Some bit of closing.

As much as I'd like this to continue, it may be in another sort of incarnation.  The project was performed Friday night- video to be uploaded soon.  Wonderful experience, with lots of learning for me as to the nature of letting go.  For me the key was to be active in remembering my purpose, desire, and needs for the showing and for the process.  As long as I was in the place of clarity, joy, experimentation, trust, and in the arena of finding my dancing voice for the moment, I was succeeding.  I re-affirmed my love of dancing and performing, alone and with others.  I found the fun in the dance, I found places of ecstatic dancing where I truly experienced dancing moments for the first time.  I surprised myself, and allowed for surprising.  Of course there are things I'd do differently, and these things became so everclear as we were dancing.  I also got a window into myself as a leader/participant.  

And the wheel rolls on, the task changes, and I'm thinking about ways of continuing my dancing life, figuring ways of remaining vested in the community that are genuinely me. 

Feeling the ebb.

This project is calling up my endurance.   We're in a good place, looking forward to tomorrow. 

Morning rendering

This morning I found an open blog on improvisation.  The conversations are thoughtful and detailed, and offer nice insights on the nature of improvisation.  One that sticks with me is that improvisation is something that happens in the practice.  We practice improvisation, but the practice is not improvisation, but true improvisation happens inside of the practice.   I'll try and wrap around that. 

http://slightly.net/improv/

Putting it together

Today's rehearsal felt great.  I'm getting better at being a participant and leader, and things are coming together. Setting chairs out where the audience will be lent a nice sense of soon to be completion.  The end is near, not that this process will have pre performance finality that many set works have-- this project is largely going to be new when we perform it on Friday.  The excitement lies in the unknown, and the trust.  Trust is big. The group aesthetic is happening.  Today felt like a reassuring squeeze. 

Dancing on old blue floors

The ethereal blue green floor at Voice of the City adds a cool color tone to our work here.  It also adds character; after we taped over the embedded gum, tootsie roll remnants, and levered staples out of the wood, we were more connected to the ground- literally.   It's been an interesting process of making this space feel comfortable to be in.  It has a great energy, and I can tell it's been well used, albeit, probably not for dancers.  It's pretty gritty, and really emblematic of the neighborhood.  That part I like.  It's truly connected to the streets and the urbanity of Logan Square. 

being present with all the little details

I have really been enjoying this process and Carleens insights into choreography vs. improvisation. Sometimes I find myself caught between these two worlds. And there is overlap...its being present that is the most interesting.

How can I bring more of a sense of improvisation into choreography. Improvisation allows me to respond, to sense, to listen, and to allow my instincts to take the reign. I have always felt more at home and "alive" in improvisation. I think the state of awareness that I find in improvisation i something that can be brought into choreography more and more. How do you take material and make it fit on you or make it your own even while including all the little details of what makes a phrase "a phrase". Feeling my whole self in unified action, carving space, and staying "cool" i think are things I am going to try to stay present with.

Choregraphy is like a map, a map of action, a condensed story and maybe a seemless thought out poetic statement. It doesnt define reality and the present moment but I enjoy choreography for its beauty. It allows me some sense of awareness and clarity on another level to be able to connect to myself, my body, be mindful, in control, and navigate through space with a higher awareness of technical presence which takes practice.

I am enjoying all the little details. I am feeling a sense of soft focus....

This little dance

I'm thinking about choreography vs. improvisation for this particular project- keeping in mind this little dances scope, people involved, and my own mind availability.   Here is an interesting look on the subject, in the medium of tango.  He says "I dance on the level of instincts." and "Improvisation is a baby of intuition, choreography- artistic logic. " 

http://www.virtuar.com/tango/articles/2006/improvisation.htm

He also says rehearsed does not mean choreographed.  Choreographed is making a dance.  This was a little big moment for me- setting something, calling it choreographed, and then not rehearsing it, still may be in the level of innovation, and improvising choreographed movements. hmmm. Need to think on that. 

For fun look at a conversation on pole dancing choreography vs. improvisation.  

http://poleskivvies.com/2009/05/putting-the-dance-back-in-pole-dancechoreography-vs-improv/

Interesting mini conversation on complexity theory, and it's connection (or call for a dance specific recreation of one) to dance. 

http://www.ivarhagendoorn.com/research/emergent-patterns-in-dance-improvisation-and-choreography

Still not sure where I'm going today.