A joyous week of flying pumpkins, blackbirds stabbed into existence, embodiment, and a super gnarly reality game show called "NEXT BACK."
Monday November 14th
Title:“Smashing Melons" Ft. Leslie Fisher and Danielle Levksy
A phenomenal act of clowning involving two goofs and 2 melons. Apparently Danielle had those melons for over a month, and she figured they were inedible at this point. A jolly good time.
View on Youtube ----> https://youtu.be/p1Z2az696Q8
Tuesday November 15th
Title: “In the palm of my hand [St. Kevin and the Blackbird]" Ft. Natasha Kozaily
Listen to the performance audio and post performance audio here---->
View on Youtube ---> https://youtu.be/exDqgTvWc0g
Wednesday November 16th
Title:“Oof”
Instructions: You know when a fern coils? Oof
Why? To be within the sensation of oof. I didn't have a fern at the studio, but plant embodiment i total oof.
Rehearsal discoveries: I set a timer for 7min to change out plants. I looked in the mirror at the ways I could potentially unfold. I expected this would be simple and hoped it would be "oof worthy."
Performance write up: That was great, difficult, amazing, peaceful, and intuitive. If I had rehearsed, I would have left my head down to open as the budding flower for the final element of embodiment. Either way, the closed eyes, slow motion movement practice is so healing. I've never done tai chi, but I imagine this type of work has a lot of cross over fundamentally. It speaks to the reasons we value tradition and culture in the first place, that I should be drawn to this expression and that the long lineage of humans have been as well. It's possible and probable for many people who are not intentionally practicing movement to feel intimidated by movement art with a long developed tradition and established standards (such as tai chi, ballet, whirling dervishes, hula, etc.) Even practitioners of movement art can find themselves in positions where they feel out of touch with their bodies. When you strip the tradition down to its expressive essence, it's a space without identity and ego. I find this space to be so accessible and joyful without wanting for power or excellence. Embodying the existence of a peace lily. There is no success or failure.
View on Youtube ----> https://youtu.be/4Kq-xEfbKFU
Thursday November 17th
Title:“NEXT BACK” Feat. Ameen Beydoun
Some questions from Ameen!
What is progress?
Does progress always imply an improvement?
What is growth?
Can there be harmful growth?
Are progress and growth the same thing?
Is time good for us or bad for us?
Is time a straight line?
Is progress a straight line?
Is growth a straight line?
In this performance, why is it so easy to go to the “Next” song but so difficult to go “Back” to the last song?
Is it easier to create or to destroy? Why?
What does the audience get to control and what does the artist get to control?
What did the audience choose to do to the performer?
What did the artist choose to do with the audience?
How did the performance make you feel?
View on Youtube ----> https://youtu.be/hOaJ1Inz9AI
Friday November 18th
Title: “Blossoming" Rehearsal discoveries:
This was going to be me and Michelle Arneson performing repetitive slow motion blossoming body gestures. She has a work conflict, so alas. I am here, unsure of what to do. I think the repetitive motion piece would be better with her. I already practically did this performance the other day during "Oof." So I'm looking for other instructions. I have this large plant in my car I collected Wednesday night on a whim with Ian Craft. It's a yucca I think. I think I'll just trim the dead off. Okay, I hung it up. I'm gonna ...
Why? Went to Nancy's joni mitchell show. Sat with Ian. Left with Ian, and he pointed out that fallen yucca plant and said how it should be in a performance. I picked it up and threw it in my car. Also, embodiment is the best!!!! #iloveembodimentperformances
Instructions: cut the dead off, then become the white yucca flowers budding
Performance write up: That was sick, kind of stressful. Didn't know what to do all the time, so I got to make it up! the flour at the end felt pretty ridiculous, and a random passerby made a cocaine joke about it. His joke felt like throwing tar on the essence of light I was associating with the flour on my face.
View on Youtube ----> https://youtu.be/yOrrjGBYyO4