Environment is Everything
Working with a group of dancers means having more perspectives in the studio, which is both exciting and challenging. I have discovered that this new environment means I must navigate the rehearsal space in a way that is respectful and very direct. This is a new territory for me.
Below are my choreographic observations with regards to the video clip of rehearsal linked to the title. Please read the questions and then watch the video.
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How to make the various parts of the piece flow together and overlap – what does it mean to layer choreography? Is this the same as layering identities? How does this emerge in the overlapping counting section in the beginning of the work?
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What do the caution signs means? They say “Achtung, Caution, Attention”? Do they symbolize something? Are they merely moveable/functional objects? What/ who are they cautioning against?
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What is my relationship to the other dancers? Are they part of me? Am I part of them? Are we a community?
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How do the dancers relate to one another? Through energetic intentionality? Focus? Desire? Artistic identity? Unison movement? Spatial orientation?
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How are all of the dancers different from each other? How can I show the unique perspective of each dancer/artist without losing my focus on German-American relations in the work?
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What does it mean to use artistic “camp” in a work? How do you “sell” it through performance? Are we as performers falling into our own trap? What is the purpose of camp? Am I pointing to cultural stereotypes/ expectations?
