Change of Space

I spent the past two nights in the theater preparing my students for their annual Spring Concert. What struck me as interesting is that the transition from one space to another is completely disorienting at first. On Monday we moved the younger students from the small studio into the big studio for a rehearsal. This threw many of them completely off.

The change of space, the new environment made what was regularly well rehearsed and comfortable into something foreign and frightening. The next step was moving them all onto the stage in the theater (change of space #2) and, again, the reaction was the same. It takes time for them to adjust and get their bearings.

They are kids and they are learning so this is to be expected. But, it made me think how in life there lies a parallel. I love the sense of ease and peace I get on vacation--especially if it involves the sand, the ocean, and the sun. I soak in that stress-free feeling and vow to take it home with me. Nevertheless, when I get back home (change of space) and day-to-day life resumes, stresses return and after only days I feel like the carefree feeling I had on the beach must have happened months ago.

Another parallel. (My mind jumps from thought to thought this way). Why when creating dances do we commonly put them in the same generic proscenium stage structure? If space is such an important aspect of our experience, putting our dances in the same space:
  • serves to demarcate the piece as a work of theater by sanitizing/separating it from outside influence and 
  • weakens the work by disconnecting it from its environment?

Missa Pro Dogmata (Photo by Sherryl Hauck)
I understand that traditional, classical, and modern work embraces the first explanation. I am most curious about the latter and how contemporary dance and art embrace the connection to the environment. Recently, I presented a work on ritual and mudras (the beginning study of what became Missa Pro Dogmata) in a buddhist meditation center. For my current project (Singularity Project), the work suggests following the development from the organic to the man-made to the digital.

Taking explanation A above I can just put this all on a proscenium stage and try to create the development through the artifacts of theatre. However, taking explanation B above I might consider having the piece begin outdoors, move indoors, and end on screen. The relationship and the boundary between dance and environment is intriguing to me right now and explanation B seems more interesting.

Back to my students. There is something positive I get out of the fact that the older more experienced students have a much easier time with the transition to the stage. I am hoping that this holds true for day-to-day life as well--that with experience and age I will be able to seamlessly transition those stress-free moments into my daily experience, bringing with me that sense of peace.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day Three of Teacher Training Workshop

Day Three of the Teacher Training Workshop went well. Since we were working on levels 5 and 6--the most advanced, it was great having the younger teachers to help illustrate some of the more physically challenging elements (thanks Lianne and Alex!). Loved trading ideas and information with Genevieve (hope you have a safe trip home—oh, I am going to take your suggestion about the DVD’s). I got a kick out of seeing a self-professed non-jazz dancer totally rock the latin hips and Cuban walk (work it Irene). And, Melissa’s bubbly energy brought such humor, joy and insight to the classes (thank you). In the evening, Melissa and I did a photo shoot for Ridgefield Magazine . Donned in outfits from local stores (mine from Hutton's --I got to wear a hat!--and Melissa's from Parker East Dry Goods ), we had a good time goofing off and feeling awkward in front of the camera. It’s funny how as dancers we seem naturally more comfortable moving than we do posing. I ended the night on a...
Read more

Teaching As An Egoless Practice

Image
“creating without possessing, acting without expecting, guiding without interfering.”  ~Tao te Ching (from the Stephen Mitchell translation) Creating, acting, guiding, and (I might add) teaching without possessing, expecting, and interfering. This has been a guiding principle of mine as a teacher. Why? Because I feel it is my role as a dance teacher to create independent (rather than co-dependent) and creative (rather than mechanistic) dance-artists. Just like with my son Jakobi (now 16) who is preparing for his adult life, I have to make way for the second-severing of the metaphorical umbilical cord toward greater independence, which means suppressing the urge to hold on tighter as Jakobi, and my students, pull away. Teachers and parents share this similar experience. In the 1990’s I directed the dance program at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. For their first concert, I prepared the students and gave them many responsibilities for producing the concert--props, sets, ...
Read more

Dance Paradigms (Part 4: Popular Dance)

Image
From the group cohesive value systems in Traditional tribal, folk, and social dance, individuals emerge with a desire to express themselves, displaying their prowess, in contrast to others--meeting the needs and motivations of the Gravesian Egoistic system. Here, the individual discovers what Graves calls the “awareness of self as a possibly powerful being separate and distinct from others.” This is found in courting dances, recreational dance studios, Ethnic dance, and entertainment or commercial dance. Courting dances, from those found in the rituals of traditional cultures to the pea-cocking behavior of contemporary college students dancing at the local bar, exhibit traditional Egoistic motivations. On a more personal level, I started dance classes at thirteen and enjoyed the camaraderie of my classmates more than anything else. I felt I belonged within the group. Over time, I began to gain confidence in my ability and wanted to explore how I could express my individual pr...
Read more