Duet Performance Evaluation

After weeks of rehearsal building up to the performance, my partner Troy and I did our physical theatre assessment which went very well, giving us a score of 9 for our preparation, and an 8 for our performance. We were both content with this grade, as we felt like it truly reflected the amount of effort we had put into the performance.

I felt like one of our strongest points was our story and characters throughout, as we created a narrative that correlated to the feel of the performance. As already mentioned in the rehearsal notes, our storyline was that Troy was a predator and I was the prey, which he ends up with catching me at the end and killing me. This idea came from our physicality; he is naturally extremely strong and I am much weaker than him, so we decided to enhance this and have him pulling me around and limiting my movements. To go with this story, we had lots of counter-balance lifts with me continually trying to get away from him and in particular, created an emotional part where he is standing over me holding onto my hips only, and I am running, trying to get out of his grasp but I am not making any ground. We had positive feedback from our peers in terms of the story, as they felt it was very moving and difficult to watch, which was the effect that we wanted to create.

Another thing that worked well during the performance was the ergonomic flow of the routine. Although we had rehearsed a lot, we never choreographed a part of the routine, just did lots of improvising sessions and then took the best parts from the improvisation. Even in the final performance we did some movements that we had not done previously, as we opened up our bodies to do the talking, rather than thinking about what move should come next, as we thought this would look quite mechanical. We had come up with a beginning and end for the piece and certain clusters of moves that we could do if our bodies appeared in the positions, and this seemed to work very well for us. Troy and I have a good chemistry, and have spent a lot of time working with each other so seem to be able to communicate without using words when we are devising physical theatre. This may not work for every assessment, and I will have to be conscious of who I am working with and the style that works best for us, but in this instance, we felt this was the best way to achieve the best material, and it seemed to pay off.

However, there was a downside to improvising most of the routine, as we began very quickly with a fast pace to our movements which we never found time to slow down. Instead of there being light and shade to the movements, I felt that they were all very fast paced whereas it might have been better to find a time of slow and controlled movements. There was space in the relationship of our characters to find a time of stillness and pause, but we seemed to ignore this when we were caught up in the moment of performing. I think we also could have made more eye contact with one another, as in the performance, upon reflection I realise I was looking down for most of the routine, but it would have been nice to look directly into each others' eyes and find the battle there as well as with the rest of our bodies.

In terms of improvements that should be made, I think we should have come up with a song much earlier and stuck to it, as we felt restrained by the fact we were not allowed to have a song with words due to it being too directing. This led us to spending along time changing the music that was accompanying our piece. I feel like if we had stuck with a song from the beginning of the rehearsal period, we would have formed a piece which was more coherent with the music. 

Overall, it was a very successful first performance that rounded of an enjoyable first term of physical theatre. There were many more positives than negatives and I hope to continue to put as much effort into the next term as I have in this one.

Duet Rehearsal Notes

I have been partnered with Troy for the physical theatre duet, and have been rehearsing for about three weeks. I feel very comfortable with him, and we have a strong bond together. It helps as well that he is very strong, and he can lift me with ease, so this was a good starting point for formulating the piece.

We began by trying out a set out a set of lifts that we felt were good and worked out how to get into and out of them. When organically improvising, we then found points where it was natural to put the lifts in, if we found ourselves in the position of the preparation for the lift. This technique seemed to work until we found ourselves doing similar things every time we rehearsed; the formulation of our performance. It isn't set in stone; minor things change every time but we are confident in improvising together.

We thought that the rehearsals had become a bit bland, so after the lesson on physical objectives, we decided to put those in and create a story with characters that we could get into. The story is an emotional scene where he is the predator, and my character is the prey; he approaches me, so he makes all the invitations and at first I am strong enough to get away. He, however, is relentless, always pulling me back to him, and gradually I get weaker to the point where I am limp and he is still toying with me; he has won the battle. We then broke the scene into 4 sections to show a progression between them;

1. He makes a move on me but I fight him back

2. His movements get stronger, I am still strong but my movements don't take me as far

3. I am beginning to give in, I can't keep trying to escape, can't up with his pace

4. He wins the battle; I am dead, he has what he thinks he wants.

We do not have any music as of yet, as all of our songs that we like have words to them, but we are still looking for instrumental music that mirrors our fight in the pace, beat and tone of it.

Research the theatre company DV8

DV8 is a famous physical theatre company that was established in 1986 by Lloyd Newson, the company director to this day. In total, it has produced 18 physical theatre performances that borderline expressive dance, which they have toured internationally with and have produced four films for television that have won awards.

From watching videos and doing research of DV8’s pieces, it is clear they aim to get the audience to feel a particular emotion, as opposed to just sitting there and enjoying the scene in front of them. The performances seem to try and cover topics which are normally taboo and to do with the way people view society, and do so in a way that is unique to DV8, by fusing speech with physical movements, often sharing interactions between the performers on the stage. This is particularly prominent in ‘Can We Talk About This’, a recent piece from 2011 – 2012 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NlOPzP4UM8) The piece focused on freedom of speech and the religion of Islam, and was a method of speaking out at a time when attitudes towards Islam were changing from the increase in terrorism and extremists. Having seen video clips of their performance, I think that it was a very brave choice to choose to document this particular issue, but one which was on the whole beneficial, as it would have challenged the audience’s viewpoint about a great issue in society. I believe that choosing to document this in a semi-realistic way; using real verbatim speech from interviews, and fusing it with physical theatre choreography would have divided people, but in my opinion it really worked and was a clever artistic choice.

Their rehearsal period is long and strenuous, hence why they normally only produce a performance every couple of years. It shows, as DV8 always produce refined and finely tuned performances. I think it may be difficult for the actors and actresses to cope with such a long rehearsal period, as  the work may lose the freshness that it had in the beginning, but on the other side to that, I think a performance that covers such topical issues cannot be approached without a great deal of understanding and insight into the performance happening first.

DV8 say themselves on their website that their work is “about taking risks, aesthetically and physically, about breaking down the barriers between dance and theatre and, above all, communicating ideas and feelings clearly and unpretentiously.” I think this is an interesting way to describe their work, as I agree that the work takes risks and redefines the line between dance and theatre, yet I somewhat disagree with their pitch of “communicating ideas and feelings clearly and unpretentiously”. I think that the medium of dance is not always clear in terms of portraying ideas clearly, and the sheer topics of the work they create automatically puts them at a point for discussion; some people will enjoy the performance, some people will not. The sensitive nature of the topics they decide to act about requires a degree of understanding and perceptiveness to the views of the audience and at the end of the performances there will be lots of different opinions about what the audience has just watched, which I think is a positive thing, yet some people may view as a negative. I would suggest that it is a negative, but DV8 approach all the topic matters with such commitment, it is obvious that they want to get the performance exactly right, not half committing to anything. It is clear that DV8 performances challenge both the audience and the performer, which I think is refreshing, as there always needs to be a company pushing the boundaries of theatre in order for it to progress, which DV8 does in several different ways.

For a final thought, every member of a DV8 audience will not come out having enjoyed or felt comfortable throughout the performance, but I do not think that they have had to in order for it to be a successful piece of theatre.

Source for factual information: http://dv8.co.uk

Explain why some physical theatre practitioners work with physical objectives

One of the main reasons why some physical theatre practitioners work with physical objectives is because they give purpose to the piece. Sometimes, when doing physical theatre work, the theatre side of the performance is lost because there is no reason for doing it, no direction behind it, and little emotion put into the movements, leaving is as simplistic dance choreography. When using physical objectives however, there is a reason for every move; for example, "to destroy", "to grab", "to hide", "to protect" etc, the piece suddenly becomes much more believable and interesting instead of just having meaningless movements.

 Physical objectives mean there is always something driving the performance, always something to work towards; just like doing any other piece of acting/theatre work. It is also more interesting for the audience who are watching the performance, as they may be able to see a change in the movements or a specific feeling being created; possibly getting more aggressive, or becoming more passive.

Annotate and describe the process of performing a lift

The process of performing a lift successfully requires a lot of trust between two people, and there are various degrees of difficulty of lifts that can be tried as the trust gets stronger between the practitioners. However, lifts involve a co-dependent relationship, so each person must feel confident enough to try the lifts, not just the person being lifted or the person lifting the other. 

One of the most basic lifts which is good to try when starting out in the partnership is called the pencil lift. 

1. Label yourselves A and B, with the taller and stronger person being B.

2. Stand directly opposite each other so you are looking at each other, be no more than a foot away from each other.

3. On the count of three, both bend your knees so you bob down together at the same time.

4. Person A jump directly up in the air with straight legs.

5. When Person A is up in the air, Person B clasp your hands around the back of Person A's thighs so they stop in mid-air and you have A's weight. 

From this position, B could walk around still holding A to act as a transition into another move, or A could go over one of B's shoulders. When performing this lift, it is important to breathe at the same time and communicate with one another so that both people bend their knees at the same time. If this does not happen, the lift will not be timed right and it will be very difficult to achieve the lift safely. It is important to have the trust in one another so that both people are okay with the lift at all times, and Person A can be put down safely without injuring themselves or B. Timing is crucial in this lift, and should be observed very closely to ensure the lift goes properly.

Another simplistic lift for beginners starting out doing lifts is the very common 'cradle lift'. 

1. Label yourselves A and B with the taller and stronger person being B.

2. Stand next to each other, as if in a line, with shoulders touching.

3. Person B twists round and places one arm around A's lower back.

4. B then threads the other arm through and places it on A's thigh, near to the backs of their knees.

5. Tipping person A back slowly, so B's arms become level, B takes all of the weight of A and holds them whilst standing upright.

6. Person A wraps both of their arms round Person B's back and interlocks their fingers in case Person B drops them.

In this lift, it is important to go slowly, so that A's weight is transferred gradually rather than all at once (similar to the 'place, press, push' exercise), which may hurt B's neck or back. Again, communication is key and should only be done if each person feels confident enough to do it. If a high level of confidence is achieved, a natural progression may be for A to try jumping into B's arms, if both partners are strong enough.

In the video below of two physical theatre students, they perform several different lifts, and demonstrate good technique for illustrating how important timing is to get a successful lift. Some of their lifts are more advanced, and are lifts that can be tried later on, when the basic lifts are complete.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CltJkZcrFiM

If done correctly, lifts can be very impressive and are often simple to do once the lifting techniques are perfected, such as timing, communication and breathing. The two exercises listed are very simplistic, but other, more daring lifts can be attempted at a higher confidence level. My physical theatre partner is Troy, and he is extremely strong and very capable of being able to hold my weight, and I trust him not to drop me. We have a very strong bond, so although we started off with the two lifts mentioned, we soon progressed to other lifts involving hand stands and jumps. Doing more complicated lifts requires the lifting techniques to be perfected, otherwise a lot can go wrong, so we continually talk about transferring our weight, breathing and timing when doing the preparation for the lifts, the transitions out of the lifts and the lifts themselves.

What sensibilities do you need to develop to be successful at the Partnering exercise?

One of the sensibilities that you need to develop in order to be successful at the Partnering exercise is staying focused. To be a good partner means not getting distracted half way through the exercise, as that is when accidents happen. If each person has the same level of dedication and the same focus on the task in hand, the partnering exercise will become much easier.

Another sensibility you need to develop is trust. Trust is one of the most important things that needs to exist between two people doing the partnering exercise, as each person in the partnership needs to be confident that each other can take each other's weight and that they will not hurt each other. If trust does not exist, the partnering exercise will not work at all, as each partner will not place any weight in the other person and will be working in a reserved way, rather than being free and confident.

Explain the need to develop your lifting techniques

One of the reasons why I want to develop my lifting techniques is so that I can become a better physical theatre practitioner. The ability to lift and to be lifted is a major part of working in a partnership to produce a physical theatre piece and is something that can be very empowering and look very good if done correctly. I feel that if I develop my lifting techniques, I will be able to do more things when put in a partnership and will be able to create a more exciting piece, as lifts are often very interesting to watch. Lifts create levels, so I think the need to develop lifting techniques would improve my piece visually by enabling me to explore my strengths and create another dimension of positions in the air.

I also have the need to improve my lifting techniques because it will make me physically stronger. Both being lifted and lifting someone else requires a degree of physical strength, particularly in the stomach, as that is where the core is. If I improve the technique of which I am lifted, I will get stronger holding my own body weight over time.

As I am quite small in stature, I am usually the person that is lifted but I would love to be able to lift other people and bear their weight with ease. By improving the techniques that I lift someone with, it would mean a lot to me as a performer, as I would not be dependent on other people to take my weight; I should be able to take theirs too. I do not think this would require much more strength in my body, as if I have a solid technique to lift them with, I will not struggle to hold them in different ways.

Another reason why I have the need to develop my lifting techniques is so that neither I, nor another person get hurt when doing physical theatre work. In the past I have noticed that is easy to pull a muscle or feel strained from taking someone else's weight, as the body naturally tenses up if it is not used to taking a large amount of weight. If I improved my lifting techniques, it would decrease the chance of hurting me or my partner, something I think is important when trusting each other and working in a successful partnership.

How is devising through organic improvisation different to mentally planning and mention the benefits of organic improvisation

Organic improvisation is where practitioners spontaneously react on instincts to come up with a piece of physical theatre. It has not been pre-planned and exists in whatever way the practitioners make it.

It is different to mentally planning, as with organic improvisation the movement is more free and flows from one section to another. With mental planning, certain things may not work as imagined, and this may significantly restrict the movement and flow of the piece, as the practitioners would be conscious to stick to the plan. The movement arising from mental plans may look quite rigid, and there is a chance the practitioners will become lost if something goes wrong, again breaking the flow of the piece.

Organic improvisation is also better because the piece is not likely to be the same every time, so there will be golden moments in each improvisation that work, and things that don't work, but each one is crucial for learning. There is a chance that most of a practice session from organic improvisation will not be used in the final piece, but it strengthens the bond between the two performers so they have a clear idea about what works and what doesn't.

When practitioners perform organic improvisation, they are more likely to listen to each other's bodies and have a more intimate experience, as mental plans are often one person's opinions of what they think will look good as opposed to shared impulse work where both practitioners are equal. If, when working in a partnership of two people, each one has a different mental plan, this may cause lots of issues in the performance whereas organic improvisation has each person on the same level, so they have no choice but to act instinctively which is often where the best work comes from.

Annotate and describe the process of the 'Surfing Banana Rolls' exercise and explain what it is beneficial for

Below is a video of Troy, my physical theatre partner, performing the 'banana rolls exercise'. The exercise begins by the performer laying flat on their back with their arms out above their head; supine position. From there, the arms, shoulders, head and legs are lifted just off the ground, so the body is curved to the shape of a banana and only the back touches the ground. From there, the performer should roll onto their side without their arms or legs touching the floor. Once they are on their side, they should keep on rolling in the same direction until they are laying on their front, but still with their arms and legs in  the air; this time, only their stomach and torso should be on the floor. Although this process may be segmented to begin with due to a lack of core strength, with more practices it will become a fluid rolling movement. This process continues in the same direction and can be done back the other way. 

This exercise is beneficial as a warm up exercise to get the body working and the stomach muscles engaged. The exercise involves clenching the stomach muscles tightly to get the body to move, and  I found that to start with, it made my stomach ache but from doing them every day, I can now do them with more ease.

The 'surfing banana rolls' are an extension of the banana rolls demonstrated above. These rolls involve two people, labelled A and B. A lays on the floor in supine position as shown above, on their backs. Person B then lays across them face down to the floor, so their middles are touching and they are in a '+' shape. Person A then begins to roll still with their legs and arms stretched, causing person B to glide over them, a 'surfing' motion. Once Person B has come off the end of Person A, Person B assumes the supine position and begins rolling, whilst Person A lays on top of them and does the surfing motion. It takes a long time, and a lot of trust in one another but eventually the exercise becomes a fluid movement where the transition between each person surfing is smooth.

The 'surfing banana rolls' are good for building up trust in a partnership and for getting an understanding of weight; being comfortable with how much the other person weighs, and knowing you can put all your weight on them without hurting them. Like the banana rolls, it is also good for warming up at the start of a physical theatre session and for engaging the stomach muscles. I found the surfing banana rolls much harder than the banana rolls, because I was with another person and didn't want to hurt them by putting all my weight in them. However, after getting them wrong a few times, I got the hang of how to glide across them and how to keep rigid when rolling so that they can glide across me.