going public

Tomorrow, we will show a portion of what we have been studying. We will test some theories (previously considered in this blog) and see how they are perceived. A solo and a duet will be happening simultaneously; but in extremely different worlds. We will be addressing: private vs public; individual verses group; perception and perspective. We will also begin to consider the performance venue as a laboratory/sanctuary/torture chamber... The question looming around the whole concept being: who is studying whom?


As this performance nears, I have been thinking about the transition from the studio to the performance arena, private to public. The transition can be jolting, if one is not practicing fully during studio time. For us, we work hard to commit entirely to each rehearsal in a way that begins to close the gap between private and public. It is just a practice, not an execution whether it be for ourselves for viewers. Thus, public performance is simply an expression of the private studio thoughts. Not much changes in terms of delivery and energy.

I have also been wondering, as we all sometimes do, what the greater function of all of this is. For now, my thoughts remain attached to the idea that through abstraction and imagination, our performances open channels that allow viewers and performers to begin to understand complex realities in visceral ways, and in so doing provoke some kind of response. This is my goal, my job. I have come to find that it is important to not only know one's intention for a specific performance; but, to also identify a more expansive point. Once this is defined one's performance is clear, grounded, and full of truth no matter what the specifics of the current performance entail.

more soon...

-rach