Idea
My research is based on the relation between the individual and society as it is explored through the thinking body. How the individual is affected by the whole and how the whole is being shaped by the characteristics of its constituent parts. It is about the suggestions and actions of each individual in "here and now".
I was strongly influenced by Ana's thoughts which followed me during these three months:
"What is me, here, today, with what I bring from yesterday..The body is the point of departure and the destination also..
Build an ecosystem and allow it to affect you back...
What I create has a life of its own that affects me back.. what do I receive as feedback from the world that I have created..
Non relation with the others is impossible..
Choreography as a life process.."
Defining a task
Sensitivity
How sensitive one is to the environment. In which ways do we sense. What does it mean to be sensitive. Is it a passive or an active state.
First I gave the task to Alexandra. "You are sensitive to the environment'' are the words I used.I told her she could use all her senses (hearing ,touch, sight, smell) at the same time or one by one. I wanted to see her approach. At the beginning she didn't move at all, she needed time to get into herself and listen .She moved mostly on the floor, listening, making small movements. She also felt the need to define the environment and set boundaries by shutting the door of the studio. That led me to the question , is there a choice in what we perceive as surrounding?
Then I took Alexandra's task.Very similar to mine, it was about sensitivity also.
John -Paul's sessions
"the idea of antagonism.."
"transformation.."
1st development of the task - you are a stranger entering a different world
I took the task upon myself. The idea of being a stranger gave me different qualities. I felt being causious, curious ,surprised, which led me to a more active state. Isolation of parts of the body and the element of electricity were the things that arose.
Later, Nefeli and I exchanged tasks.On my task, Nefeli deeply engaged herself in one sense at a time , at first in hearing, then touch, then sight. She started exploring the surface of the wall , its texture and how she could maintain her balance there, grabbed from it. She tested the limits of the surface and the limits of her body. Immediately Nefeli and I, saw the connections and similarities of our tasks, so from then and on we started working together.
2nd development of the task- perception of space through my body
Following the thoughts that came up from witnessing, I decided to focus on how I could feel, sense, perceive space, by testing the limits of my body.Using the extension in several body positions , testing balance and always trying to open up my perception, questions came again. Which are my limits. My power.How far can I go. How much space do I occupy.
Afroditi' s rope started drawing new lines in space ,forming a net. What can I do with that. How much freedom do I have in the space as it is now formed.. I was trapped there in my thoughts and in Afroditi's net. I was looking for the exit. Is there elasticity in the boundaries of space , can you shape them, can you escape...Once I escaped, I realized that I had entered a new space that hadn't been there for me before.
Michael's sessions
"The state of dance.. clearing of obstacles..
Choreography of revelation..
Each process is a political statement, a political act..
Multidimensional body.."
After Ana's suggestion to start with a thought or with the body, I decided to go with the second. My body really wanted to lay on the floor and listen .I wanted to be in contact with the ground, with what was down in there. Forgetting my self and surrendering to gravity .I felt like becoming a projection of that "under the ground'' world. I could hear the echo of the upper world through the floor and could "see" the reflection of it, like the lights when they are reflected at the sea, at night. I found that really interesting and I wasn't the only one. I asked from Zoi T and Zoi A to strain their ears attached to the earth and feel the gravity and its magnetism. They both experienced the same feeling of water and sea, and saw the reflection. I asked from Zoi A to stand up and by maintaining that feeling, to move. All that, led to new pathways which I decided not to approach. But certainly another world was revealed.New tasks kept coming..
Going back
It was time to go back to my first idea. The relation between the individual and society. Taking advantage of Alexandra's group ,that moved as an entity in space by copying each other , I suggested the choice of breaking off ,by proposing a new movement. Several patterns occured in this condition of unity that where very interesting ,and this quality of sensitivity and awareness was beautiful. Many thoughts and possibilities towards that direction came to me.
Yolanda's sessions
"eyes open ,clear look..
clearly place yourself, say something clearly..
different rythms , different qualities, text.."
Final shape
The idea was that each one of the dancers would form a solo in order to be used somehow as a part of a wider group work.
For the solo,I gave them two thoughts on which they would think physically
- you want to be in contact with ( it could be anything, a surface, a person, a situation, real or imaginary)
- you say no
I also asked them to choose a song.
The next steps were the evolution of this sentence by extending or condensing parts of it and the use of the song as a source of rhythm.
Finally ,it was a solo based on
- "I am here today with what I bring from yesterday"
- the sentence or part of it (including repetition or transformation)
- the notion of dancing
Kyriakos' sessions
" processes that lead to unexpected results.."
After that, the idea of putting them all together in a common space and see what happens, came like magic.Kyriakos ' music created the most beautiful landscape.Accumulation. Personal space became common space. The creative small society that occured was moulded by what each individual chose to bring in .
Working and sharing things with you all has been a beautiful experience and a great journey for me.Thank you
Final presentation:
