I am currently studying Communication
(major) and Dance (minor) at The American College of Greece – DEREE, but enough with the technicalities..!
Dancing for me means freedom, a breath full of pure oxygen that clenses me from head to toe, travelling to distant and magical places, uncovering emotions that I would never approach on "normal" mode, and the most honest way in discovering who I really am each day. Dance is my standing ground, the only "place" where I really feel safe and can just let go of EVERYTHING!
Although
it has not always been clear to me throughout the years, I have now reached the
conclusion that I have always been a dancer [at heart].
Although there was a
huge gap in my formal dance training, I always thought in terms of dance,
rhythm, movement, and communicating through movement. And now I begin to realize the actual connection between Communication and Dance – probably because I study them at the same time – and the different ways in which these two can be combined and explored. I believe that anything can be communicated through movement and people from around the world can interpret this new kind of language (the movement) based on their individual perception. To me, being able to communicate through movement can be unifying in the sense that it brings all kinds of different people together. At the end of the day, we all move in one way or another! It’s just one of those things everybody has in common, but at the same time it’s also something very personal and unique (as every human being is)!
I do not have much experience with choreography;
in fact, I have only just started creating movement these past few months
through some dance courses at my university, but I am glad I have taken this
[frightening at first] step. The exploration process and the new discoveries I
make along the way are tremendous, extremely interesting and never-ending! The
process of choreography and meeting all these creative people is opening up new
horizons for me, and, the body and mind stimuli I am receiving are helping me
grow more and more every day as a
dancer, a choreographer, an artist, and more importantly, as a human being.
DAY 1 3.7.13
"Πρόθεση" (Prothesi)...
"Intención"...
"Avsikt"...
BUT,
What is "intention" in dance (?) afterall?:
I generally played around with a lot of questions around this matter, until I reached a blurp that just came out of brain and occupied a huge chunk of space in my notebook...
Actually, it all made sense when I remember a brief moment on Day 1 where I just felt a vein pumping blood in one of my (hand) fingers.
At first, I was more mechanical because I was trying to really feel it through my body, but as time progressed I just focused on actually listening to my heartbeat and trying to translate it into my body.
After we all completed the writing tasks we had to share our work with the rest of the group in printed form that was placed like a collage on one of the walls - I bet this will turn out to very interesting in the end of the Lab where the entire wall will be covered with material!
I put my earplugs in, press play, and start to warm up slowly and deeply while looking outside of the window until I feel I am in the best state in order to start further exploring my process; the heartbeat...
The fact
that a movement idea can rise from the movement itself was particularly evident
when we started “fooling around” with the objects Androniki had brought: ropes,
plastic bag, coins, branches (!!!), chalk.
From this point onward, the process gets even more exciting as we are asked to produce our very own score based our very own choreographic material produced in the Lab! So the idea of what I'm thinking of doing arises which doesn't frighten me, as I have decided what I would like to explore and already have some workable material.
I end up filling two A4 papers, and what is very interesting is the fact that in the first one I just put down the material I have produced so far and I'm quite happy with, and it ends up being the map [thank you Kiriakos for the term I was actually searching for] of the movement.
The second page, however, represents what I imagined I wanted to produce for the continuation of my work. So, this serves as a design, as a composition [thank you Kiriakos again!], of the upcoming movement. All that is left is to try it out in my physical body and see if what I've imagined and designed works out...
###
DAY 1 3.7.13
[the] "INTENTION"
"Πρόθεση" (Prothesi)...
"Intención"...
"Avsikt"...
BUT,
What is "intention" in dance (?) afterall?:
- marks the birth of an idea/the motivation behind an idea/what pushes an idea forward/where it all begins
- why do I CHOOSE to move the way that I do? ("intention" is behind the choice/decision of movement)
- EVERYTHING we do has an "intention"
- EVERY movement has an "intention" because you move for a REASON
Well, to pay my respects to the connection I have with Psychology (almost a choice of studies!) I just have to separate it between the "hidden intention" (in the unconscious) or the "in front of your [eyes] intention" (in the conscious mind).
Playing once again with the words, how about correlating "intention" with being "in tension"? This seems like an interesting concept to explore especially in the area of movement...
Doesn't "intention" imply some sort of being i a state of "tension" in order to act or pursue any sort of movement?
When speaking about being "in tension" it does not mean that you are nervous or twitching or anything, but it merely presupposes [in my mind at least!] that you need an amount (small or big) for an action to BE [done].
So, you have the "intention", the idea and where it all starts from (the "in tension" moments of the brain), and through this "intention" you put your body "in tension" as well. Could this be the correlation point?
Can we consider the "intention" a stimulus for both body & the soul [mind]?
On a more personal level, I started asking myself questions like:
- Whats does "my intention" stimulate first in my body? What kind of movement? Is there a continuous/repeated pattern I tend to go to?
- Does it trigger a specific body part? A group of body parts? Moving through a certain level (e.g. ground) most of the time? [which I do by the way!!! all the time!!!
- Do I have different scaling when being "in tension"? [confusing, I know...but it somehow made sense to me] Again, is there a pattern?
- Do I prefer movement with a heightened sense of tension in the muscles and body parts or milder forms of tension? [Perhaps both??]
I generally played around with a lot of questions around this matter, until I reached a blurp that just came out of brain and occupied a huge chunk of space in my notebook...
Here goes a smaller version of it:
Does the "intention" always comes first (before the actual movement begins) or can it also come later on (having randomly started a movement that drives the person from within and then opening up to what the intention might be/finding the intention/being guided to the intention)?
And is this the second part (the "later" intention) referring to the unconscious intention (the one that is laready there, hidden, yet we do not realize it until we engage into that movement that is able to uncover and trasfer it into our consious mind)??
I come to think that it is both and it depends on many, many, many, many factors [both internal and external]...
On a final note, how can the "intention" be revealed/communicated to the audience through the expression of movement?...
I mean, you start from a very personal point and go through an internal process, but what do you get across to the audience? And not necessarily trying to communicate your exact intention [s], but something meaningful that can perhaps trigger an intention of their own [the audience]...
###
DAY 2 4.7.13
Coming into the studio today I really didn't know what to expect or how we would continue, but I knew it had to be linked to what we had done on Day 1.
Ana asked us to try to remember anything we could from the previous day, even if that meant focusing only on one specific thing.
At first I challenged myself with trying to see what I could remember, but then I picked only one movement [the hanging chair] and tranfered the action to my body.
The sensation of extreme tension this movement caused to my body is something I love dearly because I really like pushing myself and my body to the extreme.
I particularly like the feeling when I do a movement - no matter how simple that may be - and the amount of tension I put through my muscles is so tremendous that I can exhaust myself by doing that movement alone..!
Don't rush to call me a masochist though!
This is something I discovered within my body the past couple of months and I am really into that kind of place of exploration of this type of movements.
The tricky part came later in the day when Ana told us to pair up and give our task to somebody else and receive their task.
The instructions Xica gave me were pretty clear - moving on the ground by keeping both hands and feet on the floor at all times by applying pressure and distributing the weight - but because I am a "ground-lover" myself, I went into auto pilot in the beginning and sort of mixed up the movement with something that I usually do. Later on I managed to somehow let go of that, but I have to admit that it was pretty exciting when we moved to the next task, which was taking that other person's first task and seeing where it took my as Maria!
The even trickier part came when I had to give Xica my task because this is something I had NEVER EVER done before...
I've only had to explain what is going through my brain while choreographing and dacning, well, only to myself! Trying to pass it on to another person in simple and clear words was more difficult than I thought.
I didn't make sense to her and in the end the words that came out of my mouth did not make sense to me either..! The only thing that did make sense was the feeling I had from the energy of the movement and I couldn't pass it on to her.
Until Ana came and rescued me, and we were finally good to go!
Interestingly I found myself becoming a little better at this whole "giving feedback" situation and it does not seem as terrifying as it used to.
Day 2 was not a great day for me because I couldn't focus enough and I was lacking in concentration.
It was just one of these days...
Basically, I felt empty of ideas of movement for the most part, but I tried not to get too frustrated because it happens...
However, at the end of the session when Ana asked us to step in front of everyone and state "This is me today" and dance away, all I wanted to say is "This is me today, but well I really do not know who I am today..."
In the end, I stood up, said the words [this is me today] and I just danced until I exhausted the energy of the movement and I simply did not wish to move anymore.
Surprisingly, when I saw the video of this "solo" I found pockets of movement that were pretty interesting and can be put to good use!
###
DAY 3 5.7.13
Last night, after recanting the events and frustration I felt for not being able to be as productive I wanted to, the inspiration hit me like a train running with 300 km/hour...!!!
I immediately picked up my notebook and started writing down all the ideas that came rushing in!
Actually, it all made sense when I remember a brief moment on Day 1 where I just felt a vein pumping blood in one of my (hand) fingers.
This is something that happens to me relatively often when I'm completely relaxed and able to listen to my body. And I have to admit I've always been fascinated with this...
Then I thought about the big black "box" that separates the studio area from the changing room, which is made out of a material that when it is combined with the correct sound frequencies, it vibrates as Ana told me when I asked her.
So I just made the connection in my brain and it was like opening a door to an enormous amount of creative info...!
How I can use this "box" and the vibration and connect it to the pulse and the human heart that is pumping blood to our entire body.
I kept writing and writing, and moving in that small space I have next to my bed...The feeling of excitement in those moments was so incredible and was more than enough to make me forget about the frustration of the day!
As you can imagine I couldn't wait to get into the studio today and see how I can translate all this into actual movement.
I was even more excited when Ana gave us the instructions for the task of the day which was about us exploring "our first, our number" that jumpstarts the creativity process for us. Not in terms of starting a choreography with a specific concept or theme, but just finding a point where it could start.
In order to do this, I had to distance myself from the theme and idea that came into me and just focus on one little thing: the pulse/the vibration...
At first, I was more mechanical because I was trying to really feel it through my body, but as time progressed I just focused on actually listening to my heartbeat and trying to translate it into my body.
The intensity and the sensation of this task was overwhelming at times and I really felt like I could explode...
But, I cannot even begin to describe how good this felt!! The process was so pleasurable and without limits. I could go on forever...Well, sort of, since after working on this for a certain amount of time I simply exhausted myself..!
Today I truly felt productive and I'm really excited to explore "my first, my number one" further and see where it takes me!
I'm taking the weekend off to relax and then give my all from Monday onwards.
I can't wait!!!!!
###
DAY 4 8.7.13 Andreas Dyrdal
The weekend is officially over and it is now time to meet the first international visiting artist; Andreas Dyrdal.
Of course I don't know what to expect as I am actually consciously trying to avoid having expectations about anything in life in general...
However, after a brief introduction - where we weren't asked to discuss the preparation questions he'd sent us the previous week (!) - I am taken by surprise as Andreas asks us to change back into our "normal" clothes and take a stroll with him down the road where he "broke the ice" by buying us frozen yoghurt!
I have to say that this was refreshing on a very hot day, but also in terms of meeting someone. Had I expected anything in particular, this would not have been it..!
Most of the day went by with all of us sticking our minds and concentration into our notebooks by exploring variables Andreas set for us; time, space, responsibility towards the work in general, the thought of the work in general, and the attitude towards the work in general.
In terms of thinking and writing this day has been super-productive and I can literally feel the weight of the 10 pages I just counted on my mind..!
Very intense writing I'm telling you!
However, I have to figure out what to keep as simple guidelines and conditions to how I do my work. I think that's going to be a tricky one for me because I ache whenever I need to cross out something I've written with so much passion and effort. (but I will hide the pain away and do the job..! )
Aftter taking a much needed long break for lunch after this process, we headed back to Kinitiras to work a little bit on our individual processes and move our bodies.
I have to admit I was curious to see if this day was going to be as productive movement-wise as Friday was. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same flow with the movement and the condition I tried out today wasn't working as I had thought in my head...
I did try out some interesting short sequences of movement that I might include.
I am still starstruck to find inspiration in weird places, because a couple of perfectly good ideas hit me when I was standing in the metro on my way home tonight and just a few minutes ago when I was lying in my bed...Seriously, the best ideas I 've EVER EVER had have come to me when I'm in the bathroom showering or whatever..!
Damn, I have to stop doing this!!!
As my head is ready to explode for the day and I really need it in tact for tomorrow's Day 2 with Andreas
I really want to go sleep, let everything settle in and see where today's exploration will lead me next.
Hasta mañana amigos!
###
DAY 5 9.7.13 Andreas Dyrdal
Running late today...
While in the metro and anxiously watching the clock I start remembering yesterday's discussion on attituted toward time and attitudes on the responsibility toward work. I remember what I've written in relation to these two combined and I just laugh at the irony the universe decided to present to me today!
I hate the feeling of not being on time, anytime, but in a country where "public transportation mentality" is in sync with the perceived "time mentality" then this can happen even if you've tried to take this into consideration...
Funnily and ironically enough, most of us were late today so I guess the joke was on all of us and not just me!!
Anyhow, Andreas had mentioned yesterday that we were going to move so I really want to see the tasks he is going to present us. However, I'm a bit disappointed at first as he says that he has decided to continue working on our writing and out attitudes towards various aspects of the work/our work in general. I really wanted to move today..!
But, as we progress into the writing I get deep into it and realize why it was important to continue working on this today. Now I have a more complete image about what I do when I work and I'm even starting to find out why I act in a particular work toward the various aspects and variables of my work.
I've always been a huuuuuge (!) fan of understanding one's one existence, deep down to the innermost core, and any opportunity to do so is always welcome.
It was so intriguing to read other peoples' thoughts and attitudes toward their work because you can see the similiraties with your own way of thinking and acting, clarify something that you do but did not know exactly how to phrase it, and even expand your horizon.
The day ended beautifully with our first official after work!!!
We all went to a mezedopolio near the Kinitiras to have a beer and some appetizers, chat, bond and have fun!
The exchange of ideas or just the simple discussions that took place were the treat of the day!
On a final note, I feel lucky to have met an artist like Andreas because the amount of exchange of ideas and viewpoints was unbelievable. This is why the Kinitiras Choreography Lab is so unique; it brings people from various backgrounds together with very diverse artists and everybody brings a different set of experiences and ideas to the table that you just become a more diverse and complete person [and an artist] yourself...
###
THE [AFTERMATH] OF ANDREAS
Attitudes
toward time and space
-Even within
a tight everyday schedule try to find the time to work your material. Make a
schedule and try to stick to it.
-Try to
spread the amount of work required equally through each day whenever possible
in order not to exhaust or stress or block yourself when there is an upcoming
deadline.
-Allow
plenty of time for a good warm up because this is going to help you be more productive
and feel your entire body when moving. Allow plenty of time for a cool down so
you can relax completely afterwards.
-Try to
equally balance work and your normal life, but be prepared to take time off of
each whenever it might be needed. One day you
might have to work more because a deadline is approaching, or because
you have a tight schedule the other days and steal time away from your normal
life, but another day you may need to relax completely and devote it entirely
to your normal life.
-Take
advantage of the studio whenever you have the chance and time to be in one.
-Negotiate
the space in your house (bedroom, kitchen, living room) and see where you can
produce material when you don’t have access to a studio and whenever
inspiration comes your way.
-Use your
own mind as a primary space to work your imaginary material and then transfer
it to the physical space.
Attitudes
on responsibility toward work
-Be
responsible it terms of time both for yourself and for others. Respect the time
and commitment of others as well as your own.
-Treat
others (whenever you are not completely by yourself) the way you would like
them to treat you.
-If you want
to get the work done, and especially if there is a time limit, accept that and
be disciplined enough to be ready on time.
-Be
responsible toward yourself in terms of your body (and of others when working as a
choreographer/teacher). Health is above all.
Attitudes
on the thought of the work
-Be aware of
the thought on the work and open to new ones at all times, but try not to over
think of the work and reach the point where you might be haunted by it.
-Do not let
the work be pointless. Find a reason/an intention – no matter how abstract –
that will propel you to the next level of thought on your work.
-Questioning
and doubting yourself can be useful in many instances, but do not allow this to
be constant and reach a level that can cripple/destroy you because you will
never be able to finish the work.
-Accept the
fact that life happens and things that are completely out of your control occur
even in terms of your own personal work. Accept the fact that you might need to
readapt and readjust.
Attitudes
toward the work in general
-Create work
that you are happy with and proud of. Be restless in the sense that your own
work has to make you happy and satisfy you.
-When you
reach the point of performance, sit back and relax. What is done is done and
now it is time for your to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
-Redefine
failure in terms of not being able to relax and enjoy the work. All the rest is
pointless.
Attitudes
toward choosing the media for my ideas
-Choose the
medium/media more appropriate to convey the specific idea/concept you may have.
-Explore
various media even you might not be familiar with them.
-Choose a
medium/media that can progress you idea/concept and make it reach its fullest
potential.
Attitudes
toward working a piece
-Make a list
of the various tasks the piece can be divided into and work on each task
separately in the beginning of the process.
-If the
daily task you’ve chosen doesn’t work out at all on that day, choose a
different task to proceed with.
-If it is
just one of these days, then let it go and get some rest in order to recharge.
Frustration never helps!
-Whenever
you are on full productive mode on take advantage of it and just go with the
flow without worrying about adjustment that can be made later.
-When you
come up with something you really like find a way to record it in order to
remember the following time.
-When you
have new ideas while already working on the piece do not hesitate to make the
decision to change/add/remove something if this will help both you and the
piece progress.
Attitudes
toward your own body (physical and mental) inside your own work
-Listen to
your mental and physical body at all times because it will tell you when you
need to take some time off.
-Take the
time off, rest, and relax whenever your body tell you to.
-Always warm
up well and stretch before doing anything and cool down and stretch after doing
something. --Help yourself prevent injuries caused by tiredness, carelessness,
and the lot.
-Do not ever
let anyone dictate what your own body needs (or doesn’t) need in order to
function properly. You know your own body better than anybody else.
-When the
people who care about you tell you to rest then please consider their advice as
you might not be thinking clearly and listening to your own body’s needs at the
time.
###
DAY 6 10.7.13 Lab Time
After two days of intense thinking, intense writing, and intense new ideas, I'm glad we have the studio to ourselves to just explore anything we want to.
Walking in, I'm not anxious to start moving right away...
I take my time and I feel that I must first start with the blog and put my thoughts into perspective (I guess!)...
Today I decided to bring my ipod with me - which I haven't used at all for the past 3 years - and erase all the existing music and upload new; the kind of music that defines who I am now, 3 years later...
I put my earplugs in, press play, and start to warm up slowly and deeply while looking outside of the window until I feel I am in the best state in order to start further exploring my process; the heartbeat...
I begin with the sequence I already have in my body from the previous week in order to create more body memories of it and try to see if the feeling remains the same or it has changed (for better or worse!).
The other day - I don't remember exactly when and where - it just hit me that I want to let go of the arms in my chest after a while and open them in various positions and see how this feels and how I can apply the pulsation/vibration of my heartbeat to my limbs; how I can extend this feeling inside the movement and inside my body.
Actually, it felt really interesting and less intense than when I had my arms on my chest. The movement was more fluid, more lyrical, softer, and I had a sense of releasing the tension the previous movements had caused.
Following from one of Ana's tips while we were discussing about my process, I decide to cross my arms even more tightly around my chest and reach up to the shoulders. I tried to be guided by this movement and the tension of the movement, while at the same time, listening to the heartbeat as much as I could.
This is when the movement and the feeling of it got very intense again; actually, it got even more intense than before.
So, I felt that I needed an immediate release from that because the tension reached a point where it was just too much and I needed a break from it..!
And this is where I drew from the "pool" of material from one of the very first days with Ana and a movement I found extremely pleasurable (that creates even more tension, but at the end it brings complete release or me).
I have to admit that I'm extemely happy with what happened at the studio today!
I just love it when I feel totally-ON and productive..!
###
DAY 7 11.7.13 Androniki Marathaki
Coming into
the studio today I didn’t really know what to expect, but having seen Androniki
move a few months ago (in a workshop at DEREE college with Dimitris Karalis and
sharing space before their performance Moving
Sounds), I was very excited that I would get to have her as a teacher for
two days!
The
excitement only grew into something bigger as soon as we started moving. There
is only one thing to say about Androniki: intense movement, free movement and
loooots of knowledge!!! [Well, these are
more than just one thing, but Androniki is versatile..! ]
I haven’t
felt this released for quite a long time, so I enjoyed myself too much! The
intense heartbeat, the sweat that was all over the place, the freedom inside
the movement and space, was what both my body and mind [soul] were craving for…
The simple guideline of “WHAT IF?” [every cell in my body is where it needs to
be? In relation to space? In relation to other people?...] and the attempt at
actually connecting with all 53 trillion cells in my body, was the
freedom-setter for me. I felt the explosion coming from within the core of my
body and being translated into movement that I’d never tried before, but so
strangely felt inherent to my very own sense of being…Just being…Perhaps that
is where and why I got the feeling of the “primal instinct” while moving. It
just felt that the movement was there all along, deep down inside, and all I
was yearning was to connect with it; with MY primal instinct..!
The way
Androniki guided us into her method was simple and very engaging. For me, it
solved many issues/questions that I had in relation to choreography and how to
produce movement even when you don’t have a specific and concrete idea right
here and right now. The idea can emerge from the movement itself and this is
just remarkable!
However,
this process has stirred up some more questions to keep the game interesting
for the days [months…years…??] to come… I think this is the most productive
sequence of all; having some questions answered, but the answers combined with
this new knowledge, giving birth to more questions. It’s a cycle, there is no
question about that, but not a vicious one..!
The fact
that a movement idea can rise from the movement itself was particularly evident
when we started “fooling around” with the objects Androniki had brought: ropes,
plastic bag, coins, branches (!!!), chalk.
I started with something different
that I cannot even remember (!) and ended up working with the plastic bag. I
tried all sorts of different things with the bag, some quite interesting, but
ended up with wrapping myself up with
the bag and trying to escape it. Again, don’t rush to call me a masochist…! Of
course, the idea of suffocation and trying to break free in order to survive is
the literal action that come with this, BUT for me it also created some
thoughts on how this could be translated metaphorically. Hmmmm, let’s see where
this can take me later on… Movement-wise speaking, not suffocating-wise…haha
Might even take of the bag and see what will be left from the movement created
by the bag…???!!!
###
DAY 8 12.7.13 Androniki Marathaki
I reach
Syggrou-Fix, I rush up the hill to Kinitiras, I take my shoes off and notice
some men’s shoes outside the studio…hmmmm?????? Do we have guests???
I get in
and see the girls rolling on the floor and two guys – probably musicians since
they are holding musical instruments – sitting on chairs. Now this is going to
be an even more interesting day than the previous one!
I fall on
the floor and start following the others to warm up…Androniki tells me to roll
until the end of the room by trying to feel the floor with every part of my
body I possibly can, as if there is paint on the floor and I’m creating shapes
with my own body by stealing away some of the paint..!
We work
some more on the floor; my personal favorite!! Then we move into the object
rounds! [man this sounds like a dance bootcamp] We step in one mover at a time
and focus on one of the movement/action we had tried yesterday.
Once again
I play with my plastic sheet – much better use of this word for the exact
representation that the
‘bag’ – and I find myself “suffocating” and trying to
escape from it in order to be free and just breathe..! So it’s all about
survival (!!) We are all watching each other and provide feedback if we want at
the end of the three rounds in order to try it out if we find it helpful in the
next two rounds – talk about stamina today!
Then we
move on to the collaboration with the two musicians; playing with tonality in
terms of musical instruments and the body. After we set our very own rules to
this “game” by choosing how we want to communicate with the musicians in
combination with the use of our object from before – the ever-suffocating
plastic sheet..! At first, I thought of playing with tonality in relation to
where my heel was, but just before it’s my turn to set my rule I have a change
of heart. I decide to use the sound/noise the plastic makes whenever I do
anything with it and ask the musicians to play louder and overcome the sound of
the plastic. Also, I add a tonality factor; whenever I’m on the ground the tone
must be low and whenever I’m standing up the tone must be high.
This was
pretty interesting, but I don’t know if it worked as I had imagined it…I think
that I should see it from the outside in order to decide whether something like
this rule could work at all, or could work with a few adjustments and changes
to the original concept.
All in all,
I’m superexcited I got to do this workshop with Androniki because I am a very
physical person and I like to move like crazy so I appreciate this kind of
exhaustion! I’m also appreciative of the upcoming weekend because of this
dearly-beloved exhaustion that I’ve experienced for these past two days… :P
###
DAY 9 15.7.13 Kiriakos Spirou
The alarm clock is ringing...
I try to get up, but it takes up a lot of strength...
My left hip still hurts - it's first started on Saturday with an excruciating pain - and I feel that the sum of my muscles are like solid rock...unmovable (???!!! if that's even a word ???!!!)
I go downstairs to the kitchen, make breakfast, go back to my room and that's when I decide that I have to listen to what my physical body is telling me, or rather SHOUTING at me...TO STOP & REST!
As sad as I am to miss the first day with Kiriakos, or any day of the Lab for that matter, I follow my very own guideline to thy self which I had written less than a week ago during Andreas' Dyrdal workshop.
Fingers crossed I can catch up with the material I lost today...and get well soon!
###
DAY 10 16.7.13 Kiriakos Spirou
And so it is...
Just like you said it would be..??? Well, not exactly, but when I started writing the date for this entry and thought of how the day began the song Blower's Daughter came to mind (????...!!!)
But yes, so it is that we were meant to stumble upon one of the infamous nowadays national Greek strikes...
I was soooo glad that the metro wasn't participating because this meant that I could get at Kinitiras on time!
I WISH...!
Turns out that the most central station was closed - Syntagma - where I switch metro lines so I had to go at another station, get off and get the train line up to another station, and then get on the red metro line to reach Kinitiras. Talk about a vicious circle for real!
Anyhow, I still managed to get to Kinitiras before 12:30 so I could catch up to yesterday's material with the help of Kiriakos! [everything SO happens for a reason!]
But enough with the rambling and let's cut to the chase.
Today was all about performance scores [mind-juggling] and we are immediately given one empty score which had symbols on it and we're asked by Kiriakos to create a sequence of movement by interpreting these signs/symbols individually...
I sweat...
I bite my pen multiple times...
I almost bite my fingers as well...
In short, I REALLY have no idea what to do..!
This was not my first encounter with performance scores, but the previous time it was more on an academic level; to know what is out there!
Being asked to work on something like that for the first time was scary and confusing.
So, I after biting pens, and the lot, I just start creating something and imagining it in my head by giving meaning to the symbols.
Sadly, I should have left some biting-space in the pen because the worse comes later when we're asked to perform what we've just written on the score! Damn...I'm sooo nervous right now!
But, I have to dive into the pool even though I don't know exactly what I'm doing I literally had to transfer thoughts on a paper and then paper-movement to body-movement.
After this is over - pffffewwwwwwww - we discuss the score in relation to how we see it as: a performer and as a choreographer.
While writing I realize that I view the score completely different depending on which shoes I'm stepping into!
As a performer, if I were to be given a score I would take the guidelines and interpret them in my body. At the same time, although the personal input of the dancer is always there for me, I would perceive the score as a more rigid set of movements and sort of a story I must follow. Another important aspect for me as a performer, would be to negotiate the limits of my body in terms of the movement I'm given in a score. What if I can't do what is being asked of me through the score? Can this be manipulated? A whole bunch of questions would arise for sure!
As a choreographer, I now understand the usefulness of a score as a map to guide me and possibly a group of dancers through the material that I produce. A score can also be a great starting point in order to produce movement and place it into space. The score is particularly helpful for me in terms of placing the movement in space and give it directions throughout the space. I don't find it useful in terms of time, duration and dynamics just wait because I'm more comfortable and used to exploring these qualities of movement while actually acting on the movement, listening to what that movement needs in order to reach its climax point and then add them (or not!). I can also see how having a score would assist in the case of choreographing a group or another individual. In terms of the group it is really useful to establish a common ground with the dancers, especially when they are all performing the same/similar movement, so they (and myself!) remember the exact movement, sequence of movements, etc.
From this point onward, the process gets even more exciting as we are asked to produce our very own score based our very own choreographic material produced in the Lab! So the idea of what I'm thinking of doing arises which doesn't frighten me, as I have decided what I would like to explore and already have some workable material. 
I end up filling two A4 papers, and what is very interesting is the fact that in the first one I just put down the material I have produced so far and I'm quite happy with, and it ends up being the map [thank you Kiriakos for the term I was actually searching for] of the movement.
The second page, however, represents what I imagined I wanted to produce for the continuation of my work. So, this serves as a design, as a composition [thank you Kiriakos again!], of the upcoming movement. All that is left is to try it out in my physical body and see if what I've imagined and designed works out...
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DAY 14 22.7.13 John-Paul Zaccarini
A pinch of nervousness
A pinch of stress
A spoon full of anticipation
A teaspoon of sadness
This is the best way to
describe in short how I felt coming in for the first day of the last week of
the Lab…
My mind was constantly
drifting to my research project and all the details that needed immediate care
in order for everything to be ready (and myself happy!) for Friday’s final
presentation of our works. Entering the room I kept thinking how much I needed this
whole week to keep working on the project and how another workshop might get in
the way of that.
But, it turns out that things
happen for a reason, because the topic of the workshop [failure] and John Paul
himself was just what I needed to finalize what was still on the loose
regarding the project.
First of all, I was able to
clear my mind from the thoughts I had when I entered the studio in the morning
– that pinch of nervousness and stress, and all that. Asking me to do a
handstand will do this to me! A handstand is one of the things I vigorously
avoid as much as I can because I simply dread it… Anyway, this did the trick of
taking my mind off of things and placing it right where it needed to be; the
workshop.
The end of day left me
wondering about various things regarding my piece (the mood of the piece, how
my piece would act upon the audience, the effect it has and how it affects
emotionally, etc.). I had vaguely thought about some of the above, but I think
I was lost too much into the creation of movement that process of the research
in terms of the movement, that I had not addressed these questions properly.
Having John Paul ask us to think about all these things was a turning point for
me, simply because I had to go back to the [inception] of it all.
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DAY 15 23.7.13 John-Paul Zaccarini
Having shown my piece so far
to Ana, Kiriakos and some fellow-Labers yesterday really helped relax me even
more. Adding the train of thought that burst into my mind after John Paul’s
first workshop day, I felt much more focused to the task in hand than the day
before.
Today we explored the idea of
the space between [you and the audience], the connection with the audience [is
it sensing? And looking?], the empathy between [you and the audience] and how
the audience can be moved, the mood of the piece… The dominant phrase of the
day was “I’m here to act upon you” and how the choreographer/performer must be
present in both his/her work and the audience that is looking. The performer is
not alone in the room, there are people there that are in the room in search
for that connect, that empathy.
I’ve always been aware of the
presence of the audience and it has always meant a lot to me. The difference of
energy in the room/studio/theatre has always been evident to me the day of the
performance when all these different people – with different energies – are
present. However, I sometimes find myself becoming very internalized in the
process (depending on the piece) and now I started wondering whether this meant
I am sometimes losing connection with the audience. [I definitely have to
experiment on that…]
Ps: Little did I know that
this time the audience was not going to allow me to become so internalized…!
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