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Include the following information:
- If you have participated in the performance, if you have been a spectator for the performance, or if you have general comments about the website or project.
- What you enjoy most
- What you dislike about the project or the site
- What you would improve and how
- Anything else you find relevant.
For the dance+draw project, I thought it was a really interesting concept but performance-wise, it could maybe be a little less cluttered? I think because of the limited space, there were a bit too many people on stage so that you had a hard time following who was doing what (although the scarves and pins were a great idea!). Moreover, you also kinda lost the different stages the dancers and drawers were going through, ie. sketching, then drawing on the body, then reversing the roles. In my opinion it would be clearer and get the point through much better if there were maximum two couples on stage, not only would the dancers have more space to move about, but as a spectator you'd get a much better sense of the stages of the performance. Oh and it was a bit of a pity we could see more of the actual sketching (perhaps a double-screen with the prerecorded video and the live sketching?)... All in all, it was a really enjoyable experience and I'd love to see how you guys develop it :)!
ReplyDeleteOh and I'd be up for any future dance shows, not my usual venue of entertainment but there were some truly amazing pieces last time!
The first section went really well as I was already familiar with what I was suppose to do. I felt a bit restricted by the size of the paper vs the amount of time we had, because the paper was fast "filled" but I still had to draw on it while waiting for the transition, so I might have overworked some things, while other elements got lost. But that's not tragic, just a remark.
ReplyDeleteWhen the second section started, it got a bit more intense. My interaction with my dancer was very linear at first. I followed her to draw on her, she dances. But gradually I tried to make my movements relate a bit more to her movements, and create an interaction, or a dialogue. She also started to interact with my movements and did things like grabbing my marker which created a brief sharing of roles. Eventually I let her have my marker entirely, trying to grab it back more for the sake of moving with her than actually wanting it back. I started to do drawing motions with my arms instead, all the while trying to move a bit more dynamically.
This section lasted a bit long, but it gave us room also to develop this interaction.
When the third section started, I felt like i had to disconnect myself from my dialogue with my dancer and fold back into the role of the model as I settled into a drawing position. I pretended to draw my dancer with my arms on the floors because I did not want to stay static. My dancer reacted by imitating my movements and reinterpreting them. However they were somewhat limited since i was still in a sitting position. I wanted to make the connection, the dialogue again, so I started to react to her movements and instead of focusing on the floor, I moved to draw on her as she got closer. Eventually, we both moved in and out of each other's spaces and she was imitating my drawing motions on me, so it created an almost mirror effect where we were really almost doing the same thing. (Drawing on each other with the body as canvas, and the motions as prompt.)
In general, i found each section was just a tad long. The transitions could have been more relational/smooth. Maybe the dancers can play a part in the hanging of the pictures for example(maybe they can WEAR the pictures? somehow...)
Between the second and third sections, things blurred together somewhat. My partner created many openings to invite more interaction on my part (taking my marker)
It did get slightly crowded on the floor, but I feel it would have been better if somehow the space could have been used more effectively, like if the pairings could switch or interact with each other. I admit to be distracted by the crowds reactions and had to look around to see what they were reacting to (another pair's interactions). At that point, it could have been nice to be able to go in and improvise with them instead of around them. The action-reaction chain would have expanded to include more participants, since something interesting was happening between that pair. (but maybe it was best not to interrupt?)
I'm sure I'll eventually think of other things as they come up. That's all just for now~ ;)
I just wanted to know how many drawers you were needing for the next performance, and when that would be(approximately). I have a few people in mind I can contact (in advance this time, yay!) that might be interested. Linda will surely come if her schedule allows. :)
Cheers!
Performance:
ReplyDeleteAs an audience member I was very captivated by the video. I felt it was a great backdrop to your piece. In the future I would use this feature to emphasize the divisions in your performance. I felt that it was difficult at times to discern the different sections - clear transitions would be helpful. Or maybe you don't want it to be too obvious. If so I would suggest having less participants to give the audience a chance to build their own relationship with the performance. It's easier for an audience to disconnect from a piece if they can't soak in the details.
I like the idea of having a larger canvas, or even getting the dancers to interact with the paper somehow.
Blog:
VERY extensive. Great if someone needed any in depth information. Being very visual..my favourite sections are obviously the gallery and the videos. I think it would be more inviting if you put a slideshow or trailer on your Home page. I think it would invite even more newcomers! =)