I will post video of my last piece "Light Hits the Glitz"... I swear...that will be the next post.
But for now here are some of the thoughts about the new work. Actually they are questions... a shit load of them. But if there was ever a time for lots of questions to ponder and dance out, now is the time because I am so excited for all the amazing dance stuff going on in Philly right now. It pretty much makes me want to jump up and down and do everything possible to refrain from peeing my pants with joy. To name a few: PARD at the Mount Vernon Dance Space (almost daily awesome class...yay), Mascher got a hefty cultural fund grant, so did Pink Hair Affair, people I know are starting things...companies, dance talk series, work in progress showings...etc., another year of Snip Its and Sounds series is gonna happen. In this less than lovely economy Philly dancers are giving "the man" the bird. And I can't wait to see the outcome.
Anyway, here are my questions about bones and old people:
I am thinking about what is brittle? What is stiff or has lost its elasticity? What has lost its sponginess? I am into making lists of all the things that are like old people's bones and muscles? ...a sucked on candy cane, an egg shell, really really thin glass, certain ceramic, certain metal things, pencil lead, piece of chalk, wicker basket, leaf, bark? what are the differences between the qualities of these items and why do they seem so subtle until you actually think about it and the differences are pretty vastly different.? old people...Why do they break easily? Why do they have trouble moving? How do they feel aches and pains? Why don't they respond as fast? Why are they slow? Why aren't they agile? What is physically going on? How do they sense this gradual progression? What happens in their joints? What happens to the cartilage? Does it just rub away...erode...dry up? How does it feel to hold an old person? What is their weight? What if one fell and you had to pick him/her up? What would that dead weight be like? What does their skin sense? Why are the muscles get less elasticy by getting tighter, but the fat and skin get less elasticy by getting looser? Do the bones still protect the organs? Can old people sense their organs? Where are the nerve endings? Where are the blood vessels? Do they change in quality? Why do you care about old people? Who do you know that is old? Do you feel like they sense their body? What is their mind body connection like? How do they look/move when they are: sleeping/walking/doing tasks/...etc? What can they do to be "physical"? take a shit perhaps is the most embodied action of the day...or climbing stairs?
What happens when we think "bones" and when we move "bones" and when we dance "bones". What happens if we extract a bit of visual or sensory muscularity...seems to get rid of a lot of the crap. seems to get to a root of seeing people dancing in a much more simple way. What are our own personal connection to our bodies? What are the full skeleton ways we connect and get to our bones???: sensing our height...rib cage expansion/ bending of knee joints, Most of sensing bones comes from muscles or skin association. What do we think about bones...what are their qualities? White? wrapped in sheaths of tissue and encased in lots of stuff. attached to alot. space between them. like chicken bones or baby back ribs...those are ribs you know... close together. articulating. pointier ends than we think? maybe protrusions and tuberosities and different circumferences? are they slippery?
these are some questions. Maybe I will post answers but probably not. I will however post rehearsal footage soon.
