I think that's about all I am going to post from the work at La Luna nel Pozzo (although will definitely add any things that come to mind). I am back with Kirstie (and Simon Fildes and Katrina McPherson) in August so will post more materials/thoughts then. Stay tuned (or subscribed?)!

Simon

A few clips from performance on evening of 4th July at La Luna nel Pozzo.

Kirstie working outside, eyes closed, 2 July 2009. Water bottle important.

I was talking to Lil the day after the open performance at La Luna nel Pozzo. She mentioned how different the experience was compared with the performance in Syros last year when we performed in the main town square, directly in and amongst our audience. At La Luna, even though the performance was outdoors, it was (for the most part) performed on the 'stage' of the dance floor. Along with being pretty rough underfoot, it served to separate us from those viewing.

For Lil this was important because she felt like these kinds of group improvisations exist wonderfully well within a crowded environment whereby the fragility and the strangeness can be viewed within the context of 'everyday life'.

For me, this 'in situ' situation (e.g. in Syros) is quite distinct from viewing it as "performative" in which an audience has more of a 'fight' in establishing (or wanting to establish) meaning.

A little bit of footage.

Unedited excerpt.

 

http://slightly.net/improv/?p=151

On the evening of the 3rd of July we experimented with the length of our lead-in time to improvising. This was out of some previous discussions about playing with the rhythms and seeing what it might be like to try and drop more directly into the work. We had a 20 minute warm up, then did a few 'crossings' (entrances and exits) before going into the longer open improvisation.

It seemed quite clear at the end that we found it difficult. The improvisation felt effortful as if we tended to be working to make things happen. This is paradoxical ... the tougher or more stilted the work feels, then the more we should be stepping back from making things happen. This experience demands (perhaps) even more 'emptying' or 'surrendering', and yet the feeling of it not being 'right' pulls one's attention from this more quiet listening.

At the same time, I was concerned that we too easily dismissed the improvisation as having 'not worked'. What was there about it that 'didn't work'? What do we mean by 'not working'? How can we identify, practice and execute strategies that help prevent this type of feeling or experience?

I am reminded here of athletes who often talk about learning more from losses than wins (Rafael Nadal said something along these lines after losing to Soderling in Paris this year).

I had some really strong dances in this evening, and although I felt what the group seemed to feel, it seemed too simplistic to say 'it didn't work'. Clearly, the line between 'yes' and 'no' is very fine (perhaps even arbitrary) ...