Tuesday, 30 June 2009
More photos on Flickr
We've put more photos from our visit to Shropshire Archive, Be-Longing rehearsal, and Aerial devising on the Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company Flickr page
TAKE; a dance in the park, this Saturday!
THE QUARRY PARK, Shrewsbury
Saturday 4th July
12.30pm & 2.30pm
TAKE; a dance in the park celebrates a rich and colourful history of live outdoor performance through the eyes of three remarkable 19 century women, Emma Darwin, Hesba Stretton and Lotty Burne.
Three women, two centuries and one park where audiences in their thousands gathered to watch in awe and amazement performances of electrifying skill and acrobatic daring. Bringing it into the 21st century and onto a spectacular aluminium dome where dancers magically glide, float and spin, narrowly missing each other in a playful journey through the archives.
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Gravity and lettuces
Halfway point in the devising/rehearsing and the piece has a definite shape... Thurs and Friday were spent with the sound recordists adding our own layers to the sound score. Talking and dancing at the same time with radio mics was the biggest challenge and the elements were also against us... Rain on Friday saw the sound guys decamped to Rachel's polytunnel next to the rig, their equipment among the lettuces. But we have a score and it's all coming together... eek, now we have to do the material justice! I'm learning that aerial dance is as full of unique challenges as it is of surprises and delights - the biggest lessons are using the equipment swiftly but safely, and realising that the rope is ultimately in charge, which is frustrating at times until you learn that everything is a disciplined negotiation between you, the rope and gravity. We're performing physics without the algebra...
Friday, 26 June 2009
Thursday, 25 June 2009
day 9
Piece really starting to form.
Reading a lot about Emma Darwin, getting a bit obsessed.
Spinning sickness seems to have passed.
Sections coming together, trying to be more efficient with the kit and transitions, lots to think about and sort out.
Enjoying the challenges and when it works it feels really good. Lovely moments in the piece. The costumes are going to be lovely, Looking forward to rehearsing in them
Windy today which is causing problems for the sound guys but still sunny. Recorded our character's spoken diary entries and biographies inside instead.
4th day
Today is our forth day.
We are a bit bruised and burnt but feel that the piece is getting a shape and that is exciting!
We started our day by running in the fields near sheep, hills, long grass and water. I had my pumps on (as I have forgotten my trainers home....). Not a very good idea. Need to be prepared better next time.
We had a bit of practice on the ropes and made some new material.
Rose and myself are sitting on a bench by the shade (which is broken apparently).. and writing our blogs. Jess is recording her voice reading her biography and journal of her character.
I think I need to go now back to the rig!
forward role to front balance
right arm back to sideways to sitting crossed legs
upside down
to sit and look at Rose and knee in to push to being caught.
stand up
left leg pushes sideways
around the world 3 times
untangle 3 times into an arabesque
spin round
to stand with both legs
Rose stops me spinning
lift to upside down handstand and stay for one count
sliding down to shoulders left leg around, pike
and slowly down to crucifix
...spin and on the floor....
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Be-Longing and Where the Wind Blows performance
Fabulous performances at Theatre Severn last week. I was really moved by the pieces, and the feedback has been fantastic. Martin Smith attended to review the evening performance, and has posted his commments on Marttn's blog - see for yourself!
Blogging abroad
Excited people are gathering again at the Hive to view the coveritlive site for Martin's trip to Holland to meet Theo Jansen. You can connect via the Shift Time blog. He's wandering a beach at this moment and thinks he's just spotted a beast! People are sending him questions to ask, in advance of Theo's trip to Shrewsbury as part of the shift time festival. We're looking forward to sharing the Quarry with him.
Sunday, 21 June 2009
A dance in the park(land)…
Yes, arriving at out outdoor rehearsal space, the rig makes an arresting sight… Rounding a curve in the drive of this historic north Herefordshire parkland, it's like a futuristic mirage, an elegant aluminium beast that has accidentally slipped in from another dimension, or come striding over the fields on its insect legs.
As Rose says, our camp in the orchard next door is truly idyllic and we share supper under a fruit tree, the rig peering over the wall at us, our aluminium-alien friend, the fourth performer in this piece…
A day in the archives reading journals of three young women written more than a century before… there are the inevitable differences in the way we live, but more surprising are the similarities of female experience and we laughed in sympathy or outrage at some of their anecdotes (and improbable headgear).
Then Saturday and our first day back on the rig, at its full 6m height… against the clouds and sky it seems almost insignificant, up at the top grass is a long way down. We re-familiarise ourselves with kit, safety checks then the day rushes past like a dancer on a rope, a series of images flashing by:
saluting the sun
paramotor flyers pass overhead
blue skies & clouds – ultimate aerialists
the novelty of dancing in sunglasses
spinning & motion sickness
a few collisions…
& some lovely unison flying
the cocoon dancing in the wind like a sail
arnica cream & dreamless sleep…
flying and vegetables
First day of reahersals yesterday for Dance in the Park. Good to be back together. The rig looks great against the blue sky and it's lovely to be working outside with the wind in our hair. Remembering the techniques and ideas from last time and starting to create material. Very exciting. Feel brain and body cranking back into gear.
Enjoying our base on the farm and particularly Rachel's garden, we dined on her lovely spinach and strawberries on Friday.
Also a good morning on Friday at the Archives in Shrewsbury. Researching Emma Darwin, interesting woman. Got a bit carried away and could have stayed in there all day.
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Technical rehearsals underway
The whole team are now locked in the darkness on a sunny day, doing the tech run through at Theatre Severn for Be-Longing and Where the Wind Blows, performed tomorrow 2pm and 7pm. A mixture of still archive and family album snaps plus video are projected in Be-Longing, along with a sound score. It's exciting seeing it in the theatre space, and the whole piece in continuity.
Meanwhile lovely Arnim the lighting designer is stopping at my house, and my 5 year old has kept him deep in conversation. I hope she doesn't make him late tomorrow!
Meanwhile lovely Arnim the lighting designer is stopping at my house, and my 5 year old has kept him deep in conversation. I hope she doesn't make him late tomorrow!
Blogging surgery
I'm here at the Hive in Shrewsbury. The Shift Time festival (which TAKE; a dance in the park is a part of) has a blogging project, and have recruited award winning blogger Pete Ashton to train us novices, perfect!
Have a look at the shift-time blogging page, which will be linking up all the different blogs that are created as the festival snowballs.
Have a look at the shift-time blogging page, which will be linking up all the different blogs that are created as the festival snowballs.
Friday, 12 June 2009
Exhibition
Well, the exhibition is now up in the Theatre Severn chapel bar. It was really hard trying to choose from all the hundreds of lovely pictures we have!
We've printed them on metallic paper, which gives it a sheen. It's lovely seeing the archive pictures we gathered from Shropshire Archives on a big scale. They look great.
Be-Longing and Where the Wind Blows are being performed on Wednesday at Theatre Severn. Can't wait to see the finished piece, after sitting in on rehearsals. With projection and sound score it should be absolutely beautiful.
We've printed them on metallic paper, which gives it a sheen. It's lovely seeing the archive pictures we gathered from Shropshire Archives on a big scale. They look great.
Be-Longing and Where the Wind Blows are being performed on Wednesday at Theatre Severn. Can't wait to see the finished piece, after sitting in on rehearsals. With projection and sound score it should be absolutely beautiful.
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