Dance Lab 13/08/2012

The University of Otago, Dance Lab is directed by Dr. Ojeya Cruz Banks. Ojeya, who has a background in contemporary dance and West African dance forms teaches 'Afro-contemporary technique' within Dance Lab. The Lab provides performance and choreographic opportunities for dancers as well as community classes.

I have been a member of Dance Lab in the past. I directed 'Cell' (2010), an interdisciplinary improvised performance and co-choreographed 'Chocolate Zucchini Cookies' (2011) for the Dunedin Fringe Festival. At present I attend Dance Lab's community classes.

For more info on the University of Otago community classes click here.

Monday, 13/08/2012

1. I arrived late, and caught the end of some stretches. We moved into legs swings lying on our backs. Ojeya asked us to use the momentum of leg swings to move/flow into another movement, then another, then another. She asked us to create a short warm up phrase in this way, starting from leg swings and ending on our backs ready to start the phrase again on the 'other side'.

2. We reviewed Ojeya's warm up floor phrase. This phrase begins lying on the back and utilises:
 - initiations from the hips in order to roll,
 - initiations from the foot in order to sit up from a foetal position,
 - slow roll downs from a seated position to lying down,
 -  momentum of the arms to swivel on our bottoms,
  - low squats, cartwheel,
 - fall/slide into press up position,
 -  from lying in the stomach,
 - swinging the legs around into a seated position.

3. Partner improvisation, pilot and passenger. Connection through shadowing. The pilot chooses a body part to explore movement that initiates from that body part. The passenger is not concerned with exactly copying the pilots movement but using their peripheral vision relates to and responds to the pilots movement with their own version and exploration. Follow, respond, compliment, contrast... Swap roles. Ojeya reminded us to play with timing more and to be aware when we were getting stuck in a familiar pattern.

4. We reviewed a centre phrase. Utilises:
 - head and hands pulling away from each other,
 - fall into push up position and quickly push back up to standing, head roll and steady one self
 - Arm circles (bent at elbow), catch the arm with the opposite hand
 - balance studies
 - flat back
 - push forward with the hips to initiate one to travel
 - momentum of arm swings to turn and travel
 - large glides backwards
 - Jump turns
 - turns slicing the air with the arm and pushing forwards with the hips
 - casual walk in large circle
  - leg kicks, slicing the air with the legs

5. Partner improvisation, pilot and passenger. Connecting through shadowing and pouring weight. Similar to exercise above, number 3. This time we both follow each other at the same time. Concentrate on a line that the other person is making with a body part and follow that with a different body part. Again not copying each other but responding to each other. This time we had to concentrate on playing with timing and levels. At times we might be on the same level and other times we should play with contrasting the levels. In addition to this we had to find moments of pouring our weight onto each other, taking turns at receiving the weight of our partner.

6. Ojeya wrote the following words on the white board: jiggle, swivel, sudden stops, melt, roll. She asked us to explore different ways of moving to each of these words on our own. We then took turns at leading the group moving across the floor on the diagonal. When leading we moved through the words in any order while the rest of the group followed, again not concerned with exactly replicating the leaders movement.

7. Diagonal travelling phrase. This phrase utilises:
 - side gallops,
 - ball change with upper body curved over and low to ground,
 - turn, taking four steps to turn, holding arms out to second,
 - swing arms (wrap around body) to help momentum. Jump to replace right foot with left foot, right step out to side, in high lunge,
 - step forward reach the straight arms up over head and forward, bring it back,
 - reach one up straight up towards ceiling, reach other arm up towards ceiling,
 - move straight into phrase again, move all the way down the room.

Blindscape

Blindscape, Next Wave Festival 2012, May 19 - 27

Skye Gellmann: Initiating Creator
Kieran Law: Co-creator
Dylan Sale: Game Programmer
Thom Browning: Sound Designer
Gareth Hart: Producer

"Our personal technologies have become an extension of ourselves. Blindscape looks to exploit that connection to engage its audience in a visceral environment that disintegrates the real and virtual boundaries."

We (the audience) are provided with an iPhone, pre-loaded with a specially designed Blindscape App, to allow us to enter a 3D audio-virtual reality as we enter the performance space. We enter a dark space and are encouraged to explore corridors, doorways and landscapes. We are told we must use the sounds to guide us to 'pockets of light', when 'successful' the phone lights up and helps us to view fragments of a spectacular yet elusive circus.

More info, click here.

Darkness
Light source, sauce
Move towards the sound, getting louder and louder, LIGHT!
Two rough hand made balls, one big and one small
Physicality
Musculature
Climbing
Falling
Central pole
Progressively physically interactive
Gaze, you look at me, I'll look back at you
Instructions
Non-verbal communication, gesture
Winners and Losers
Opposition, blue vs red
Groups, categorised by colour
Group tasks
Cooperation
Compatibility
Play
Rough Housing
Games
Dancing, grooving
Running behind curtains, where are you?
Water
Beach
Carnival
Fire Works
Dreams
Confusion:
Am I doing it right?
Should I shake my iPhone too?
Why is mine black and theirs blue?
Is my confusion part of the thematic exploration?
Is this the end?
Should I walk through the curtain into the light?
If I'm the first one to try and I'm wrong, I'll look stupid...hesitate...hesitate