you are here
the folks at earthdance just started a new program. it’s a monthly performance showing, called “you are here” (YAH). here’s their brief description:
YAH! is a performance forum to take place the first Thursday of every month from October 2007 to May 2008 at 7:30pm at Earthdance in Plainfield, Massachusetts.
YAH! is an opportunity for performers, directors and audience to situate themselves in the creation process and to co-create support for its continuation. By witnessing and sharing, our perceptions can’t help but be transformed.
Each evening includes 3 performances and an invitation to the audience for feedback in familiar and not-so-familiar ways . Beginning and seasoned performers and directors are welcomed! Performances may include a variety of media.
Suggested donation for YAH! is $4-10.
i like the idea. i’ve been drawn to the concept of having a low-intensity performance venue where folks can show something they’re still working on, or do a brief improvisation that takes some risks and is fresh, without requiring a lot of planning. in my mind, it’d be something to benefit folks who are really trying out new creative ideas–not just another place to show stale work. but i don’t know if dc is a town that can host that kind of art, that frequently.
what do others think?
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Often, (it seems to me) that it’s just important to have the courage to “show up” in the studio alone and see what happens.
Comment by Nancy Havlik — October 25, 2007 @ 4:26 am
I love the idea. I am wondering what the balance is between scheduled activities and living by improvisation. Nancy - how is that going?
I am feeling a push of activity in our city lately and wish I could participate more - like the late night performances at JOM Dupont. Any reviews by attendee’s by the way? The community is providing these great events and I want to take advantage, I also want myself to be free for whatever might come up - like the phone call and impromptu dinner I had this past week with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. Can we perform tonight somewhere? When and Where and Who?
Comment by Ilana — October 25, 2007 @ 9:05 am
As an audience member, I love the idea. I would love to see how choreographers’ processes play out.
As a dancer/choreographer, I feel conflicted by it. What Nancy says has a lot of truth– just facing the empty floor is an accomplishment enough and I’m not sure what place others would have in that process. I don’t know if I’d want people to see me dance until it is the way I want it. At the same time, such a venue would help break down some insecurities I have about sharing my work (which I’ve hardly shared at all with anyone), and I would love a safe venue for getting feedback from a broader audience.
Comment by Maria — October 25, 2007 @ 2:34 pm
yes, i hear y’all. just moving at all, dedicating time to it, is challenge enough. and showing something incomplete is always so hard. on the other hand, i think what interests me–and i think this is much of what grabs me about site specific improv–is the idea of somehow softening the dichotomy between rehearsal and performance. that isn’t to say that performance can’t sometimes be a magnificent, contrived illusion that takes a lot of work to pull off–but it can also be something simple that lets the audience members in, in a way that a finished work maybe rarely does. a low-pressure showing can be an opportunity to feel that zing and the strong sense of presence that comes from performing, but without having to have something be “perfect.” because i think the intensity that performing brings, whatever the venue, can teach us something and inform our work, so that it gets better from it.
does that make sense?
also, i think a showing that includes audience feedback could be one way of developing a more supportive environment among artists in dc.
Comment by Amanda Abrams — October 25, 2007 @ 7:41 pm
wow. I love this idea. I am constantly producing work these days… it seems to be pouring out of me. I keep taking small gigs to do just this… experiment; yes, I feel that the work needs to be “performance ready” no matter what the gig is - it would be lovely to have a middle space to try things out. Let’s make it happen!?
Also, the experience of rehearsing for the improv festival outside was delicious. The people walking thru helped us immensely in shaping the work and figuring out how to “be” in that space. Hmmmmm what if we picked a few locations weekly and whoever could show up, does and performs impromptu site specific work?
Comment by Kelly Mayfield — October 25, 2007 @ 9:25 pm
It really helps me to thing of each performance as just a step in a on going process. Performance, no matter what its form, helps me to see my work more clearly. There’s nothing like a audience to clarify what’s going on.
Comment by Nancy Havlik — October 26, 2007 @ 8:30 am
When I think of it as an open practice, it’s more palatable (though I think I would still get really flustered at times with people watching). But yes, let’s do it!!
Comment by Maria — October 26, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
wow, it’s cool that people are into it. i agree w/ nancy, performance in itself does somehow bring everything into focus, no matter how low-key.
ok, let me think about how this can happen…brainstorming from others also welcome!
Comment by Amanda Abrams — October 26, 2007 @ 7:33 pm
[…] i recently heard that the owners of the warehouse are willing to lend out their theatre (for free) for some kind of regularly occurring “open showings” event. i think that’s extremely cool; there was a period last year when i was thinking about organizing something like that (i wrote about it in an earlier blog post here), and i still think it coudl be a cool thing. […]
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