{"id":1164,"date":"2013-08-11T09:04:55","date_gmt":"2013-08-11T09:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/?p=1164"},"modified":"2013-08-11T13:49:08","modified_gmt":"2013-08-11T13:49:08","slug":"after-the-fact-3-group-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/after-the-fact-3-group-a\/","title":{"rendered":"After-the-Fact 3: Group A"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Riccardo Buscarini\u2019s \u2018boys\u2019 look kind of\u00a0like they\u2019re the\u00a0partial splitting of\u00a0an\u00a0atom. Wu, <nobr>Cheng-An<\/nobr> is a\u00a0<nobr>cat-like<\/nobr> escape artist who ducks away and\u00a0out from under any configuration of\u00a0bodies that try to\u00a0entrap him. His slides and\u00a0jumps, and\u00a0the\u00a0knotted cunning of\u00a0the\u00a0others, is highly engaging for\u00a0both eye and\u00a0mind. Buscarini is alert to\u00a0them and\u00a0their needs, creating between them a\u00a0cohesive unit despite his contradictory directions to\u00a0either connect or\u00a0find \u2018more space in\u00a0between.\u2019 At\u00a0one point he says, \u2018Yeah, guys, just put a\u00a0cage around him.\u2019 And\u00a0then it\u2019s \u2018Strong arms, strong shapes\u2019 or\u00a0\u2018Henry, less ass! Just lower your bum a\u00a0bit.\u2019 He\u2019s relying upon their physical ingenuity and, of\u00a0course, his own eye for\u00a0composition. The\u00a0moves are light and\u00a0clean but definite rather than soft. \u2018I\u00a0can\u2019t block him any more,\u2019 Petros declares <nobr>good-naturedly<\/nobr>. \u2018You\u2019re free!\u2019 At\u00a0which Wu, <nobr>Cheng-An<\/nobr> flaps <nobr>bird-like<\/nobr> arms.<\/p>\n<p>I\u00a0leave the\u00a0Founders Studio as\u00a0three of\u00a0the\u00a0men are going through their paces, \u2018marking\u2019 (as\u00a0dance parlance would have it) their moves and\u00a0momentarily sans any connection with each other at\u00a0all. I\u00a0go in\u00a0search of\u00a0more studio work but without luck: Guo Lei\u2019s group finished early and\u00a0Su, <nobr>Wei-Chia<\/nobr>\u2019s is nowhere to\u00a0be found.<\/p>\n<p>At\u00a0the\u00a0reception desk I\u00a0meet Zhao, Zhibo. She tells me that working with Dam Van Huynh is hard \u2018because he speaks so fast and\u00a0gives you a\u00a0lot to\u00a0do.\u2019\u00a0 On\u00a0the\u00a0other hand being in\u00a0the\u00a0studio with Guo Lei, a\u00a0former teacher of\u00a0hers at\u00a0Beijing Dance Academy, is pretty easy because she knows literally where he\u2019s coming from. His piece for\u00a0ArtsCross draws upon a\u00a0Chinese folk dance tradition. \u2018We already know the\u00a0step [he wants] before he says it,\u2019 avows Zhao, Zhibo. The\u00a0exception is Katie Cambridge whom Zhibo accurately \u2013 and\u00a0sympathetically \u2013 pegs as\u00a0a\u00a0fish out of\u00a0water. \u2018She doesn\u2019t know our language or\u00a0dance culture,\u2019 Zhibo says and, as\u00a0a\u00a0result, \u2018there\u2019s too much stress for\u00a0her.\u2019 This brief encounter veers away from ArtsCross as\u00a0I\u2019m asked for\u00a0advice about whether Zhibo ought to\u00a0opt for\u00a0heading Brighton or\u00a0Windsor tomorrow on\u00a0the\u00a0dancers\u2019 one day off. (I\u00a0recommend the\u00a0former as, of\u00a0the\u00a0pair of\u00a0destinations, it\u2019s the\u00a0one I\u00a0can actually have an\u00a0opinion about. I\u2019ll have to\u00a0ask which she chose when I\u00a0see her tonight \u2013 if I\u00a0remember to\u00a0do so \u2013 at\u00a0the\u00a0premiere.)<\/p>\n<p>Resting between rehearsals on\u00a0the\u00a0landing above reception is Azzurra Ardovini. She is, not surprisingly based on\u00a0my\u00a0observations, finding working with Ho, <nobr>Hsiao-Mei<\/nobr> a\u00a0challenge mainly because the\u00a0choreographer is \u2018sometimes not clear about what she wants.\u2019 It is, says Ardovini, difficult to\u00a0know what to\u00a0give her especially when asked to\u00a0come up with movement before a\u00a0motivation for\u00a0it is in\u00a0place. As\u00a0for\u00a0Zhao, Liang\u2019s elastic band world, she says, \u2018Sometimes it\u2019s got a\u00a0life of\u00a0its own, so it\u2019s quite complicated to\u00a0get it right and\u00a0smooth.\u2019 Ardovini calls him \u2018the\u00a0guru,\u2019 and\u00a0reveals that there are plans afoot for\u00a0one big piece of\u00a0elastic that his entire cast will use. All of\u00a0the\u00a0choreographers, she says, want to\u00a0have emotions in\u00a0their work, but \u2018their way to\u00a0get to\u00a0that can sometimes be different from what I\u00a0would do or\u00a0think.\u2019 As\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0translators she says, \u2018Without them we could\u2019ve never done it.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Finally I\u00a0meet on\u00a0the\u00a0stairs Katie Cambridge, who confirms that the\u00a0first few days of\u00a0working with Guo Lei were indeed hard for\u00a0her. \u2018He\u2019s very quiet and\u00a0didn\u2019t speak a\u00a0lot,\u2019 she says, \u2018and\u00a0because I\u2019m the\u00a0only English person in\u00a0his group whoever\u2019s translating holds a\u00a0lot of\u00a0power.\u2019 Like Ella Mesma and, I\u2019m sure, many of\u00a0the\u00a0other Western dancers, Cambridge has picked up not just words but has begun to\u00a0discern the\u00a0meanings behind them: \u2018It\u2019s interesting how much I\u00a0can now understand by\u00a0the\u00a0quality of\u00a0how he speaks.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Physically, too, she\u2019s \u2018moving into different places\u2019 in\u00a0ArtsCross. The\u00a0mask work Guo Lei requires his cast to\u00a0use allows for\u00a0no peripheral vision, while the\u00a0masks themselves have no strings; instead they\u2019re kept in\u00a0place internally by\u00a0biting down on\u00a0a\u00a0piece jutting out from inside the\u00a0mask itself. Cambridge is highly conscientious about her duties and\u00a0has no intention of\u00a0sticking out in\u00a0performance for\u00a0all the\u00a0wrong reasons. \u2018I\u00a0don\u2019t want to\u00a0look European,\u2019 she says, adding, \u2018It shouldn\u2019t look like it\u2019s being danced by\u00a0a\u00a0mixed company.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Needing to\u00a0improvise at\u00a0times within a\u00a0form that\u2018s completely new to\u00a0Cambridge has been interesting, too. \u2018It\u2019s quite invigorating not to\u00a0understand anything and\u00a0just be moving,\u2019 she says. Gradually she\u2019s been acquiring some ownership of\u00a0the\u00a0dance as\u00a0a\u00a0whole and\u00a0her part in\u00a0it. \u2018You want to\u00a0be involved, but as\u00a0an\u00a0English dancer you just have to\u00a0let it go and\u00a0switch off sometimes. Otherwise it\u2019s too exhausting.\u2019 As\u00a0a\u00a0member of\u00a0the\u00a0<nobr>London-based<\/nobr> company Tavaziva Dance she\u2019 no stranger to\u00a0working hard and\u00a0with <nobr>full-throttle<\/nobr> dynamics. ArtCross, however, is a\u00a0different animal altogether. As\u00a0she sums it up, \u2018It can feel like you\u2019re doing a\u00a0full day of\u00a0rehearsal in\u00a0just three hours.\u2019 \u00a0Shoving any tiredness aside, though, and\u00a0it seems a\u00a0safe bet that what\u2019s happening here for\u00a0her and\u00a0everyone who\u2019s a\u00a0part of\u00a0ArtsCross London is an\u00a0invaluable <nobr>multi-cultural<\/nobr> learning curve.<\/p>\n<p>END<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Riccardo Buscarini\u2019s \u2018boys\u2019 look kind of\u00a0like they\u2019re the\u00a0partial splitting of\u00a0an\u00a0atom. Wu, Cheng-An is a\u00a0cat-like escape artist who ducks away and\u00a0out from under any configuration of\u00a0bodies that try to\u00a0entrap him. His slides and\u00a0jumps, and\u00a0the\u00a0knotted cunning of\u00a0the\u00a0others, is highly engaging for\u00a0both eye&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general_posts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8mnDM-iM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":925,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/into-the-theatre\/","url_meta":{"origin":1164,"position":0},"title":"Into the theatre&#8230;","author":"Rebecca Loukes","date":"8 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Last night we watched the\u00a0first run through of\u00a0all the\u00a0pieces together in\u00a0the\u00a0theatre. \u00a0There were no lights yet, but sound was used. \u00a0It was incredibly exciting to\u00a0see the\u00a0work filling the\u00a0space of\u00a0the\u00a0theatre. \u00a0Over the\u00a0past days we've become used to\u00a0observing the\u00a0work 'up close' from the\u00a0edge of\u00a0the\u00a0studio\u00a0\u2014 even seeing the\u00a0reflections of\u00a0the\u00a0dancers in\u00a0the\u00a0mirrors on\u00a0the\u00a0wall in\u00a0tandem with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":617,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/laboring-to-learn-in-zengs-rehearsal\/","url_meta":{"origin":1164,"position":1},"title":"Laboring to learn in Zeng&#8217;s rehearsal","author":"Ted Warburton","date":"3 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"When I\u00a0walk into Zeng Huanxin's Friday rehearsal around 12:30pm, Zeng is working with Kenny\u00a0on\u00a0a\u00a0solo section. Kenny's intent focused physique, strained visage, and\u00a0sweat stained clothing attest to\u00a0the\u00a0fact that he and\u00a0Zeng have been working steadily for\u00a0quite some time before my\u00a0arrival, probably beginning around 11am. Add that to\u00a0the\u00a090 minutes that I\u00a0observe Zeng and\u00a0Kenny\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"IMG_2878","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/IMG_2878-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":702,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/dams-short-smelly-slapping-duet-or-digesting-disgusting-dancing-bodies\/","url_meta":{"origin":1164,"position":2},"title":"Dam&#8217;s smelly slapping duet, or Digesting dancing bodies","author":"Ted Warburton","date":"4 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u2026 they face one another. The\u00a0approach is a\u00a0greeting with elbow raised vertically, armpit exposed and\u00a0vulnerable. The\u00a0boy gestures a\u00a0gentle wave toward the\u00a0girl, wafting the\u00a0most personal of\u00a0odors in\u00a0her face. An\u00a0imagined cloud floats past her nose, eyes, ears, and\u00a0beyond her head. She stares unblinking. One-two-three steps. Stop. She returns the\u00a0favor and, as\u00a0she waves\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dam's duet","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/IMG_2953-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":479,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/07\/first-taste-belated\/","url_meta":{"origin":1164,"position":3},"title":"First Taste (belated)","author":"Donald Hutera","date":"31 July 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Knowing I\u00a0was about to\u00a0be a\u00a0fly on\u00a0the\u00a0wall again during the\u00a0making of\u00a0nine new dances as\u00a0a\u00a0culmination of\u00a0the\u00a0London-based edition of\u00a0the\u00a0international creative residency ArtsCross 2013, a\u00a0dear friend sent me a\u00a0youtube clip.\u00a0It\u2019s a\u00a0mock-Chinese ditty sung by\u00a0what looks like an\u00a0animated badger. I\u00a0don\u2019t find it offensive, just engagingly silly. What's peculiarly endearing about it is the\u00a0lack of\u00a0translation. Apparently\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":909,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/the-medium-of-choreography-is-people-part-3-the-end\/","url_meta":{"origin":1164,"position":4},"title":"The medium of choreography is people&#8230; Part 3 (the end)","author":"Sanjoy Roy","date":"7 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"[Continuing from Part 1 and\u00a0Part 2] Let\u2019s reset the\u00a0scene. Here in\u00a0the\u00a0studio are choreographer Vera Tussing and\u00a0her six dancers. Actually, that\u2019s not entirely true. Here in\u00a0the\u00a0studio are Vera Tussing, her six dancers, a\u00a0Chinese-English interpreter, me, an\u00a0amenable fellow called Mike Picknett, who turns out to\u00a0be both Tussing\u2019s \u201coutside eye\u201d guy and\u00a0her potential\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":558,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/at-the-crossroads\/","url_meta":{"origin":1164,"position":5},"title":"At the crossroads","author":"Ola Johansson","date":"4 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Ya-ping managed to\u00a0spark a\u00a0great discussion today by\u00a0ushering us through the\u00a0needle\u2019s eye of\u00a0language and\u00a0onto wider fields of\u00a0travel by\u00a0bodily, traditional and\u00a0interpretative movements. To\u00a0appreciate this journey I\u00a0can\u2019t help but associate the\u00a0notion of\u00a0language with a\u00a0couple of\u00a0remarks by\u00a0Ludwig Wittgenstein (at\u00a0the\u00a0risk of\u00a0cross-referencing my\u00a0own blog postings in\u00a0Beijing). Wittgenstein was a\u00a0philosopher of\u00a0language who basically thought, at\u00a0least in\u00a0his later\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mask dance","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Mask-dance-300x180.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1164"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1168,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1164\/revisions\/1168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}