I put together a little video of our final rehearsals of rain and drumming. There is much more footage of drumming than rain because I finally found a proper adaptor to charge my camera. The rain footage is of a shortened sequence from the original choreographic phrase.
The drumming footage shows quite a bit more of the choreographic structures we worked with that were used to generate the piece. It begins with a running pattern from acceleration to deceleration that follows the path of the golden section. We then danced the original choreographic phrase within our own grids. The floor patterns were complex in that some grids were flat and others were shifted which created strong architectural relationships between the dancers. A few of us were chosen to learn the phrase on the left and then teach ourselves the right so that we would be mirror images of the corresponding grids. The movement itself is very percussive and we focused a great deal on suspensions and dynamic shifts of speed while also maintaining a group rhythm without counts. It was an incredible challenge to learn how to become quick and percussive without becoming stiff. There is also a short trio where we created a retro version of the phrase. We were instructed to find a way to be as close as possible to the dynamic of the original, using the same speed and accents. We also created our own versions of the material as short duets which began as close as possible to our partner. At every spacial intersection we would create a new version of the material. Lastly, there is a clip of phase shifting. It is very difficult to see because the camera only shows me, but I am doing a phrase forwards and backwards at different speeds. I begin at the same tempo as the other dancers, and then I begin to speed up and eventually slowly shift back to their speed. This corresponded to a musical structure that Steve Reich used in the score.
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ReplyDeleteI know you don't really need or necessarily want me to keep being your cheerleader, but I think this is very impressive. I'm proud of you and you should be very proud of yourself!
ReplyDeletethank you, michael! i think in life, it would be impossible to have too many cheerleaders :) it always means the world! thank you!!
ReplyDeletewere you able to see the whole video? for some reason it doesnt quite work for me. wondering if i need to try to upload it again, or maybe its just my computer ...
ReplyDeleteactually it didn't seem to go the whole way--The timer said there were a few more minutes but there was nothing on the screen--I wasn't sure if that was it or if it was a problem. Maybe try uploading it again. Parts of it are a little dark too, I don't know if you have any means of tweaking that? Otherwise rah rah, go you! ;-)
ReplyDeletethanks! i think i fixed it :) should play all the way through now, and its a little brighter than the last version.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's fixed it! It definitely seems a little brighter. It's fascinating the way the movement compliments and corresponds with the music--I know Reich demands a lot of virtuosity to play, so I imagine it must take a lot of virtuosity to dance to, as well. Thanks so much for sharing the video--it's an honor watching you work! <3
ReplyDeleteTo clarify my last comment, the video plays all the way through, as well as being brighter. I didn't phrase that very well and didn't want any confusion. I wish we could edit these as I'm more of a re-writer than a writer :-p
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michael! Yes, it really is incredible how much the movement corresponds with the music. She is a master at understanding musical structures and translating them to movement design. Its quite mathematical actually and in some ways more demanding mentally than physically, that is, other than the endurance it requires.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting you say that about how mentally demanding it is because watching it I was thinking, "How does she remember all that?" Like the music it's deceptively simple, yet so intricate. And mathematical, yes--didn't you say earlier it used the golden section as the floor pattern? I'm sure it is a test of endurance but your personal movement seems different somehow like you've expanded your range or ease or something, I don't really know how to describe it.
ReplyDeletedude, that looks really intense and exhausting. and awesome.
ReplyDeletethanks, lucia! it absolutely was intense and exhausting! but the best part, though impossible to see in the video, was that by seeing the other dancers, and feeling each others rhythm and breath, we really pushed each other. it was as if eye contact was a source of energy and made the work so much fun to perform! rosas did 150 shows on this tour and it was an hour of non-stop moving. they kept each other going this way... very playful...
ReplyDeleteand michael, you are right. the floor pattern followed the golden section. i think the movement is similar to the music as you described it. its not really showy or terribly technical, and yet it is quite intricate and feels so beautiful to dance. it demands a lot of ease to accomplish the speed and accents... i love that you can see some sort of expanded range in my moving. i feel i learned so much and began a new trajectory of training!
Yes, it definitely shows that you're on some new trajectory! You look relaxed and like you're enjoying yourself, but are also being challenged. There's a fluidity to your arms and neck and shoulders that I'm not sure I've noticed before. And the speed and the accents are astonishing. Just really beautiful to watch.
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you so much Michael! That means a lot! I actually met with my teacher Clinton today who was very positive and gave me some incredible feedback. In general, I am still a bit too classical for contemporary and a bit to contemporary for classical. It is something I struggled with in NYC as well in terms of getting jobs and receiving feedback. But he described a solution to me in a way that I have never heard before. He talked about learning to sense the direction of out rather than up when doing this kind of work; and to learn to think of shape as movement, not as a position, but as a direction. So, I am really excited to get into the studio and play with this new idea!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's fascinating! I'm glad you were able to get some feedback, ShaLeigh! The way you describe it makes sense, though, because I guess position implies a static quality, something that's solid and held, whereas a direction is always a moving-toward--finding something living and fluid in a shape. I'm sure there's a lot more to it too and I look forward to hearing more about your explorations with this!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have no doubt that you'll find the right balance between the classical and contemporary sides of your talent. That's part of the artist's journey, isn't it? Finding a way to turn one's challenges into one's style?
well said :)
ReplyDelete