I have been introduced to the wonderful views of Sanford Meisner (www.themeisnercenter.com) who trained actors to be ‘truthful’. One of his exercises looks to repetition, where students of his technique work to acknowledge the real behaviour of whomever they are in dialogue with and respond to that real behaviour, as opposed to the text. I was excited to find this exercise on video, produced by Arts Archives (www.arts-archives.org) called ‘Sanford Meisner: The Exercise of Repetition taught by Scott Williams’. At the moment I’m just digesting what I’m learning but there is definite applicability of his beliefs to dance.
On a personal note, I’m having a real week of ups and downs. Ups (always as a rule start with ‘ups’) include being asked to present some of my research at two conferences. The first is called: ‘Sound Moves: An International Conference on Music and Dance’. It is at Roehampton University in November and Matt and I will improvise together and then I will present a short paper on the intersubjective nature of the relationship between sound and movement and moreover musician and dancer). Check out the website if you want to register to go: www.roehampton.ac.uk/soundmoves.
The second conference is called: ‘The Changing Body in Training and Performance’ and is at University of Exeter in January 2006. At this I’m giving a paper which at the moment I’m calling, ‘The You in Me: Practical Discoveries Towards the Intersubjectivities in Performance’.
I think eventually I’ll drive myself mad by thinking about intersubjectivity so much. It is now infiltrating every aspect of my life…here’s a classic example: last night, out for a few beers, then of course I decided to go to karaoke (my evil weakness) so just a friend and I went but I ended up just trying to focus on her whilst I was singing, I just kept trying to absorb myself in her movements, facial expressions, energy in general and then I could remotely observe the changes in my own behaviour (way of being) as a result of this little exercise. I’m loosin’ it.
I have heard that this is what happens to people when they do PhDs for a long time. I already suffer from an obsessive personality and now this – Intersubjectivity. I can’t stop.
Whhhaaaaa Haaaaa Haaaaaa!
Oh yeah, the ‘downs’. I didn’t get Choreodrome. I’m totally bummed. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve now been labelled as an academic and so therefore my art is shit, or if I’m just too old? (This is another down – I turn 33 tomorrow. I’ve had go out and buy the ‘very expensive’ eye cream as opposed to the ‘expensive’ eye cream I used to buy…totally depressing!) Yeah, so who knows why they didn’t accept my proposal…maybe they were put off by my candid website when I directed them there to read the images from the chicken dance….the possibilities are endless really.
My other down (just to finish winging) is that I’ve managed to pull a hamstring by letting my big fat ego take over in a yoga class a couple weeks ago. I’m still paying for it and have had to keep dancing on it. Looks like another visit to Timo is in order (Timo is the best physio / masseur in the world and surprisingly he works at Pineapple!) If you’re a dancer and need someone good look him up! You can find his info via the Pineapple Dance Studios website.
I’ve gotta stop there. More before too long, I promise!
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