Today was a very laid-back day, surprisingly. I woke up around 10:00, thinking that I had rehearsal at 10:15 at the Ark. In the WFSS schedule it didn't say we had rehearsal, but in the overall weekly schedule it said we did at that time. So, I showed up with Christina, waiting for rehearsal when in reality, we didn't have it.
Then after a few minutes I left and went to Brodie Gym for a little bit to watch the Shen Wei Project audition. Shen Wei Dance Arts is doing a show at the North Carolina Mueseum of Art and was looking for 13 dancers to dance in the performance with the company. Because I am now in the Forsythe Project, I cannot be in the Shen Wei Project because of overlapping rehearsal times. My roommate, Emma auditioned but unfortunately got cut. The people from Shen Wei originally had said they were looking for 30 dancers, but all of a sudden, cut the number by more than half. And out of around 100 people auditioning, you have a 13% chance of making it in...not so good. Kind of disapointing though!
Then after I ran a few errands, I walked to rehearsal in Brodie Gym. When I got there Elizabeth Corbett was showing everyone how to create the "Laban Cube" on paper. It was a day of learning William Forsythe's "Improvisation Technologies" and how to use a system with 9 points in space. Ideally the cube looks like such:
Basically, the idea is that you are imagining yourself placed in a cube, and from there are making diagonal and straight lines from each of the 9 points. Here is my cube:
The idea is that between these points, one should think about the connection between each relationship developed between the 9 points and 9 lines formed and then add different layers to each relationship. After we discovered the 9 points on paper, we explored them through movement sequences that soon got added with a sum of layers to make it naturally occuring movement, as opposed to a scientific exploration or collection of data. The different layers we added onto the 9-points are as follows:
- snapping fingers at each point
- extrusion of arms from point to point
- rotation of arms to iniation of a new pathway
- video scratches ( retrograde/reverse of a pathway)
- classical ballet arms form in each pathway as opposed to relaxed/contemporary arms
- broken limbs, cut off lines from exclusion of part of a limb ( ex. using only your elbow as opposed to the entire arm from shoulder to fingertip)
- residual swings in the arms/legs/torso ( shaping)
- challenging fronts, using your feet to define the points in space as well as the pattern and facing of the upper body
- low and high curves for placement of the feet
We then moved into a exercise where we applied all these layers with a partner. One person thought about inscribing the space, and utilizing the 9-point method while the other thought about avoiding the other person however they pleased. Then after switching roles, space was created in between the inscriber and the avoider, but a relationship between both peoples' movement remains. Eventually, there came an awareness where both partners would trade off each role of being either an avoider or an inscriber and a constant communication was being given.
Anyways, after this intense class, my brain felt crazy.
Then Kathryn and I walked over to the Ark for Elisa Clark's class. She taught us Lar Lubovitch Repertory as well as Robert Battle Repertory. I had asked her a few days ago if she could teach us some Lar Rep, and of course the Rep she taught was from North Star, which is first of all, one of my favorite pieces, but second of all she taught Jenna's solo- which she now performs, but is the solo I remember from seeing her last year. That solo was crazy from what I remember. It was a dialogue between the left and right brain and the differences between the two. I remember being in love with that solo. Elisa showed it to us briefly while demonstrating, and of course was amazing doing it. Then we all gave it a go. I don't think I did a horrible job with it, I actually felt pretty good about it- but at first it did strike me as being something I could potentially feel uncomfortable or vulnerable with. The first part is excessive shaking, with sharp vibratory movements- something I am not typically comfortable with. Elisa talked to us when we were learning it and about to show it and basically told us that it's okay to feel vulnerable. She made an excellent point. She said that all artists have to be vulnerable sometimes, but she thinks that Dance is one of the hardest forms of art that you can accept yourself with. Not only do you have to feel and be vulnerable when giving the world your work, but its something you cannot escape. You can be a fantastic writer, and write ridiculous things and send it off and hide from the vulnerability, but as a dancer, the skin you are in is your medium. Whether you like it or not, people will know more about you from the moment they see you dance and they will of course know it is you. But then again you think about that, and how powerful is that? No other medium in art will ever be as personal. You are basically using your own flesh to express yourself.
She also made it a point to explain that artistry is not something you can force...a statement I really appreciate. So often, I see so many people force the artistry within them, when really it should just come naturally to those who are comfortable enough with themselves and their own body to then test it out and show who they are as a person.
Then, after learning Lubovitch Rep, we learned some phrase from Battleworks ,a work commissioned by Juilliard in 2001. It was difficult because it focused on the intense rhythm and beat of the music. I have really enjoyed Elisa's classes at ADF. She is such an amazing person also. I really appreciate artists that I look up to, who end up being such great people in real life. I am hoping to cross roads with her again in the future sometime soon.
After class, Emma and I went to the bank and then went on adventure to try and find Walmart, and instead found an AMAZING snowball place. They have over 100 flavors of snowballs, and the shaved ice literally feels like ice cream soothing on my tongue. Ah. I got Pink Lemonade and Cranberry- I might have to go back tomorrow. It was only $1.50 for a Kid's Size!
Then we came home and ate pizza and food that was bad for us and chilled. I love ADF. I never want to leave, I am so content.
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