SWW Video Archive Phase 6, January 21
Trying In floor to stay – why in the floor? Attempts to rise – are these dramatic, expressive, or is the floor the element, completely satisfying unto itself? Is it being close to the earth? Is it being a child? An insect? How does this change the use of the arms, legs, spine, focus? What vocab elements do I already have that are appealing. Shin slides and pelvis bounces, springing between the legs Or is it snake?, cobra, or many things?
Review strategies – then give it a try….try that the floor is the element, no need to stand, earth, child, insect, snake, shin slides March 13.1 , pelvis bounces, springing between the legs, on the belly broken wing travel March 16.
SWW Video Archive Phase 6 January 25
Decision to commit to these two pieces 4/5 – sww 4 -insect/fledgling/cobra – colours, knee and elbow pads, still searching for music. Maybe Schafer No 11 – second movement 4’53, very well shaped…I will try that a few times today / could be the sound is too thick? And sww 5 stick with Bashaw 2 – enso, brush, and the aesthetics
Meeting today at 4pm with Angela
3. sww 4 j- Schafer No 11 – 2 4’53
Impression – seems that limiting the content is a good idea – fledgling and cobra – that’s it, felt like mouth came early but there might be a place for broken earlier in the development perhaps before I even get on my shins? / then the mouth could come later….or maybe its good to see the mouth once, and then again in a different direction much more slowly? To begin the sinking? Need obviously to work the flow of the cobra dance, torso, arms, legs, directions etc but felt like it might work
Sww Video Archive & Helen feedback February 25
Start today with a review and a fun of sww4….just to try to capture some of what Helen and I worked on yesterday.
Then to spend the major part of the rehearsal on working thru sww5 enso
Sww4
Opening use few arm articulations and more core up and down
Stop motion
Boxing take full three tremolos, finish boxing with double right spring
Take three tremolos to full fledgling,
Start knee bouree sinking to travel arms alternately lowering
1’23 3 shifting tremolos should be at cs in batting
1’41 still elbow updown turns
Broken wing extended, to shoulder pull in…shoulder and chest articulations
1’56 finish One accordion
1’58 Mouth #1
Keep notes from cobra feb 22 & 24
Studio Trial 3 – Sww Video Archive & Helen feedback February 25
Start today with a review and a fun of sww4….just to try to capture some of what Helen and I worked on yesterday.
Then to spend the major part of the rehearsal on working thru sww5 enso
Sww4
Opening use few arm articulations and more core up and down
Stop motion
Boxing take full three tremolos, finish boxing with double right spring
Take three tremolos to full fledgling,
Start knee bouree sinking to travel arms alternately lowering
1’23 3 shifting tremolos should be at cs in batting
1’41 still elbow updown turns
Broken wing extended, to shoulder pull in…shoulder and chest articulations
1’56 finish One accordion
1’58 Mouth #1
For this solo I committed to staying very low in space, developing expressive material that remained on the knees or even lower. I began working with the music of Stephen Chapman, a bass flute piece titled Slink , that suggested slinky qualities. My work with this piece became problematic as the relationship between the movement and the music had no tension, became one of identity, both essential elements expressing the same thing. I made a significant shift to work with the third movement of Schafer’s String Quartet No. 11 and discovered the movement of the fledgling as well as the potential for an unexpected transition between fledgling and cobra: two completely different qualities of contraction. I found that Schafer’s emphatic and unreserved music brought out dance solutions that increased the level of physical demand. And while in the final solo the transition in movement themes is coincident with the transition in music themes, the overall relationship between the music and the choreography is pushed into tension beyond the earlier problem of identity.
Two intensely different ways, earth bound creatures, connected.
For this piece the initial starting point was some imagery Davida shared with me of some very interesting insects in a bright orange and black and a bright blue and black as well as a couple of bird images in bright blue and orange and blue and black. I was also given music to listen to as well as some initial rehearsal video footage. I knew the dance was being performed with the dancer on her knees for the most part and that we would need padding on the knees, shins and ankles and tops of hands.
The movements echoed those of a young bird learning to fly juxtaposed with the movement of a snake or cobra. The dance was very physical and the costume could not be restrictive in any way and needed to show off the dancer’s form.
I wanted the costume to echo the colours and markings of the initial reference pictures without being a direct reference – animalistic without referring to any specific animal. I chose to emphasize the padding areas as if they were part of the markings on the coat. I used a bubble textured silk with an elastic thread woven in that I dyed and painted for the outer fabric of the bodysuit. The silk allowed for bright color in the dye process and had a matte finish. I created a spandex bodysuit as a liner and attached the silk on top. The bubble texture allowed for a form fitting suit without showing seams too much and maintained a very organic, animalistic feel.
To finish off bright orange hair pieces were clipped into the dancer’s hair and makeup was done to tie in with the markings on the bodysuit.
Angela Dale
Website: www.fabricadabra.ca
Email: angela@fabricadabra.ca
Instagram: @fabricadabracreations
Hashtag: #fabricadabracreations
SWW Video Archive Phase 6, January 21
Trying In floor to stay – why in the floor? Attempts to rise – are these dramatic, expressive, or is the floor the element, completely satisfying unto itself? Is it being close to the earth? Is it being a child? An insect? How does this change the use of the arms, legs, spine, focus? What vocab elements do I already have that are appealing. Shin slides and pelvis bounces, springing between the legs Or is it snake?, cobra, or many things?
Review strategies – then give it a try….try that the floor is the element, no need to stand, earth, child, insect, snake, shin slides March 13.1 , pelvis bounces, springing between the legs, on the belly broken wing travel March 16
1. in the floor – bass flute Chatman, Slink, 4’16
Allow the unfolding, let it be new, listen closely to everything, discover and allow.
4. try one more
Tips,
3 point walking,
twitching,
hands of the fly,
face leading cobra with hands by side,
double knee slide hops,
fuller lean backs,
broken wing
impression – better in that it was more extreme in what I did do, and fewer ideas
First viewing – go for more hip shifting in first series of shapes to keep the abdomen active,,,,advancing ds, …also try odd two point balances – extend this fly hands with sideways double shin hop…a fledgling perhaps …deep lean back on shins with slight swaying focus is good – hit the first cobra rise at a dramatic point in the flute rising – ?what happens when I get there, helps to keep arms tight, don’t think the dive out to arms support chest high works the way I have done it…..arms close to cobra rise with slow sink following….some other material that’s worth keeping….?how do fly hands integrate with cobra sink? …is there a cobra coil? Look more deeply for the potential in sitting long legged heel pumps….avoid bum rolling away from audience…knee squeezing and rising and travelling sideways with fly hands is interesting…look deeper….broken wing exit has potential, my phrasing and flute phrasing – although I question broken wing theme as an ending..
Research to do – cobras, flies, praying mantis 3 point walking – hand expression – what happens at height of cobra? – broken wing bird…fledging hopping…
SWW Video Archive Phase 6 January 25
Decision to commit to these two pieces 4/5 – sww 4 -insect/fledgling/cobra – colours, knee and elbow pads, still searching for music. Maybe Schafer No 11 – second movement 4’53, very well shaped…I will try that a few times today / could be the sound is too thick? And sww 5 stick with Bashaw 2 – enso, brush, and the aesthetics
Meeting today at 4pm with Angela
3. sww 4 j- Schafer No 11 – 2 4’53
Impression – seems that limiting the content is a good idea – fledgling and cobra – that’s it, felt like mouth came early but there might be a place for broken earlier in the development perhaps before I even get on my shins? / then the mouth could come later….or maybe its good to see the mouth once, and then again in a different direction much more slowly? To begin the sinking? Need obviously to work the flow of the cobra dance, torso, arms, legs, directions etc but felt like it might work
–
First viewing – try the lean on the ds arm –don’t mind the fall – but should register it for longer- lots of variation – so devise a progression that allows me to stay highly energized well in to the change of music – intro of broken wing there does not work, so perhaps earlier as explained in impression note – on the settling continue to exercise the varying lengths of the wings to avoid the symmetry – transition to mouth does happen too early and add twitching fly hands here – Side cobra leans are good too – some good variation on cobra dance (watch #2 as well) but starts too soon in the music -double knee spin is a good flourish – good combination of cobra and bird on the shunt forward with arm flinging open – might try arriving at high cobra at the very end
Second viewing – given the musical choice it seems it is better to get right into the action rather than hold back, so I prefer the beginning and first minute of trial 2 to trial 3, 2’05 the mouth opens and I think this is a good addition….3’21 to 3’50ish another try at sensual slow cobra, 4’00 another departure, good, work to lead more with head neck chest….then quick arm follow, some nice things here.
Sww Video Archive & Helen feedback February 25
Start today with a review and a fun of sww4….just to try to capture some of what Helen and I worked on yesterday.
Then to spend the major part of the rehearsal on working thru sww5 enso
Sww4
Opening use few arm articulations and more core up and down
Stop motion
Boxing take full three tremolos, finish boxing with double right spring
Take three tremolos to full fledgling,
Start knee bouree sinking to travel arms alternately lowering
1’23 3 shifting tremolos should be at cs in batting
1’41 still elbow updown turns
Broken wing extended, to shoulder pull in…shoulder and chest articulations
1’56 finish One accordion
1’58 Mouth #1
Keep notes from cobra feb 22 & 24
1, February 25
Impression – Got thru it!!!
Initial viewing – opening musicality and core focus with stop motion and peppered with stillness is good….transition to boxing needs more motivation….don’t jump to it, let the focus lead and think about what is the best physical lead in to boxing from opening theme.. seems like musical cues are working, and the bouree sinking is rhythmically good but I need more upper body specificity there…I was ahead on elbow up down….build more slowly and add pauses at the beginning of the build…didn’t reveal mouth before mouth #1….try to get that in next time…okay…the steps are there….the deep core sensual power of part two must never be relaxed, all initiations must hold something back all arrivals must be sequential, all stillnesses held deep in the core and flexed.
Part A (0 – 1’26) 1’26string tremolo alternating with progressively longer melodic gestures/melody
1 thru 9 STOP MOTION ‘41
Change focus to up left to pivot for BOXING 1 thru 3
Build to and thru FLEDGLING 4 thru 8 & travel
lower and slow down HOW
upstage r with ARMS BEHIND
1’23 note for ears – three shifts on this tremelo
Part B (1’27 – 2’38) 1’11Progressive lowering of tone and pace and rhythm, a sinking to a settling, a poised illusive arrival
Very slow on sliding knees with HESTITATIONS, FOCUS CHANGES AND SWIMMING
1’27 change of tone and tutti chord beginning descent
Elbow up/ down on spot to catch
1’41 – 1’44 ELBOW UPDOWN TURNS – direct music echo/connection
BOUNCE SWIM a bit toward dsr
1’46 variation on tremolo #1 a let go – focus changes with GRABBING HANDS? to prepare fists and mouth opening and closing in opposition?
1’56 variation on tremolo #2
1’58– violin short singing gesture MOUTH #1 up to dsr directly on violin – sitting, and then focus change to up out left HOW
2’20 sense of arrival chord MOUTH #2 up dsl with 19 seconds to pizzicato cobra
2’23 variation on tremolo – slow motion into BROKEN WING into circle torso side and upstage
Part C (2’39- 3’47) 1’08
3 clusters of pizzicato alternating with deepening long note chords, sinking into 3 breath like shifting chords, to silence
2’39 – cluster #1
2’49 – cluster #2
2’59 – cluster #3
3’00 STIRRING PHRASE
3’10 – 3 breathing colour changing chords
3’47 silence
Part D (3’50 – 4’53) 1’03
Breathing chords alternating with Violin phrases
3’50 breathing chord
3’53 – 3’56 Violin #1 (3) 26/4 4’00
COBRA #1 – shin twist to sr, knee promenade travel, reshape and slide knees open, release drop back completely to right, thru back and to left to complete the release
4’00 – 4’07 Violin #2 (7)
COBRA #2 – slow rise on left side arms curved side (try hands as a second curve), shin twist once or thrice to sl, sink to heels, right shin lunge by sliding left leg back, head led horizontal torso to right with hands split articulate as in stirring phrase to right half turn sustain to us right ball on floor