book your tickets now, because they will sell out.
Viewed Videos and Responses
La Pocha Nostra: Guillermo Gomez Pena
Guillermo Gomez Pena’s work is incredibly raw and honest. The subject matter was very political. I wished the video had focused more on the performance rather than the artists’ and audience’s emotional reactions to it, because I felt that I was responding to what I was hearing from them, not what I was seeing myself.
Our lady of Detritus, Interpretation in Dance: Jill Sigman
I kind of loved the excerpts from Our Lady of Detritus. My favorite moment was when the woman in the wheelbarrow said, “you can go scuba diving with the fish, and then you can eat them at the same time!” Cracked me up. I loved the way she interacted with the audience in a very real way, despite being so overly-styled.
I also agreed a lot with what Sigman had to say about interpretation. I also feel that a lot of people put unnecessary pressure on “getting it right” and I think that hurts the work and the audience’s experience of it. I strongly believe that the work is whatever you get from it; no more, no less.
Palo Buggiani
I loved the video of Buggiani on the bicycle. There was something oddly soothing about watching a man bike down the street with fire behind him. I also really appreciated the other video and the kind of work he has been doing with fire. Talk about pyromania!
Charlotte Moorman, Playing TV with Cello: Nam June Paik
I have heard Moorman in an interview talk about how she went to Juilliard to study cello and instead wound up working with Nam June Paik. The TV cello, and how she played it, was certainly revolutionary. I couldn’t help but read one of the comments on the video: “Lady Gaga?” Well, not exactly, but I’m sure Gaga is very much aware of Paik’s work with Moorman.
When I looked at the site, the video of Burning Man had been taken down. However, I did get the chance to watch the video “How to tell a story” from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which was very informative. They talked about how a good story works because each event is caused by the one before it. Simply stringing a lot of ideas together does not work.
On another note, I am totally committed to going to Burning Man one day. Definitely on my bucket list.
Dance a Day: Boris Willis
The idea is interesting: creating a dance everyday. Frankly, it’s something we should all be aspiring to. Besides the idea itself, I really wasn’t all that interested in the project or its videos.
Meat Joy: Carolee Scheenmann
To call Scheenmann’s work “raw” is an understatement. Her materials are, well, mostly raw meat and fish, as well as other inorganic materials. For me, this is not a performance I could watch. I get disgusted by this sort of thing. This is not to say that it doesn’t have artistic merit - it absolutely does - but I personally can’t sit through a performance like this.
Guillermo Gomez Pena’s work is incredibly raw and honest. The subject matter was very political. I wished the video had focused more on the performance rather than the artists’ and audience’s emotional reactions to it, because I felt that I was responding to what I was hearing from them, not what I was seeing myself.
Our lady of Detritus, Interpretation in Dance: Jill Sigman
I kind of loved the excerpts from Our Lady of Detritus. My favorite moment was when the woman in the wheelbarrow said, “you can go scuba diving with the fish, and then you can eat them at the same time!” Cracked me up. I loved the way she interacted with the audience in a very real way, despite being so overly-styled.
I also agreed a lot with what Sigman had to say about interpretation. I also feel that a lot of people put unnecessary pressure on “getting it right” and I think that hurts the work and the audience’s experience of it. I strongly believe that the work is whatever you get from it; no more, no less.
Palo Buggiani
I loved the video of Buggiani on the bicycle. There was something oddly soothing about watching a man bike down the street with fire behind him. I also really appreciated the other video and the kind of work he has been doing with fire. Talk about pyromania!
Charlotte Moorman, Playing TV with Cello: Nam June Paik
I have heard Moorman in an interview talk about how she went to Juilliard to study cello and instead wound up working with Nam June Paik. The TV cello, and how she played it, was certainly revolutionary. I couldn’t help but read one of the comments on the video: “Lady Gaga?” Well, not exactly, but I’m sure Gaga is very much aware of Paik’s work with Moorman.
When I looked at the site, the video of Burning Man had been taken down. However, I did get the chance to watch the video “How to tell a story” from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which was very informative. They talked about how a good story works because each event is caused by the one before it. Simply stringing a lot of ideas together does not work.
On another note, I am totally committed to going to Burning Man one day. Definitely on my bucket list.
Dance a Day: Boris Willis
The idea is interesting: creating a dance everyday. Frankly, it’s something we should all be aspiring to. Besides the idea itself, I really wasn’t all that interested in the project or its videos.
Meat Joy: Carolee Scheenmann
To call Scheenmann’s work “raw” is an understatement. Her materials are, well, mostly raw meat and fish, as well as other inorganic materials. For me, this is not a performance I could watch. I get disgusted by this sort of thing. This is not to say that it doesn’t have artistic merit - it absolutely does - but I personally can’t sit through a performance like this.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Performance Assignment 9/19
Title: A Room With A View
Statement of Intention: To explore performance being perceived as performance as seen by strangers across the alley from my apartment.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 apartment, several audience members on the adjacent balcony.
Directions: The audience should be made aware of the performance by the performative qualities of the performer, who is free to move as he likes within the space.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the performer decides it is over.
Reflection: This performance took place in the apartment I am currently subletting. There is a balcony across the alley from me facing the wall of windows in my apartment. The space is very much exposed. Last night, there was a group of five young people hanging out on the balcony. Without thinking, I dove into the performance.
At first, no one noticed me. I was moving around the apartment using very stylized gestures, although I quickly realized that these were not big enough to distract my audience from their own conversations. Eventually I turned up the volume on my movement and I noticed that they were starting to pay attention to me more and more. I took advantage of all of the furniture in the living room: I danced on the table, jumped between the sofas, rolled on the floor, etc. After about seven minutes of this improvisation, I decided it was over and turned towards my audience, bowed, and closed the shades.
I did not have time to “prepare” for this performance. I saw an opportunity and took it immediately. Had I known that these people were going to be on the balcony last night, I probably would have prepared the space a bit more, although there is definitely something to be said for the spontanaety of it all. I also was fully aware that there would be no consequences from my actions; I am only subletting this apartment. In a month, I will be gone. If I were actually living here, I may not have felt as comfortable creating this particular performance. Also, because of the immediacy of the performance, I did not have the chance to video it, although I do not believe I would have video taped it anyway. I feel that adding a video recorder to the performance changes it, because the performance becomes split between two directions - that of the audience and that of the video recorder. Ultimately, I was very happy with the performance. We’ll see if my audience will return tonight...
Statement of Intention: To explore performance being perceived as performance as seen by strangers across the alley from my apartment.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 apartment, several audience members on the adjacent balcony.
Directions: The audience should be made aware of the performance by the performative qualities of the performer, who is free to move as he likes within the space.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the performer decides it is over.
Reflection: This performance took place in the apartment I am currently subletting. There is a balcony across the alley from me facing the wall of windows in my apartment. The space is very much exposed. Last night, there was a group of five young people hanging out on the balcony. Without thinking, I dove into the performance.
At first, no one noticed me. I was moving around the apartment using very stylized gestures, although I quickly realized that these were not big enough to distract my audience from their own conversations. Eventually I turned up the volume on my movement and I noticed that they were starting to pay attention to me more and more. I took advantage of all of the furniture in the living room: I danced on the table, jumped between the sofas, rolled on the floor, etc. After about seven minutes of this improvisation, I decided it was over and turned towards my audience, bowed, and closed the shades.
I did not have time to “prepare” for this performance. I saw an opportunity and took it immediately. Had I known that these people were going to be on the balcony last night, I probably would have prepared the space a bit more, although there is definitely something to be said for the spontanaety of it all. I also was fully aware that there would be no consequences from my actions; I am only subletting this apartment. In a month, I will be gone. If I were actually living here, I may not have felt as comfortable creating this particular performance. Also, because of the immediacy of the performance, I did not have the chance to video it, although I do not believe I would have video taped it anyway. I feel that adding a video recorder to the performance changes it, because the performance becomes split between two directions - that of the audience and that of the video recorder. Ultimately, I was very happy with the performance. We’ll see if my audience will return tonight...
Lab 3
Title: Glutton
Statement of Intention: To explore the financial strain the ultra-orthodox community is putting on Israel.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 audience member, 2 meals.
Direction: The performer eats from the plate of the audience member but does not offer food from his own plate.
Conclusion: The performance concludes with the audience member demands that the performer stops eating his/her food.
Reflection: For my performance, I went out to dinner with a friend. When we received our food, I asked to have a taste of hers. She said yes and I had a bite. After a couple of minutes, I asked for another bite, then another, then another. I could see she was beginning to get annoyed, but she still did not resist me. Eventually I was taking more bites off of her plate than I was off of mine. It was at this point that she finally asked for a bite of my meal, to which I said no. Then she got angry and told me that I can’t eat both of our meals by myself. It was at that moment that the performance ended. I then explained my performance to her and offered her the rest of my meal so she would not be upset at me anymore. We then spent the remainder of the meal discussing the issue and the protests that had been going on in my absence.
The ultra-orthodox community in Israel is a very vocal, very powerful minority. They do not have to work (as long as they study the Torah), they do not serve in the army, and they do not pay taxes. What is more is that the government puts almost all of them on welfare because they cannot support their exceedingly large families. Their political views are far right, and they are gaining more and more power without contributing at all to the country in which they live. It means that those of us who do work and who do serve in the army have to pay for their lifestyle. What makes even less sense is that this is a community that very vocally disapproves of the secular community without whose resources they cannot survive. Recently, there have been protests in Israel regarding the rising cost of living, and I cannot help but wonder if this issue would exist at all had it not been for the ultra-orthodox community.
I felt that the performance could have been more effective had I done it with someone I didn’t feel as close to. Because my friend and I are so close, she didn’t have a problem with my eating her food, at least, not at first. I believe that had I worked with someone else, they might have complained sooner.
Overall, I felt that the performance was successful. It led to a very interesting (albeit mostly one-sided) discussion of the issue being presented.
Statement of Intention: To explore the financial strain the ultra-orthodox community is putting on Israel.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 audience member, 2 meals.
Direction: The performer eats from the plate of the audience member but does not offer food from his own plate.
Conclusion: The performance concludes with the audience member demands that the performer stops eating his/her food.
Reflection: For my performance, I went out to dinner with a friend. When we received our food, I asked to have a taste of hers. She said yes and I had a bite. After a couple of minutes, I asked for another bite, then another, then another. I could see she was beginning to get annoyed, but she still did not resist me. Eventually I was taking more bites off of her plate than I was off of mine. It was at this point that she finally asked for a bite of my meal, to which I said no. Then she got angry and told me that I can’t eat both of our meals by myself. It was at that moment that the performance ended. I then explained my performance to her and offered her the rest of my meal so she would not be upset at me anymore. We then spent the remainder of the meal discussing the issue and the protests that had been going on in my absence.
The ultra-orthodox community in Israel is a very vocal, very powerful minority. They do not have to work (as long as they study the Torah), they do not serve in the army, and they do not pay taxes. What is more is that the government puts almost all of them on welfare because they cannot support their exceedingly large families. Their political views are far right, and they are gaining more and more power without contributing at all to the country in which they live. It means that those of us who do work and who do serve in the army have to pay for their lifestyle. What makes even less sense is that this is a community that very vocally disapproves of the secular community without whose resources they cannot survive. Recently, there have been protests in Israel regarding the rising cost of living, and I cannot help but wonder if this issue would exist at all had it not been for the ultra-orthodox community.
I felt that the performance could have been more effective had I done it with someone I didn’t feel as close to. Because my friend and I are so close, she didn’t have a problem with my eating her food, at least, not at first. I believe that had I worked with someone else, they might have complained sooner.
Overall, I felt that the performance was successful. It led to a very interesting (albeit mostly one-sided) discussion of the issue being presented.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Performance Assignments for Aesthetics - Environmental
Streetwalker
Did a dance from the restaurant to our hotel room using pedestrian movement with performance qualities.
Hotel Room
Did a dance in our hotel room in which I cleaned up the room.
One Hand In My Pocket
Did a dance based off of an improvisation in which I repeated the action of putting my hand in my pocket.
Did a dance from the restaurant to our hotel room using pedestrian movement with performance qualities.
Hotel Room
Did a dance in our hotel room in which I cleaned up the room.
One Hand In My Pocket
Did a dance based off of an improvisation in which I repeated the action of putting my hand in my pocket.
Dances Viewed This Week
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange - Pas de Dirt
This balletic homage to construction was very inventive, but overall gimicky. I loved the choreography of the earthmovers, but wanted to see the dance move forward. It did not become more than the sum of its parts, which bothered me. I found the way the earthmovers were used to be cute, but ultimately predictable. All in all, I would say it was a dance that needed more thought, more concept. It was cute, but it could have been amazing.
Faye Driscoll - 837 Venice Blvd
This excerpt was incredibly fresh and inventive. Faye Driscoll has created a beautiful psychological landscape here in which she unabashedly explores human relationships. The excerpt made me want to see more. I watched another Driscoll piece on video earlier this summer, and was quite impressed by it. The dance seems to move seamlessly from scene to scene; in fact, it’s the transitions that are often the most interesting. Driscoll finds beautiful ways of moving between ideas. It is often difficult to see where one idea ends and the next begins. Too often dance feels like an awkwardly put together scrapbook, but here the transitions are flawless. I hope to see this piece in its entirety someday.
This balletic homage to construction was very inventive, but overall gimicky. I loved the choreography of the earthmovers, but wanted to see the dance move forward. It did not become more than the sum of its parts, which bothered me. I found the way the earthmovers were used to be cute, but ultimately predictable. All in all, I would say it was a dance that needed more thought, more concept. It was cute, but it could have been amazing.
Faye Driscoll - 837 Venice Blvd
This excerpt was incredibly fresh and inventive. Faye Driscoll has created a beautiful psychological landscape here in which she unabashedly explores human relationships. The excerpt made me want to see more. I watched another Driscoll piece on video earlier this summer, and was quite impressed by it. The dance seems to move seamlessly from scene to scene; in fact, it’s the transitions that are often the most interesting. Driscoll finds beautiful ways of moving between ideas. It is often difficult to see where one idea ends and the next begins. Too often dance feels like an awkwardly put together scrapbook, but here the transitions are flawless. I hope to see this piece in its entirety someday.
Dance Review Review
‘Sleep No More’ but Move Nonstop
By GIA KOURLAS
Published: September 6, 2011
Fantastic review of Punchdrunk’s “Sleep No More.” Completely engrossing. The article described the performance in a way that made me really want to see the piece. The truth is, I have been trying to get tickets, but they have been completely sold out for the time I am in New York. The article talks about other reviews, gives commentary from the performers, and describes the show without giving too much away (in case anyone is lucky enough to score tickets). It was extremely well written. By the end of the article, I was kicking myself for not purchasing tickets sooner. The show sounds fantastic, and I sincerely hope that someday I’ll get the chance to see it.
UPDATE: I GOT TICKETS!!!
By GIA KOURLAS
Published: September 6, 2011
Fantastic review of Punchdrunk’s “Sleep No More.” Completely engrossing. The article described the performance in a way that made me really want to see the piece. The truth is, I have been trying to get tickets, but they have been completely sold out for the time I am in New York. The article talks about other reviews, gives commentary from the performers, and describes the show without giving too much away (in case anyone is lucky enough to score tickets). It was extremely well written. By the end of the article, I was kicking myself for not purchasing tickets sooner. The show sounds fantastic, and I sincerely hope that someday I’ll get the chance to see it.
UPDATE: I GOT TICKETS!!!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Dances Viewed This Week
Thought of You by Ryan J Woodward
I had seen this video dance a couple of years ago and was floored by its simple beauty. The animation is amazing, and takes dance to that next level, where we can actually physically transform ourselves into something else, as opposed to simply suggesting it, as our limited human bodies force us to do.
La La La Human Steps / Édouard Lock
Crisp, clear, sharp movements all done on pointe. Two duets shown, both with one man and one woman. Men are relegated to being props, as the spotlight very clearly only stays on the women and the men are dressed entirely in black, with a black backdrop, meaning that their heads are all that can be seen.
I had seen this video dance a couple of years ago and was floored by its simple beauty. The animation is amazing, and takes dance to that next level, where we can actually physically transform ourselves into something else, as opposed to simply suggesting it, as our limited human bodies force us to do.
La La La Human Steps / Édouard Lock
Crisp, clear, sharp movements all done on pointe. Two duets shown, both with one man and one woman. Men are relegated to being props, as the spotlight very clearly only stays on the women and the men are dressed entirely in black, with a black backdrop, meaning that their heads are all that can be seen.
Dance Review Review
Hindu Mythology Comes to Life on the Streets of New York - New York Times
By ALASTAIR MACAULAY
Published: August 21, 2011
The author of this dance review spent the first half of the article talking about things that didn't have anything to do with dance itself, and then only glossed over the dances in the second half of the article. All in all, I felt as though I wasted my time reading the review, because I did not find it very informative.
By ALASTAIR MACAULAY
Published: August 21, 2011
The author of this dance review spent the first half of the article talking about things that didn't have anything to do with dance itself, and then only glossed over the dances in the second half of the article. All in all, I felt as though I wasted my time reading the review, because I did not find it very informative.
Lab 2
Lab 2 Video
Lab 2 was very intense for me. I brought three objects: a baby brush given to me at my birth, my favorite childhood stuffed extra-terrestrial, (E.T.) and a pillow my late grandmother had needle-pointed for me when I was born. At first, the rehearsal and the work created was about my childhood, having been known as Sam, my first name, until I went off to college at 18. Later on in the rehearsal, the subject changed to my late grandmother who died over fifteen years ago and with whom I was very close. I had a conversation with my mother about her, realizing that I knew very little about her besides the fact that she was my grandmother and she loved Thanksgiving and called me Sambo. I learned about her college experience, her battle with breast cancer, and a slew of other personal information that my mother requested I keep within the family. I found myself really missing her; something I haven't done for over a decade. It was interesting that this happened for me now, considering that my grandfather, her husband, died less than a year ago. In the end, there was some beautiful material, but I don't think I want to use any of it in the future.
Lab 2 was very intense for me. I brought three objects: a baby brush given to me at my birth, my favorite childhood stuffed extra-terrestrial, (E.T.) and a pillow my late grandmother had needle-pointed for me when I was born. At first, the rehearsal and the work created was about my childhood, having been known as Sam, my first name, until I went off to college at 18. Later on in the rehearsal, the subject changed to my late grandmother who died over fifteen years ago and with whom I was very close. I had a conversation with my mother about her, realizing that I knew very little about her besides the fact that she was my grandmother and she loved Thanksgiving and called me Sambo. I learned about her college experience, her battle with breast cancer, and a slew of other personal information that my mother requested I keep within the family. I found myself really missing her; something I haven't done for over a decade. It was interesting that this happened for me now, considering that my grandfather, her husband, died less than a year ago. In the end, there was some beautiful material, but I don't think I want to use any of it in the future.
Lab 1
Thursday, August 4, 2011
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