I’m back!

After a 4 month hiatus, I have returned from the land of wedding and the beginning of physical therapy school.  I wondered what would happen with so much change, but, as always, I’ve come running back to my dance life, needing it to fulfill all those needs that nothing else in life seems to feed.  I’m happier with dance in my life and I’m more productive when I’m happier, so there will just have to be time for some dancing while I’m in school.

In other news, WE HAVE A SPACE!!!!!  They Might Be Dancers has a home!  The brilliant, and maybe impulsive, Coco Loupe just did it – signed a lease, built a sprung floor, secured a marley, and made some copies of the key.  There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude for this gift.  I only hope I can show up enough and give enough support.

This opens so many possibilities for process and community.  But you know me, the one possibility that  has me unable to sleep at night is the chance to train myself in dance technique!  I have had a steady practice for about two years now of Pilates.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a disciple of Pilates and will never give it up.  It’s served most of my movement needs pretty well, but there is nothing like dance training.  For that, though, you need space.  I don’t even know where to begin.  I guess I’ll just go to the studio and see what happens.

Studio Rehearsal 1

I rehearsed myself yesterday for 2 hours, after which I was completely exhausted and still am.  Regardless of what was actually accomplished, this sense of being empty, both of physical strength and choreographic ideas, is hugely satisfying.  Walking in, I wondered if I would have the self-discipline to work and focus without the legitimization of someone else’s presence.  I think it went alright.

To avoid the meanderings of my thoughts, I had mentally outlined an agenda, which is as follows:

1. 3 runs of the 3 min. piece in order to practice the phrase
2. 5 improvisational exercises centered around the phrase, practiced for 5 minutes each
3. 3 runs of the 3 min. piece, focusing on the thing as a whole

(This took 2 hours because of the time I took in between to journal and rest.)

Around the 4th exercise, mental and physical fatigue set in and I found myself relying on a constantly changing musical score to provide the motivation to continue.  Throughout the entire two hours though, my mantra was the Gaga cue, “connect to joy.”  I focused on playing rather than working.  I filmed the very last run and have inserted it below.  Please ignore my obvious fatigue.  I would love any feedback or thoughts you have, positive or negative!

Working Day 1

My plan was to work on this 3 minutes in my apartment, moving furniture and whatnot to make that possible.  However, my apartment complex has decided to perform repairs in the laundry room below my unit, using a jackhammer.  I can’t think or really even stand being here, so I have put calls and emails out to various spaces, but so far, no one has responded.

My new plan is to spend this time thinking, planning, sketching (which I can do in a coffee shop, etc), and then when I do get access to a space, to follow through with said plans.

Let’s talk about this piece.  For music, I have picked a jazz tune which has the form AABA.  The As are a repeated melody and the B is a long improvised piano solo.  My overall form for the piece will match: the A’s will be a repeated phrase of movement and the B section will be an extended section of improvisation, building on the movement ideas established in the phrase.  I was digging through some papers this morning for a completely unrelated task and I found my Vicki Blaine compositional devices sheet.  (How on earth have I managed to keep this in my possession since 2004???)  I have decided that I will use these as exercises for preparing the improvisational B section.  The devices are listed below:

1. Augmentation
2. Diminution
3. Mirroring
4. Development
5. Repetition
6. Isolation
7. Accumulation
8. Transposition
9. Embellishment
10. Transformation
11. Inversion
12. Retrograde
13. Canon
14. Splicing or insertion

Now, as for the repeated phrase of movement, I would like to specify my web of influence:

1. This Organic Life by Joan Gussow, specifically her discussion of killing animals that compete for her food and the subsidized water in California that keeps food cheap.
2. Dietrich Wegner (thanks Stephanie!)
3. Time 1:05 in this Jasmin Vardimon video (thanks Ricky!)
4. My experience of gazing in Coco’s rehearsal and her comments about dancers performing not only movement, but also their interpretation of that movement and their view of their performative self worth.
5. The window garden growing in ziplock bags at Tigertree in the Short North
6. The concept of visual counterpoint.
7. Brad Mehldau, in general.
8. This excerpt from Brad Mehldau’s interactive storybook for Highway Rider:

“As his surroundings and his companionship constantly shifts, he experiences the way time passes: Something is capricious and ephemeral, you hold it in your hand and take pleasure in it; you feel its immediacy.  Then it leaves you, and you feel the weight of its absence;”

In Process

I have said yes to the choreographic challenge COPE, lead by Ricky Morant.  I am allowed 11 hours of work time to create 3 minutes of dance.  I have decided to approach the challenge like this: set a loose but specific improvisational structure and then practice as many times as I can between now and the 17th, which I highly doubt will add up to 11 hours, but if you add think time and costume shopping, then maybe I get there.

In approaching this, I realize I HAVE to solve my space problem.  I went for a walk earlier today and noticed that many of the galleries in the short north are relatively empty mid-day.  I wonder if it is possible to develop a partnership with a gallery to use the space during slow hours and to hopefully create additional draw by being there working?  Visual art people, do you think this is a realistic idea?  I’ve sent one email so far.  I’ll let you know what happens.

Seeking A Creative Practice

One of my goals for 2011 is to make something.  More specifically, I would like to make a 10-15 minute piece and perform it in a venue appropriate to the piece.  I have been struggling with this since January, not having time, space, a performance date, etc.  After discussing this with Colleen Leonardi, I realize that this reflects my fear of the goal itself and my willingness to yield to circumstance more than my actually facing insurmountable obstacles.

Since the aforementioned discussion, I have been analyzing my own practice and have realized that while I have developed a steady physical practice, which is important to the art of dance, it is not a creative practice.  My current practice is about muscles, alignment, and physical capability.  While it does stimulate my mind-body connection, it does not access my creative body/intellect, my artistic curiosity, or my voice.

I have gone to the studio a few times this year with the intention of beginning a creative process.  However, these sessions were fruitless and aggravating.  I think I am in a pre-studio, pre-movement, incubation phase.  It has been a long time since I have pursued dance-making and I need to learn about what inspires 26 year-old Maggie.  I therefore promise to dedicate at least 30 minutes a day of the next two weeks to pursuing inspiration.

The current contents of my inspiration basket:

Books:

1. The Creative Habit (re-reading)
2. Taken By Surprise: A Dance Improvisation Reader
3. Body, Space, Image (a recommendation from Colleen)
4. Feelings Are Facts
5. This Organic Life (just finished)
6. Composing While Dancing

Music:

1. Highway Rider – Brad Mehldau
2. Gently Disturbed – Avishai Cohen Trio

Do you have any advice/recommendations?  What inspires you?  What is your process of collecting inspiration?

The Change in Blogs

If you have a keen eye for detail, then you may have noticed that I have recently ditched a blog called “This Mad Company,” for a more intimately named blog, “Maggie A.”  This Mad Company was the name I chose for my future dance company, the one I would pursue in 5 years when I live out in Dublin and work as a physical therapist.  I liked it because it hides an egocentric acronym “Maggie Abrams Dance,” with a word that gives me room to make all sorts of dance art (political, theatrical, etc).  However, due to a recently vocalized shift in the Columbus dance scene (see here), I am struck by the importance of acting and pursuing dance in Columbus as an individual.  Writing under the umbrella of a “company,” even if only in name, refers to a team of people and therefore creates a member/non-member dichotomy.  I would prefer to avoid propagating such ideology, so I will pursue my blogging under my name in hopes of being viewed as an individual member of a larger community and therefore helping to encourage a sense of inclusivity.

That said, I’d like to fill you in on all the projects I’m currently a part of:

We Live Here lead by Coco Loupe – This project received a fellowship from Columbus Dance Theatre and will be performed in the Columbus Dances Fellowhip Concert April 15th and 16th.  For more information, check out Columbus Dance Theatre’s calendar, here.

A duet with Eric Falck, created by Coco Loupe –  This will be performed at the reception for the Creative Arts of Women show at MadLab on Saturday, May 7th, between 4pm and 7pm.

A quartet with Eric Falck, Gabby Stefura, and Jeff Fouch, lead by Noelle Chun –  This will be performed at Dublin Dance Center’s fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer, Miracle Dance, held at the Abbey Theater of Dublin on Saturday, April 9th at 8pm.

Waiting for a Response

There is a trio looming in my mind. It’s two girls and a boy performed to a mix of current music. I can feel its rhythms and qualities bouncing around in my body like a shaken-up soda bottle.

However, I have so many questions about this trio, I do not feel it appropriate to take steps to pursue it yet. My questions are as follows:

1. Who are these three?
2. What is their relationship?
3. Why are there 3?
4. What am I trying to say with this piece?
5. Why use current music and what am I trying to say by using it?
6. Where do I want it performed?
7. What will they be wearing and how does that further the point of the piece?
8. What process will I use to make the piece?
9. What goals will I set for my choreographic growth during this process?
10. What goals will I set for my dancers for growth during this process?
11. How can I use this process to further my dancers’ goals of growth?
12. How will I warm my dancers up in a way that supports the movement style I want for the piece?
13. What is that style?
14. How can I conduct my rehearsals in a way that is respectful, efficient, and productive, while leaving room for play and curiosity?
15. What creative means can I use to capitalize on the talents, individuality, and creativity of my dancers, while still shaping a piece with my voice?

I’ll leave the answers for another day.