Wednesday, 25 March 2015
"I think of dance as a constant transformation of life itself"
- Merce Cunningham
Sunday, 1 March 2015
When I grow up I'm going to be an improviser
I know, famous last words, I was saying in Retrospective last year "I'm not sure if I'm a dancer anymore, but I do call myself an improviser." This after about six years of struggling with my love for improvisation (and contact improvisation) but an education in which "you're improvising!" was a reprimand and a performance culture where improvisation is often taken as a shorthand for laziness.
When we were working on Retrospective, my dear friend K pointed out that I might be claiming improvisation as an identity because while there are many criterion for technical dancing which I prefer not to be judged by, I could noodle around but not be judged for not improvising!
But the more I see and experience, I am humbled and delighted. I don't know if I merit the label "improviser" - but when I grow up I want to be one! I feel reassured that I won't run out of things to work on for another 20-30 years at least.
Here is my knockout list so far:
When we were working on Retrospective, my dear friend K pointed out that I might be claiming improvisation as an identity because while there are many criterion for technical dancing which I prefer not to be judged by, I could noodle around but not be judged for not improvising!
But the more I see and experience, I am humbled and delighted. I don't know if I merit the label "improviser" - but when I grow up I want to be one! I feel reassured that I won't run out of things to work on for another 20-30 years at least.
Here is my knockout list so far:
- Yvonne Ng - I saw her perform at the Grey Festival in Singapore 2010, during my final year at NAFA. I knew from that moment that I wanted to make improvised solos.
- Rick Nodine and Simonetta Alessandri at the LCI celebrates Chisenhale fundraiser - 3 DAYS after arriving in London, Sep 2014. Knocked my socks off.
- Table of Contents (Siobhan Davies Company) at ICA Selfridges, 2014.
- and tonight... Sten Rudstrom at Trip the Light Fantastic Toe!
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