Wow, first day back into class, training and dancing and I'm tired! Feels good though, I've remembered that I have legs as I can feel every muscle thanks to Mr Cunningham.
This morning I took the two hour Cunningham class with Steinvor Palsson. It was so nice to take class again.
Steinvor is a wonderful teacher, very gentle and sensitive and is very aware of people's needs. It was a really good class. There was one moment in which a tondu exercise went on forever and i began to get fed up, but then I remembered the promise I made to myself, which is that in those moments when it gets boring, hard, tiring or whatever, that I should remember how good it feels when you're returning to dance after a holiday and how much of gift it is to be able to move. So I remembered it and I was happy again. It works!
Near the 1 hour and 20 minute mark I began to get really tired and I realised I hadn't eaten enough, only some toast, which is ridiculous before a 2 hour Cunningham class, so I'll be better prepared next time because this kind of fatigue is awful.
In the afternoon is was the workshop/exchange of ideas and screening of research and collaboration work between Matthew Hawkins and Rong Tao.
Matthew and Rong often collaborate on projects in China and this was the beginning and kind of test run for a project that will take place in Scotland next year in collaboration between Scottish based Dancers and Dancers in China.
It was really great. Matthew is wonderful and eccentric. He lead a bizarre warm up that consisted of pointing the fingers and shaking hands amongst other things but it was great.
It was very short the session we had but we experienced working with both Choreogaphers based on something things they're working with. Matthew's involved vegetables. Yes, that's right, vegetables, The Dancers were given vegetables (tomatoes and carrots) and they had to find places to put them. They then had to recall the movements and actions that went into finding the place and placing them. Again, it was bizarre but fun and eccentric.
Rong Tao's was more simple as was based upon some Chinese text in which we had to interperate with our bodies. Sounds simple as it's probably the first thing you'd do in your first choreography class at college but it can be quite tricky.
Overall it was really great to work with both of them, even for a short time. They are both very accomplished and successful Dancers and Choreographers having worked with the likes of Micheal Clark Company and Rambert etc and they both took class this morning which was also really great because I made a point of watching Matthew alot and learning from him. It was amazing because you can actually learn alot in one class.
TIP OF THE DAY :
In Cunningham class when you're doing an attitude at the back, on fondu, with the back in a curve, make sure you can see the foot of the working leg and make sure to find it with your eyes, because if you can't see the foot then it is clear you are not curving the back enough or at all, which is of course is essential if that is the exercise.
Matthew made a point of something that I'm really interested in. He said that every piece he makes never looks the same, and I think that's a great thing.
Over time, I've been becoming annoyed when watching dance because let's face it, I love dance, and dance for dance sake is also good, but I'm beginning to find it tiring and just plain boring when I watch so much thoughtless and process-less dance that's around, seems so artificial and one dimensional.
What I'm interested in as a Dancer, a Choreographer and an Audience member is invention. Invention in dance is the most interesting for me. Endless phrases of movement, for me, are boring and tiring to watch, unless the movement is absolutely incredible then it's different but most of the time I think there is TOO much movement and it somehow becomes a waste in the sense that there is too much information for the eye and the brain, appearing and then disappearing, getting lost and never seen again.
One of my favourite Choreographers is Liv Lorent. I love her work and would love to perform it and work with her. I think her work seems to have exactly what I mention, the invention and thought in movement. It always seems like there is the right amount of movement and nothing is ever just there for the sake of it. But also it seems the the movement is very pure and beautiful and the images she creates are just sheer invention, and this is what really excites me! If you've seen 'LUXURIA', a piece she created on Scottish Dance Theatre, then you'll know what I'm not talking about!
Anyway, that is what excites me and makes me want to dance at this moment in my life.
Invention
Thought
Truth
Process
Voila!
:)
