Task 1: Flocking
Following a warm up exercise we were asked to stand in two equal horizontal lines of 12 facing away from each other, we then went into the flocking task from last week; only difference being we were stood in a horizontal line as opposed to a cluster.
It felt to me that the line I was in was stood for ages after the task began before we started moving and I also thought that we weren’t being daring with the movements once we were really into the task. I think this task worked better in a cluster as opposed to a horizontal line because it became easier to mask a leader in the group when we’re clustered together instead of in a line. Standing in a line made using my peripheral vision harder too and I found myself only looking either side of me for the movements instead of further beyond the neighbours either side of me.
As this task was finishing both lines were told to end on the floor facing each other and we followed on into a time task based on Nina Martin’s glacial time theory, which was discussed in one of the readings this week (Buckwalter’s Composing while Dancing). We had to lie on the floor with our head down and stand when we felt that 2 minutes had passed. When I stood up, feeling that I had lay for 2 minutes I found that I was one of the last to stand and when the last had stood we were told she stood at 3 minutes, and I know that I had been stood for less than a minute meaning my timing had been out. During the task I did feel like I was being slow in my decision to stand and I was trying to count the seconds in my head but my speed kept varying because I at first I thought I was counting too quickly then I felt I was counting too slow and was unable to find a balance between the two that I was comfortable with.
This then developed into a movement exercise and we were told to move until we felt that 7 minutes had passed. We were able to move in the space, create different relationships and experiment with levels until we felt it was time to sit. I found that a group of 6 or 7 others and I all felt that 7 minutes were up at around the same time, however, there were others who moved for up to 11 minutes.
These two timing tasks were interesting because, particularly during the second part of the task, you’re not always aware of the time, and as you’re moving and improvising you’re kind of distracting yourself away from thinking about the time so you have to kind of bring yourself back into the time and think about and try to feel how long you’ve been moving for. In a way I find myself agreeing here with what Martin says about glacial timing and where she explains that ‘rhythm marked by cautious dynamics and “creeping” entrances as dancers assess how material is building’ (Buckwalter, 2010, 62).
Nina Martin’s Ensemble Thinking Score
- 3/2 – ensemble relates through levels, movement, facings and distance.
- Hot Spot – how can individuals take focus and how does the ensemble give an individual focus.
- One Idea – how can the ensemble create one simple easily read form?
- Number Score – how many of the ensemble are in the working space.
Thoughts on “Straddling Trio” by Nina Martin
Throughout this video there are 3 dancers within the space. In the beginning, the 3 soloists show no real relationship between each other and they are even segregated by 3 separate spotlights, one on each dancer. As the piece progressed relationships start to form when duets are made, as well as the use of canon (a soloist would move, then the duet would move or vice versa). I found the whole piece became quite predictable though with the formations and relationships which made it become slightly boring.
Task 2: Working with Martin’s Ensemble Thinking Score
For this task we worked through each of the four points within Martin’s Ensemble Thinking Score adding in a new one every so often. When we were only working based on levels, movements, facings and directions I found when observing that people were working on the levels a lot and that these were constantly changing all the time. There was a trio at one point made of Heidi, Sophie and Wren where they were always on different levels (1 would be lying, 1 kneeling and 1 standing) I joined into this trio at one point and added sitting as a level. This was an interesting group to join with for this task as we always kept each other moving. I also joined a group at one point and followed one person but also developed another person’s onto a different level so I was juggling two different pieces of movement at once.
A trio made of Lauren, Emily and Emily were in the space when Hot Spotting was added and immediately I noticed that Lauren would extend her movements further that Emily and Emily to try and take the focus from them which I think worked really well as it was so subtle at times but it still took my attention. In the middle of this section Emily and Elycia were both sat on the floor facing each other, mirroring each other’s movements and moving very slowly until Emily changed the dynamic and levels by moving quickly to stand behind Elycia, before returning to the same pace as before and developing Elycia’s movements to fit in with her now standing position. As this section was finishing Heidi was stood in a corner and starting doing some really simple steps backwards, rocking between her feet to move. Laura and Elena joined Heidi and followed her movement (same foot, same direction) then Tasha and Hannah joined facing the other direction so they were moving forwards. As this progressed more people joined including Josh, Emily and myself who developed this in a crouch position and just rocked from side to side. It was great to see how people interpreted this idea of focus during this section as everyone did things differently to get themselves seen; whether it was working at a different level to the others they were moving with, or whether it was moving round the space as a soloist, or even extending movements further and making them bigger.
I think One Idea was the hardest point to work with and I think this was hard for many in the group as we all interpret things differently so we all had different ideas of what to do. The first big movement I observed in this section was a group of dancers walking round the space, some moving forwards and some moving backwards, some even changed the levels by travelling on the floor and some were stood, briefly, in stillness.
For the first part of working on point four, Number Score, Kirsty would shout a number of how many people should be moving in the space. Although they didn’t have to work together there had to be that many people moving at once, no more or no less. The numbers in the groups changed between 5, 8, 3 and 12 before the restriction was lifted. By the time the group was at 8 and 3 people were starting to use points of contact by leaning on each other. At one point I was in the space mirroring Josh’s movements when Kirsty started using Josh to lean on. I still copied Josh as his body adapted to the added weight on his body and you could see the difference in the movements as mine seemed softer than his did. After a short break observing I re-joined the group and worked with Wren, I started directly behind her and she lay on the floor and reached her arms up and grabbed my feet, she then began to use my legs to support her and she rolled on the floor before we both came to standing. Towards the end of the task after I had worked with Wren she moved to work Josh, who was lying still on the floor with his knees up. Wren went to use his knees as support as she lifted her leg but Josh lowered his knees. This links back to last week about intention, Wren had the intention of doing something, but that intention had to change when Josh’s positioning changed.
I found this task bought out less habitual movements in people and particularly for myself. I found that I am becoming more confident about experimenting with the movements I’m doing and testing different relationships in the group.