Monday 11/5 D/D notes – Damaris
Ensemble: Tyler, Bobby absent
Some 1st year visitors and Nicollee
WHEN IS THE BEGINNING OF THE GAZE?
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Grid work
7:35 – 9:00 AUNTS
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
“The gaze”, not a piercing stare. Avery Britcom/Monty Python talky grid warm up
Barbara’s Evolution Musings Menu, Erika, Eliza, Damaris, Miriam, Laurie, Christa (Transformations/ Beneath the Forrest Floor Soundscape)
5 people in a Herd /swarm /flock while EL muses about evolution on musing stool, move stool through the four quads during musing.
BD coached Eliza and at one point directed KK to take rock basket in and start arranging.
Post AUNT Discussion:
ChR Something about les pressure felt good in the herd, MB it was that there were only 5 of us in the herd? MB because Eliza was a counterpoint?
MW we stayed with something until it actually evolved
CR Soundscore, Eliza’s theme and the herd and the rocks were all very connected and supportive of each other. Hard to know from the outside what in particular you were leaning into
BD that was a 17 min AUNT
KK it models for me that we can hang out here for a while
BD yes, it is at a point where it would be luscious to “hang out”. I want to get to longer AUNTS, but with full attention. Staying awake in the middle of the action
BD revisits Solo Quads AUNT (desert winds Soundscape)
BD musing about the individual items you throw away.
Post- AUNT Discussion:
Many were not aware that this indeed was an AUNT, although it was in the solo quad form
EL Once we all start talking a lot, is it hard to return back to not talking?
EB When it like that it feels very much in the nervous system, I wonder how we can work with text as an element, MB in the abstract, as text permeates through space, it becomes predominant, it puts everything else in the background
EL In the first AUNT tonight, I didn’t feel I was in my nervous system – how can I find it conversationally with others?
BD I don’t think anything is wrong, there’s change and we’re talking about it in a bigger way, if we don’t play we can’t have this conversation, but MB we should keep the form of the stool as the talking format
MW yeah, originally in the solos if you were speaking you were not moving through space
BD perhaps we are looking at the weakening of the AUNT form into deep play with each other?
Discussion about realizing the Desert Quads was an AUNT with a menu, not simply solo practice, discussion as to what the order/inclusion of forms should be in our warm-up and when the gazers should join us. Is the gaze present during any portion of w-ups?
ChR when is the beginning of the gaze?
BD when the gaze is in the room the director’s chair is activated. MB we can rotate weekly with grid, flock, solo quad practices as w-up out of personal awareness practice
For next week the gaze will begin at 7:40 with Solo Quad Desert Aunt BD will be specific about menu
Eliza’s Grooming Menu – a gestation AUNT, Erika, Damaris, Miriam, Laurie, Barbara, Cara (Eric Satie music) Christa
Three couples (each A and B) nourish each other (deep play) by first A’s taking weight/wringing out muscles, the directed by Eliza switching
At Eliza’s direction Christa crossed from usl reading a passage about wasting time from “The Path is the Goal”
No speech, sound OK if it comes out of the tissues
Housekeeping
Is 12/3 an evolution of the intention to make work to share for others…
In addition to 12/3 we’ve been invited to participate in
Community Center Shambhala week
Practice Day 4pm
Performance Space Denver Art Museum
Faculty Showing
WHAT DO WE WANT FROM THE GAZE? ON 12/3 IN PARTICULAR?
An AUNT being a community event – a party- as in NYC. The “big event” of December 3rd - what does it mean? Are we coming up with an evening menu for the whole event? A marking of the end of the first semester?
When shall we schedule a post 12/3 reflection meeting? Will we stay to talk directly after? (KK can only attend if we do so this way)
IDEAS for 12/3
Maybe for 12/3 we cobble AUNTS together? Let’s look at the menus we have, let’s see what’s made its way into our mythology (tea!)
1. Encourage some monologues/musings about the process
2. Make a menu for the evening, but even during the sequence the director’s chair could be open!
Maybe it would be fun to spend the Monday before (11/26) playing in it?
Put out an invitation announcement and include to BYOCup or 5 cents for a paper cup for tea.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Monday 10/15 D/D notes – Damaris
Monday 10/15 D/D notes – Damaris
Cara, Erika, Eliza and Laurie out
No visitors
Ensemble: MW, KK, TR, BR. CR. BD, DW
WHILE THEY WEREN’T LOOKING
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Solo Quads (20 min improv)
7:35 – 9:00 Exercises
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
Solo Quads:
In solos quads at the beginning a quad started before Miriam had rolled all the way out of the warm up space and was technically “caught” as being in a solo, yet was in the middle of two spaces…later a prop –cushion was thrown in, and it propelled direct communication.
Calling attention to the form (I didn’t say beginning, did you notice?) within the form, heavy influence.
Dialogue a scene between KK and TR
Differentiate the language
BD The solos quad was all about relationship, yet comfortability in having solos (a foundation to go back to)
MW I found myself feeling fuzzy about the level of strictness in my solo. (not tight enough)
BD We’re you feeling fuzzyness from others?
MW Yeah, I guess, when two were dialoguing I felt that I could not keep in together.
BD If it starts to mutate too quickly, the system has to re-stabilize. When someone comes and holds a square clearly it helps re-establish solo quads form.
KK ‘Cause when we started (Miriam was still rolling slowly out) I thought ‘wow, she’s taking two squares!”
BD How we go about playing in improvisational forms, when do we tighten back into the form of the quad?
KK Personally I want to end w-up and have open space and then have empty space and then go into solo quads.
BD How do we allow for evolution?
MW I am missing the open grid for people to come in and out of if they want to.
BD In this solo quad there was a lot of multi awareness activity with solo quads being held onto and also connection between the individuals in the quads…Look at Miriam’s desire for tighter form and the grid. Watch for the mutation…
KK Yeah, I knew when I was crossing the line
BD Being able to hold two things at the same time.
KK You’re talking about both and?
BD Precision of solo quad, yet allowing the mutation
KK I have a desire to be coached, but at the same time I didn’t allow myself to stay in uncomfortable-ness
BREAK
Christa leads an exercise in entraining (getting in synch with the dominant energy) that led into flocking work.
Post exercise discussion:
BD Could we do this with the gaze in the room? Also Christa was kind of directing fro within the exercise. Perhaps a step between coaching and directing – the performance and it’s parameters,
KK Had to stay with the moment that felt awkward or shy…but that’s how it is.
BD Tension between surrendering to something else and individuating
CR I noticed that (Bobby) was a free radical in the flocking for some time – highlighted the balance between the group going one way and/or choosing to get in synch with the last member of the group
Christa’s Entraining Flocking Menu, Barbara, Katharine duet speaking, Tyler Damaris duet, no text
Start as a flocking clump with one person at the tip of the clump leading. Exploring breathe, then movement, then energy throughout. Start with a slow tempo and then let tempo evolve. Levels. Influence from duets.
Post AUNT discussion:
BD Christa was giving really specific instruction throughout, very unusual.
KK I would like to be able to hear instructions but not have to do it right away.
BD …and I would like to give instruction and not have it smother where someone is. So that’s a question, how to stay with ourselves and take instruction?
Housekeeping
Tea was a great success for us! We now have a tea sign up sheet as a “little job”.
Cara, Erika, Eliza and Laurie out
No visitors
Ensemble: MW, KK, TR, BR. CR. BD, DW
WHILE THEY WEREN’T LOOKING
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Solo Quads (20 min improv)
7:35 – 9:00 Exercises
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
Solo Quads:
In solos quads at the beginning a quad started before Miriam had rolled all the way out of the warm up space and was technically “caught” as being in a solo, yet was in the middle of two spaces…later a prop –cushion was thrown in, and it propelled direct communication.
Calling attention to the form (I didn’t say beginning, did you notice?) within the form, heavy influence.
Dialogue a scene between KK and TR
Differentiate the language
BD The solos quad was all about relationship, yet comfortability in having solos (a foundation to go back to)
MW I found myself feeling fuzzy about the level of strictness in my solo. (not tight enough)
BD We’re you feeling fuzzyness from others?
MW Yeah, I guess, when two were dialoguing I felt that I could not keep in together.
BD If it starts to mutate too quickly, the system has to re-stabilize. When someone comes and holds a square clearly it helps re-establish solo quads form.
KK ‘Cause when we started (Miriam was still rolling slowly out) I thought ‘wow, she’s taking two squares!”
BD How we go about playing in improvisational forms, when do we tighten back into the form of the quad?
KK Personally I want to end w-up and have open space and then have empty space and then go into solo quads.
BD How do we allow for evolution?
MW I am missing the open grid for people to come in and out of if they want to.
BD In this solo quad there was a lot of multi awareness activity with solo quads being held onto and also connection between the individuals in the quads…Look at Miriam’s desire for tighter form and the grid. Watch for the mutation…
KK Yeah, I knew when I was crossing the line
BD Being able to hold two things at the same time.
KK You’re talking about both and?
BD Precision of solo quad, yet allowing the mutation
KK I have a desire to be coached, but at the same time I didn’t allow myself to stay in uncomfortable-ness
BREAK
Christa leads an exercise in entraining (getting in synch with the dominant energy) that led into flocking work.
Post exercise discussion:
BD Could we do this with the gaze in the room? Also Christa was kind of directing fro within the exercise. Perhaps a step between coaching and directing – the performance and it’s parameters,
KK Had to stay with the moment that felt awkward or shy…but that’s how it is.
BD Tension between surrendering to something else and individuating
CR I noticed that (Bobby) was a free radical in the flocking for some time – highlighted the balance between the group going one way and/or choosing to get in synch with the last member of the group
Christa’s Entraining Flocking Menu, Barbara, Katharine duet speaking, Tyler Damaris duet, no text
Start as a flocking clump with one person at the tip of the clump leading. Exploring breathe, then movement, then energy throughout. Start with a slow tempo and then let tempo evolve. Levels. Influence from duets.
Post AUNT discussion:
BD Christa was giving really specific instruction throughout, very unusual.
KK I would like to be able to hear instructions but not have to do it right away.
BD …and I would like to give instruction and not have it smother where someone is. So that’s a question, how to stay with ourselves and take instruction?
Housekeeping
Tea was a great success for us! We now have a tea sign up sheet as a “little job”.
Monday 10/23 D/D notes – Damaris
Monday 10/23 D/D notes – Damaris
All ensemble present
Several 1st year visitors
WHOLESOME AUNTS WITH PRARIE BONNETS
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Solo Quads (20 min improv)
7:35 – 9:00 Exercises
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
Solo Quads:
BD coaches. Start in silence. After 2nd person enters a quad the sound environment starts (CD-desert winds). This time no one jumped up to start, we waited maybe one whole minute! BD used elements from America the Beautiful AUNT. Longer improv, evolved/coached into text, people joining in quads, quads dissolving and becoming a flock/swarm, Miriam basket rocks and rules of rocks, song, coaching.
Post Quad Discussion:
Development growing structure, sticking with structure, evolving structure (alpha dog concept). How strict are we with the form? MW says the form itself can be alpha dog
CR form is a director, especially if you’re not working with one in the room.
ChR I thin some people are more eager to break form right away – for me that always makes me anxious when that happens
BD when I coach wholesome and relaxed not to be influenced by the gaze, to be an entertainer – rest with the experience.
EB form holds the container of space, I feel form hold space, that’s when loosing the form gets fuzzy, when we’re trying to fill space instead of doing what space tells
MW also when I’m not clear about the form it’s harder because I get fuzzy, not me choosing not to do the form, but unclear about what the rules are now..
BD How do we stabilize the evolution? It’s not tidy by nature
LL I feel that the group is pulling it to be tidy, but I think naturally it would pull itself around
BD to feel you don’t have to worry about fixing it.; you can fall into repetition OR tolerate the untidiness.
KK possibility to stay in the untidiness, with the wandering thing
BD find out how to take your inner practice, your instincts for what will keep you wholesome and relaxed – that’s performer’s responsibility
CR when there’s lots of stuff (people props, text) I can’t track it all, so I can choose to stay with what I’m doing and work foreground or background and trust the others (like being on the grid)
BD Maybe we can have a soft grid a the beginning?
CR Yeah, coaching all those things on the grid we would be able to fall back on, a vocabulary and shared awareness
EL Yes, but I wonder too what would happen if we didn’t “train” that? If we let it evolve unchecked?
EB Just confirming that wholesome and relaxed doesn’t mean feeling a specific way
BD yes, anxiety arises around the unknown, waiting in relaxed and wholesomeness is embodying your situation, intentionally being here after I’ve let go of neurosis.
EB for me being coached to “stay with it” really helps me achieve that
Cara’s Grid One Menu, Erika, Christa, Eliza, Miriam, Tyler
Five on the grid
Decide on the spot on three shared gestures (back hand slap, throw up, fall to side, side knee kick)
On grid play with gestures
Work wit h seeing the space in between, closed eyes, direct eye contact
Work wit h repetition, retrieval and influence
Random (whatever’s in the player) music can play
Post AUNT discussion:
CR It’s nice to remember how we get to cannons. Satisfying to create relationship and see language in the space.
Barbara’s three desolate talking chairs Menu, Cara Eliza, Laurie
BD calls B, M, E and BD coaches
Three people in three chairs have a conversation about “what is desolate?”
Some kind of shadow can have response in the background (these people or person can go in and out)
Post AUNT discussion:
BD Speakers were generous and immediate. Sometimes the moving of chairs was flamboyant. It would be interesting to revisit this form a few times with the same performers.
CR inside it when I felt self conscious I felt I could lean into someone else’s posture, mood, etc.
Housekeeping
This Sunday dinner at Erika’s 6pm
A discussion where it was made clear to everyone that for now the gazers are only from the first year and second year of the current MFA. Feeling arose that it was weird that watchers came in during mediation and personal w-up. For now they will be invited at 7:40.
All ensemble present
Several 1st year visitors
WHOLESOME AUNTS WITH PRARIE BONNETS
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Solo Quads (20 min improv)
7:35 – 9:00 Exercises
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
Solo Quads:
BD coaches. Start in silence. After 2nd person enters a quad the sound environment starts (CD-desert winds). This time no one jumped up to start, we waited maybe one whole minute! BD used elements from America the Beautiful AUNT. Longer improv, evolved/coached into text, people joining in quads, quads dissolving and becoming a flock/swarm, Miriam basket rocks and rules of rocks, song, coaching.
Post Quad Discussion:
Development growing structure, sticking with structure, evolving structure (alpha dog concept). How strict are we with the form? MW says the form itself can be alpha dog
CR form is a director, especially if you’re not working with one in the room.
ChR I thin some people are more eager to break form right away – for me that always makes me anxious when that happens
BD when I coach wholesome and relaxed not to be influenced by the gaze, to be an entertainer – rest with the experience.
EB form holds the container of space, I feel form hold space, that’s when loosing the form gets fuzzy, when we’re trying to fill space instead of doing what space tells
MW also when I’m not clear about the form it’s harder because I get fuzzy, not me choosing not to do the form, but unclear about what the rules are now..
BD How do we stabilize the evolution? It’s not tidy by nature
LL I feel that the group is pulling it to be tidy, but I think naturally it would pull itself around
BD to feel you don’t have to worry about fixing it.; you can fall into repetition OR tolerate the untidiness.
KK possibility to stay in the untidiness, with the wandering thing
BD find out how to take your inner practice, your instincts for what will keep you wholesome and relaxed – that’s performer’s responsibility
CR when there’s lots of stuff (people props, text) I can’t track it all, so I can choose to stay with what I’m doing and work foreground or background and trust the others (like being on the grid)
BD Maybe we can have a soft grid a the beginning?
CR Yeah, coaching all those things on the grid we would be able to fall back on, a vocabulary and shared awareness
EL Yes, but I wonder too what would happen if we didn’t “train” that? If we let it evolve unchecked?
EB Just confirming that wholesome and relaxed doesn’t mean feeling a specific way
BD yes, anxiety arises around the unknown, waiting in relaxed and wholesomeness is embodying your situation, intentionally being here after I’ve let go of neurosis.
EB for me being coached to “stay with it” really helps me achieve that
Cara’s Grid One Menu, Erika, Christa, Eliza, Miriam, Tyler
Five on the grid
Decide on the spot on three shared gestures (back hand slap, throw up, fall to side, side knee kick)
On grid play with gestures
Work wit h seeing the space in between, closed eyes, direct eye contact
Work wit h repetition, retrieval and influence
Random (whatever’s in the player) music can play
Post AUNT discussion:
CR It’s nice to remember how we get to cannons. Satisfying to create relationship and see language in the space.
Barbara’s three desolate talking chairs Menu, Cara Eliza, Laurie
BD calls B, M, E and BD coaches
Three people in three chairs have a conversation about “what is desolate?”
Some kind of shadow can have response in the background (these people or person can go in and out)
Post AUNT discussion:
BD Speakers were generous and immediate. Sometimes the moving of chairs was flamboyant. It would be interesting to revisit this form a few times with the same performers.
CR inside it when I felt self conscious I felt I could lean into someone else’s posture, mood, etc.
Housekeeping
This Sunday dinner at Erika’s 6pm
A discussion where it was made clear to everyone that for now the gazers are only from the first year and second year of the current MFA. Feeling arose that it was weird that watchers came in during mediation and personal w-up. For now they will be invited at 7:40.
Mon October 29th D/D notes– Damaris
Monday 10/29 D/D notes – Damaris
Ensemble: LL, MW, EL absent
Several 1st year visitors and Cynthia
DEVELOPING IN OVERLAPPING WAVES
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Grid work
7:35 – 9:00 AUNTS
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
Garbage Musings
BD introduces the “musing stool”, it can be used at anytime, a person sits on it and muses or monologues about a particular subject.
Barbara’s Garbage Musings Menu, Erika, Tyler, Damaris, Katharine
Herd swarm /flock while BD muses about garbage
BD requests that someone coaches
Damaris’ Wholesome Aunts with Bonnets Menu, Erika, Cara, Bobby, Christa
Three people and Cara- pick three gestures on the spot
4 solo quads, use the three gestures, work in the back of your mind with the themes of desolate and delight
Cara in dsl quad talks about her feelings surrounding the word wholesome while putting on prairie costume dress with bonnet
When Cara is dressed and finished talking, she slowly transitions to joining and flocking with USR quad. At the same point the other quads can begin to take influence from each other and then gradually transition to one flock
Once the flock is established music (gene autry home on the range) will play, take 30% influence of music. When song is over so is AUNT
Post AUNT Discussion:
Evolution has a swing back to things we know about. Recycling.
BD interested in the energetic flow using what we know and starting to recycle back.
CR also the fact that it became personal from a performative POV has to do with our history and context, it ups the ante (auntie)
BD Recycle – it’s not that you “do the same thing” it will transform if you let it cultivate
Using our own knots for material, not having to create from anew. Rest in not knowing when anxiety comes – tune into space and see what the story is.
Solo Quads (desert winds Soundscape)
Musing Stool: Katharine muses about her high school summer in Pawtucket; Tyler realizes “I wasted all this time moving when I could have been saying something uncomfortable!”
Post-Quad Discussion:
BD The first time an AUNT is visited it’s raw and complete and celebrated AND there’s a yearning to call back the AUNT. BD invites us to follow that impulse!
CR Can you call an AUNT back as a performer and ask someone to coach you?
BD form, holding form, letting it become fuzzy
KK I think something w/ the grid w-up helped me better keep the quad boundaries, yet have interaction
CR where is development in all this?
BD the culture is developing
KK so, if you are interested in something/you have a thing/you can make an AUNT to explore it?
BD yes, the system is calling for it Developing a culture that simply makes these performances for others and to be un -self-conscious, not lazy and full of subconscious gossip
Tyler & Cara’s All around Sound Menu, Damaris. Tyler, Bobby
Space defined by a smaller red square
Tyler sings his homage to Ethie’s version of a JR Burke song
Bobby is to work with influence and repetition, Damaris with long form retrieval and repetition.
Post AUNT discussion:
CR Satisfying to see long form retrieval, and the heightened quality of listening
BD revisits Tyler & Cara’s All around Sound Menu, Entire ensemble
Tyler sings same song crossing in a slow diagonal usl to dsr
Everyone else lying on their backs equidistance from each other, working with lying down, sitting, imitation. Active w/in your kinisphere, no moving through space.
AUNT ends when Tyler reaches ds corner
Post AUNT discussion:
Kk I could have done it as a practice (that’s sustainability!)
Everyone notes that its simplicity was so satisfying
BD some image of laying AUNTS, so one could make a developmental process where perhaps there are three other events happening around one AUNT. We don’t develop linearly.
Christa’s Evening Retrieval AUNT Menu, Barbara, Bobby, Tyler
Three equi-distant us/ds corridors, all start at us wall
Performers remember the time line of the evening, using retrieval to go back to any gesture, text, movement, and theme. Listen to each other
You can go Up and down in the corridor, but when you reach the very ds the AUNT is over
Post AUNT discussion:
Everyone notes “how nice to be in the “joke” very satisfying way (for performers and gazers) to wrap up the evening- to watch our minds working, we’re in the immediacy of it
Housekeeping
No Bobby or Tyler next week
Ensemble: LL, MW, EL absent
Several 1st year visitors and Cynthia
DEVELOPING IN OVERLAPPING WAVES
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Grid work
7:35 – 9:00 AUNTS
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
Garbage Musings
BD introduces the “musing stool”, it can be used at anytime, a person sits on it and muses or monologues about a particular subject.
Barbara’s Garbage Musings Menu, Erika, Tyler, Damaris, Katharine
Herd swarm /flock while BD muses about garbage
BD requests that someone coaches
Damaris’ Wholesome Aunts with Bonnets Menu, Erika, Cara, Bobby, Christa
Three people and Cara- pick three gestures on the spot
4 solo quads, use the three gestures, work in the back of your mind with the themes of desolate and delight
Cara in dsl quad talks about her feelings surrounding the word wholesome while putting on prairie costume dress with bonnet
When Cara is dressed and finished talking, she slowly transitions to joining and flocking with USR quad. At the same point the other quads can begin to take influence from each other and then gradually transition to one flock
Once the flock is established music (gene autry home on the range) will play, take 30% influence of music. When song is over so is AUNT
Post AUNT Discussion:
Evolution has a swing back to things we know about. Recycling.
BD interested in the energetic flow using what we know and starting to recycle back.
CR also the fact that it became personal from a performative POV has to do with our history and context, it ups the ante (auntie)
BD Recycle – it’s not that you “do the same thing” it will transform if you let it cultivate
Using our own knots for material, not having to create from anew. Rest in not knowing when anxiety comes – tune into space and see what the story is.
Solo Quads (desert winds Soundscape)
Musing Stool: Katharine muses about her high school summer in Pawtucket; Tyler realizes “I wasted all this time moving when I could have been saying something uncomfortable!”
Post-Quad Discussion:
BD The first time an AUNT is visited it’s raw and complete and celebrated AND there’s a yearning to call back the AUNT. BD invites us to follow that impulse!
CR Can you call an AUNT back as a performer and ask someone to coach you?
BD form, holding form, letting it become fuzzy
KK I think something w/ the grid w-up helped me better keep the quad boundaries, yet have interaction
CR where is development in all this?
BD the culture is developing
KK so, if you are interested in something/you have a thing/you can make an AUNT to explore it?
BD yes, the system is calling for it Developing a culture that simply makes these performances for others and to be un -self-conscious, not lazy and full of subconscious gossip
Tyler & Cara’s All around Sound Menu, Damaris. Tyler, Bobby
Space defined by a smaller red square
Tyler sings his homage to Ethie’s version of a JR Burke song
Bobby is to work with influence and repetition, Damaris with long form retrieval and repetition.
Post AUNT discussion:
CR Satisfying to see long form retrieval, and the heightened quality of listening
BD revisits Tyler & Cara’s All around Sound Menu, Entire ensemble
Tyler sings same song crossing in a slow diagonal usl to dsr
Everyone else lying on their backs equidistance from each other, working with lying down, sitting, imitation. Active w/in your kinisphere, no moving through space.
AUNT ends when Tyler reaches ds corner
Post AUNT discussion:
Kk I could have done it as a practice (that’s sustainability!)
Everyone notes that its simplicity was so satisfying
BD some image of laying AUNTS, so one could make a developmental process where perhaps there are three other events happening around one AUNT. We don’t develop linearly.
Christa’s Evening Retrieval AUNT Menu, Barbara, Bobby, Tyler
Three equi-distant us/ds corridors, all start at us wall
Performers remember the time line of the evening, using retrieval to go back to any gesture, text, movement, and theme. Listen to each other
You can go Up and down in the corridor, but when you reach the very ds the AUNT is over
Post AUNT discussion:
Everyone notes “how nice to be in the “joke” very satisfying way (for performers and gazers) to wrap up the evening- to watch our minds working, we’re in the immediacy of it
Housekeeping
No Bobby or Tyler next week
Monday October 8th Desolate Delight notes
Monday 10/8 D/D notes – Damaris
Cara out
Erica Berg visits
Joan B visits (w/ video camera)
THE CHAIR IS OPEN
Or a little kiss, then we’ll make out
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Solo Quads (20 min improv)
7:35 – 9:00 Exercises
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
BD’s Revisits Desert Winds Quad Menu Scott Smallwood music- 20 minutes, BME called
Ensemble
BD specified beg, middle, end
Scott Smallwood desert wind track which BD turned on and off (might be interesting to start at another place in the track?)
20 minutes Solo quads with everything the culture has brought to it…
BREAK
BD The chair is open.
Katharine’s Interstitial Ripple Menu, KK calls B M E with a bell
Swarmers: Swarm has two types of movement, which Katharine might coach. All beigin lying in corpse position scattered throughout room. The main talk is to come together as a swarm, but you must stay down on the ground. All movement must be proximal OR distal (still swarming) on the floor always.
Monologues: Three monologues by one to three people who arise from the swarm to standing in order to speak:
Section one: Talk about what it’s like to have to hold up the weight of your own head. Laurie
Section Two: Talk about something that you’re passionate about, politics, a rant. Eliza
Section three: Tell a secret that you’ve never told, in a mumbling way, a whisper so that we can’t quite make it out. Miriam.
Katharine will ring the bell to end the section.
Christa’s Questions Menu,
A clump in center with a tall person (Damaris) in the middle, facing forward. Tall person uses values of isolation in a group and is not clumping.
Clump: try not to allow center person to get out, work with collapsing, initiating from the head (like those little toys figurines on a round stand where you push underneath the stand and the toy collapses). Clump kinesthetically respond.
At some point the whole clump collapses. The sole survivor (the tall one) relates in some way to the fallen clump and somehow ends.
Simultaneously a separate person sitting dsr reads a passage from Rilke. One time straight, then repeats with more freedom. Reader is influenced by the clump, but not physically involved.
Barbara revisits her America the Beautiful Menu, BD call B M E
BD wants to up the tension btw the rocks and the clump, she has the vision that maybe in the course of an evening that the rocks don’t get picked up immediately after this AUNT, but that they stay and become a part of something else. Looking for places where space can give us synchronicity.
Carol as the coacher of singing becoming clear with her image as “the coach”
Five in a flock/swarm
Every once in a while someone falls, and then all fall
Another person is laying pebble rocks from a basket, demarcating space – this line of rocks the flock cannot cross
The pebble layer sings “America the Beautiful” and must finish laying all the rocks in the basket by the time the song is over. Miriam
Another person coaches the singing of the rock layer Carol
Post AUNT discussion:
The clump became more aggressive and eventually walked through the rocks. Carol was clearer on her vision as the coach. More dynamic was established between rocks and clump.
EB Had an elk decorum herding impression, maybe for next week.
Laurie’s Laugh on Back/Birthday Story Menu,
Swarm/flock/herd with random action of “laughing goose on the back” from our mythology. USL on cushions Damaris talks about her birthday weekend.
Post AUNT discussion;
MW the laugh, I rarely feel that it’s real. Should I be acting it?
BD What’s the matter if it’s not real? Imitation of the laugh, or coax it along until perhaps it becomes genuine.
DW Surrender
BD How do we serve an AUNT? How do we recall material?
EL Is it part of my menu giving out what I want (product) to evoke this or that feel, to produce this or that tension?
BD The chair is open
GAP no one got up to take the directors chair
BD Just to note this is the first tiem no one got immediately into the chair. In a period of waiting not to be anxious, to allow space.
KK For your first dip into in AUNT it’s kinda like A little kiss, then we’ll make out.
BD Where are we in setting up the values in the culture that are blocking things? How do we stay responsive? Sustain ourselves?
CR …or raise our chi? Perhaps part of the warm-up could be flocking and swarming.
BD Yes! It could come after the solos. The solos did evolve into the swarm. So next time 20 minutes of solo that will evolve into swarm and Christa will guide.
Housekeeping
BD has put out a sign up sheet for Monday night gazers, Bobby will set up chairs for how many people are expected to come.
Discussion about video camera and visiting gaze guests:
Generally people felt a need to formally acknowledge the guests in some way. Also to somehow fill them in (BD will create a context and guidelines sheet for the visitors).
The ensemble was surprised and in the back of everyone’s minds somewhat confused that Joan brought a video camera and recorded. BD forgot to inform group that this would happen. Joan will make a written proposal to the ensemble about videotaping and what she wants to do with this documentation.
Cara out
Erica Berg visits
Joan B visits (w/ video camera)
THE CHAIR IS OPEN
Or a little kiss, then we’ll make out
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Solo Quads (20 min improv)
7:35 – 9:00 Exercises
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
BD’s Revisits Desert Winds Quad Menu Scott Smallwood music- 20 minutes, BME called
Ensemble
BD specified beg, middle, end
Scott Smallwood desert wind track which BD turned on and off (might be interesting to start at another place in the track?)
20 minutes Solo quads with everything the culture has brought to it…
BREAK
BD The chair is open.
Katharine’s Interstitial Ripple Menu, KK calls B M E with a bell
Swarmers: Swarm has two types of movement, which Katharine might coach. All beigin lying in corpse position scattered throughout room. The main talk is to come together as a swarm, but you must stay down on the ground. All movement must be proximal OR distal (still swarming) on the floor always.
Monologues: Three monologues by one to three people who arise from the swarm to standing in order to speak:
Section one: Talk about what it’s like to have to hold up the weight of your own head. Laurie
Section Two: Talk about something that you’re passionate about, politics, a rant. Eliza
Section three: Tell a secret that you’ve never told, in a mumbling way, a whisper so that we can’t quite make it out. Miriam.
Katharine will ring the bell to end the section.
Christa’s Questions Menu,
A clump in center with a tall person (Damaris) in the middle, facing forward. Tall person uses values of isolation in a group and is not clumping.
Clump: try not to allow center person to get out, work with collapsing, initiating from the head (like those little toys figurines on a round stand where you push underneath the stand and the toy collapses). Clump kinesthetically respond.
At some point the whole clump collapses. The sole survivor (the tall one) relates in some way to the fallen clump and somehow ends.
Simultaneously a separate person sitting dsr reads a passage from Rilke. One time straight, then repeats with more freedom. Reader is influenced by the clump, but not physically involved.
Barbara revisits her America the Beautiful Menu, BD call B M E
BD wants to up the tension btw the rocks and the clump, she has the vision that maybe in the course of an evening that the rocks don’t get picked up immediately after this AUNT, but that they stay and become a part of something else. Looking for places where space can give us synchronicity.
Carol as the coacher of singing becoming clear with her image as “the coach”
Five in a flock/swarm
Every once in a while someone falls, and then all fall
Another person is laying pebble rocks from a basket, demarcating space – this line of rocks the flock cannot cross
The pebble layer sings “America the Beautiful” and must finish laying all the rocks in the basket by the time the song is over. Miriam
Another person coaches the singing of the rock layer Carol
Post AUNT discussion:
The clump became more aggressive and eventually walked through the rocks. Carol was clearer on her vision as the coach. More dynamic was established between rocks and clump.
EB Had an elk decorum herding impression, maybe for next week.
Laurie’s Laugh on Back/Birthday Story Menu,
Swarm/flock/herd with random action of “laughing goose on the back” from our mythology. USL on cushions Damaris talks about her birthday weekend.
Post AUNT discussion;
MW the laugh, I rarely feel that it’s real. Should I be acting it?
BD What’s the matter if it’s not real? Imitation of the laugh, or coax it along until perhaps it becomes genuine.
DW Surrender
BD How do we serve an AUNT? How do we recall material?
EL Is it part of my menu giving out what I want (product) to evoke this or that feel, to produce this or that tension?
BD The chair is open
GAP no one got up to take the directors chair
BD Just to note this is the first tiem no one got immediately into the chair. In a period of waiting not to be anxious, to allow space.
KK For your first dip into in AUNT it’s kinda like A little kiss, then we’ll make out.
BD Where are we in setting up the values in the culture that are blocking things? How do we stay responsive? Sustain ourselves?
CR …or raise our chi? Perhaps part of the warm-up could be flocking and swarming.
BD Yes! It could come after the solos. The solos did evolve into the swarm. So next time 20 minutes of solo that will evolve into swarm and Christa will guide.
Housekeeping
BD has put out a sign up sheet for Monday night gazers, Bobby will set up chairs for how many people are expected to come.
Discussion about video camera and visiting gaze guests:
Generally people felt a need to formally acknowledge the guests in some way. Also to somehow fill them in (BD will create a context and guidelines sheet for the visitors).
The ensemble was surprised and in the back of everyone’s minds somewhat confused that Joan brought a video camera and recorded. BD forgot to inform group that this would happen. Joan will make a written proposal to the ensemble about videotaping and what she wants to do with this documentation.
Mon October 1 D/D notes
Monday 10/1 D/D notes – Damaris
AUNTS IN YOUR PANTS
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Solo Quads (20 min improv)
7:35 – 9:00 Exercises
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
Coming out of warm-up you can claim a quad as we make the transition to quad solo work. Tonight we will only spend 20 min in quad –
BD’s Desert Winds Quad Menu Scott Smallwood music- 20 minutes, BME called
Ensemble
BD specified beg, middle, end
Scott Smallwood desert wind track which BD turned on and off (might be interesting to start at another place in the track?)
20 minutes Solo quads with everything the culture has brought to it…
Soundscape influenced, a desolate quality in desert wind sound.
Trends of humming from Tyler “this is almost the end”.
BD asks to be coached as she enters, Eliza says yes, and enters BD”s quad w/ her
Katharine asks watchers for specific verbal support
What is influence? Katharine & Laurie’s on all 4s in separate quads, Laurie & Erika’s slow mo walk in separate quads. BD calls end for her solo, then Eliza (who had been coaching her) took her quad but it felt like she continued working with some of BD’s imagery. At the end Carol and Erika were the only two in a quad. Carol was hot and wanted to take her sweater off, but the black sweater was covering her pink top. This became a verbal struggle, which Erika joined. At the end Carol and Erika had turned their quads into two corridors (us/ds) and were racing back and forth. Moments of beautiful serendipity, a dynamic dance. BD called beg, middle, end to each section of the quad.
Now in the domain of making AUNTS
Post AUNT discussion;
BD What happened an evolution the system evolved between
Carol and Erika a ground has been laid and then they took it and went. Director takes responsibility for duration.
A thing I hope we can develop is a notion of consensus that “it’s over”. In this case the sound environment helped. Also calling beginning, middle, end. The duet of Carl and Erika, these were all things that supported that. In this there was a beginning of some kind of dialogue between watchers and soloists WATCH FOR instincts to do something, but then holding back from the impulse. Tremendous intelligence to do so, have that restraint, but at the same time, being true to following where the SYSTEM needs to explore.
KK I feel trust is being developed that allows me to call out to the audience
BD possibilities, visions, inspirations- each person could make a list of the places in their lives that these happen.
On Decorum:
BD Being witnessed is very important, but leave to g to the bathroom when you need, maybe then we’ll get more used to the door of the studio opening and closing, it’s not so precious.
BD models an AUNT
BD’s America the Beautiful Menu, BD call B M E
Five in a flock/swarm
Every once in a while someone falls, and then all fall
Another person is laying pebble rocks from a basket, demarcating space – this line of rocks the flock cannot cross
The pebble layer sings “America the Beautiful” and must finish laying all the rocks in the basket by the time the song is over.
Another person coaches the singing of the rock layer
Post AUNT discussion;
Revision of some instructions from the inside. After AUNT is created, the creator has first dibs on revisiting, then the AUNT is opened to the ensemble.
Q Can the creator of an AUNT claim that no one touches hers?
BD Hmm, not sure
BD You can bring music costumes and props for your AUNT, but they may show up again in another AUNT. Waiting is an essential value of the culture. We’re willing to wait until we know what to do. Waiting cuts anxiety.
Eliza’s Rouge Drag Menu, Soundscore Eric Satie
Damaris, Tyler, Barbara, Bobby, Cara
One corridor in the middle (about 1/3rd of the studio)
Work with
Foreground and background
Drag, pour, fall, carry
Delayed influence
Bobby’s Guardian Angels Menu,
Speakers: Laurie, Carol, Tyler,
Movers: Christa, Eliza, Katharine
3Threee speakers usr with no movement. Each one is the guardian/responsible for one of the soloists who are dsl. Speakers give instructions (like directing a solo) regarding gaze, tempo, etc.
Bobby calls B M, speaker calls End
This resulted in three different endings!
Post AUNT discussion;
Feedback from the inside and director’s intentions.
BD revisits Bobby’s Guardian Angels Menu,
Speakers: Laurie, Carol, Tyler,
Movers: Christa, Eliza, Katharine
Same spatial arrangement
BD instructs speakers to repeat any of the instructions they gave before (regardless of what their soloist is doing)
Start with the movement trio formation facing ds. Pick up, put down influence and gaze without effort.
Cara’s Little Bunnies Menu, sections called by Cara
Damaris, Carol, Erika
Part One: Each in one of three parallel us/ds (corridors, work with delayed influence
Part Two: Two (not determined who) duet in one corridor, 3rd watches and uses, and reacts to influence vocally/verbally
Part Three: All switch places from their original corridor (but each back in a separate corridor) using retrieval of any movement or moments explored thus far in this AUNT
Post AUNT discussion;
Feedback from the inside and director’s intentions.
BD We’ll continue from here with an understanding that we’re trying to retrieve some of this material. The system isn’t firing into newness all the time, that’s not sustainable – it’ll burn out. Recycling. Some from our direct perception and some from intuition. Not to have to be clever and original.
KK It’s so relaxing to hear you say that. I was already thinking “I wonder what I could figure out for next time..”
BD Yes, there’s no need to float the AUNT up in the sky, we can just change her handbag.
Housekeeping
Cara not here next week. Erika leaves straight to the airport
Carol might not be able to continue with the project, wants to respect group, but asks for some time to figure it out.
Blog set up talk
AUNTS IN YOUR PANTS
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:35 Solo Quads (20 min improv)
7:35 – 9:00 Exercises
9:30 - 10:00 Announcement/Discussion
Coming out of warm-up you can claim a quad as we make the transition to quad solo work. Tonight we will only spend 20 min in quad –
BD’s Desert Winds Quad Menu Scott Smallwood music- 20 minutes, BME called
Ensemble
BD specified beg, middle, end
Scott Smallwood desert wind track which BD turned on and off (might be interesting to start at another place in the track?)
20 minutes Solo quads with everything the culture has brought to it…
Soundscape influenced, a desolate quality in desert wind sound.
Trends of humming from Tyler “this is almost the end”.
BD asks to be coached as she enters, Eliza says yes, and enters BD”s quad w/ her
Katharine asks watchers for specific verbal support
What is influence? Katharine & Laurie’s on all 4s in separate quads, Laurie & Erika’s slow mo walk in separate quads. BD calls end for her solo, then Eliza (who had been coaching her) took her quad but it felt like she continued working with some of BD’s imagery. At the end Carol and Erika were the only two in a quad. Carol was hot and wanted to take her sweater off, but the black sweater was covering her pink top. This became a verbal struggle, which Erika joined. At the end Carol and Erika had turned their quads into two corridors (us/ds) and were racing back and forth. Moments of beautiful serendipity, a dynamic dance. BD called beg, middle, end to each section of the quad.
Now in the domain of making AUNTS
Post AUNT discussion;
BD What happened an evolution the system evolved between
Carol and Erika a ground has been laid and then they took it and went. Director takes responsibility for duration.
A thing I hope we can develop is a notion of consensus that “it’s over”. In this case the sound environment helped. Also calling beginning, middle, end. The duet of Carl and Erika, these were all things that supported that. In this there was a beginning of some kind of dialogue between watchers and soloists WATCH FOR instincts to do something, but then holding back from the impulse. Tremendous intelligence to do so, have that restraint, but at the same time, being true to following where the SYSTEM needs to explore.
KK I feel trust is being developed that allows me to call out to the audience
BD possibilities, visions, inspirations- each person could make a list of the places in their lives that these happen.
On Decorum:
BD Being witnessed is very important, but leave to g to the bathroom when you need, maybe then we’ll get more used to the door of the studio opening and closing, it’s not so precious.
BD models an AUNT
BD’s America the Beautiful Menu, BD call B M E
Five in a flock/swarm
Every once in a while someone falls, and then all fall
Another person is laying pebble rocks from a basket, demarcating space – this line of rocks the flock cannot cross
The pebble layer sings “America the Beautiful” and must finish laying all the rocks in the basket by the time the song is over.
Another person coaches the singing of the rock layer
Post AUNT discussion;
Revision of some instructions from the inside. After AUNT is created, the creator has first dibs on revisiting, then the AUNT is opened to the ensemble.
Q Can the creator of an AUNT claim that no one touches hers?
BD Hmm, not sure
BD You can bring music costumes and props for your AUNT, but they may show up again in another AUNT. Waiting is an essential value of the culture. We’re willing to wait until we know what to do. Waiting cuts anxiety.
Eliza’s Rouge Drag Menu, Soundscore Eric Satie
Damaris, Tyler, Barbara, Bobby, Cara
One corridor in the middle (about 1/3rd of the studio)
Work with
Foreground and background
Drag, pour, fall, carry
Delayed influence
Bobby’s Guardian Angels Menu,
Speakers: Laurie, Carol, Tyler,
Movers: Christa, Eliza, Katharine
3Threee speakers usr with no movement. Each one is the guardian/responsible for one of the soloists who are dsl. Speakers give instructions (like directing a solo) regarding gaze, tempo, etc.
Bobby calls B M, speaker calls End
This resulted in three different endings!
Post AUNT discussion;
Feedback from the inside and director’s intentions.
BD revisits Bobby’s Guardian Angels Menu,
Speakers: Laurie, Carol, Tyler,
Movers: Christa, Eliza, Katharine
Same spatial arrangement
BD instructs speakers to repeat any of the instructions they gave before (regardless of what their soloist is doing)
Start with the movement trio formation facing ds. Pick up, put down influence and gaze without effort.
Cara’s Little Bunnies Menu, sections called by Cara
Damaris, Carol, Erika
Part One: Each in one of three parallel us/ds (corridors, work with delayed influence
Part Two: Two (not determined who) duet in one corridor, 3rd watches and uses, and reacts to influence vocally/verbally
Part Three: All switch places from their original corridor (but each back in a separate corridor) using retrieval of any movement or moments explored thus far in this AUNT
Post AUNT discussion;
Feedback from the inside and director’s intentions.
BD We’ll continue from here with an understanding that we’re trying to retrieve some of this material. The system isn’t firing into newness all the time, that’s not sustainable – it’ll burn out. Recycling. Some from our direct perception and some from intuition. Not to have to be clever and original.
KK It’s so relaxing to hear you say that. I was already thinking “I wonder what I could figure out for next time..”
BD Yes, there’s no need to float the AUNT up in the sky, we can just change her handbag.
Housekeeping
Cara not here next week. Erika leaves straight to the airport
Carol might not be able to continue with the project, wants to respect group, but asks for some time to figure it out.
Blog set up talk
Mon september 24 D/D notes
Monday 9/24 D/D notes – Damaris
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:50 Solo Quads (1/2 hr improv)
8:00 – 10:00 Exercises
BD (on influence in the quads) One of the underlying themes is that space is full of stories, that it has presence.
Set intention to do that; look into space, trust what you see is true.
4 solos quads are four separate worlds, distinct, but they’re a part of the whole. Yielding to simultaneous expression when it happens. Heaven, Earth and Man principle. Not a lot of previous set up. Synchronicity happens.
Be clear about beginnings and ends. Sometimes “middle” is helpful, but sometimes not needed, I can hold my large attention. Declaring Beginning, Middle and End is generous to others. Allows others to see intentions clearly.
(Discussion in response to the spontaneous entering of another person’s solo and partnering)
Breaking rules/adaptation/a new homeostasis.
An urge, an impetus (it can be demarcated when it’s expressed), a new piece of language that wants to spread through the culture. An essential way to harmonize with something new. Curiosity. Vibrational urge.
The soloist is being seen and is communicating. In this case with a composing and active audience. There is a curiosity and desire to commune with what is new, “Ooo, that ice cream looks good!”, a richness.
Inner focus in kinesthetic response.
O As soon as space is demarcated I want to respond to the container.
O A tension between defining something quickly, intelligence of organically finding it, but enough to contain the journey. The ripple, the woof as the “new” action permeates the old rules.
BD I am attached to, and ask that we enter along the edges to participate in the quads. Allows for the world to develop without trespassing. At times in the past the quads have been done in a circle, it allows for a more village art. Proscenium arouses something different in us.
The intention is to raise the level of attention in the whole room, the audience as well.
Kinesthetically, aurally, one could be receiving and sensing the environment and/or one could choose to respond to it.
Exercise
BD Instruction:
Go back to solo work. See yourself in the quad as a compositional element. You can take in objects.
The space map is in solo quadrants.
Each quad is a world
The first person who enters the quad is the dominant force if another joins, 2nd enters, 1st hold solo space and 2nd works off 1st in influence, all that 2nd does is “because of first”.
Look into space, where do you see yourself arising?
(Tyler “words monologue – text” with Christa)
Post exercise discussion:
O Well, for me it felt like too much chaos in the space. I wanted to hold space so I did not enter.
O Well for me I bet if we just let it “play out” it would correct itself?
BD Aesthetic/system/intelligence. I invite this notion of the group/individuals taking the directorial eye and this notion of duration. A vision of something perhaps layerable. Back to the question of sustainability. Being attentive to what’s arising and not have a bias towards or against it (ah, patience). What will that bring us? Sustained ambiguity.
One of our missions:
We are coming together to share something with others. The digestive process takes time, but then you make something (you shit it out?) Attune ourselves to when conceptualization starts accelerating.
Coaching solos exercise
As a bridge to directing. Letting the other’s coaching wash over you.
BD with Bobby enacted a “quick little model” of solo coaching. Soloist began solo, after they got established coach called beginning. Coaching included directs such as “gaze other places than straight ahead, find repetition, stillness. Could you add in some text, or tell me a story?” Coach also called middle and end. Then coach and soloist talked about what happened. Then ensemble got up and partnered together, simultaneously switching as coach and soloist. Discussion in-between – this was important.
BD Let’s not unpack this yet, this coaching solos. Wait one week. What is the “fallout” from the activity?
Housekeeping
Faculty concert has been postponed ‘till the spring.
Our last session together for the semester is 12/3 not 12/10. We will invite MFA to watch on 12/3. Perhaps we might have a one-day intensive the weekend before the semester starts?
Sat 10/26 Desolate Delight dinner at Erika’s 6pm
Sun 11/18 DD brunch at Cara’s
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:50 Solo Quads (1/2 hr improv)
8:00 – 10:00 Exercises
BD (on influence in the quads) One of the underlying themes is that space is full of stories, that it has presence.
Set intention to do that; look into space, trust what you see is true.
4 solos quads are four separate worlds, distinct, but they’re a part of the whole. Yielding to simultaneous expression when it happens. Heaven, Earth and Man principle. Not a lot of previous set up. Synchronicity happens.
Be clear about beginnings and ends. Sometimes “middle” is helpful, but sometimes not needed, I can hold my large attention. Declaring Beginning, Middle and End is generous to others. Allows others to see intentions clearly.
(Discussion in response to the spontaneous entering of another person’s solo and partnering)
Breaking rules/adaptation/a new homeostasis.
An urge, an impetus (it can be demarcated when it’s expressed), a new piece of language that wants to spread through the culture. An essential way to harmonize with something new. Curiosity. Vibrational urge.
The soloist is being seen and is communicating. In this case with a composing and active audience. There is a curiosity and desire to commune with what is new, “Ooo, that ice cream looks good!”, a richness.
Inner focus in kinesthetic response.
O As soon as space is demarcated I want to respond to the container.
O A tension between defining something quickly, intelligence of organically finding it, but enough to contain the journey. The ripple, the woof as the “new” action permeates the old rules.
BD I am attached to, and ask that we enter along the edges to participate in the quads. Allows for the world to develop without trespassing. At times in the past the quads have been done in a circle, it allows for a more village art. Proscenium arouses something different in us.
The intention is to raise the level of attention in the whole room, the audience as well.
Kinesthetically, aurally, one could be receiving and sensing the environment and/or one could choose to respond to it.
Exercise
BD Instruction:
Go back to solo work. See yourself in the quad as a compositional element. You can take in objects.
The space map is in solo quadrants.
Each quad is a world
The first person who enters the quad is the dominant force if another joins, 2nd enters, 1st hold solo space and 2nd works off 1st in influence, all that 2nd does is “because of first”.
Look into space, where do you see yourself arising?
(Tyler “words monologue – text” with Christa)
Post exercise discussion:
O Well, for me it felt like too much chaos in the space. I wanted to hold space so I did not enter.
O Well for me I bet if we just let it “play out” it would correct itself?
BD Aesthetic/system/intelligence. I invite this notion of the group/individuals taking the directorial eye and this notion of duration. A vision of something perhaps layerable. Back to the question of sustainability. Being attentive to what’s arising and not have a bias towards or against it (ah, patience). What will that bring us? Sustained ambiguity.
One of our missions:
We are coming together to share something with others. The digestive process takes time, but then you make something (you shit it out?) Attune ourselves to when conceptualization starts accelerating.
Coaching solos exercise
As a bridge to directing. Letting the other’s coaching wash over you.
BD with Bobby enacted a “quick little model” of solo coaching. Soloist began solo, after they got established coach called beginning. Coaching included directs such as “gaze other places than straight ahead, find repetition, stillness. Could you add in some text, or tell me a story?” Coach also called middle and end. Then coach and soloist talked about what happened. Then ensemble got up and partnered together, simultaneously switching as coach and soloist. Discussion in-between – this was important.
BD Let’s not unpack this yet, this coaching solos. Wait one week. What is the “fallout” from the activity?
Housekeeping
Faculty concert has been postponed ‘till the spring.
Our last session together for the semester is 12/3 not 12/10. We will invite MFA to watch on 12/3. Perhaps we might have a one-day intensive the weekend before the semester starts?
Sat 10/26 Desolate Delight dinner at Erika’s 6pm
Sun 11/18 DD brunch at Cara’s
Mon september 17 D/D notes
Monday 9/17 D/D notes – Damaris
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:50 Solo Quads (1/2 hr improv)
8:00 – 10:00 Exercises
Enter an empty quad from the wall. Take a solo in an empty quadrant; improvisational dance solo. Alone/Together, Playing with, exploring what you are drawn to do.
One clap all together at tend to mark the end and to offer it up.
“Beginning again and again,
Continuous present,
Using Everything”
Gertrude Stein
Discussion on taking Influence:
Taking in the quad, improvisational
Q How does narrative in the quad solo affect the movement choices in the other quads-range of choices? Monologues and echoes in quads.
Q What is the line between relaxation and rigor?
O Very quickly it doesn’t feel like solo practice any more – “permeable, influence” – yet still feels more personal than group improv.
O 3 in quads seemed to make the quads more relational, 3 is powerful and took over the space.
Q Value – empathetic and receiving influence. What is the difference between a value and an aesthetic?
BD
remembers summer dance lab; Solo quads and then invited entrance and exits into quads. The person who was holding the solo was the lead and still in solo, the one entering did so with an allegiance to the soloist.
Are we holding something or letting it go?
A place of solo definition, a place to be completely individuated and “something else’, what is “that”?
I’m in my quad with kinesthetic delight advancing to relationship with space. Then in the proscenium form of the quads, as in spatial relationship – I am in relation to others because I’m in a quad relating to space.
Boycotting not denying influence in order to re-establish your individuated space, not done aggressively. Working our awareness, maintaining the integrity of our quads kind of like meditation. There is a desolate quality. Communicate to audience and allows for unplanned connections.
The organic evolution of things as well as aesthetic.
We could choose to have a strict, narrow definition of quad solos, or we could choose to have an extremely radical view of quad solos. Instead a certain sensitivity to how/when it morphs. There is our attention. What makes the organism stay alive/awake?
What makes it possible to be seen when shared with others? My job to be local in quad solos maybe others outside can SEE the swarm, that’s not my job.
The eyes with direct looking individuated. A tool to call upon, a language to call upon a flock, herd and swarm. Even in these forms there are subtleties.
We returned to the place that we were craving as an organism. Inner focus supports the ripple effect.
Someone who has experienced it from the inside want to be a coach? No.
What’s the laughter? A vibrational release. A yield that happens, choiceless almost, no longer independent – you can’t help yourself.
You yield to it because it’s what we do.
Yet, there are individuals within a group experience who don’t experience what “the majority” experienced. You can honor and hold your experience as different. How?
The ensemble is becoming it’s own leader – a quality of it happening tonight. Outside coaching.
Flock
Herd
Swarm
Crowd
What is the difference?
The choice of kinesthetic delight drawing my choice VS my neighbor. How it organically developed.
HOMEWORK: Look for an actual herd, flock, swarm and try to figure out what they are doing. Leadership? Go to the source.
Plying with improvisational structures to let aesthetic appear using different dimensions of brain and awareness BMC and hang out in your low brain.
Evening Format:
6:30 – 7:15 Sitting and Personal awareness practice
7:15 – 7:50 Solo Quads (1/2 hr improv)
8:00 – 10:00 Exercises
Enter an empty quad from the wall. Take a solo in an empty quadrant; improvisational dance solo. Alone/Together, Playing with, exploring what you are drawn to do.
One clap all together at tend to mark the end and to offer it up.
“Beginning again and again,
Continuous present,
Using Everything”
Gertrude Stein
Discussion on taking Influence:
Taking in the quad, improvisational
Q How does narrative in the quad solo affect the movement choices in the other quads-range of choices? Monologues and echoes in quads.
Q What is the line between relaxation and rigor?
O Very quickly it doesn’t feel like solo practice any more – “permeable, influence” – yet still feels more personal than group improv.
O 3 in quads seemed to make the quads more relational, 3 is powerful and took over the space.
Q Value – empathetic and receiving influence. What is the difference between a value and an aesthetic?
BD
remembers summer dance lab; Solo quads and then invited entrance and exits into quads. The person who was holding the solo was the lead and still in solo, the one entering did so with an allegiance to the soloist.
Are we holding something or letting it go?
A place of solo definition, a place to be completely individuated and “something else’, what is “that”?
I’m in my quad with kinesthetic delight advancing to relationship with space. Then in the proscenium form of the quads, as in spatial relationship – I am in relation to others because I’m in a quad relating to space.
Boycotting not denying influence in order to re-establish your individuated space, not done aggressively. Working our awareness, maintaining the integrity of our quads kind of like meditation. There is a desolate quality. Communicate to audience and allows for unplanned connections.
The organic evolution of things as well as aesthetic.
We could choose to have a strict, narrow definition of quad solos, or we could choose to have an extremely radical view of quad solos. Instead a certain sensitivity to how/when it morphs. There is our attention. What makes the organism stay alive/awake?
What makes it possible to be seen when shared with others? My job to be local in quad solos maybe others outside can SEE the swarm, that’s not my job.
The eyes with direct looking individuated. A tool to call upon, a language to call upon a flock, herd and swarm. Even in these forms there are subtleties.
We returned to the place that we were craving as an organism. Inner focus supports the ripple effect.
Someone who has experienced it from the inside want to be a coach? No.
What’s the laughter? A vibrational release. A yield that happens, choiceless almost, no longer independent – you can’t help yourself.
You yield to it because it’s what we do.
Yet, there are individuals within a group experience who don’t experience what “the majority” experienced. You can honor and hold your experience as different. How?
The ensemble is becoming it’s own leader – a quality of it happening tonight. Outside coaching.
Flock
Herd
Swarm
Crowd
What is the difference?
The choice of kinesthetic delight drawing my choice VS my neighbor. How it organically developed.
HOMEWORK: Look for an actual herd, flock, swarm and try to figure out what they are doing. Leadership? Go to the source.
Plying with improvisational structures to let aesthetic appear using different dimensions of brain and awareness BMC and hang out in your low brain.
Mon September 10 D/D notes – Damaris
Monday 9/10 D/D notes – Damaris
Mythology
The wave sound (Miriam)
Proud Mary (Katharine)
The questions beneath the questions (Barbara)
The laughing goose on it’s back (all)
Spacious/not too much space.
The culture of seeing each other, finding out who we are, the culture develops from that. All balck also set the tone, showing up and doing the discipline.
Solo Quadrant form
Beginning, middle, end, 4 quads. Not pre-planned. Clap at the end to offer up the work/the practice.
Working from: Image, kinesthetic delight, pu influence, text, revisiting (callback) elements that resurface, repeats in the solos, rythms. Direct addresses grab the eye. Mirroring, flocking.
“Text is vibrational and although perfromed in a solo we hear it all together.
We’re beginning to talk to each other. Subversive, inderect talking to each other and directly talking to each other – 2 distinct separate disciplines.”
HERDING, SWARMING, FLOCKING form
We’re in training vs giving a menu.
Anxiety can be a flag to notice something.
Form 1
The swarming herd, allow the concept of flocking to expand beyond the person in front to include those nearest you.
Notice the
desire for unison, getting into performance head when leading.
Q - Confusion over which thing is the driving motion that was causing the swarm – the direction of locamotion? The gesture? The breath?
Form 2
In two groups you can move your place forwards and backwards, sense perception moving to the edges of the body, explore moving far apart.
Surrendering to creating one mind on the spot. It doesn’t have to make soemthing, it just is. A unity not a unison. Perhaps there is a spectum to exact unison.
Q – is facing the group pushing the boundries of the group or individuation?
Q - It seems more difficult to find group mind with the smaller group.
Q - Retrieval of movement, gesture, etc seems to bea language we can rest in.
The role of coach
Tyler coachewd two rounds of swarming/flocking.
Coaching as a way to support solos?
NEXT WEEK:
Continue next week to let this ripen, coaching the swarm herd, folks can bring in sound environments.
Mythology
The wave sound (Miriam)
Proud Mary (Katharine)
The questions beneath the questions (Barbara)
The laughing goose on it’s back (all)
Spacious/not too much space.
The culture of seeing each other, finding out who we are, the culture develops from that. All balck also set the tone, showing up and doing the discipline.
Solo Quadrant form
Beginning, middle, end, 4 quads. Not pre-planned. Clap at the end to offer up the work/the practice.
Working from: Image, kinesthetic delight, pu influence, text, revisiting (callback) elements that resurface, repeats in the solos, rythms. Direct addresses grab the eye. Mirroring, flocking.
“Text is vibrational and although perfromed in a solo we hear it all together.
We’re beginning to talk to each other. Subversive, inderect talking to each other and directly talking to each other – 2 distinct separate disciplines.”
HERDING, SWARMING, FLOCKING form
We’re in training vs giving a menu.
Anxiety can be a flag to notice something.
Form 1
The swarming herd, allow the concept of flocking to expand beyond the person in front to include those nearest you.
Notice the
desire for unison, getting into performance head when leading.
Q - Confusion over which thing is the driving motion that was causing the swarm – the direction of locamotion? The gesture? The breath?
Form 2
In two groups you can move your place forwards and backwards, sense perception moving to the edges of the body, explore moving far apart.
Surrendering to creating one mind on the spot. It doesn’t have to make soemthing, it just is. A unity not a unison. Perhaps there is a spectum to exact unison.
Q – is facing the group pushing the boundries of the group or individuation?
Q - It seems more difficult to find group mind with the smaller group.
Q - Retrieval of movement, gesture, etc seems to bea language we can rest in.
The role of coach
Tyler coachewd two rounds of swarming/flocking.
Coaching as a way to support solos?
NEXT WEEK:
Continue next week to let this ripen, coaching the swarm herd, folks can bring in sound environments.
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