Last Chance

Last night Jonathan and I had our final rehearsal for "unmapped". It wasn't a very long, nor late rehearsal, but it felt good to push alittle bit more before we head into technical rehearsal and the show.

We began by revisiting some of the duet improvisational structures to remind us of keeping that connection, of deepening that communication and continually expanding our possibilities together. The first exercise that we did was a simple finger-to-finger following game - both people touch index fingers (ala "E.T"), close their eyes, and then follow what the other person is doing. Now, I know it sounds like nothing would happen if both people follow and no one leads, but, actually, alot happens when you can be sensitive enough to your partner's movement. It is almost impossible to be still - certainly impossible to be still for more than a couple of seconds. As soon as one person shifts their weight alittle bit, or lets their arm relax slightly, or takes a breath, there is movement and something to follow. And then the following becomes the leading and you're off. It is an exercise we've done a number of times because it really helps you focus and center. The next exercise we did I recently learned from Carol Swann in California - it consist of one person making contact with their partner in a very specific way - squeezing, or lots of fast little taps all over the body, or long brushing movements - then the person who was just touched moves in reaction to the touch. This tactile input is a great way to get out of habitual ways of moving - to shift the quality of your movement. The final exercise we did had one person moving and the other person pushing into their partner with different amounts of force. When the moving person felt the force they had options to push back, resist or to yield to the push. Again, another way of getting out of habitual ways of moving because you are getting this constant tactile input that changes what you're doing. It is also another way to connect between dancers - it is almost like an experiment, 'if I push this hard, how will he respond?'

I think taking some time with these small exercises was really good for us, I think it set us up for a really wonderful run of the piece. During the run it felt like both Jonathan and I really made some clear, direct choices that seemed to flow directly from what we were doing. At one point we were on opposites side of the stage, just after we had been passing the guitar back and forth between us, and as I turned to face Jonathan he was bending over playing the guitar - at that moment it just seemed clear that he was going to have a solo so I went back to the stool and sat down and watched him play for alittle while. Later in the piece Jonathan really saved me as I went into my solo - I was playing the guitar as it was lying on the stool and I just made some not-so-great choices with the sound, but he was at the control box and was able to manipulate what I was playing into this really lovely loop that felt very supportive as I went into my dancing solo - thank goodness he was there or I would have been stuck with some junk to dance with! The run ended with Jonathan dancing and I playing the guitar - I think the warm up exercises really helped because he seemed to be dancing very fully and intentionally. And, afterwards he said that what I played was really good as well - that was nice to hear. : )

Tomorrow morning we go into the technical rehearsal, then I come home and take a nap and then head back the theater and start this crazy thing. If you're around it would be great to see you there, if you're not, wish us luck...