Day Four- Intensive

Today our priority was to put the sections we had created into some kind of order to create our piece. We worked quickly and efficiently to prepare as much as we could for when the other companies came to watch our sharing.

Surprisingly, we did not start with the section we had planned to. We created a new beginning made from mine and Abbie's solos. It then continued into the section we had already worked on. We continued to add a few small lifts and new sections to come to an ending. I'm not sure if this will be added on to but we have found a comfortable ending if that's what happens.

The piece hasn't been polished and perfected but our aim was to create the piece and then make final adjustments on our last day of rehearsals.

Our Sharing Video!!

Day Three- Intensive

We started with a warm up as usual and then got stuck straight in! Today was very busy indeed!!!

Using Katie's shuffle motif as the feature, we created a group section with the intention to slot it in to the final piece somewhere. Katie used her shuffling movement and Crizzel and Greta moved across the space with the awareness of their breath. Tara, Abbie and myself moved slowly towards the floor but never quite made it all the way, we repeated this three times. Here is the section we created...

After this, I worked alone for a while to create a set solo based on the idea of my free movement improvisation taken from the story board. I wanted  to keep it a true to the original idea as possible so I tried improvising and trying to remember what I had done. I was getting too lost in the movement to remember what I was doing and it was a lot harder than what I first thought. I enlisted the help of Tara to be my watcher!! She watched my improvisation and told me the movement I had done. It took a long time doing it this way but it definitely worked! I wrote notes in order to help me remember the solo. I then had to teach Abbie my solo so that she could repeat it at some point during the piece.

Once my solo was complete, Tara had to join me to create a duet. Her role was the fill the space around me. To fill the gaps I had just left and to create gaps for me to move into. We were almost dodging and weaving around each other. Again, it took a while to complete this process because we had to identically recreate the improvised movement each time. Tara took the same approach as me by writing it down. We both wrote each others movement just to keep a record.

At the same time Tara and myself were completing our task Abbie and Greta were doing the same. Abbie had learnt my solo and Greta was filling the gaps so to speak. We finished the day by filming everything we had done. It was going to be 2 weeks until we saw Marina again and this way would be able to remember what we were doing and rehearse on our own.

To Do List:

• Bring clothes for costume.
• Film skin and slow it down.
• Bring the film of me scrambling again.
• Think of ideas for programme.
• Get some practise in!!!
• Get videos on Facebook/ Youtube.

Costume Talk

• No chinos!!
• No leggings!!
• Same colours/ tones (Burgandy, grey, blue, purple)
• Individuality
• Range of trousers and dresses
• Mixture of patterned and plain.

Bring costume ideas to next intensive day- 26th November

Mine and Tara's Task

Complimenting A Solo

Tara's Movement:
Me Complimenting

1. Body Pulls-        Looking around (Sitting)
2. Stillness-          Walking in a circle slowly
3. Body Pulls-        Looking around (Standing)
4. Body Shaking-   Twitching
5. Direction-         Integrated throughout movement
6. Focus-              Integrated throughout movement

My Movement:
Tara Complimenting

1. Initiating movement from head- Initiating from the hips
2. Stillness, pause-                          Direction changes
3. Hands moving other body parts- Slow, delicate movement with hands
4. Running to a new space-             Stillness
5. Free positive movement-         Sharp movements

Day Two- Intensive

We spent the morning looking at our story boards that we had made since our last intensive. The idea was to create a solo that could be used within our final piece. We were almost rearranging them, like finding a more in depth movement strategy that could become permanent.
Broadening our vocabulary.
Altering the movement.
I kept a particular aspect of each box but changed it in a way that created a new way of moving.

For example:

• Hands on Back- Hands moving other body parts.
• Negative Flashback- Stillness, pause.
• Nodding the Head- Initiating movement from the head.
• Negative Flashback- Running to a new space.
• Free positive movement.

I originally made my story board so that it could be taken in any order, but now I was structuring it so that it became a set order every time it was danced.

1. Initiating movement from the head.
2. Stillness, pause.
3. Hands moving other body parts.
4. Running to a new space.
5. Free positive movement.

I tend not to dwell on things that are improvised because they become too set, this is why I think I was the first to finish. I wanted my material to remain fresh and not become rehearsed. I also have prior experience in choreographing for myself and I have learnt how I work most efficiently.

Marina watched my solo as I was one in the first to finish in the company. She particularly liked the hands moving other body parts section. She asked Tara to film me doing this section with the intention of using it as a projection on the wall to accompany our final performance. She encouraged me to try and move as fast as I could!!!!

Videos to follow...

We also did some filming of the skin as Marina was interested in this. She liked the idea of the light on the skin and the reflection. She also liked the idea of not being able to tell where it was on the body. Moving in and out of focus. Slow motion. We then discussed the possibilities of having projections of both me 'scrambling' and the skin at different intervals throughout the piece.

This is a basic idea of the projections we have planned for the piece:

After lunch, we had a one to one meeting with Marina to show her the progression of our solos and to discuss how to work on it. I didn't have much feedback regarding things that needed to be changed. Tara and myself had both finished our solos and therefore she asked us to do a task together.

Our task:

• To frame/ compliment each others solo.
• Do not copy or contrast.
• Small in the background.
• Nothing too distracting away from the main solo.

To do list:

• Film the skin.
• Film me scrambling outside. Wear red!!!
• Have solo completed.
• Complete the complimenting task.

My Story Board

This is my story board that we were all asked to create before our second intensive day. It was based on the improvisation tasks that we had done on Monday. The aim was to have movements that could be arranged into a solo, although it did not have to be set material.

I continued with the idea of the negative and positive attitudes I had from our discussion on Monday.

As you can see, I was very vague with the negative ideas. To begin with, I simply labled them a negative flashbacks as a contrast from the positive movements. At a later time I was going to decide exactly what that would become.

The positive moments were much more obvious and defined. I was able to pin point exact movement from the improvisation tasks and through feedback from Marina. They are based on new things I have learnt during my time at Coventry University or thing that have been brought to my attention quite vividly. For example, thinking of my floating skull and the alignment of my body through my spine, the connection of my arms to the torso and improvisation.


I set it out in a way so there was no start and no end, each box could be taken in any order. I took this idea from how Marina explained this task to us, it was just the way in which I understood it. My layout was different to everyone elses in Small Boat but I think my story board works best for me in this particular way.

I was interested to see what everyone would take away from the improvisation tasks and how they would make it there own. Even though we all had the same tasks we all discovered completely different things about ourselves.

I was anticipating what we would do with our story boards...

Rosemary Butcher

I didn't know what to expect from this piece becasue I don't think I've seen any of her work before, especially not live. I was anticipating what to expect because we had been recommnded so strongly to come and see it.

After watching the piece, I didn't quite know what to think. I had made plenty of notes throughout the duration of the performance but I couldn't quite sum it up. I tend to pick up on smaller details rather than the bigger picture and this is why I believe I didn't know what to say.

Here are the notes I made to try to help me explain what I saw and my views on the work.

• Basic hand gestures
• Crossing pathways
• Exploration
• Discovery
• Clear and defined
• Sudden shift
• Site responsive
• Rotations
• Touch and sense
• Pitter patter
• Careful
• Minimal
• Simplisitc
• Rebound
• Pressing
• Hypnotic
• Hollows in the skin

The Arms

Experiential Anatomy
14th November 2012

During this lesson I needed to be careful of my shoulder injury that I sustained earlier on in the week.

We worked in trios for the duration of the lesson. We started at the clavicle, worked round the scapula, down the arm into the hands, feeling for the bones.

I found it really nice to have my shoulder manipulated and massaged because it eased the tension.

The moving- My partners were taking the weight of my body. I felt comfortable trusting them.

I felt like a rag doll, like I was floating and balancing and rising.

Without my partners I felt like my arms were still lengthening out of my shoulders. I was losing balance as I was moving because the sensation had changed from when I had my partners helping me.

Spilt Milk

Wednesday 7th November

• Showing different Social Dances.
• Metronome.
• Dancing with the hands- gestures.
• Humour.
• Using classical music for more modern dances.
• Popular dance crazes.
• Dance theatre.

I really enjoyed watching this piece because everybody could relate to it in some way. Everybody knew the popular dance crazes even if they did not know the social dances as well. The use of repetition made it easy to watch because it would always come back to a familiar point you had seen before.

I think having now entered my second year I am becoming increasingly aware of my FMP next year and having to think of ideas for my own work. I am seeing work in a whole new perspective and retaining ideas others have used in order to widen my vocabulary for my own project.

Mannequin Dance

This was my journalling after the first rehearsal with Mannequin Dance (Hannah and Julia's FMP company). We each bought in items that defined us and represented who we are.

As a group, we organised the objects into categories for example, colour, purpose etc.
We also spent time with one individual item just observing what we noticed.
I wrote about a photo frame.

Katye Coe- Work in Progress Showing

Replacing me with her

This work investigates how it is to be seen and heard... an interrogation of self and selves... a wrestle with the unknown without improvisation... inviting questions in space and thinking... and a little bit of English Dancing!

 Tonight is a work in progress and your thoughts are welcome

I acknowledge the text of philosopher Emmanual Levinas (Outside the Subject) and the poems of Jorie Graham (Notes on the reality of Self). Also thanks to Manuela Bondavalli and the To Dance Festival 2012 in Brescia, Milan where the first chapter of this work was realised in September this year.

Katye Coe

 

 

 

•  I understand the idea of being seen and heard in relation to the piece.
• I understand the interrogation of self.
• I can see the characteristics of the performer in the piece, ie. running.
• I understand the the English Dancing!
• Interrogation of selves? Who?
• Where did it come from?
• I don't understand the piece as a whole and I am fine with saying I don't understand. Its not like im trying to offend the artist by saying I don't get it, but I just don't? I understand aspects within it quite easily but I don't feel the title reflects what I saw and understood in the work.
   

Day One- Intensive

Monday was our first day working with Marina on our performance project. I'm glad we have had the opportunity to work with Marina in our phrase class since the start of the year because it has enable us to get to know her a little and understand her style of dancing.
 
I did not know what to expect because obviously its the first day and we do not know what ideas the choreographer has. From the readings we were given, I assumed we may be working with sounds and the head. From the questions Marina asked us to answer, I thought she just wanted an insight into why we dance.
 
To begin with, we spent a lot of time talking about the questions we were asked and our individual responses. It brought back emotional connections to things that had happened in my dance career previously. Things that I probably didn't want to talk about and things I had forgotten for a while. However, listening to everyone elses answers, I feel my opinion has also changed. We then began to move:
 
 
Task 1

• Warm up.
• Openness.
• Material about your joy of dancing.
• Music changes.
• Changing energy.
• For the first time this year I felt I was moving how I wanted to move. I found my contemporary style again.

 

Task 2

• Openness with a witness in the space.
• 2 types of open- being open in your movement and being open as a person.
• There is a difference between reaching and opening.
• Open, widen, expand, creating space, opening the heart.
• I was open in my movement whereas Kate wasn't, she was more reserved.
• You need to close before you can open.
• Moving into new spaces.

 

For myself

• Embrace whats new, what I've come to study.
• Tone and quality in voice, "I wasn't supposed to be here." Express that in movement.
• Difficult being here. Showing both positive and negative.
• Lack of fulfilment.
• Desire.

Task 3

• Reflection.
• New beginnings.
• Listening to the body.
• What happens happens.
• You can look back on the past but you can't change it, that's why I need to move on.
• Bringing all that I've learnt in the last year to my movement.
• As one door closes, another opens. That's what has led me to where I am today.
• New paths.
• I can add more strings to my bow. I am learning new things.
• Realising how my body should feel.

Things to carry forward from Task 3

•  Keep the phrases, hands on back stuff, nodding heads, rises.
• Move on from the phrases into positivity.
• Its ok to be obvious between positive and negative.
• Interruptions of negative.
• Make negative moments more of a snapshot/ flashback.

Task 3 (Round 2)

• Continued to work with nodding heads, rises and hands on back however did not progress them any further.
• Movement was more free this time rather than 'static' classwork.
• Flash backs worked well although I couldn't always the define them from the positive.
• Thinking of phrases but not necessarily taking notice of them.
• Thought of positives more than negatives this time.

Task 4

• Softening.
• I felt sometimes obvious and literal in my movements.
• Rocking backwards and forwards.
• Relaxing.
• Trust.
• Skin touch.
• Heaviness.
• Communication.
• Relying upon someone to support you.
• Meeting of two bodies.
• Disorientated when standing.
• I felt I had to breath more deeply.

To do list for Thursday

• Make a story board. Based on improvisation task think about making a phrase of movement. Not directly set but have an idea of what you're doing.
• Book recording equipment to film skin.
• Listen to John Tusa interviewing Anthony Gormley (BBC 3).
• Ask about the possibility of blending sound scapes.
• Get more interviews.
• Take a quote from the days experience.
• Record the sound of the wind.

The Lungs

Wednesday 24th October
Experiential Anatomy with Polly


In this lesson, we spoke about the lungs and felt the breath of another person. It seemed quite a simple lesson but also quite complex at the same time. Although it is easy to feel someone breathing, the respiratory system is so complex. I drew a picture of the lungs so that I can have a better understand of whats inside them and how they work.

My Arms

Thursday 11th October
Phrase Class with Marina Collard

Today we briefly focused on our arms during the warm up. We've done work like this since last year but today it really made sense to me. Marina talked about reaching from the shoulder blades along the arms and out through the little fingers. This all seemed so clear to me now and I could really feel it. Since this lesson whenever we do work with our arms I immediately think of what Marina taught us.

Here is an image I drew in my journal as a reminder of how the movement felt.

17th October

Last lesson, we had to find a neglected space within Ellen Terry to observe and make notes about. Our homework was to find neglected items to bring into our next lesson.
With these items we made a sculpture.
This was the sculpture that Hannah and I created...

This was the first completed sculpture, before we went to find more objects...

Motherland

Thursday 1st November 2012
Motherland
Vincent Dance Theatre
Birmingham Hippodrome
Directed by Charlottle Vincent

I did not really know what to expect from this piece before going to see it. I've never heard of Vincent Dance Theatre and I haven't seen any other work by Charlotte Vincent.

After watching Motherland, I feel I have some much food for thought. There seemed to be so many symbolic meanings in the piece that I could relate to because we have talked about them in either Placing Practise in Context or Dance Analysis.

Motherland to me, was very hard hitting, raw and truthful.

I made some quite in depth notes during the performance which take a lot of explaining! Here are some of the ideas that I took away from the piece.

• Gender
• Age difference
• Unity
• Strength
• Naivety
• Male gaze
• Humour
• Traditional stereotypes
• Challenging stereotypes
• Nature
• Fertility
• Sexuality
• Repetition
• Frustrations
• Blood
• Roles
• Single Parenthood
• Apposing styles of music (Classical and Rock).
• Maturity
• Modern Society

Tino Sehgal

Here are two videos I took for Tino Sehgal's work whilst at the Tate Modern...

Trip to the Tate Modern!!

Monday 22nd October 2012
 
Tino Sehgal- Turbine Gallery

The Tino Sehgal piece really interested and intrigued me. It made me ask questions about what the piece was about/ based on...

Why the repetion of moving up and down the hall?

What were the stories? Did they represent an influential moment within their life?

Why did the speed change?

What was the starting point/ stimulus for the piece?

Would it mean something different if it was shown in a different place?





The Tanks

 

 

 

The Spine- 10/10/12

We began the lesson by curling and uncurling the spine.

I imagined.. stretch, waking up, fingers, spine, arch, curve, bend, lengthen, release, tension, toes, flexing, growing, reaching, rolling, relief, folding, unfolding, yawn, awaken, eyes closed, light, grounded...

After discussing the anatomy of the spine and ways in which it moves, I have created my own image. When I think of the spine, I see a line of pebbles or a row of piano keys. This helps me not only to see the spine as a whole but to visualise the individual vertebrae.
 
The picture I created represents pebbles creating the vertebrae of the spine.

 

 

 

Improv 10/10/12

We started by working in pairs with a connection between our spines. We had to feel each others breath through the back. We then had to move but keeping this connection through the spine. I was working with Hannah Gray. After the task we spoke about how I was very engaged in the task and therefore I wanted to explore more. On the other hand, Hannah did not feel as ready as I did and therefore she was more reluctant to try bigger movements.
 
The task progressed and we came into larger groups. It was an odd feeling as we couldn't see who we were working with and therefore we had no judgements of how they were moving and how I should move around them. I feel if I had known before who I was connecting with, I wouldn't have been as open and willing in my movement.
 
After this, we regrouped into our pairs for the next task. This was to find a neglected, empty space within Ellen Terry to sit and observe. We needed to write down what we noticed in the space but individually. After, we could compare our notes.
 
Here is what I noticed:

 



We found that Hannah wrote more literal notes whereas mine were less obvious. I feel that I did this conciously so that I could find deeper things rather than just scraping the surface.

I really enjoyed this lesson more than expected. I think since last year, my preconceptions of this lesson have changed and now I can fully understand and appreciate them. I can find a deeper meaning to things and use this to benefit my individual dance practise.

Company Name Ideas

 

These are some of the ideas we came up with after reading a piece of writing we were given and after researching into Marina's background.

 

Our final decision was... Small Boat Dance Company

My Job Description and Person Specification

Technical Support Team

The technical support team is usually comprised of a stage manager and an assistant. They are responsible for the operation of sound and lighting within the theatre space during technical rehearsals and performances. They are also responsible for the preparation of the space before it is ready for artists to use safely. Some previous technical knowledge would help in order to use the equipment efficiently and to create sound and lighting ques.

All technical equipment will have to be checked by the technical team in order to ensure that the space meets health and safety standards and will not cause any hazards to the performers and the audience. A risk assessment will also need to be completed for this reason.

The technical support team will need to have some understanding of both the technical and artistic elements of a performance in order for it to be delivered exactly to the director’s requests. This will mean the team will need to collaborate and communicate with the director, performers and possibly, costume design.

 

The skills that are required for this role are:

·         Good with heights and ladder work

·         Working as part of a team

·         Good listening skills

·         Following orders

·         Organised

·         Tidy

·         Health and Safety aware