REHEARSAL #7

Wednesday, April 27, 2016
 
PROCESS DETAILS
 
TECHNICAL

​SHERRI

• Since Jonathan and Maggie missed 2 weeks of rehearsal and had created a lot of new material in recent sessions, they need to review and clarify areas that are unclear.

JONATHAN

• Focuses on dynamics:  choices of how strong or how light a movement should be performed…where sharp accents are needed and where softer qualities should be expressed.  Example:  When Maggie’s wrists are crossed reaching up and one hand reaches to its limit, the arm should then fall as if it is a tether that snapped.  This dynamic change not only adds visceral interest, but also adds meaning; she is reaching so far beyond her limit, her arm HAS to fall.
• Typically, Jonathan worries about technical elements when creating a dance: getting choreography done, clarifying steps, and ensuring movements are in the right sequence.
• But then he remembers that he searches his mind and his core self creatively to be able to make technical decisions.  Movement, emotions, and ideas together create a technical framework.  The choreography looks “dry” until the dancer infuses the technical elements with emotion.  At this point, Jonathan wears his director’s hat to guide his dancer’s interpretation of the material.  This is when he works with dynamics and images.  He hones the qualitative aspects of the choreography which breathe life into the work.
• So while he doesn’t create a lot of new material today, he and Maggie work on quality.
• Experienced a revelation after watching video from this rehearsal: The solo needs to work both in silence and with the music.  Jonathan wants the dance to unfold in a way that is true to itself, not dictated by the music.  Therefore, he intends to first watch videos in silence to generate ideas based on what he is seeing, then bring those ideas into rehearsal.  If an idea works with the music but doesn’t seem to work in silence, he takes it as a warning sign; he must go back and adjust his approach until it works both ways.  He will try to adhere to this parameter in this piece.

MAGGIE

• Forgets choreography during a few moments in the run-through.
• Feels physically tired today.

PSYCHOLOGICAL/EMOTIONAL

​JONATHAN

• The focus on qualitative work today makes a big difference.  Feels confident and excited that this piece WILL have a life after it is made and that it WILL be performed.

MAGGIE

• Several obstacles getting to rehearsal today precluded a proper warm-up.  As a result, she feels rushed and unprepared.