“Space is a playing field without which there is no game.”
Where are you in the space? What do we do in the space? How do we use the space? Nina Martin uses ensemble thinking scores:
1) 3/2 – ensemble relates through levels, movement, facing and distance
2) Hot spot – how can individuals focus and how does the ensemble give an individual focus
3) One idea – how can the ensemble create one simple easily read form
4) Number scores – how many of the ensemble are in the working space
In Martins video Straddling Trio she uses the idea of scores I found when watching this it was very boring and there wasn’t much to it. The three dancers involved a lot of movement being developed and the movement would always influence what each dancer was doing. They would create focus by creating a different tempo or by developing movement. I found like they were trying to have a conversation but it wasn’t clear what however, it just felt like it still seemed to drag. This conversation they were having involved a lot of copying one and other but as this was happening it would turn into a solo or duet. It would happen often and the movement was very armed based which I noticed a lot especially, this happens a lot as well in class so is all improvisation predictable to having arm movement? Or is it natural to use our arms as a go to movement as you use them on a daily bases to do tasks? Facings it wasn’t interesting at all they rarely changed and weren’t as experimental with them they did change just in my opinion not in an interesting way. It was the same with the levels they would move between them but not that often, it was very predictable.
When trying these four rules out I found the first one was easy to do cause developing off each other’s movement was easy. It enabled us to get into each other’s bodies and I really enjoyed it because there was a lot of contrast within each other’s movement and I found myself to be really focused on what was going on and what I could possibly do. The second rule I found it hard to find what I really needed to focus on I found myself questioning, do I need focus on others around me? Focus on direction? Do I focus on myself and go deep into my internal thoughts and movement? Do I focus on one part? What does it mean for me to have an individual focus with my ensemble around me? Also the third relating to one form I didn’t understand and found it very hard to understand what this was asking me do exactly. How did they want me to relate form? Did they want me to do it within myself or with within the group? The last rule I found easy cause everyone was able to relate and I enjoyed seeing how things develop. I found within this as well that my body wasn’t going into any habitual movement and I was really thinking about where my movement was heading.
Flocking in two lines was engaging to do only using peripheral vision to help you see what movement was going on next to you. It was at points easy to see who was leading the movement because if everyone wasn’t engaged with what was going on it would cannon across the line. A lot of the time people would again go for their arms which they would find very natural to do. By going slower it was a lot easier to engage with everything that was going on. It was similar when the two lines had to face one and other because we had to really focus on the movement that was going on and really engage our bodies. I found this enjoyable to do because you can see which part is moving but you don’t always know what fully is going on within it so everybody’s movement was always slightly different.
Finally in Buckwalter’s reading an improviser’s companion is talks about a number of different practitioners and how they use time within in improvisation and dance. The different methods of time that they use with in it and how improvisation allows the option for repeating the material or letting material go within the moment of dancing. Trying to clock time is hard because you never know when you’re going to finish. When laying on the floor trying to clock it, it was hard to do because time felt so different. It felt like it went much more slowly than dancing because when dancing you get lost in the moment. It was interesting to see how long we would go for because at one point we got told to go for 7 minutes and was interesting to see because we ended up going for 11 minutes. I think this is because we felt stuck in the moment so we would keep continuing to improvise with each other. It felt like time would feel less but it was actually more than you think about because you’re so lost in what you are doing and engrossing in. However, one thing as a group with time is I feel like we should improve on connecting with each other and be able to connect to finish on time with each other as an ensemble.
Blibogrpahy:
World Dance Alliance, 2013. “Straddling Trio” with Gamblin, Martin & Wass. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCqh3Cq2Qis [accessed 19th February 2016]
Buckwalter, M. (2010) Composing while dancing: An improviser’s companion. Madison, Wis: The University of Wisconsin Press. Pages 60 – 90
Kent De Spain. (2014) Landscape of the Now: a topography of movement improvisation. Pages 108-113