Last night was the Spacetaker SPEAKeasy. It was wonderful to have the space to show Points and Coordinates in its early stages. We set up the room semi in-the-square. There were chairs on three sides, and the projector screen on the fourth wall. Quite a few people joined in live feedback through web, twitter and texting. Those responses, in a dialogue, were projected onto the screen as we danced. In a coming post I will address, entertain, and ponder these responses. Excited to do that! Thank you all who came out and give your thoughts through live feedback and the discussion afterward.

I framed the feedback in the model of Fieldwork, which is a weekly/semi-weekly artist work group that I facilitate in Houston. These types of responses come from an experiential place, rather than a directive place. The audience–actually, participants–did this effectively and flawlessly. Bravo and thank you for your thoughts and willingness to join us in this process. Please feel free to make comments that come up on this blog.

SPEAKeasy attendees: have you had any further thoughts about the piece last night or about live feedback in a dance context? Can we expand that dialogue we had last night here?

Photos by Ed Schipul

Today Alex, Kristen and I met at the CAM to walk through the space, discuss the score a bit more and work out some logistics. They both had so many great ideas and things to discuss, and Points and Coordinates is moving forward. Thanks to you, dancers, for sharing your thoughts, ideas, and selves with this process. There was a group rehearsing there as well, and it made me realize how much I love to work with my dancers, because they have so much to contribute. Come see them dancing tomorrow at the Spacetaker SpeakEASY. 6:30 pm at Winter Street Studios.

and I start getting a little too serious thinking about these points and coordinates, or the grant I’m writing, I watch this:

I’m working on questions, ideas, concepts that have intrigued me about this dance response scenario I am creating in this week’s SpeakEASY.  I thought I would be dividing the group into two sections, but the more I think about it, the more I feel that there needs to be a third group.  For a while, I was thinking the third group would be a post-dance response group that would also be following of the comments/discussion held by the real-time responders.  But I think that may just muddle the dialogue.  The third group I am going to have will be people who do not wish to engage in response/dialogue about the work.  Those who prefer to be observers and audiences without the expectation to participate.  I’ll admit, sometimes I do feel like being in that category as an audience member.  Ok. Honestly? …I usually have quite a few thoughts going on about work when I see it and have an unending desire to engage, but sometimes I do feel like being in that third group.  Respect.

The third group will, of course, be involved in the discussion about the concept of this type of dialogue if they wish, but won’t participate in the dialogue specific to the work we show.  (If they don’t want to).  This is all about audience responses shaping this piece as it is very, very early in its conception.  So it’s all welcome.  If that’s confusing, here’s a bit of a flow to the presentation:  after we show the work, we will have time for the post-dance responses and then we will journey into the discussion about how the responses differ from group to group, and how this effects artist/audiences/dancers/technology.  I know that’s vague…I can’t give away all my mojo!

Turn your cell phones on.  Or off.   Frame Dance Productions will show a new work in early stages of development at this week’s SpaceTaker.  The audience will be divided into two groups: real-time responders, and post-dance responders.  Those responding in real-time will use twitter, text and the web to respond to the work, and the those responding after the dance will have time for verbal discussion after the work has been danced.  It’s a workshop to evaluate how technology is helping and/or hindering honest, productive and instructive feedback and viewership.  Come online or off.

Winter Street Studios, Wednesday, Aug. 18. 6:30 pm.

We got a mention in the Culturemap article here.

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Here are some pictures of dancers Kristen Frankiewicz, Alex Soares and me as well as artist Donna Perkins and her friend Lucy.

And yes, those are graphite lines on my back.

I haven’t written about this yet, I’ve been wanting to, and this is the time. One of the facets of Frame that I am extremely committed to is collaborating with artists who are not dance-artists in some way for every project.  Past collaborators include Diana Weeks and Lorie Garcia.  I am always so renewed after talking with artists outside of the dance genre.  I crave their influence.  For Points and Coordinates, the artist collaborator is Donna Perkins. She says, “I steal lines and choreograph them into abstractions.” She came into our last rehearsal with canvases in hand and drew the lines she saw as we danced. She will follow us through our process, chronicling the progression of Points and Coordinates from the first rehearsal through the Contemporary Arts Museum premiere. I am so honored and delighted to work with her. Her work is complex, real, and freshly stunning. I am planning to showcase more of her work in posts to come.  In the meantime, check out her website.

Here are three of  her pieces that I have fallen in love with–although there are many:

This will probably make no sense to you, dear reader. It barely makes sense to me, and I wrote it. But for interest’s sake, here’s part 2 of the score in its next development for Points and Coordinates:

phrase 1. location: 4
occurrence 3 w/ phrase 2. location: 3. Dancer 3 initiates
occurrence 2 w/ phrase 2. location: 3. Dancer 2 initiates
gesture phrase clump. location: 2
occurrence 3 w/ phrase 1. location: 5. Dancer 3 initiates
lifts/weight shifts. location: 4
phrase 2. location: 6
body circle clumping. location: 2
occurrence 1 w/ phrase 2. location: 5. Dancer 1 initiates
occurrence 2 w/phrase 1. location: 2. Dancer 2 initiates
occurrence 1 w/ phrase 1. location: x. Dancer 1 initiates

Two things: 1. I need to load up on the fish for brain power, 2. I definitely know how to spell “occurrence.”

Here’s a post from when I was in planning phase. Now we’re in dancing phase. So here’s the info:

Dear Frame Dancers,

This in apology in advance for nightmare I will soon inflict upon you. Dexterous? You will be! Start those finger push-ups. And start memorizing these:

Don’t worry. I only need you to practice numbers 5 through 10. On each hand. In cannon, both hands moving at the same rate. In 6/8 time. Just a little head’s up! Negotiable? …maybe.

Yesterday I picked up the posters, postcards and bookmarks to advertise the Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance. They look amazing. They’ll be in public places in September and dance-friendly places (i.e. they won’t take them down before the show) now. If you have any ideas for where to post them, let me know.

Tomorrow we resume rehearsals for Points and Coordinates. It’s nice to go into this next rehearsal after seeing the space, the fantastically converted Contemporary Arts Museum. Today I will work to connect the score a bit, add dimension. “Occurrences” WITH coordinates, you might say… Check out this earlier post.

I also found some possible costumes today. Definitely not a definite, but a possibility. Fun.

Working on the post card. I have two designs, and am trying to decide between the two. If you want to be on the highly esteemed panel deciding which one to use, email me. I’d love your input! lydia.hance@framedance.org. Or tweet @framedance