Thursday 30 June 2011

Doorways, Inside Out and Pina

I love the creativity and excitement around ideas, the possibilities, and am beginning to see that some funding applications can have the creativity/excitement that work has..this is me at my most optomistic!
Doorways
Have had good meetings, with Sarah from Gyllngdune gardens and Malcolm from Godolphin House, such an inspiring doorway, loggia and courtyard, lawn, fountain. Each place with a relationship to the community, Gyllngdune’s being given birth to new outreach and beginnings, and Godolphin continuing on artistic and community involvement already in the tradition of the place.
Arches, the body in space, passing through, other worlds, entrance, “en trance” - one of Phil’s our old theatre devisers favourite words. www.philjacobs.talktalk.net.
Framing relationship stillness and movement.
Pina
Went to see the film Pina, so inspiring, my old dance teacher Wolfgang Stange of Amici comes from the german expressionist tradition, every gesture with meaning, intent, no wasted movement, ordinary movement where necessary, no artifice. Went to see Pina with an old friend Janine, an artist now living in New Zealand,we remenisced about life in London.
 I feel very fed by visual art, how we devise dances is layered like many of my husband’s abstract paintings.
 Always interesting what feeds peoples work, often other art forms. 
Shared humour in current work of friends who we shared a squat with in London, who were then fringe mime artists, Inside Out, now doing www.iop.co.nz/showreel.
Fantastic in depth analysis of Pina by a friend Jamie Moran, see below.
Also deeply affected by Monica Wynter’s death, i found myself describing her as a real Penwith person, certainly she had full house to overflowing at her burial service, i can’t do justice to her but she had art, faith, community, hospitality, nature and friendships flowing strongly in her life, which fed all who knew her. I had the privelige of her coming regularly to my Natural dance classes for many years.
Pina
The German film director Wim Wenders is equally well known-he did the
haunting film about angels coming down to earth [as well as Paris, Texas;
Lisboa Story]-and he has directed another documentary I would walk barefoot
through glass to see. It is called-"Pina." It reveals the dance forms
created by the legendary German choreographer Pina Bausch, founder and
inspiration for the Tanztheatre Wuppertal. She was a friend of Wenders, and
as the film was being prepared, Pina suddenly died of cancer, only days
after being diagnosed with the disease. Maybe in her 50s, or 60s, I don't
know.. The film almost did not get made after Pina's death undercut its
original conception, but with so many people loving Pina's art and urging
Wenders not to give up, he felt he had to go on. In 2009 he finished it,
having, like Werner Herzog, used 3D.
Though you get grainy black and white flashes of Pina herself dancing-and
they electrified me, like only the best Flamenco dancers ever have-mostly it
is her large and international company of dancers who speak about her, and
we see snippets of her various pieces, from the dancers' eyes. In fact, it
is more effective than that. The camera lingers in close up on a dancer's
face, and you hear their recorded voice [in Spanish, French, English,
German, Japanese] talking about their relationship with Pina, while the face
remains in repose. Some faces are just caught, and nothing is recorded, but
just their expression says it all. Pina was without doubt a genius at
liberating her students from themselves-- listening to them and watching
them intently for hours and days and months and years, saying very little,
but when she did offer them a 'word', it was so penetrating to that person,
as dancer or as human being, that they were transformed. Her advice was like
a Zen koan, delivered at just the ripe moment to evoke a shift in whoever
was receiving it. Pina herself-a wraith-like ghost hovering over the
film-was clearly able to spark creativity in her dancers, rather than
plotting and planning in her head, and then imposing the scheme top-down on
her dancers, as if they were puppets and she were pulling their strings. The
company worked more bottom-up. She, and the dancers, collaborate in some
ongoing dialogue with mysteries and tragedies of human life.. She once said
of the dancers: "I'm not interested in how they move as in what moves them."
She wanted to explore what makes us human.
I loved many things about Pina.
I loved Pina's disdain for 'mere' words. At several points, the inadequacy
of words to do justice to realities of experience was poetically expressed.
I loved Pina's claim that 'We must dance, or we are lost.' Though music is
the primal-and primordial-life giver to humanity, dance runs it a close
second. There was music, and there was dance to music, before there was
language. Push it further-language that has lost its root 'back' in music
and in dance is dead. It is not mere metaphor that alive language sings and
has musicality, and that the words dance and leap across the page, or in the
air between speakers.
Wim Wenders said at her memorial: "She would often look around helplessly
when she couldn't find the right words, as if she might possibly find the
answer with her eyes. ..Pina relied on her look instead of on words. At
least she trusted much more in what could be seen than in what could be
said."
She looked at, felt and experienced directly, what was in movement-this was
her artistic path to truth.
What is moving us? What is moving to us? What moves through us? Look and
attend very carefully, because if you are inattentive it will have moved by
you, and you will have missed it. Do not imagine you can ever recapture what
you let slip by you through talking 'about' it.
There is something in dance that reconnects us to the wellsprings. We do not
need to understand why to experience the truth of this. There are many whys,
and most of them go back to Shamanism.
Pina's dance creations are theatrical, and make 'pictures', images, visually
striking displays, out of the body movements. One writer describes her style
as 'bold and confrontational', and she also uses a trance-like kind of
repetition to powerful effect. I found myself electrified by this style,
energised, lifted into activeness and wanting to move, in a way I now
recognise as Daemonic. Though Eros weaves its spell through dance too, there
is a Daemonic dance, a war dance, a trance dance, to the music of the
suffering and battle of time.
It helped that almost the first piece we see-and it goes on for a lengthier
time than many of the others-is Pina's version of Stravinsky's 'Rite Of
Spring.' Having seen this danced in the opera, I was not prepared for the
very different way Pina's dancers tackled the driving rhythm and discordant
harmonics of this ultimate music of the Daemonic. They began by spreading
dirt on the floor, and suddenly it began, and we see 'The Sacred Spring.'
Dressed in only the skimpiest of clothes, the massed female and massed male
dancers enter the agony of the Daemonic which is, at the same time, an
ecstasy-- a different ecstasy to the sweet death in Eros; a death worked for
and resisted, fought with and embraced, in an agonised and pulverising
ritual. Watching this, I felt I had seen for the very first time a kind of
dancing that really told the Daemonic story of Stravinsky's music. If the
storm and lightning and winds and hail were to come to earth, to both
destroy and remake us, this is the music that would declare its intent.
Pina's dancers were writhing and moving in a birth agony, an agonised death
leading to rebirth: for this is the central theme of the Daemonic. Destroy
to recreate; the potter who never throws away the clay, the basic humanity,
but makes a shape out of that basic material which degrades, and so the
shape is wrecked, and the clay is allowed to rest, before a new shape is
resurrected from the collapse, the break down, the dissolving.
After we came out of the film, someone observed Pina's is not a dance
expressing joy. No, because it is a dance of the Daemonic. It portrays
struggle, and a host of tragic difficulties dividing human nature; some of
the vignettes between men and women were chilling. But always true.. The
Daemonic deals in dark, suffering, and depth: tragedy as the gateway to, and
hidden and mysterious matrix of, the only fundamental change, the change of
the human heart. As Abraham Heschel [1907-1972], Martin Buber's ally, puts
it, a prophet can give us a new word on the heart, but not a new heart. Only
God can change the heart. Yet, it is helpful to realise that it is in our
wrestling with abject failures and intractable dilemmas and profound hurts
and shattering doubts that we come to 'know' the Daemonic God. Thus, Pina's
depictions of 'problems' were more hope generating than the usual false
solutions that, one way or another, take you out of the problem.
I found in Pina great love for the dance, a love that had honour, integrity,
self sacrifice [for she was always working, she could not back off, or put
down the burden only those blessed and cursed by the Daemonic ever carry].
There was much struggle with life, which is also love-the love in passion
that must go beyond enthusiasm for causes, and embrace the edges, gaps,
crossing of roads, inherent to existing in the world. To keep struggling, to
keep searching, in the face of adversity, set backs, obstacles, inversion of
all hope, destruction of all reasonable faith, is a love only passion can
engender. The greatest art-Dostoyevsky, Lorca, Van Gogh-reaches heart break,
and continues deeper and deeper into its abyss of loss and reversal, and
secret treasures of wisdom. There is more than a whiff of this prophetic
quest, searching out the depth of the heart, in Pina's artistic temper.
There is freedom, spontaneity, yearning, also expressed. And at times, like
the circle dance of reconciliation joining all the characters at the end of
Frederico Fellini's film 8 ½, there is a simple happiness, a simple
exultation over going through so much and still being alive-the dancers join
in a line and make strangely compelling hand gestures, to a jaunty and
bouncy tune.
The Daemonic is also humour, dark humour and the sheer naked victory - naked
because you are stripped of everything on the way - of going through it all,
and still being around at the end. Many people bail out with the Daemonic
far too soon. As the destruction gets under way, they reject God, the whole
of life, their own existence in this world. They do not go through the
nadir, and encounter the paradoxical turn around in the depths, that brings
about resurrection.
Hence I loved the moments when all the dancers joined hands with others,
making a line, and just waltzed away to a jaunty tune, happy to be alive
still though 'in the midst of life, we are in death' has been affirmed.
It also says we treasure the people with whom we have gone through so much..
And through out it all, a strange electricity-- the electricity of the
Daemonic come to town, to shake things up, kick butt, and make a long
awaited and much needed change.
All I can say is I found Pina electrifying. It was beyond excitement. It was
the electricity of the Daemonic, brought through a wound, to kindle a new
fire from the depth that everyone thought extinguished long, long ago.
jamie moran
5-7 May 11

Friday 24 June 2011

8th July Chromatic

 news for the 8th July 

PLATFORM COMMUNITY PROGRAMME
UCF

5.45pm- Drinks
6.30pm talk on Platform Community Programme
6.45-7pm Penryn College Year 9  and TR14ER’s with Steph Richards 2nd Year Choreography student
7pm- 8pm Shallal Chromatic
8pm- V project Ice Cold Idiots
8.30-9pm Edited highlights of Chasing the Green Man 2nd year Theatre company

 Tickets free.

Hope to see you there.


We are still chasing funding for next term for all the groups
so bring along any entrepreneurs, benefactors, sponsors you know.....

My children/teenagers spent a lot of their time at Port Eliot festival last year watching
 Ice Cold Idiots.www.icecoldidiots.com

snapshots from the week.. Wednesday and Thursday

in the corridor in the interval on Wednesday
Wednesday
Guests at the Truro Gateway Variety Show.
We couldn't see it, but Anne said it looked good on the stage. Shallal performed 4 pieces from Chromatic. It was a lovely atmosphere with lots of old friends, as there were on Thursday night.
The proceeds from the evening are shared some going to the charity Dreamflight www.dreamflight.org and some to Shallal.

Thursday, full show with Bach extras, wonderful live music, and Alan with us, it was lovely to be back on home territory with old friends and supporters in the audience. Thank you to Tim for enabling this, and to everyone who helped, especially Ian While for beautiful lighting produced at the last minute.
( We survive at present on a shoestring but what can be done with a full budget is amazing, it provides a rightful frame for the picture, which is the hard work and talent of the company.)
Proceeds from this event go to Cornwall Music Therapy Trust www.cornwallmusictherapy.org.uk.


And please do pass on a great big “THANK YOU” to all the cast - everyone I’ve spoken to really enjoyed the show on Thursday....... I thought there was a really attractive blend of beauty, humour, touching moments and a bit of general mayhem........ which added up to a really enjoyable show. ........... I really enjoyed playing in the Mothers and Daughters – there is something very special about playing with dancers.............
 .... we will have raised at least £900 (over the 3 concerts) to support Music Therapy and significantly increased awareness about the provision in Penzance.  Thank you all so much for helping make this possible.
Tim Boulton

Invitation to the Dance
The music starts.
I am a child again,
Spinning,
Round and round I go
Giddy on tippitoes.
My father plays for me,
Brahms, Chopin, Tchaikovsky,
I can do them all!
I am a famous ballerina,
Fonteyn, Markova,
All the names are mine.
Life got in the way,
I didn’t make the grade.
Last night, Shallal, when you danced
I felt my heart leap
And awaken.
I am old now,
The world judges and discards.
But the heart has a stronger muscle
Than my limbs,
So, please, take my hand
And lead me to the dance.
24th June 2011
Elaine Stammers

Elaine sent me the poem this morning, she came on Thursday and used to be in Shallal, and having watched the dance plans to return soon! 
Elaine wrote some of the most powerful and beautiful poetry we have used, we are looking forward to her return.

Anyway thank you to everyone on Thursday.

Next stop The Performance Centre on the 8th July, free entry to this Community Platform event, and Chromatic for the first time in a theatre with all the art work and props on show, a fitting end to the season.

snapshots from the week.. Monday

Arriving at New County Hall, Truro on Monday, building work had been postponed and our old friend Ginnie Mcready helped us settle in, so no unforseen problems! vehicles to be parked up the road but that was a nice damp Cornish walk, and a break in the day. As it was a Monday our normal day to meet, everyone came! 
We were joined by some of Friends and Dancing who performed after us, to help raise awareness and support for the groups to continue.

main company warm up in the space



Debs, Giles and Carly from FAD
Brenda and Briony from FAD

Friday 17 June 2011

perfomances

The week ahead is an exciting but busy one.


 New County Hall on Monday, an outreach performance with all the company as it's our normal day to meet! We now come from as far afield as St Mawes to St Just. In the tradition of outreach performances - no cowpats this time - but a delay to get in and set up due to unexpected building work! and i still haven't found our backdrop! stored away somewhere "safe", i need to crawl around the attic soon.


Next on Wednesday a small part in the Variety Show at Truro College, for half the company, and our gratitiude in advance for Shallal being the recepient of some of the revenue, along with the charity Dream Flight. 


Then Chromatic at the Exchange Gallery,Princes St, Penzance, the full show with Bach extras! and the pleasure of working with Tim again, advertised as;


Thursday 23rd June 8pm
Shallal dance Theatre, Tim Boulton and Nigel Wicken
Chromatic Fantasia
Shallal's unique blend of dance theatre and social inclusivity, with live Bach from Tim Boulton violin/viola and Nigel Wicken harpsicord/organ.
Tickets £5, under 19's £2.50 on the door.


Wednesday 8 June 2011

doorways

Doorways
I am wanting to start a discussion about wonderful, interesting, inspiring, quirky Doorways, saw this one driving home the other day and well known to me from childhood - although the shell house in the gardens was more interesting at toddler age! We lived in Gyllngvase Terrace in my grandmother's house, till I was 7.
photo George Pritchard
The gardens are in the midst of being renovated....very exciting..

Granite arch at Gyllngdune gardens by George Pritchard
.
when talking to an old friend the other day she waxed lyrical and poetic about doorways, symobically poetically...wish i'd written it down but driving at the time...towards Penwith "doorway to the Atlantic"!
 She then went on to describe an amazing doorway in New Zealand and I thought how wonderful it would be to send/collect photos of doorways people have seen world wide......this idea was inspired by TIDE in Teignmouth and their community engagement exhibitions; www.teign-tide.org
Then had a lovely chat with Barbara Santi, www.barbarasanti.co.uk/index.html,
who suggested doing this on the blog, so any lovely feedback re Doorways welcome and gratefuly received!

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Holi-day and Benefit and.....

Kerry and Colin photo by Jacqui Callis

Last Wednesday we thoroughly enjoyed being at Holi-day, the sun shone and by the end of the day we were wondering if next year we might also come and camp. As we left it was a beautiful early summer evening and Zoe had managed a get well earned pint and delicious meal, which we were rather envious of! Despite cowpats! - which were cleaned off - we had a good space in the marque for the workshop and performance, which went well, and it was good to have Kerry back with us after illness. 

Eddie playing harmonica 

Next a big thank you to Cahooty and the Acorn for Shallal's benefit on Saturday, it was a wonderful evening. Brenda and Tom performed in the interval, thank you to them, and thank you to all who came. The music had people dancing all through the evening and we hope to do this again! 


Next piece of news is that Dot from the Works (danceandtheatrecornwall.co.uk) kindly came and helped me look at a funding application yesterday, so my steep learning curve goes on, now with an overseer and editor, so I may still learn this writing skill!!! On Saturday I am attending an Onward and Upward proposal writing workshop with Alexandra and Paul www.zierlecarterliveart.com, so early morning writing continues and hopes to improve, I am writing this to avoid the other! which I had better return to.