Day Off

Today is a day off from studio work. It's nice to take a breather and have some time to process the material we've created so far. Up to this point I haven't been working directly with Geordie's music. Having listened to it a lot leading up to these rehearsals it's in my subconscious and in my body but I haven’t been directly choreographing to the music. One of my favourite things to do is videotape movement phrases and watch them with a bunch of different kinds of music to see how they meet up by chance and notice what combinations peak my interest. I like this movement phrase, danced here by Rhonda, combined with the opening of one of Geordie's tunes. 

Day Two

Inside the studio. The dancers, Jacinte Armstrong, Rhonda Baker & Sara Coffin (the ABC team) play with a new movement phrase. Becoming more relaxed, trying not to judge my impulses, not to follow a plan but to follow my curiosity instead.

holy gosh i feel just a little behind susanne in this early part of the creation process but the new tunes are coming and we plan to visit with the band soon ....i will be joining in on friday wow i can hardly wait...for me live dance and live music are the ultimate combination  in a performance ,a chance to make a statement on our culture the way people have been doing in other societies for 10000 years ...i am honored to have the chance to work with these amazing artists ! in a word yeeha !!!

Day One - Rock, Paper, Scissors

Where to begin? Three dancers, three different bodies, three ways of moving, even three hair colours. Space and breath are the starting points (thank you Sasha). Re-discovering the magic of the grid, the power of space. Falling and re-coiling. Pushing through. Magnetic pull and imaginary elastic bands. I feel inspired and terrified.

Saturday

Sat. March 24 - Geordie and I work to meet half-way. We only understand about 60% of what each other is talking about. I talk themes, movement ideas. He talks scales, melodies, time signatures. (I wish I had stuck with those piano lessons as a kid). Together ideas are hashed out, we find points of departure and points of convergence. At the heart is perpetual motion.

From now until mid-July Geordie and I are working together to create Threnodies, a live music and dance performance based on a series of songs that Geordie is in the process of writing. I'm creating dance pieces relating to the first three songs in the series, while Geordie works to write the rest. This blog is a meeting place - a space for Geordie and I to continue this dialogue with each other, with the work, with our collaborators and with you.