THEMES:
The themes I see appearing for now are those of control and release. Seeking out the fascinating golden zone of being able to do both, within one flow state trance. And the innate healing in that. Being so in the improv zone, existing only in physicality and pure movement expression, no conscious verbal thought... that you are hyper present in the now.
The underlying themes that will appear will be more reflections of the dancers themselves. I will facilitate expression of our selves as a group and individuals as the movement and experiences of control and release reveal our bodies own individual emotional score to the movement. Like a conversation with our nervous systems.
I often will come along with my own mental subscript, e.g. with this piece I am thinking about “TRUST AND SURRENDER” as an emotional through line - All towards allowing ourselves to feel.
With myself having had personal experiences of living with all encompassing OCD as a teen, plus complex PTSD and ADHD all my life, essentially I have always ignored all of it and "kept on carrying on" to get things done.
But now I am years later, after a few incredible years in therapy, way more chill and letting myself FEEL. Which is radical and totally handleable with my new post therapy nervous system that isn't constantly in freeze of fight or flight anymore.
Now, it’s all about enjoying the unpredictability of life, the serendipity of seemingly random events. And trusting and surrendering to the fact that my gut knows what it’s doing and I can feel my way into things. It does’nt have to be non stop control and planning as it had been before.
Inspired by Gina, I will write my own reflective script based on these personal themes to use if I wish to or to just keep in the back of my mind. I am not sure I want to impose them on the dancers as I prefer when there is space and flexibility for them to have their own meaning made and developed as we co create the work. I don't want to push these themes on the dancers. I want them to feel authorship of the feelings as they find them themselves. So we will work on nurturing that as part of our creation practice.
I will credit them as co creators, especially if we end up using material from task based work. And I suspect we will.
I also have alot of underwater dancing whale footage and footage of me and others (e.g. Asher Bowen-Saunders and Yolanda Lowatta), dancing underwater in my research. I was considering using projections of this as a texture for a moment. Unsure as of yet. I will write more on the themes and it will become apparent whether the two can align for a scene or not. I have merged whale projections and harness work on any occasions. Including at my Legs on the wall residency.
TECH:
At least one rigging point onstage for the shows, would be amazing. Two super great.
I have aerial rigging access from a few places we can use to create this partially there, and partially at Mad. And we could schedule it around the availability of the dancers and the spaces as you pointed out. I hope it aligns so that we can do class with everyone somehow, possibly use MAD and then go to those spaces. I understand you have the 5 dimensional Tetris to plan around all the elements so wow!
Vulcana - Are the most open and available to supporting artists of all riggeable spaces in Brisbane, wether its the open sessions, special once offs or longer creation residencies. They are super kind. Plus Celia White already offered me and Clarence a residency called VACANT ROOMS a while back. So I have emailed her again to see what could work.
Circa - have available space at certain times for us. I am in conversation with Alice Muntz.
Flipside - have had residencies for local artists and support with cheaper space to train also. They are handy also.
The Princess theatre - it would ideal to be able to access it even a 3 times before the safety / Tech runs and show and create it as a response to the space too.
I may end up using a projector. If a good one is available that would be amazing. Or I can borrow one from my own network. 🙂
I would love to have 4 big gorgeous golden spots from the ceiling creating a cone of light. But maybe thats dreaming ;) Looking like this:
The themes I see appearing for now are those of control and release. Seeking out the fascinating golden zone of being able to do both, within one flow state trance. And the innate healing in that. Being so in the improv zone, existing only in physicality and pure movement expression, no conscious verbal thought... that you are hyper present in the now.
The underlying themes that will appear will be more reflections of the dancers themselves. I will facilitate expression of our selves as a group and individuals as the movement and experiences of control and release reveal our bodies own individual emotional score to the movement. Like a conversation with our nervous systems.
I often will come along with my own mental subscript, e.g. with this piece I am thinking about “TRUST AND SURRENDER” as an emotional through line - All towards allowing ourselves to feel.
With myself having had personal experiences of living with all encompassing OCD as a teen, plus complex PTSD and ADHD all my life, essentially I have always ignored all of it and "kept on carrying on" to get things done.
But now I am years later, after a few incredible years in therapy, way more chill and letting myself FEEL. Which is radical and totally handleable with my new post therapy nervous system that isn't constantly in freeze of fight or flight anymore.
Now, it’s all about enjoying the unpredictability of life, the serendipity of seemingly random events. And trusting and surrendering to the fact that my gut knows what it’s doing and I can feel my way into things. It does’nt have to be non stop control and planning as it had been before.
Inspired by Gina, I will write my own reflective script based on these personal themes to use if I wish to or to just keep in the back of my mind. I am not sure I want to impose them on the dancers as I prefer when there is space and flexibility for them to have their own meaning made and developed as we co create the work. I don't want to push these themes on the dancers. I want them to feel authorship of the feelings as they find them themselves. So we will work on nurturing that as part of our creation practice.
I will credit them as co creators, especially if we end up using material from task based work. And I suspect we will.
I also have alot of underwater dancing whale footage and footage of me and others (e.g. Asher Bowen-Saunders and Yolanda Lowatta), dancing underwater in my research. I was considering using projections of this as a texture for a moment. Unsure as of yet. I will write more on the themes and it will become apparent whether the two can align for a scene or not. I have merged whale projections and harness work on any occasions. Including at my Legs on the wall residency.
TECH:
At least one rigging point onstage for the shows, would be amazing. Two super great.
I have aerial rigging access from a few places we can use to create this partially there, and partially at Mad. And we could schedule it around the availability of the dancers and the spaces as you pointed out. I hope it aligns so that we can do class with everyone somehow, possibly use MAD and then go to those spaces. I understand you have the 5 dimensional Tetris to plan around all the elements so wow!
Vulcana - Are the most open and available to supporting artists of all riggeable spaces in Brisbane, wether its the open sessions, special once offs or longer creation residencies. They are super kind. Plus Celia White already offered me and Clarence a residency called VACANT ROOMS a while back. So I have emailed her again to see what could work.
Circa - have available space at certain times for us. I am in conversation with Alice Muntz.
Flipside - have had residencies for local artists and support with cheaper space to train also. They are handy also.
The Princess theatre - it would ideal to be able to access it even a 3 times before the safety / Tech runs and show and create it as a response to the space too.
I may end up using a projector. If a good one is available that would be amazing. Or I can borrow one from my own network. 🙂
I would love to have 4 big gorgeous golden spots from the ceiling creating a cone of light. But maybe thats dreaming ;) Looking like this:
Image below from my Stockholm experimental work from Feb 2020 - "Save the 5%, empathy for psychopaths"
DANCERS:
I envision any where between 4 and 8 dancers. Most of the gang, who were in Gina’s piece last year, would be wonderful. Also KELSEY! Or Maddie. Total Gems! Not all of them will perform in harness as I don't have enough harnesses and probably rigging point onstage. But duets and groups pieces will emerge between harness people and non harness people.
Depending on how well the dancers pick up the very tricky animation / iso technique, I might end up dancing at which point I would benefit even more from outside eye feedback.
I am excited to have the Phluxus2 team and guests pepper us with impetuses, reflections, stimulating questions and offers. It was a beautiful process last year.
I may also end up doing the blindfolded harness moment as it could be that it isn't as safe for others. I'll assess that depending on the group, better that way. Also I will write a risk assessment as I have many times, to include all the tech, aerial and even a mental health risk assessment.
SAFEGUARDING and LEARNING:
I also am keen to be braver with my online presence. I would like to make more posts for the gram. And I feel really challenged by it. But would like to try harder and learn to be good at it. This will be a super opportunity for it.
That said, as with all my work, I will create set safeguards, including set times with no interruption and creative safe spaces for emotional exploration, creative freedom and even inner selves exposing in a protected environment.
I have taken courses in mental health risk assessments and safeguarding for creation practices, performing and for theatre making.
One of the many implementations are dedicated times for a “closed” studio. So people can really go inwards and explore. To expose to themselves what may lie under their creative expression. And the themes that arise may shake them, so using safeguards and nervous system calming practices to return to now and to safety.
Basically it's trauma informed creation.
Once it’s been explored safely, the artists in the piece decide whether they wish to share further, outward to the group and or even beyond, in our showing to the world…etc. Just one example of some of those safeguards. These are really important when working with humans ;)
HEALING
This would be the third time I have researched contact and harness in my own residency in Australia, and some in Spain also. I had two residencies in Sydney with it, at Annandale and Legs on the Wall, pre pandemic and pre my Masters in dance and circus in DOCH, Stockholm. There, I created multiple experimental works and one final show that featured, in part, my bungee dance harnesses on a cast of 10. I can share some of those videos if you would like.
In Ireland this last July I spent a week at an international aerial dance professional development, doing 9 hours of aerial dance a day. And teaching my techniques to pros. Going back to the International aerial dance fest IADF, a place I taught for a decade, for the first time since my injury...plus being aerial physical for 6 days: This felt like the most magical homecoming. There were times in 2020, I did not think I would ever get back to flight or dance again. So this all feels incredible.
This will be the first "work" for showing I make since healing my spine and shoulder injury.
To make this would be overwhelmingly great and beyond exciting.
So thanks for the opportunity. I love Indie :)
Perhaps as part of the 10 year birthday with workshops and your mini festival: You would like a bungee harness workshop or indeed a workshop with Clarence for the public? I can't speak directly for him but I would be super glad to oblige. :D
I envision any where between 4 and 8 dancers. Most of the gang, who were in Gina’s piece last year, would be wonderful. Also KELSEY! Or Maddie. Total Gems! Not all of them will perform in harness as I don't have enough harnesses and probably rigging point onstage. But duets and groups pieces will emerge between harness people and non harness people.
Depending on how well the dancers pick up the very tricky animation / iso technique, I might end up dancing at which point I would benefit even more from outside eye feedback.
I am excited to have the Phluxus2 team and guests pepper us with impetuses, reflections, stimulating questions and offers. It was a beautiful process last year.
I may also end up doing the blindfolded harness moment as it could be that it isn't as safe for others. I'll assess that depending on the group, better that way. Also I will write a risk assessment as I have many times, to include all the tech, aerial and even a mental health risk assessment.
SAFEGUARDING and LEARNING:
I also am keen to be braver with my online presence. I would like to make more posts for the gram. And I feel really challenged by it. But would like to try harder and learn to be good at it. This will be a super opportunity for it.
That said, as with all my work, I will create set safeguards, including set times with no interruption and creative safe spaces for emotional exploration, creative freedom and even inner selves exposing in a protected environment.
I have taken courses in mental health risk assessments and safeguarding for creation practices, performing and for theatre making.
One of the many implementations are dedicated times for a “closed” studio. So people can really go inwards and explore. To expose to themselves what may lie under their creative expression. And the themes that arise may shake them, so using safeguards and nervous system calming practices to return to now and to safety.
Basically it's trauma informed creation.
Once it’s been explored safely, the artists in the piece decide whether they wish to share further, outward to the group and or even beyond, in our showing to the world…etc. Just one example of some of those safeguards. These are really important when working with humans ;)
HEALING
This would be the third time I have researched contact and harness in my own residency in Australia, and some in Spain also. I had two residencies in Sydney with it, at Annandale and Legs on the Wall, pre pandemic and pre my Masters in dance and circus in DOCH, Stockholm. There, I created multiple experimental works and one final show that featured, in part, my bungee dance harnesses on a cast of 10. I can share some of those videos if you would like.
In Ireland this last July I spent a week at an international aerial dance professional development, doing 9 hours of aerial dance a day. And teaching my techniques to pros. Going back to the International aerial dance fest IADF, a place I taught for a decade, for the first time since my injury...plus being aerial physical for 6 days: This felt like the most magical homecoming. There were times in 2020, I did not think I would ever get back to flight or dance again. So this all feels incredible.
This will be the first "work" for showing I make since healing my spine and shoulder injury.
To make this would be overwhelmingly great and beyond exciting.
So thanks for the opportunity. I love Indie :)
Perhaps as part of the 10 year birthday with workshops and your mini festival: You would like a bungee harness workshop or indeed a workshop with Clarence for the public? I can't speak directly for him but I would be super glad to oblige. :D