(X) Work In Progress

2010-05-21T03:48:00.000-07:00

Poster

2010-01-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

2009-12-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

The coreography is extended after feedback of "more tenderness."

We worked on a backwards roll using the sheet as support but this proved difficult (although more work is to be done on it).

The rope is caught mid-swing by the sea. The boy still in a state of entrancement is lead through the arch made by the material by his waist. A dance (tender but slightly awkward). A push back towards the material. Rebound and smiles (flirty and mischevious from all participants). The boy ends up on the other side of the material and runs towards the sea. He is stopped by the material.

There is a moment of constraint. The boy is wrapped up in the material. He spins and plays. The play is a flirt and the sea plays along.

The boy is totally constrained into the material. Wrapped tightly into it. He is released and he walks forward. He comes close to the sea and loosens the material. The material falls and he steps out of it. A dance (this time closer and passion).

The sea stops and looks towards the father (balcony) and he leaves the space leaving the boy alone with the material.

2009-12-02T05:35:00.000-08:00

I have tried to capture the smoothness of the sand.

The fade effect.

The flow of the waves.

Ripple.

Touch.

To be referred to when creating physical moments in the studio.

27th November '09

2009-11-27T05:17:00.000-08:00

During the review yesterday, several points were raised. The main focus of the feedback was the use of the sheet.

We had developed a scene where the sheet was brought into the space and played with by one performer. Two other performers enter and take either end of the sheet and they played. The play then turns rough as the sheet is pulled down over the face of the playing performer.

He is dragged down and tied.

His face is pressed against the sheet as shown in the pictures.

Today we developed this moment further. The play is choreographed. Back and forth, sheets engulfing, being submerged. The boy is wrapped up in the sheet, twisted, then untwisted with a spin.

The boy is becoming submissive to the sea. He falls and the sheet is above him. The sheet is twisted over and over. It becomes a rope and he skips, the sea skips.

The relationship between the boy and the sea is very prominant in the moments we have created. There is clear attraction, also a very strong theme of innocence in the boy.

Also raised yesterday was the need for text. We took the texts written at the beach and used them.

A technique of mimicking waves was suggested.

'You enter. You enter aggressively. You enter aggressively then slow. You enter aggressively then slow. You are. Slow. You are slow as you reach me. You are slow as you reach me and you touch me. You touch me softly. You touch me softly and you tease. You touch me softly and you tease me to come. You tease me to come. You tease me to come with you...'

The flow of this text proves an effective technique. The sexual connotations can be heightened also.

This was combined with the chorus drowning moment described below.

5 performers, two in front, crawling, two behind and one behind them. They use their hands to reach forward, then drag their fingers back. They breath, out on the way forwards, and in on the return. They move further forward each time. They get closer and closer to a laying boy. They two prominent hands approach his body. They go up the feet, up the legs, thighs, caressing all the time. The boys feet twitch. As the hands retreat they pull gently on the boys ankles. Further up the torso. One hand goes into the boys hair and the other takes his hand. The boy holds the hand. Caress. One hand is forcibly put over the mouth of the boy while the others are holding down the rest of his body. There is a struggle. The boy is coughing. Struggle. Calm.

It was discussed that the optimum viewing position of the audience would be from above. This is possible with a studio with a balcony. In the meantime we have been using a ladder to view the moments we have created.

25th November '09

2009-11-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

We spent time just walking the beach, throwing rocks at the sea and so on.

What is it about throwing rocks at the sea? What is is about? Throwing rocks at the sea?

After organising a time to reconvene, we ventured on our own to different sections of the beach to write some text.

We read our texts to eachother with the sea as a backdrop. Izzy's poem was effective. He spoke about a struggle, kicking and fighting while he himself was fighting against the wind.

I spent my time looking at the texture of the sand, the way it changed (constantly changing). Smoothness and shine (iridescent), rough and matt. I looked at the colours, the pastels of the sand and the sea. There was nothing garish about this place.

I wanted to capture the smooth ripples of the sand.

I wanted to capture the softness of the water and the fierceness of the waves. The foamy edge coming towards then the the smooth layer dragging backwards.

Rust

With these images in mind I will return to the studio and try to funnel them into creating a moments in the space. I am keen to look into using video projection and materials.

24th November 2009

2009-11-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

Through an improvisation with outside eyes (an exercise we use often), several moments were established.

A soundtrack of a beach was playing while a performer was 'drowned' by another. Using the hands to simulate the waves travelling up and down the body, the drowned performer lay still as the wave engulfs him totally before forcibly putting their hand over the drowned boys mouth. The drowned performer struggles briefly but it totally dominated. The whole sequence has a sexual undertone.

The moment was built upon, extending the wave by including all 4 other performers. The drowned performer is now totally dominated by 4 other boys.

It is important to note that inevitably there is a heavy homoerotic subtext happening throughout.

The next moment came from the drowned performer laying on two chairs, lifeless. An outside eye gave the direction "Try to put him onto one chair." This generated a moment of struggle. Music was playing in the background (Bjork - Joga). The moment was extremely powerful and gave further hint to a relationship narrative.

Tomorrow we are going to a beach with these moments in minds. We will be exploring how putting the moments into a real life context, the setting of the beach, will change, develop or add to them. I want to explore being submerged in sea water. I intend to write texts and develop new movements out of the notion of being wet.