3.07.2021

On Sunday I was able to have dancers with me in the studio for the first time, beginning my rehearsal process in earnest. It’s really starting to hit me how little time we have, and how much there still is to do. Working with Mara and Helen, we reviewed the excerpt of choreography from the audition as well as the slower floor work part of the piece and the additional “frenzied movement” that I showed last Friday.

I also spent some time with them talking about the “how much can you take” sentiment that was expressed in my work and verbalized by Angie. They seemed eager to play with the “pilates position” and the strain inherent in it, and were interested in exploring those thoughts through improv. It’s a seed I really want to poke at during these first few weeks of rehearsals, I think it has the potential to grow in something really beautiful down the line.

Mara and Helen picked everything up fairly quickly and it’s becoming clear that I’ll need to have more choreography and more ideas prepared for each rehearsal than I thought. I don’t think I’ve appreciated before that choreographers have to work with two sets of artists, themselves and their dancers. For every hour I spend in the studio teaching and watching, I’ve spent at least as much time if not more preparing new choreography or thinking about how I can shape the dance going forward.

For now, here’s a video that captures all of the choreographic work from Sunday’s rehearsal, the improvisational work is recorded but I’m using it as a palette rather than something to present.

3.11.2021

Thursday night was our first all dancers called rehearsal, though only two were in the studio and the rest were attending through zoom. I shared more of my specific monotonous movement and prepared a section for our showing on Friday, playing with a duet and a trio who live in the same movment world but with a contrast in synchronization. I’m asking a lot of my dancers, having them dance together over zoom, learn timing and rippling effects without the benefit of working together. But they’re doing really well and are in good spirits.

I’m really excited to see the intensity with which they’re approaching the movement. I think as this piece sort of grows and spirals out of control, they’ll bring a good energy to the movement and be willing to take some risks.

3.12.2021

Showing the work in Hallie this afternoon was really exciting– it’s the first time I’ve truly seen all the dancers together and despite our strange method of rehearsal they were able to adapt to dancing with each other really well. The piece is a little flat at the moment, all in one color with one rhythm, but I think the color is coming.

I think I struggle to trust myself during the process but I do trust my dancers and my peers. I know that this journey will have an interesting end. I plan to spedn the next few rehearsals adding more complexity to the existing movement and starting to break into the freer looser sections of the piece. I want to play with color, momentum, and freedom.