By: kristian

kristian — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:44:41 +0000

I have to admit that as a performer who has mostly performed ‘mute’ to perfectly serious audiences looking at me in silence I feel liberated by improvising with text and getting laughter in reply.
Gabrielle’s work sounds interesting. Possibly she is providing meta commentary on her process? Would like to see it.
As for the not dancing bit in my post – I was definitely in ‘state’ ie; I went on in a feeling state that usually goes with my dancing. I just didn’t do movements that usually come from that state. As I said that became the gag..nearly dancing then interrupting myself to talk to the audience or think out loud.
I think this direction is where I’m going to push my performance work.

By: simon

simon — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:38:38 +0000

By coincidence we were talking about stand-up at Europe in Motion last week (as part of the Springdance Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands). It was in relation to the young German (but a little bit based in London) choreographer Gabrielle Reuter. Her work consists of a stream of talking (partially scripted, mostly improvised) that responds to the different locations in the performance space. In response to a presentation Gabrielle did, Igor Dobricic talked of the ‘performative position’ of the stand-up. I think he was referring the very particular nature of performing as a stand-up, and the possibilities for contemporary performance (particular dance) borrowing from, or considering this ‘position’.

At the same time, I presented a short ‘work in progress’ last Wednesday and it produced a lot of laughter in the audience (so much so, I didn’t quite know how to handle it as a performer). This is not a common occurrence for me in my work (although perhaps a little bit in the work I do with Kirstie Simson, and to a lesser extent in my academic presentations)…

I am very interested in this.

Oh – haven’t really responded to the ‘not-dancing’ aspect of your post!

ske

Comments on: So I did not dance

By: kristian

By: simon