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Staying in time - Jonathan Goddard
Posted by: Jonathan Goddard on 30 September 2009
5, 6, 7, 8 - was that arm on 6? did we decide that last week? wasn't it originally on 4 but then we changed it?
As we approach the première of Henri Oguike's new work Tread Softly, rehearsals have begun to sound more and more like this. We are trying to sort out unison movement; this is the choreographic idea of getting dancers to do the same thing at the same time in exactly the same way. The few rehearsals that we can snatch on tour and at base have become all about cleaning and making sure that everyone can remember which version of the phrase comes next.
Henri's creative process has seen us generating dance through improvisation using a few principles- body parts move towards points in space, open/close, tight/loose, break symmetry, unique connections and repeat creating.
The last idea has become very popular amongst the dancers recently:
‘What you are doing there looks a little different to everyone else?'
‘Oh, I'm repeat creating.'
‘I can't remember that duet we made a week ago.'
‘Let's just repeat create it!'
This necessary cleaning process is where, as a dancer, you learn to iron out all your errant interpretation to find the group dynamic.
Here at Rambert things are very civilised:
'Who made up this phrase?'
'Lelo would you like to show us how you do it?'
This is your chance to realise that somehow you are doing something very very different to Lelo and had better sort it out before you get on stage.
The piece will (hopefully) come together to form a coherent whole by next week's première at the Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe. If, however, you see someone seemingly go wrong, just remember: although it may look out of place they have probably just decided that this is their chance to shine and repeat create!
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