Bearnstow 2010 - Day 2

So much happened yesterday that I scarcely think I will get to it all in this little post. First of all - and this is pretty insignificant, or at least I think it is now - the rain started. It eventually let up in time for afternoon swims in the lake, but returned with a vengeance around 10pm. I guess this what Maine is like in the summer.

The morning session was great. We ran through some time honored improvisational warm-ups - follow the leader, mirroring, voice warmups, tongue twisters. We created a sound score based on Monday's writing exercise and from there chose an animal to go along with the sound of the words. Then we paired up and performed duets in an A-B-A structure, using overlapping transitions to connect our solos. I enjoy pairing up and creating duets. The performance of my own material quickly ratchets up when joined with someone else - especially someone with whom I am just beginning to know.

The afternoon session was intense and somewhat intimidating for me. Claire started the second session by announcing that we will be receiving a "present." "Rashana will perform for us." This was not a surprise to me. I asked her if I could show my work and receive feedback. I just didn't expect the word "present" to be associated with my showing. Don't get me wrong - I had something I wanted to offer. I just hoped the viewers would enjoying receiving such a "present."

The reaction to Bear Traps and Other Impressions was completely different than I had experienced. Not a peep out of the eleven observers. The lodge that I performed in was the most intimate of spaces. When I revealed my legs during the last half of my solo, they saw every mosquito bite, bruise and scar. During my performance I peered at them, they peered back. They were definitely watching my solo with critical eyes. I am in fact the youngest attendee at this workshop. My audience has a wealth of experience at watching dance. I didn't expect otherwise, however, during my performance I wondered what I was thinking by revealing so much of myself. Talk about vulnerability.

The feedback:

Claire saw a lot of grief. (I think the crying was more profound in this particular performance space - people commented on it a lot.) She thought some of my vocalization seemed forced and she wasn't sure why I sang. We talked about changing the treatment of my humming. She enjoyed the weightiness of my movement and wanted to see more. She felt like the solo was a psychological exploration.

Liz Keen offered some suggestions of changing the sequence of events, for example starting the piece already in movement. Vicki Angel (also an OSU alum) wanted to see more of each snippet. To her, I just piqued her interest before moving on. I received this comment last spring as well, but like last spring there were others who enjoyed just seeing snippets. Soooo - whatya do? Linn Schlaifer suggested I make it longer. I bemoaned making a solo that was longer than 5-6 minutes and she questioned why. Perhaps I'm not confident yet. Or maybe it depends on the venue. The whole group engaged in a discussion about the title. Due to the heavier interpretation of the solo, I received more serious title suggestions like Mine Fields or Mind Fields. All things to consider. All in all, the "present" at the beginning of the afternoon session was really a gift to me.

After taking up part of class (which admittedly I felt a little bad about), we continued our work with combining words with movement, overlapping transitions and giving/receiving more feedback. Before dinner I spoke with Claire about creating, managing and promoting a solo career. I have a few more ideas about how my MFA project can feed into my work after graduation. The conversation was extremely helpful and useful - yet another gift.

The day finished up beautifully with a spectacular meal - thai fish stew followed by a light and tasty lemon bundt cake. Looking around the table I wondered if I was in the midst of a kind of family reunion. Granted I didn't know these people before arriving at Bearnstow, but I definitely felt like we came from the same stock. Eh, or maybe it was the wine. In any case, it was nice. Also, Olivia, Claire, Liz, Judith and I ended our evening watching episode one of the latest season of Project Runway. So entertaining!