Wednesday, January 3, 2018 WE’RE BACK AND RARING TO GO Leading into today’s session We all took a break from our regular Wednesday rehearsal for 2 weeks to celebrate the holidays. However, during this time, Jonathan decided to jump into a studio at Purchase College alone to revisit his solo. It’s been a while since he’s devoted substantial mental and physical energy to the further development of this piece. Although he was initially excited to tackle this dance again, he quickly acknowledged the difficulty of returning to a work after a long lay-off: not knowing how the dance will feel in your body under present-day conditions…uncertainty about the psychological and emotional impact of returning to material in your current context. As he began to dance the piece, he soon discovered “holes” – choreography that he didn’t quite remember or no longer felt right. In fact, he found that “nothing felt right or good,” engendering a persistent state of doubt. He reviewed the entire solo mentally, but felt truly disheartened. Jonathan had prepared himself to “get back on the horse” – but didn’t realize “how far away from the horse” he was! Since he became dispirited so quickly, working on the piece felt like “pulling it out of the mud.” Nevertheless, Jonathan talked himself through it “like a pro.” He reminded himself that the body feels different every day, so the way choreography feels in the body can change accordingly. Such is the life of a dancer. When so much time has elapsed since you last worked on a piece, you try to rely on muscle memory to recall the movements. However, if your muscle memory is impaired by the current state of your body, the process of resurrecting the material becomes “painful” on every level. We are reminded once again that context is everything. Jonathan’s awareness of these dynamics kept him from abandoning his solo session in frustration. At the very least, he got a good stretch in. Today’s rehearsal Everyone is happy to reunite today and excited by the news that Jonathan arranged child care coverage to enable him to stay for the entire rehearsal! There is a chance that this arrangement (in which he trades off child care with another parent) may become permanent. Jonathan and his colleagues would be able to work far more productively and effectively if they could be together for the whole 3-hour session each week.
Knowing we have a full session today, the dancers are ready to dive right into intensive work on Jonathan’s duet. The dancers enjoy their warm-up, although Lorena toggles back and forth between exercises and Sebastian. Here’s Sebastian dumping his stash of trucks next to mom on the dance floor…there he is pulling on Lorena’s finger to come play with him…there he goes, pushing a big dump truck through and around the dancers’ legs. The ongoing parent-child negotiations today can be summed up as: later vs. now. Lorena lays out several food choices for Sebastian, and Sherri encourages him to draw his mother in motion. These interventions buy some time for Lorena to join her colleagues in across-the-floor choreography. Before long, though, Sebastian wants in on the action; he shows off his original movements alongside the dancers as they move back and forth across the studio. It's now time to tackle Jonathan’s duet for Lorena and Mandy. The dancers choose to begin by marking the piece through without music since they haven’t rehearsed in a few weeks. They discover the phrases that need review and gestures that need clarification. Sebastian brings his food to the middle of the floor, intending to stay there for a while. Lorena convinces him to sit next to Jonathan, who is watching the dancers and taking notes. This intervention is intermittently effective since Sebastian keeps returning to mom, interrupting her dancing. Sherri and Jonathan take turns engaging Sebastian in truck games so Lorena and Mandy can help each other recall the choreography. The dancers now run through the piece with music. They work hard to remember intricate gestural details. Jonathan coaches them about spacing and timing adjustments and describes the movement and emotional qualities he is seeking. After Sebastian lays on Lorena during a phrase on the floor and takes up residence in mom’s arms while she tries to dance (the entwined segment, no less!), Lorena sets him up with a video and a snack -- success! Next, Lorena and Mandy teach each other their parts from the beginning of the piece. This will enable them to reverse roles when the initial phrases are reprised at the end of the dance. It is very challenging to dance your original part so your partner can learn it -- while SIMULTANEOUSLY watching your partner dancer HER original part so YOU can learn it. It’s even hard to say! Meanwhile, Jonathan settles upon the choreography for the final phrases of the dance. He then reviews the movements with Mandy and Lorena, noting the diminuendo of energy as the music slows to a close. Describing the arc of this piece, Jonathan uses an oil and water image; the two substances/dancers are initially separate, then come together at the climax of the piece, then ultimately separate again. The choreography for the entire duet is now complete! Jonathan acknowledges that there are “lots of spaces to clean,” but he is delighted to have reached this milestone.
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December 13, 2017 A LITTLE MORE BABYSITTING=A LOT MORE WORK DONE Since Sebastian wants to play with the Steffi Nossen toy stash in the lounge – but do it with mom nearby, Lorena decides to warm up in the hallway. Creative solution – but it means that she and Jonathan exercise in separate places! Gradually, Lorena eases herself back into the studio while Sebastian continues to play in the lounge.
After Mandy arrives, all 3 dancers warm up together for several minutes. A veteran Pilates instructor, Lorena leads a Pilates warm up that all the dancers agree is very effective (despite the audible groans – and laughter!). Mandy also leads a number of specialized exercises. The dancers observe one another’s form and alignment, offering both verbal and hands-on adjustments. The dancers reminisce about their “former” lives when they danced every day, acknowledging how much they miss it. Just then, Sebastian hauls a big box of toys into the studio and dumps them on the floor right in front of his dancing mom. His message couldn’t be clearer—play with me NOW. Lorena manages to defer playing with Sebastian until she can complete the warm up. Sebastian then decides to have a conversation in the hallway with one of the building’s employees. He follows the employee down the hall, so Lorena can no longer keep track of him. Lorena runs out of the studio to retrieve her son, reminding him that he cannot wander away, and sets some limits. Needless to say, Sebastian is rather unhappy. At this point, Jonathan only has a short period of time left before he has to leave to pick up his kids from preschool. Knowing that the dancers really need this time to work on Jonathan’s piece, Sherri scoops up Sebastian and plays with him in the lounge. An adult all to himself? Heaven. Fortunately, Mandy and Lorena can run through Jonathan’s entire duet uninterrupted. Unfortunately, they find they have forgotten some of the material. They are particularly disappointed since they felt confident about the choreography 3 weeks ago (the last time all 3 dancers were at rehearsal together). They discuss and practice the segments that are unclear, then run the piece again. This time, the piece is much improved. Jonathan is moved by their effort and performance, even though there is still much work to be done. As Jonathan packs up to leave, he requests that Lorena and Mandy practice their role reversals. Lorena and Mandy proceed to teach each other their parts one phrase at a time, shifting back and forth between roles. It is very challenging -- especially during the phrases in which the 2 dancers are entwined. Sebastian and Sherri return to the studio as Lorena and Mandy begin work on Lorena’s duet. Sebastian runs to mom, hangs on to her leg, and eventually winds up in her arms. Hmmm – how to recapture the earlier concentrated work time? How about a video for Sebastian? No dice – the iPad has no charge. How about an early lunch on a chair? Sebastian pushes the chair right into the dancers’ space. How about the remote-control car? Bingo. Sebastian is now engaged with this electronic toy, so Lorena can clarify various segments as she and Mandy mark through the duet. Following another run-through, Lorena offers a few notes: timing adjustments…the first roll on the ground should be tight; the second roll should open up with an extended leg…shift weight from one leg to another instead of “kicking out”…refine the body roll technique. Lorena mentions that she will “clean up” some moves during the next rehearsal. Mandy and Lorena now work on Mandy’s solo. Mandy demonstrates the desired execution of a variety of movements. She encourages Lorena to keep her upper body still during the small, rapid jumps. Mandy then shares with Lorena the next few phrases she choreographed during the past week. We see elongated arms and legs, holding the body in an extended vertical position, like an arrow, several movements requiring a lot of balance, and a series of low lunges moving backward in space. After Lorena learns the new section, she runs through the entire solo. She asks Mandy to clarify the timing of the pauses/holds in the choreography. Mandy indicates where she wants accents and very sharp movements. Lorena seeks Mandy’s help to ensure she executes each position in the style Mandy wants. This is challenging for Lorena as her style/instinctive approach to the choreography is quite different from Mandy’s. Once again, Sherri takes Sebastian to play in the lounge so Mandy and Lorena can work on a final run through. Throughout the session today, Mandy kept everyone on track, returning the dancers’ focus to rehearsing after each distraction. With the addition of Sherri’s babysitting interventions, the dancers were able to work productively. November 29, 2017 CREATING WHILE CAREGIVING: A PRIMER Mandy is attending a school conference for her son Max and can’t come to rehearsal today.
As Jonathan begins his own warm-up, Lorena is occupied with limit setting and consequence enforcement with Sebastian. Boy, does it take a lot out of you! Once she gets Sebastian settled with a snack, Lorena joins Jonathan to warm up. She asks Jonathan to lead this segment of rehearsal; it’s hard to think straight at this moment! Lorena reports feeling a lot of body aches and muscle soreness. Before long, Sebastian tries to reunite with mom; it is still hard for him to separate from her. Lorena attempts to continue her warm-up with Sebastian in her arms -- throwing in a few dips to elicit squeals of delight from her son. Since “mama do it” appears to be the phrase of the day, Lorena moves back and forth between stretching and attending to Sebastian’s requests to take off his shoes, get a remote-control car, get more food and water, and engage in whatever has captured his attention at the moment. As she warms up, Lorena tries to verbally offer ideas that might distract Sebastian. Sherri joins the effort, alternately encouraging him to engage in certain actions, move to the music, and pantomime silly expressions/positions with plastic cones. We all do our best to find creative ways to entertain, cajole, distract and engage Sebastian. Our efforts produce variable results, but at least they enable Lorena to squeeze in a little more work time. While Sebastian plays with the remote-control car, Jonathan choreographs an across-the-floor segment that he dances with Lorena. The dancers exude a refreshing sense of freedom and delight as they move with abandon. Jonathan now has 15 minutes until he has to leave, so he decides to use the time to listen to a new musical piece he just finished composing. He is identifying the places in the music where he would like to make technical adjustments. He hopes to choreograph to this original composition in the near future. Meanwhile, with Sebastian watching a movie on the iPad, Lorena immerses herself in choreographing section 4 of her 5-section piece. Listening to her music on her iPhone through ear buds, Lorena creates phrases piece by piece, spontaneously testing in her body ideas that are developing in her head. She evaluates each new element, either discarding, modifying, or building upon it. The movements are very athletic, involving lots of quick turns, changes of direction, and rapid low jumps and skips. There is a movement for nearly every beat of the music. After attending to more child-related tasks, Lorena listens to her music through the sound system, getting the rhythm in her body and repeatedly testing more ideas. Meanwhile, Sebastian attempts to use the remote to turn the music off to pull mom away from working. Fortunately, he hasn’t figured out which buttons to press – but it won’t be long until he does! As Lorena moves to the floor to refine her new phrases, Sebastian mimics her circular movements and vocalizations. This performance is both funny and impressive – and buys Lorena time to figure out some challenging segments. Stop the presses: Lorena is recruited to help Sebastian learn how to put his socks on. Lorena breaks down and demonstrates the fine art of putting on socks, then encourages Sebastian to practice this new skill. As Lorena tries to do a full-out run-through of the new choreography, Sebastian emphatically and vocally objects; more sock practice, mom! OK- here’s the deal: one more round of sock work, then a final dance run-through. Despite the challenges, Lorena has completed nearly a quarter of section 4 – and it feels great! November 15, 2017 CREATING WITHOUT CAREGIVING Leading into today’s rehearsal Yesterday, Lorena informed the team that her husband José has the day off today and will be watching Sebastian. The dancers were excited by the prospect of rehearsing without simultaneously taking care of children. Then the other shoe dropped: Jonathan discovered that he needs to attend a Thanksgiving celebration at his kids’ preschool -- at the exact same time as rehearsal. Alas, he can’t take advantage of this unusual opportunity to dance uninterrupted. However, he suggested that, in his absence, Lorena and Mandy teach each other the final part of the role switch segment, review the opening poses in switched roles, and run the entire piece. Today’s rehearsal To add insult to injury, Eliza gets sick. Fortunately, Jonathan’s wife Rhonda is working from home today, so she can watch Eliza while Jonathan attends Edgar’s school celebration.
José and Sebastian arrive at the studio with Lorena. Sebastian is in no hurry to leave with his dad, so Lorena and Mandy suggest that the guys play in one of the nearby parks. We think this is the first rehearsal we’ve ever had without children -- so the dancers are determined to maximize the amount of time they can focus solely on their work. Mandy and Lorena warm up alternately on the floor, at the barre, and across the floor. During this period, the dancers discuss some ideas to present to an institution for a child-oriented dance workshop. Gradually, José coaxes Sebastian into leaving the studio. Freedom! Mandy and Lorena decide to work on Lorena’s piece first. They walk through the entire duet while Lorena indicates where she will need to change spacing and choreography. Lorena plays the music multiple times to ensure that her new ideas are in sync with the music. The ladies incorporate these adjustments as they engage in a full-out run-through of the duet. When they finish, Lorena exclaims, “that felt great!” Next, Lorena observes as Mandy moves right into her solo. Once again, Lorena is pleased with the performance. Lorena then outlines her plan for the rest of the piece:
Lorena and Mandy watch the video of the duet run-through as Lorena makes verbal notes; she would like to change her jump…refine arm positioning in certain spots…clarify spacing and timing…adjust execution of particular movements. She emphasizes that she and Mandy must be exactly in unison when they dance together so that it is more impactful when they are apart. It is now time to work on these qualitative details. The dancers make the following adjustments: clarify progression of arm movements…execute choreography more precisely…wait for the voice in the music…refine the body roll…figure out timing and spacing of certain phrases…keep one arm held tightly to the body in the repeating section…clean up phrases in which arms are connected while turning…clarify choreography of final phrase. Mandy and Lorena incorporate these changes in the next run-through while Sherri film them. The dancers then review the video, noting where timing and spacing still need adjustment. Lorena decides to jump to section 5 of her piece as she wants to “get it out of my head.” She notes that this 30-second conclusion to her piece is almost “pure canon.” Lorena repeatedly listens to the music to feel it – and test it out – in her body. She then begins to teach it to Mandy. The tempo is very fast, and the choreography is challenging to perform at that pace. Lorena takes a few deep breaths to allow her to transition from creating her own dance to rehearsing Jonathan’s duet. Free of child care responsibilities today, Lorena has been able to immerse herself in her work – so she needs to “switch gears and get out of my head.” Lorena and Mandy now run through Jonathan’s duet, identifying parts that are still unclear as they progress. The dancers continue to teach each other their roles and review the tricky choreography in which they are entwined. Finally, Mandy and Lorena are ready to work on Mandy’s new piece. Mandy watches Lorena run through the choreography and offers a few notes: imagine crayons coming out of your fingertips, enabling you to draw an ongoing story…stretch your legs out in an almost exaggerated manner…seek greater dynamic accents and contrasts. Mandy encourages Lorena to “play with it, and I’ll tell you if I like it.” Lorena points out that if Mandy chooses to make this piece a duet, the two dancers can convey a relationship, even if they are “doing different things.” Lorena and Mandy conclude today’s session feeling exhausted, yet energized. They are pleased with their productivity and progress. The dancers have radiated pure joy throughout the rehearsal, immersed in their dancing without having to divide their time, attention and psychic energy between creating and caregiving. For a brief time, they were transported back to the days when their entire lives revolved around dancing. November 8, 2017 CHANGING ROLES Leading into today’s rehearsal During their weekly Tuesday meeting, Jonathan and Sherri started to prepare the marketing materials to be used for the upcoming showing in March. They also discussed the idea of having up to 3 guest artists join Second Story for the event, dancing pieces choreographed by Jonathan and Lorena. Today’s rehearsal Prior to Mandy’s arrival, Lorena and Jonathan begin their warm up by stretching at the barre. Before long, Sebastian grabs mom’s hand to join him in raiding Steffi Nossen’s toy stash. The newly acquired cars and trucks capture Sebastian’s attention for a few minutes, allowing Lorena to return to stretching.
Mandy changes quickly after she arrives and joins her colleagues for a warm up with -- drum roll please – all 3 dancers! It’s been a while since they have been able to warm up together. As soon as Lorena begins the portion of the warm up on the floor, Sebastian recognizes his opportunity – and takes a running leap to land on her back. Unwilling to give her up just yet, Sebastian drags Lorena to one side of the room, ostensibly to eat. But he rejects all the food Lorena has brought to the studio, becoming fussy and irritable. Although he finally settles on eating pasta, Lorena acknowledges that what Sebastian really wants is mom’s attention. She notes that the last couple of days have been difficult for Sebastian, so he doesn’t want to separate from her for any length of time. Once again, Lorena finds a way to integrate caring for her son with working – or, in this case, stretching. She figures out how to feed pasta to Sebastian and do floor stretches – simultaneously! Meanwhile, Jonathan and Mandy move into a warm up segment that each one alternately leads. Once Sebastian seems more engaged in independent play, Lorena is able to join them. They all decide to do a quick across-the-floor segment, led by Jonathan. It is wonderful to see their big smiles since it feels so good -- and is so much fun – to move this way! Alas, there is only 20 minutes left before Jonathan has to leave, so the dancers agree to begin rehearsal with a run-through of Jonathan’s piece. To prevent Sebastian from interrupting Lorena and Mandy during this period, Jonathan becomes the consummate entertainer for Sebastian, eliciting squeals of delight. Each time Sebastian runs toward his mother, Jonathan finds a way to entice him back to their play. Other than a couple of spots in which they are uncertain of the exact movements, Lorena and Mandy enjoy a successful run-through. Before moving on, they clarify the elements that are still unclear. Lorena and Mandy begin to teach their parts to each other for the segment in which they switch roles. First, Mandy teaches Lorena an early gesture phrase. Next, Lorena shows Mandy her choreography while Jonathan stands nearby, offering additional coaching details. He notes the phrases that still need some clarification. It is rather challenging for each dancer to learn her partner’s part, danced to the same music she has already come to associate with her own role. Jonathan notes that the changing of roles enables him to impart an “a-b-a’ ” structure to his dance; the ending mirrors the beginning, but includes some variation. He explains that this approach gives the piece a “retrograde feel.” Mandy and Lorena continue teaching one another their respective roles, even after Jonathan leaves to pick up his kids at preschool. Fortunately, Sebastian is now mesmerized by a video, so the ladies can work with little interruption. Next week they hope to complete the remaining segment in which they change roles. Mandy and Lorena move on to Lorena’s piece, marking it through from the beginning of the duet. Lorena offers a variety of notes: clarification of one change of position…intention to make the repeating section of alternating positions less “bumpy”…clarification of the timing of the tricky phrase following this repeating section…altering the timing at the end of the duet. Lorena and Mandy experiment with the final phrase as Lorena would like to simplify the choreography. Once they are reasonably satisfied with their choices, the ladies run through the duet again, incorporating the changes and modifications they just rehearsed. Mandy then walks through the solo that follows the duet in Lorena’s piece. Although she has not practiced this segment in a long time, the choreography comes back to her easily. She is only unclear about the steps constituting the final phrase of the solo. The ladies will check a video next week to clarify those movements. Lorena advises Mandy to execute the solo so it has a “light, fresh, soft, and easy” feeling. In fact, Lorena believes that Mandy does not need to dance it with much more effort than she just exerted. It is now time to work on Mandy’s piece as she would like to include it in our upcoming showing. First, she and Lorena clarify the steps and timing of the existing choreography. Since she has not yet selected music to accompany her piece, Mandy puts on music from her iPhone so they don’t have to dance in silence. After stepping back to observe Lorena dance the piece, Mandy offers notes about how she would like Lorena to approach her work: think more linear…make shapes in space… go for bigger, wider movements and deeper pliés. Sherri notes that Mandy seems pleased that she has the opportunity to create a dance that reflects her idiosyncratic style. Mandy makes a distinction between her style and that of Jonathan and Lorena: she feels that her approach is less about emotional expression and telling stories, and more about making shapes in space and playing with movement. Conceived as separate from the music, her choreography tends to be more linear and abstract. In fact, Lorena and Mandy come up with labels that seem to capture what is central to each dancer’s choreographic approach: Mandy=Motion; Jonathan=Emotion; Lorena=Music. Since Mandy is not yet clear whether her piece will be a solo or duet and has not yet decided upon an approach to music, she and Lorena brainstorm about possible choices. Perhaps she’ll decide to use atonal, avant-garde music…or solo cello or sax. Lorena points out that choosing to create a duet means that you are constructing space as well as shape within that space -- and figuring out floor patterns. Mandy is inclined to have 2 dancers performing different choreography in different areas of the stage, at times coming in and out of a shared space. No matter what decisions Mandy ultimately makes, she is enthusiastically assuming the new role of choreographer! November 1, 2017 WHAT WAS THAT STEP AGAIN? Since each dancer’s schedule results in a different arrival time, warm up is largely an individual endeavor. During this period today, the team brainstorms about developing a child-centric Second Story dance program for a children’s museum. Whatever program we put together for this venue could also be used at various non-profit and educational institutions geared toward children.
Attending to Sebastian’s needs prevents Lorena from stretching; nevertheless, she jumps right in to work on Jonathan’s piece since he has to leave early to pick up his kids from preschool. Knowing Lorena is not yet warmed up, Jonathan suggests that she mark the duet for a while. The dancers concentrate on identifying the choreographic elements that are still unclear. Jonathan demonstrates the execution of these steps, focusing on timing, exact placement of body parts, and desired qualitative details. Besides remembering the choreography, the biggest challenge today is keeping Sebastian occupied so Lorena and Mandy can remain focused with minimal interruptions. Let’s see how well we do… Sebastian is enjoying hanging from the ballet barres and playing with giant trucks – but THE MINUTE mom starts dancing, Sebastian tries to draw her away from her work. Jonathan tries to entice him with new cars and scarf tricks, but these amusements merely serve as a (very) temporary diversion. Lorena attempts a negotiation of sorts: Sebastian can go to the lounge to bring back a big box of toys while mom dances. This idea seems to appeal to Sebastian, and he lugs in a box that is nearly bigger than he is. Preemptively, Jonathan joins Sebastian in his imaginative play with the contents of the box. At the same time, Jonathan watches Lorena and Mandy walk through his piece. Every time the dancers pause to clarify a particular move or phrase, Jonathan attempts to coach from his perch with Sebastian. Sherri soon recognizes that this approach is not going to be very effective and takes over as Sebastian’s playmate. Jonathan, Mandy and Lorena watch recent videos to clarify areas of uncertainty, then practice what they have just reviewed. As if seamlessly interwoven into the choreography, Jonathan deftly intercepts Sebastian every time he leaves Sherri to show Lorena his latest discovery. Sherri then lures him back to the toys so Jonathan can return to coaching. While helping Mandy and Lorena remember the parts that are unclear, Jonathan breaks down complex phrases and demonstrates a variety of moves: the different leg positions in 4 consecutive turns…a quick turn powered by the arc of the back and accompanied by windmill arms…gestural nuances. Right in the middle of this focused work, Lorena abruptly steps out for a limit setting session with Sebastian. He emphatically expresses his displeasure with mom’s consequence while Lorena returns to her work. The dancers practice a few more phrases before Jonathan has to leave for preschool pick-up. On his way out, Jonathan suggests that Mandy and Lorena teach each other their respective parts next week since they switch roles during his duet. Following Jonathan’s departure and a quick snack, Mandy asks Lorena to help her review the intricate “floor choreography” in the latter part of Jonathan’s piece. With Sebastian settled down with his lunch, Lorena proceeds to clarify the choreography of her duet with Mandy. Reminding Mandy to listen to the 2nd voice in the music to guide the timing of her movements, Lorena dances Mandy’s part along with her. The dancers then review the execution and timing of the arm and leg movements they perform in canon. Lorena then offers subtle clarifications of a variety of moments in her piece: the exact undulation of the body in one phrase…the curve of the arms as they reach out, in, then out again…resist the urge to anticipate the next move by turning the head too soon…dissecting a repeating phrase, demonstrating the sweep of the right arm, swivel around the right leg in a low plié, and ending in a full crouch position…execution of a tricky sequence involving twists and turns with arms entwined. Sebastian is now occupied with opening and closing the studio door, so Lorena delves into correcting timing and spacing as she and Mandy run through the duet. In particular, she adjusts the distance and direction that certain movements travel. Capitalizing on their momentum (since Sebastian has been absorbed in his play), the dancers work on choreography for the final phrases of the duet. Lorena tests out ideas with Mandy, keeping in mind her desire to make the dancers appear a bit more connected. They spend a considerable amount of time trying to work out the logistics of a phrase in which each dancer rocks back and forth in a variety of directions while alternately interlocking wrists and elbows. The dancers really came together today, making it possible to create while caregiving – and to remember all the elements of the dances they have developed over many months. October 25, 2017 IT’S ALL STARTING TO COME TOGETHER Jonathan is out for the count: sick at home for the past couple of days. Nevertheless, he musters up the energy to send the music for his duet to Mandy and Lorena. He suggests that they review the most recent videos and work through his entire piece during rehearsal today.
Mandy and Lorena do a quick barre warm up as they are eager to do run-throughs of both duets. But first: Lorena enters into a negotiation session with Sebastian; in exchange for 5 minutes of uninterrupted rehearsal time, Lorena will join Sebastian in the lounge for a reading session. As Sebastian settles in against a wall to look through a book, Mandy and Lorena start from the beginning of Jonathan’s duet, marking the choreography without music. They concentrate on recalling and incorporating the changes they made last week with Jonathan. When they reach portions of the dance where they are uncertain about the choreography, they verbally note the movements that need further clarification. Meanwhile, Sebastian plays out a pattern in which he moves back and forth between hugging Lorena’s leg while she is dancing and engaging in brief spurts of other activities. Sherri attempts to lengthen the amount of time Sebastian’s focus is diverted away from mom. She initiates a variety of activities she hopes will be sufficiently entertaining. Some actually work, others – not so much. Lorena and Mandy are now ready to run through Jonathan’s piece with music. Although there are still a few moments where they struggle to remember choreographic details, the dancers seem to take it in stride. Each time they rehearse the duet, Lorena and Mandy fill in more “gaps.” They note that they need to repeatedly practice the entire dance so they can remember all the choreographic elements and fully integrate the many qualitative details. Lorena must have eyes in the back of her head – or a sixth sense about her son’s whereabouts, since she is able to continually monitor Sebastian AND rehearse at the same time. This tracking enables her to instantly respond when it appears that he is wandering off in the hallways or about to hurt himself. Third time’s a charm; Mandy and Lorena dance all the way through Jonathan’s duet. They pause with about 1 minute to go since Jonathan has verbally described his vision for the final segment of the piece, but has not yet finalized the choreography. Sherri gets about half way through filming this run-through when the recording stops -- the phone’s storage is full. Of course. At least the video includes Sebastian running through the performance space with a big truck. Nice touch. Mandy feels that she and Lorena have come a long way in the 3 run-throughs. They are now “clear about where we are unclear!” Following a snack break, Lorena listens intently to the music for her piece, visualizing the choreography. She then suggests to Mandy that they “run as much as we know.” First, the ladies walk it through without music, starting at the most recently choreographed section. Next, they mark nearly the entire duet to music. About half way through, Lorena dashes out of the studio to retrieve Sebastian exploring the hallways on his own. She quickly returns to finish marking the piece, clarifying the timing of a couple of phrases. Mandy and Lorena now dance the duet a bit more full-out. Lorena identifies the moments that will require adjustments in spacing and timing. At this point, Lorena wants to add choreography for Mandy to the phrase that follows their rolling on the floor. Lorena generates ideas, tests them out with Mandy, then ensures that they work with the music. Lorena decides to conclude this phrase with suspended arm and leg movements performed in unison. Moving on, Lorena develops new material for the final phrase of the duet. Even with the additions today, Mandy affirms that she is “clear” on the duet’s choreography. While preparing to leave, the dancers note that today’s rehearsal has been particularly productive. It’s all starting to come together! October 18, 2017 TYPICAL CHALLENGES SHORTEN REHEARSAL Lorena, Sherri and Mandy are all late today…chalk it up to kids, cars and health issues. Jonathan is the only one whose morning allows him to arrive on time. Good news/bad news: he can stretch a bit and think about his work, but he can’t collaborate and rehearse until the other dancers arrive.
Once Lorena arrives, she and Jonathan abandon their usual warm up to best utilize the shorter rehearsal time. They begin working on Jonathan’s piece, targeting a series of phrases in which Lorena and Mandy have different choreography. Jonathan modifies certain elements for Lorena, including continual weight transfers and sinuous, sweeping hand and arm movements behind the back and around the body. As Jonathan clarifies the timing of these phrases, Sebastian sends multiple cars racing across the floor. The dancers deftly step around them without blinking an eye! Mandy arrives with about 20 minutes to go before Jonathan has to leave to pick up his kids from preschool. Skipping warm up altogether, Mandy jumps right into practicing a complicated partnering sequence with Lorena in which the 2 dancers are completely entwined. Jonathan, Lorena and Mandy experiment with a variety of adjustments to make the execution of this phrase more fluid and comfortable. Jonathan periodically takes Lorena’s place to try to figure it out with his own body. Between feeling it viscerally and observing Lorena and Mandy test out ideas, Jonathan decides that Mandy needs to bend deeply to the side, fully extend her leg higher, and use a leg in a passé position to drive the pair’s weight shift. While Lorena changes Sebastian’s diaper, Jonathan and Mandy look at a recent video of this section of the duet. Together, they experiment with a variety of changes. Upon Lorena’s return to rehearsing, Jonathan coaches Mandy and Lorena through every single element of the entwined phrases. It is painstaking, highly detailed work – step by step, arm movement by arm movement. Jonathan wants each partner’s hand/arm/leg movement to precipitate the other dancer’s responding gesture. This is an example of the “conversation of gestures” that is a hallmark of Jonathan’s duet. Sebastian tugs on mom’s pants, seeking her company. Fortunately, Lorena successfully distracts him with several big trucks. Unfortunately, the diversion is short-lived. Sebastian wants mom to join him in the lounge to choose toy trains -- and won’t take “no” for an answer. Lorena finds him a book that turns out to be even more interesting to Sebastian than the toys. This discovery buys the dancers a couple of minutes to work out the logistics of the tricky rond de jambe portion of the phrase. Lorena, Mandy and Jonathan then review the video in which the ladies marked through about ¾ of the piece. As they watch, Jonathan verbally clarifies the execution and timing of many movements, and proposes a number of ideas that can be tested out next week. As Jonathan prepares to leave, he mentions his ideas for what pieces might be included in Second Story’s next studio showing. He suggests that the dancers continue to prioritize rehearsing his and Lorena’s duets during the next few sessions. During a snack break, the team discusses programming, timing, and rehearsal details of a potential showing in February. When Sebastian becomes absorbed in drawing, Lorena is able to listen to the music for her duet several times. As usual, she is mentally formulating refinements to her choreography. Lorena and Mandy then talk through and mark the later phrases of the duet. Lorena makes several spacing and timing adjustments. Next, Lorena cues her music to the beginning of her piece. She and Mandy are now ready to walk through the entire first section, up to the final phrases that have yet to be solidified. However, about half way through, Lorena suddenly runs to Sebastian to ensure he avoids an accident with wires. She capitalizes on this event by taking time to remind him about safety issues. The dancers’ frustration and disappointment are palpable; since another class is about to come in to the studio, they cannot do a full run-through of Lorena’s duet today. Another creating-while-caregiving challenge necessitates modifications in rehearsal plans. This is our process. October 11, 2017 TAKE IT FROM THE TOP! As expected, Jonathan and Lorena are the first to arrive and begin warming up individually. Shortly after Lorena starts stretching, Sebastian tugs at her hand; he clearly wants mom to join him while choosing toys, getting food, and sitting down to eat. It is difficult for Lorena to break away to continue warming up. Mandy arrives later with Nate, who does not have preschool today. Nate comes with a number of cool toys, but he’s primarily engaged in imaginative play with string (something about Spiderman…). Gradually, Sebastian becomes absorbed with watching a man vacuum the hallway and playing with electronic toys. With both boys temporarily occupied, the dancers can finally warm up at the same time. Mandy is still adjusting her movements to avoid hurting her ankle further. In particular, she has difficulty torqueing her injured foot. Before long, Mandy goes in search of a pair of scissors to cut a knot out of Nate’s string. After Sebastian throws toys around the room, Lorena scoops him up and dances with him for the balance of the warm up. Nate joins the dancers at the barre, climbing on top of them (again, something about Spiderman…). With just a half hour to go before Jonathan has to leave to pick up his kids, the dancers refine several phrases in Jonathan’s piece. Jonathan demonstrates for Lorena the choreography for her part in one of the early partnering phrases. He wants Mandy and Lorena to remain connected, but to do so using more visually interesting movements. Jonathan highlights a number of qualitative details: Mandy needs to create a bigger backbend over Lorena’s shoulder…Lorena should use her right hip to power the next partnering move…hands are precisely positioned on each other’s body…Lorena’s closing her arms around Mandy should initiate Mandy’s turn within Lorena’s embrace. Jonathan takes Lorena’s place for a few moments to determine the optimal hand and arm placement during Lorena and Mandy’s next partnering sequence. Lorena then switches with him and practices with Mandy. Moving on to Mandy’s next solo section, Jonathan clarifies the sequence of gestures and steps. At this point, the dancers are eager to “take it from the top!” We really see Jonathan’s piece coalescing as Mandy and Lorena progress through the opening sections. As the dancers approach their last segment, Sebastian begs mom to hold him. As a result, Lorena completes her part as best as she can with her son in her arms. To clarify a complex segment in which Mandy and Lorena are completely entwined, the dancers watch the latest video of this section. After Mandy and Lorena practice what they have just seen, Jonathan once again takes Lorena’s place to help him refine the timing and sequence of the individual and joint movements. Before you know it, Jonathan has to leave. Everyone else takes a quick snack break. Lorena informs Mandy that she needs to repeatedly listen to the music for her piece in order to figure out the logistics of each part for last week’s challenging phrase. Once she thinks she has the basic structure in her head, Lorena tests it out with Mandy. At first, Lorena tries to “verbally choreograph” the phrase since Sebastian insists that she stay by his side. Eventually, though, Sebastian divides his time between watching a video, hanging off of the ballet barres, and jumping on a mini-trampoline. These activities allow Lorena to stop describing the choreography and actually demonstrate the steps and timing for both parts. The two dancers practice their respective roles together. They do 4 repetitions of a sequence of moves that includes side leg lifts, ronds de jambe with deep pliés, and kneeling down on one knee. One dancer starts the sequence, then the other dancer follows; it appears as if they are dancing in counterpoint. Satisfied that they have successfully created the basic sequence of steps, Lorena explains that she will “stylize” the choreography next week. Moving on to the next phrase of the dance, Lorena makes some changes to each dancer’s part, experimenting with Mandy to determine which ideas work best. Refreshing their memories, Lorena and Mandy review the choreographic details of the segment that follows this phrase. Finally, the dancers are ready to “take it from the top” again! They mark through nearly the entire first section of Lorena’s piece. Only a couple of phrases to go before the section is complete! “Taking it from the top” enabled the dancers to see how far they have come – and how close they are to finishing the choreography for both pieces. We’re at an exciting place in the creative process! October 4, 2017 COLLABORATING WHILE DISTRACTED Mandy’s ankle continues to improve, but she is still unable to jump.
The dancers tend to arrive – and leave – at different times due to their children’s different preschool schedules. Since Jonathan must leave early, he tries to begin his warm up as soon as he can. In contrast, Mandy arrives about a half hour later and jumps into an abbreviated warm up. Consequently, some exercises are done individually and others are executed as a group. Not ideal, of course, but the best that can be done since the dancers are all primary caregivers. Sebastian joins mom for a large portion of the warm up, imitating her dance moves and running through her legs. Lorena then invites Sebastian to join her at the barre to mimic her stretches; this suggestion turns out to be a great idea as it allows Lorena to finish her warm up without her son pulling her away. As the dancers conclude the warm up, Lorena shows Mandy some rehab-type exercises to help strengthen her ankle. Meanwhile, Sebastian throws water bottles and food cups around the studio, shrieking with laughter. Lorena experiments with keeping the studio door open so Sebastian can play with the toys in the lounge -- and experience a bit more freedom of movement. Sebastian happily rummages through Steffi Nossen’s great stash of toys, cars and trucks, bringing many objects into the studio. Despite the new opportunities available to him, Sebastian spends most of his time running with his teddy bear and stroller through the dancers’ space. Mandy notes the different dynamics in rehearsal since Eliza started preschool and Sebastian is the only child in attendance. On one hand, Jonathan can focus more intently on his creative work; he no longer needs to divide his time and attention between choreographing and taking care of his own kids. On the other hand, Lorena becomes Sebastian’s primary playmate since his peers are all in school. Consequently, her time and attention are REPEATEDLY divided between concentrating on choreographing/rehearsing and attending to Sebastian’s physical and emotional needs. In certain respects, having only one kid in the studio now is even more challenging. Everyone pitches in to help soothe, entertain, and distract Sebastian, but, of course, Lorena shoulders the lion’s share of the caretaking responsibility. Following the warm up, Jonathan, Mandy and Lorena review the video of last week’s changes to the gesture-laden opening phrases of Jonathan’s piece. Jonathan demonstrates precise details of the execution of these gestures, focusing on the positioning of fingers and hands. Mandy tries to reproduce the movements in accordance with Jonathan’s instructions. At the same time, Lorena works on learning the choreography since she and Mandy will be switching roles at a later point in the dance. The dancers then run the piece from the beginning, incorporating the modifications. They continue until they reach the next series of phrases which Jonathan would like to tweak. Suggestions include: lead movements with the back…position the head back and move the arm as if you are trying to break away from your partner’s grasp. Jonathan works with Mandy and Lorena to adjust the “conversation” between their 2 characters while they are physically connected. This section seems to be asking for a true collaborative effort; movement ideas are continually proposed, tested, and adjusted. The dancers are excited when their choreographic “experiments” instinctively feel right and successfully convey the desired emotions. Jonathan is particularly pleased with the changes in hand and arm placements when Lorena and Mandy are completely entwined. This section is even more visually innovative and arresting than ever! Throughout much of this collaborative work, Sebastian implores his mother to accompany him so they can eat, play, and explore together. Lorena is continually shifting between the needs of her child and immersing herself in the creative process. This is a truly difficult juggling act. The dancers run through the phrases they have been working on right before Jonathan has to leave. Everyone is looking forward to adding on the final elements of the dance and watching the entire piece come together. Following a snack break, Lorena and Mandy work on refining the qualitative details of the middle section of Lorena’s duet. Fortunately, the team remembers the wet paper towel that captivated Sebastian last week. Luckily, he still finds playing with it to be absorbing; consequently,Lorena can concentrate more fully on developing her piece. Lorena adjusts spacing, demonstrates the undulation of the body she is seeking, and clarifies the timing of the canon phrases. At first, Lorena dances Mandy’s part with her. Eventually, she adds in her own part, ensuring that the canon timing is accurate. Satisfied with these refinements, Lorena outlines the structure she envisions for the next segment of her piece. She works with Mandy to flesh out her ideas: repetitive partnering sequences in which each dancer rolls on the ground, rises, steps over her partner and into a position with arms and legs extended. The dancers hold hands throughout this entire phrase, creating repeating contrasts of shapes and motion. Lorena would like to show bodies overlapping one another in a downstage progression. Figuring out how to execute this vision is proving to be quite challenging. Mandy and Lorena try many different variations, film their attempts, then evaluate each one. Lorena feels they have the “right idea, but wrong execution.” The dancers finally try a new approach using interconnected arms, a push-pull dynamic, huge tilt of the body, a roll down, then quick rise to a standing position. With Sebastian tugging at her legs and demanding to be held, Lorena decides it is time to wrap up rehearsal. Although it was difficult to sustain the focus to work through complex ideas and details today, the dancers managed to engage in a successful collaborative process yielding exciting new choreography. |
AuthorsSherri Muroff Kalt, founder of Process Portraits, LLC and author of Portrait of an Artistic Journey: The Creative Process in Real Life Context, is a Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude graduate of Duke University with a B.A. in psychology. She began her career in marketing and sales in New York City with L’Oréal, Monet Jewelers, and Givenchy. READ MORE |