Well today was exciting and full at rehearsal. Michelle arrived and we began working on her scene with "Dido' Lament", while trying to see what it looks like/feels like to hammer her skirt to a frame. Of course, she was stunning and captivating. I enjoy the long 'building/working' introduction as she builds her space before beginning her ritual of self-sacrifice. Jamie (her 4 year old) was so sweet helping her hammer...
I am quite certain that Michelle ends the whole piece.
David and Eryn met again- this time as partners. We took the so-called choreography that David and I developed last week and re-fashioned it for their 2 bodies and added new movement too. The piece is going to really get enriched by repetition, and will really suit a 3-D environment for viewing. I am trying not to over-complexify it so that it can stay pure, although it is tempting to just choreograph a whole contact duet. The serialism of repeating events seems necessary- kind of like a Phillip Glass structure.
Ernest showed up with both the mannequin legs AND the tire dress. Both are perfect and almost hideous. The legs, all white, make quite the dance prop and I am now excited to get Heidi in there. The tire dress is heavy and formidable, but I think that Kat will work really well in it. She can play her iconic queenly dance and the lines will be so strong... I imagine Kat and Michelle will actually be dueting on different levels of the gallery concurrently. We will have to try it once we get the dress safe and less sharp to play in.
Ernest and I talked about documentation and how to actually document something like this- he seems interested in bringing in video to truly represent it. I like photos too in how they can capture an instant and hint at the past/future of it. This seems like an ongoing conversation.
After dancing and playing in the space, we went down to the AGA to check out the Burtynsky exhibit and the space itself. Wow. The exhibit is so moving and disturbing- even more than I expected.
Space-wise, we looked at the 3-F to begin with, working the piece downwards over time. We need to decide what happens with sound so that we are selective about the DJ's a the Refinery event, although it sounds like we can still do mostly what we want. I will try to get them something quite concrete ahead of time.
The stairs are appealing and David might need 2 other people to fall down with him over the span of an hour or so, with David dueting on the landings with Eryn. Also Michelle might need 'help' with her frame (which doesn't exist yet).
It was pretty obvious by the end of rehearsal today that the mess has begun, the props have arrived, and I am in process...
