General note for all:
As discussed, the basic game plan is to come up with a series of fixed ideas that will run in a particular sequence.
Then, we try to do the whole sequence (approximately 10-15 setups each lasting for the 15 seconds when the lights are green for pedestrians) a number of different times/days during the performance week.
For example: Monday 4am, Wednesday at lunchtime, Thursday at rush hour, Friday at 11pm, etc etc. That's not the schedule, just an example of the span of times of day that we should try.
Make sense?
In this way, we will have quite varied levels of success at achieving the "choreography".
7/16/07
The vibe
Thanks for recording the Berlin material, Rebecca and thanks for your new suggestions. I get a sense from your input of an event that emerges from and merges back into the pedestrian and I like that very much. I'm keen to do be doing unusual things (camel walk, hit and run partnering, intricate solos) that aren't protected from other pedestrians by the frame of theatricality. Is this a direction we can share?
Walk don't run is also a surf anthem
Click header for this post to go to youtube link. As played by The Ventures in 1960. Great signs in back of the band.
New ideas from Rebecca
So here are a few off of the top of my head:
1. I think it would be great to have 1 or 2 quite intricate, choreographed movement sequences that happen in UNISON - with one of us on each corner of the yellow box. Simple, but with the right content, could be really nice.
2. A couple of (weirded out perhaps) "big finish" sort of poses that we hit in the middle of the intersection. Kind of like in MGM musicals - right before last note of the song, they all sort of slide, spin or run into the "final pose" positions and then hit the pose together. Hold pose with big smile for 5 seconds, break to walk casually back to sidewalk. Could be nice to meet this way in the middle of the intersection.
3. Having the piece start and end with one person very casually (actin natural) crossing intersection holding a sign that says "Walk don't run". Would bookend it nicely.
4. Meeting in middle of intersection as 2 couples, slow dancing, walking away. But this is a lot like that phone commercial that's on at the moment. Boring, but maybe will suggest something better if we give it a go.
That's it for tonight.
1. I think it would be great to have 1 or 2 quite intricate, choreographed movement sequences that happen in UNISON - with one of us on each corner of the yellow box. Simple, but with the right content, could be really nice.
2. A couple of (weirded out perhaps) "big finish" sort of poses that we hit in the middle of the intersection. Kind of like in MGM musicals - right before last note of the song, they all sort of slide, spin or run into the "final pose" positions and then hit the pose together. Hold pose with big smile for 5 seconds, break to walk casually back to sidewalk. Could be nice to meet this way in the middle of the intersection.
3. Having the piece start and end with one person very casually (actin natural) crossing intersection holding a sign that says "Walk don't run". Would bookend it nicely.
4. Meeting in middle of intersection as 2 couples, slow dancing, walking away. But this is a lot like that phone commercial that's on at the moment. Boring, but maybe will suggest something better if we give it a go.
That's it for tonight.
Berlin Material
Ideas we tossed around or actually tried physically:
1. Wavy line sweep. Spread out across intersection in a line with all of us facing same way. Travel sideways across intersection. Imitate person in front of you in line. We did this with "falling about" sort of sweepy moves as the content. Looked nice! We discussed that this might be best achieved starting with crossing (spreading out across) the end of George's St. and then traveling across towards centra (this way we're at curb when lights go red for us).
2. Hit and run partnering in middle of intersection (example - Wolfgang spinning Fearghus around his head). Probably best achieved immediately after lights go green for us - meaning: beat the pedestrians to the middle and grab that space.
3. Standing out of the crowd while being in the crowd. I think we meant individually crossing with the flow of traffic but doing something unusual while doing that (not interupting flow - just coasting along with a movement thing at the pedestrians speed).
4. Topsy turvy side to side lift walk (partners staying connected at hip whole way).
5. Topsy turvy side to side lift where one person gets replaced by someone else halfway across.
6. Lift where one runs and other deflects momentum up (sort of dirty dancing style without the full press).
7. Phones. Ideas to do with talking on the phone. e.g. Fearghus having loud phone conversation with Rebecca. Fearghus crossing on one side of street, Rebecca crossing on other side of street.
8. Walking as a group of wormy, camel people (on hands and feet and very close to each other).
9. Scruff of neck - one person holding other person (who is backwards, very close to ground) by scruff of neck. Walk that person across the street.
10. Using the crossed yellow lines in some specific ways - e.g. hopscotch grid, or run a circuit/pattern as quick as you can, etc.
11. I also have a note that says: "react to middle person". I don't know what it means!!! (maybe a version of wavy line thing).
12. Follow the leader - Wolfgang set this one up - e.g. he runs and leaps to land on a spot, then spins to another spot, then crawls and rolls to curb, etc etc. We all copy this one station behind the person in front of us.
That's it in terms of the notes I took in June. Did I miss anything? Please comment away or start a new post to respond.
1. Wavy line sweep. Spread out across intersection in a line with all of us facing same way. Travel sideways across intersection. Imitate person in front of you in line. We did this with "falling about" sort of sweepy moves as the content. Looked nice! We discussed that this might be best achieved starting with crossing (spreading out across) the end of George's St. and then traveling across towards centra (this way we're at curb when lights go red for us).
2. Hit and run partnering in middle of intersection (example - Wolfgang spinning Fearghus around his head). Probably best achieved immediately after lights go green for us - meaning: beat the pedestrians to the middle and grab that space.
3. Standing out of the crowd while being in the crowd. I think we meant individually crossing with the flow of traffic but doing something unusual while doing that (not interupting flow - just coasting along with a movement thing at the pedestrians speed).
4. Topsy turvy side to side lift walk (partners staying connected at hip whole way).
5. Topsy turvy side to side lift where one person gets replaced by someone else halfway across.
6. Lift where one runs and other deflects momentum up (sort of dirty dancing style without the full press).
7. Phones. Ideas to do with talking on the phone. e.g. Fearghus having loud phone conversation with Rebecca. Fearghus crossing on one side of street, Rebecca crossing on other side of street.
8. Walking as a group of wormy, camel people (on hands and feet and very close to each other).
9. Scruff of neck - one person holding other person (who is backwards, very close to ground) by scruff of neck. Walk that person across the street.
10. Using the crossed yellow lines in some specific ways - e.g. hopscotch grid, or run a circuit/pattern as quick as you can, etc.
11. I also have a note that says: "react to middle person". I don't know what it means!!! (maybe a version of wavy line thing).
12. Follow the leader - Wolfgang set this one up - e.g. he runs and leaps to land on a spot, then spins to another spot, then crawls and rolls to curb, etc etc. We all copy this one station behind the person in front of us.
That's it in terms of the notes I took in June. Did I miss anything? Please comment away or start a new post to respond.
7/14/07
Times/Dates
DanceHouse from 6:30 - 8:30pm on Tuesday 4th, Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th September.
The intersection for practice/performance/filming during the week 9-15th September. Times/dates tbc,
The intersection for practice/performance/filming during the week 9-15th September. Times/dates tbc,
Welcome
Hi everybody. Welcome to the world of online meetings (not in realtime I guess).
I'll set up a few categories for comment streams. I suppose it's easiest for us all to respond with comments under the general headings (rather than creating new headings all the time). But, add in whatever headings you feel are lacking.
I haven't set this up to notify you when there are new posts, since that would clutter up our inboxes. So, check it yourself whenever you have a free moment or two.
For any time-sensitive, practical things, I will continue to email everybody directly.
This blog is more of a brainstormy thing, yes?
Better get our skates on. . . (do we say that in ireland?)
I'll set up a few categories for comment streams. I suppose it's easiest for us all to respond with comments under the general headings (rather than creating new headings all the time). But, add in whatever headings you feel are lacking.
I haven't set this up to notify you when there are new posts, since that would clutter up our inboxes. So, check it yourself whenever you have a free moment or two.
For any time-sensitive, practical things, I will continue to email everybody directly.
This blog is more of a brainstormy thing, yes?
Better get our skates on. . . (do we say that in ireland?)
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