Important rehearsal and discovers with Alice:

Roberto took over the general direction of "Alice baila"; my role is to continue with the development and polishing of the choreography as well taking care for the spacial composition of the play. On this last rehearsal, the group worked on characterization of their personages based on and using the choreography and individual movement material developed in my workshop.
I haven't seem them on such a high level before and I was wondering what's the matter. Is it because Roberto yells and demands more on them than me? Or is it because they came back to the text of the play, means, something they know very well, can rely on and feel confident about... so feel more free to explore. We discussed it and everybody agreed that it is thanks to the dance workshop they achieved new level of plasticity and more physical awareness. The doubts or lack of confidence in our previous “dance” rehearsals was caused by the insecurity of using abstract, new language of contemporary dance. Now, after the public show of work-in-progress, which went good and brought us to next level, they open up and with trust, as well with clearer vision or feeling about dance-theater gender, they are eager to engage deeper.
One more observation: yesterday by chance, we had no music/no cd to practice with. I notice, not for the first time, that the music or its lack, plays intense role in the rehearsals. As part of the exploration, I tend to practice or improvise without music, because I see then the body becomes more vulnerable, more “naked”. There is no music-element to hide behind or to lean on, it is purely the body and its connection with the space as main impulse to move.
However, then it comes the moment music is complementary and inspiring, of course!

Yesterday without the music they reached this interesting level of pure physicality to deal with...

I think , that the serious talk that Roberto had with them last Tuesday, also helped to find this new engagement. This group of aprendices is forming 3rd generation of actors of Deciertopicante. The process of creation of “Alice" is a natural filter for those, who really want to dedicate themselves to theater within perspective of becoming professionals in the future perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

Patio and the Plant

A short impression about another passing day... Patio of Teatro Orfeon.
Staring: The Plant and Margarita

Interview in Radio Tacna

I am updating radio interviews, where we talked about our projects. The first is by Jose Giglio in Radio Tacna, just after my arrival to Tacna, in begging of April. Spanish speaking!
(A link to other page will be open, so click play on the little gray bar)




Summary:

I talk about the reason and way how do I get to Tacna and about the grant from Instytut Adama Mickiewicza for my artistic research here. Roberto and I present the plan for my placement here- workshops and the production, which be premiered half August. The first subject to discuss is the need to change stereotypes, about the presence of man in dance. The parents here and in South America, while mentioning ballet for a boy react- no! my son has to be A MAN. I share, that this thought is still present as well in my culture in Poland, unlike Netherlands, where to be a male-dancer is an advantage to find good work. Further, Jose asks about the costumes used in contemporary dance and if it is possible to incorporate typical clothing from this zone for a performance. We talk about the message of a contemporary dance performance and that it is not necessary to look for narration or a story, yet the emotional states are the ones to communicate. We wonder if improvisation is a new concept or new practice and how art can play role in the sustainable development. Jose tells the story of Teatro Orfeon, which used to play important role in the years of Chilean occupation of Tacna (49 years). The theater kept reach culture activity as form of resistance to the foreign regime. In the end they discuss the current national budget for 2008 and the unfortunate situation that even 1% of it is not directed to culture.

All adventures...

"All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary." — Sally Ride

"No artist is ahead of his time. He is his time; it is just that others are behind the times." — Martha Graham

From Alicja&Andrzej.
Dziękuję!

Newsletter May 2008

Newsletter May 2008

Project “Takora”, Tacna, South Perú.

The second month of my placement in Tacna, South Peru, is almost over. It consists in artistic collaboration with Theater Group Deciertopicante (DCP) and, among others, it has as objective the strengthening of the role and importance of arts and culture in development, involving creative methods.

DCP is based in Teatro Orfeon. This small theater is dated 1850, it's really old and full of “fantasmas”. It needs an urgent renovation, but there are no founds for it. Probably, by the next stronger earthquake it might collapse. Also, I was asked to not push the walls while rehearsing as it might bring the same effect... Still, the atmosphere inside remains inspiring.


Our project is called “Takora” - as one of the volcano's in the horizon - and it is focused on performances in non-conventional spaces. I give training of contemporary dance, composition and improvisation. "Takora" embraces several activities: basic and advanced workshop for members of Deciertopicante, dance improvisation performances every month, 2 productions, basic workshop of video as well personal research inlands.
We have rehearsals every day in the evenings. During the daytime, the members of DCP are busy with their other jobs, academies or internships (mainly as teachers of fine arts in schools). The theater education does not exist. All actors are passioned autodidacts.


The first difficulty in this process considered the introduction of contemporary dance as artistic language. It was necessary to built a mutual trust and respect for our work. The challenge was, and still remains, how to make "dance" actors, who have never had any dance training nor have seen any performance of contemporary dance? Fortunately, with the director of DCP, Roberto Palza, they used strong physical training in their daily rehearsals before my arrival.

I also stressed goals where do I want to take them in this 6 months and what do I want to leave behind after my departure back to Europe. This transfer of experience and knowledge runs not only on the level of introducing new artistic language but also on the level of personal development, where limitations transform into opportunities.

In Tacna, I observe a lack of artistic proposition for other audiences, but children. This is due to the fact, that this target group- parents- are eager to pay for the performances or workshops for children and this facilitates to cover the rent of the theater space.
Yet a demand from other social groups does not exist because no curiosity or need is provoked. DCP and its artistic leader, Roberto Palza, would like to benefit from our collaboration to generate artistic innovation in the city of Tacna and strengthen the DCP's role of culture catalyst in the city.
The first occasion to make it in practice, was my solo improvisation evening called "Mudanzas" what means move; change. Before the event, we have been interviewed in 2 radios and benefit this time “on air” to talk about important topics: the need for ART as karma for the soul enriching individual's development and the "death" of Teatro Municipal (City Theater), which remains closed and what could be done about it.

On the evening of my solo performance the audience was really large- around 70 people came and were arriving till an hour later, when we already had a post-talk. I heard, that such a high attendance was due to the free entrance. Probably if they would have to buy a ticket even for 1 Sol, there would have come half of the public.
Before the performance, I felt too much pressure on my shoulders. The responsibility to represent "all" contemporary dance of Europe, as it was announced in the radio, was too much. Latinos like to exaggerate, but still, Tacna has never seen a contemporary dance performance before. After the show, the public was eagerly sharing their impressions. The most touching comment, I heard from one of my students, who got very emotional by seeing something for the first time in his life, something what he always wanted to see but didn't have access to. I felt strongly, how worth it was to come here.

"Fronteras" & "Alice baila"

Now the speed of events and creative work has accelerated. Coming 31st May and 1st June, Deciertopicante will present the first work-in-progress "Fronteras". It will be an improvised performance with use of individual material, that have been developed in the rehearsals and non-conventional use of space.

The second day, with the group of DCP' apprentices, we will show a short choreography based on the story of “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll. "Alice Dance" has been created with the assistance of Amiel Villegas Caceres, member of DCP, and it forms complementary part of theatre play directed by Roberto Palza, that will be premiered in end of June.

This meeting with the audience is important for both sides- for the actors, in order to cross step-by-step borders in performing arts, and for the audience, to develop inside need&curiosity for art and culture within the aim to generate a demand for more in future.

It will be a Fire Trial for our 2 months work. I can sense uncertainty among the actors and fear of the unknown.

White Rabbit

White Rabbit- Jefferson Airplane



One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Recall Alice
When she was just small

When men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving slow
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know

When logic and proportion
Have fallen softly dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said;
"FEED YOUR HEAD
_______________
FEED your head"