Showing posts with label AGA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AGA. Show all posts
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Random bits of progress
Heidi began working with the mannequin legs yesterday and it was so lovely. She has some sort of serenity in her focus that is very powerful to watch as she manipulates them and places them. The piece is so much about line and order, and her Cunningham-ness really shows through even in a subtle way. Since her task is so simple and complicated at the same time, it will differ each time, and she can improvise it easily I think.
Katrina in the big tire dress is another spell-binding piece. Frightening a bit, which is appropriate.
The duet is getting built, but will be likely pretty short since it is dense and fast. Definitely a counterpoint.
Working with Shawn's sounds is going well. Looking forward to some new stuff.
Visited the AGA again and mapped out the pieces in the space, which causes some adjustments, but makes it more definite.
Katrina in the big tire dress is another spell-binding piece. Frightening a bit, which is appropriate.
The duet is getting built, but will be likely pretty short since it is dense and fast. Definitely a counterpoint.
Working with Shawn's sounds is going well. Looking forward to some new stuff.
Visited the AGA again and mapped out the pieces in the space, which causes some adjustments, but makes it more definite.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
press....
It is always funny when you need to do press stuff before you are really ready with a piece. In this case, it was Breakfast Television with Eryn and David bright and early on Friday. We were able to use it to rehearse their duet, try some things on the stairs, approve the colour black, and to get some nice shots of the sunrise with them dancing (Ernest did, not me)
In the spoken interview part I couldn't believe that I said that we are extracting movement just like extracting oil...boy what a load!
Eryn and David both brought out their chops and delivered very nicely. I think press stuff is often more revealing and nerve wrecking than actually performing is. One minute is not much time to show what you've got and it really puts things into adrenalin mode, which is not ideal, but is a part of what we do...
It was nice to spend time in the building and yes, we do need to bring lighting to do the work justice.
The stairs are gorgeous.
In the spoken interview part I couldn't believe that I said that we are extracting movement just like extracting oil...boy what a load!
Eryn and David both brought out their chops and delivered very nicely. I think press stuff is often more revealing and nerve wrecking than actually performing is. One minute is not much time to show what you've got and it really puts things into adrenalin mode, which is not ideal, but is a part of what we do...
It was nice to spend time in the building and yes, we do need to bring lighting to do the work justice.
The stairs are gorgeous.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Making a Mess
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...
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...
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Links and Background to this project
AGA Refinery
I will be performing this work at the Refinery Party related to this exhibition. It is an interesting setup- basically an art party with a crowd of interested art lovers and shmoozers- not necessarily my typical audience. Many of them will have no expectations of the night's performance, and may find it all 'weird', or may find it to be a diversion (welcome or not) from socializing. My goal is to interest this new potential audience, and to present them with something slightly radical and indicative of how I really feel about oil (which is that it does not need artistic glamourizing). So without ruining the party, I do want to subvert it somewhat and I would love to be able to do so in a way that the 'audience' is actually joining me in that subversion, since I think most people feel that Big Oil needs subverting and would secretly like to be in on it.
Ed Burtynsky did not return my email, but he is a very famous artist at the moment, and his work manages to tread delicately between the horrible images he presents of landscapes and workplaces ravaged by the size of the human project on earth, and images of aesthetic beauty that simply record the way things are.
Burtynsky's website
His position is not neutral, as his Ted talk demonstrates, but he does still manage to get large corporations to cooperate with him, which is in itself a work of art.
What does this have to do with dance?
I am attracted to the body as a landscape. I see parallels between how we as a society treat our natural landscape and how we treat our own personal, emotional and physical landscapes. The disconnection runs through us all, and dance is a great medium for displaying these more internal states and showing people what is inside us. Well, some of us...
My starting point:
4 x 20 minute installations in different locations of the gallery
Heidi Bunting (55 year old dancer with great legs)
http://www.heidibuntingdance.com/
Michelle Milenkovic (mezzo soprano)
David MacInnis (actor/dancer)
Eryn Tempest (dancer)
Shawn Pinchbeck (audio artist)
http://www.spinchbeck.com/
I am also involved with Ernest the photographer, a micro projector, Sid's tire dress, and various images and starting points for dances and performances. some are new and some are old.
A red ribbon that can be followed like a trail
A dress that gets hammered to a frame mid aria
A man falling down the stairs in slow motion talking nonsense to himself
Sound sources from various locations
A pile of prosthetic legs
A possible love duet (why not)
and myself.
I will be performing this work at the Refinery Party related to this exhibition. It is an interesting setup- basically an art party with a crowd of interested art lovers and shmoozers- not necessarily my typical audience. Many of them will have no expectations of the night's performance, and may find it all 'weird', or may find it to be a diversion (welcome or not) from socializing. My goal is to interest this new potential audience, and to present them with something slightly radical and indicative of how I really feel about oil (which is that it does not need artistic glamourizing). So without ruining the party, I do want to subvert it somewhat and I would love to be able to do so in a way that the 'audience' is actually joining me in that subversion, since I think most people feel that Big Oil needs subverting and would secretly like to be in on it.
Ed Burtynsky did not return my email, but he is a very famous artist at the moment, and his work manages to tread delicately between the horrible images he presents of landscapes and workplaces ravaged by the size of the human project on earth, and images of aesthetic beauty that simply record the way things are.
Burtynsky's website
His position is not neutral, as his Ted talk demonstrates, but he does still manage to get large corporations to cooperate with him, which is in itself a work of art.
What does this have to do with dance?
I am attracted to the body as a landscape. I see parallels between how we as a society treat our natural landscape and how we treat our own personal, emotional and physical landscapes. The disconnection runs through us all, and dance is a great medium for displaying these more internal states and showing people what is inside us. Well, some of us...
My starting point:
4 x 20 minute installations in different locations of the gallery
Heidi Bunting (55 year old dancer with great legs)
http://www.heidibuntingdance.com/
Michelle Milenkovic (mezzo soprano)
David MacInnis (actor/dancer)
Eryn Tempest (dancer)
Shawn Pinchbeck (audio artist)
http://www.spinchbeck.com/
I am also involved with Ernest the photographer, a micro projector, Sid's tire dress, and various images and starting points for dances and performances. some are new and some are old.
A red ribbon that can be followed like a trail
A dress that gets hammered to a frame mid aria
A man falling down the stairs in slow motion talking nonsense to himself
Sound sources from various locations
A pile of prosthetic legs
A possible love duet (why not)
and myself.
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