Studio and\u00a0stage\u2026.space and\u00a0place<\/p>\n
Watching Su Weichia’s rehearsal I\u00a0am drawn to\u00a0the\u00a0clarity of\u00a0the\u00a0use of\u00a0space and\u00a0realise again how he is looking at\u00a0the\u00a0studio but seeing the\u00a0stage. The\u00a0studio is a\u00a0metaphor for\u00a0the\u00a0stage but the\u00a0stage space itself is a\u00a0convention for\u00a0a\u00a0magical, malleable, open space that could be anywhere or\u00a0nowhere with the\u00a0help of\u00a0our imaginations and\u00a0the\u00a0agreement of\u00a0everyone present to\u00a0suspend disbelief.<\/p>\n
Later watching Vera Tussing work I\u00a0was led to\u00a0consider how the\u00a0choreographers see the\u00a0space, not just the\u00a0studio that becomes the\u00a0stage space, but what is the\u00a0space that they imagine as\u00a0the\u00a0ground on\u00a0which their dance takes place?<\/p>\n
I\u00a0imagine Su Weichia\u2019s dancers have begun their journey far beyond the\u00a0space that I\u00a0see and\u00a0they continue far beyond it. I\u00a0am only seeing one small part of\u00a0the\u00a0whole, I\u00a0am looking at\u00a0an\u00a0opening that is only part of\u00a0a\u00a0vast landscape, the\u00a0dancers pass through that opening, through my\u00a0field of\u00a0vision but they began long before I\u00a0glimpsed them and\u00a0they continue long after they have passed beyond the\u00a0limits of\u00a0sight.<\/p>\n
Vera Tussing is working on\u00a0an\u00a0exercise involving improvisation inviting two dancers into a\u00a0competitive space that she suggests might be a\u00a0basketball court and\u00a0they respond immediately, the\u00a0gaze locked and\u00a0the\u00a0feinting, jockeying, chasing and\u00a0running\u00a0\u2014 intense and\u00a0playful all at\u00a0the\u00a0same time. I\u00a0see a\u00a0boxing ring and\u00a0then I\u00a0realised the\u00a0barre at\u00a0the\u00a0back of\u00a0the\u00a0studio is has become the\u00a0ropes \u2013 the\u00a0space is contained and\u00a0framed and\u00a0within these constraints. I\u00a0wonder if her stage for\u00a0this section will acknowledge and\u00a0reference the\u00a0rectangular dance floor linoleum which is bounded by\u00a0the\u00a0back wall, the\u00a0side lights and\u00a0the\u00a0front edge \u2013 becoming both the\u00a0actual and\u00a0the\u00a0metaphorical arena.<\/p>\n
Suddenly the\u00a0door at\u00a0the\u00a0back of\u00a0the\u00a0studio opens and\u00a0dancer almost enters, stopping still as\u00a0she feels the\u00a0intensity of\u00a0the\u00a0rehearsal \u2013 but she has broken the\u00a0arena and\u00a0seems to\u00a0me, (and\u00a0to\u00a0her?), \u00a0to\u00a0be in\u00a0the\u00a0performance\u00a0\u2014 most significant for\u00a0me, the\u00a0metaphorical space of\u00a0a\u00a0studio is also broken, we are in\u00a0this particular place, this<\/em> studio with that<\/em> door, the\u00a0ropes become the\u00a0barre again and\u00a0it is that particular<\/em> barre, in\u00a0this particular<\/em> place.<\/p>\n I\u00a0am reminded of\u00a0Doreen Massey, the\u00a0human geographer, who has contributed to\u00a0notions of\u00a0space and\u00a0place as\u00a0distinct ideas. I\u00a0wonder how this figures in\u00a0the\u00a0realm of\u00a0performance when disbelief is suspended and\u00a0we are sensitised to\u00a0possible reconfigurations or\u00a0interplays between the\u00a0two. And\u00a0when our working space, the\u00a0studio, is a\u00a0simalcrum for\u00a0a\u00a0performing space which is itself open to\u00a0transformation and\u00a0might represent implicit or\u00a0explicit places. Of\u00a0course Massey notes that \u2018place\u2019 is not fixed, but is open to\u00a0reconfiguration and\u00a0reinterpretation, so perhaps what I\u00a0am noticing is also a\u00a0metaphor for\u00a0the\u00a0wider world, as\u00a0another writer once noted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Studio and\u00a0stage\u2026.space and\u00a0place Watching Su Weichia’s rehearsal I\u00a0am drawn to\u00a0the\u00a0clarity of\u00a0the\u00a0use of\u00a0space and\u00a0realise again how he is looking at\u00a0the\u00a0studio but seeing the\u00a0stage. The\u00a0studio is a\u00a0metaphor for\u00a0the\u00a0stage but the\u00a0stage space itself is a\u00a0convention for\u00a0a\u00a0magical, malleable, open space that could be anywhere… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"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-743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general_posts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8mnDM-bZ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":925,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/into-the-theatre\/","url_meta":{"origin":743,"position":0},"title":"Into the theatre…","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 "General posts"","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":769,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/%e8%b7%a8%e8%89%ba%c2%b7%e8%a7%82%e5%af%9f%ef%bc%88%e4%b8%89%ef%bc%89\/","url_meta":{"origin":743,"position":1},"title":"\u8de8\u827a\u00b7\u89c2\u5bdf\uff08\u4e09\uff09","author":"TONG Yan","date":"5 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"1\u3001\u8fd9\u4e00\u523b\uff08very moment\uff09 \u821e\u8e48\u662f\u65f6\u95f4\u7684\u827a\u672f\uff0c\u8fd9\u4e00\u523b\u7684\u77ac\u65f6\u53d1\u751f\u4e0e\u53d1\u5c55\u8ba9\u821e\u8e48\u6210\u4e3a\u201c\u6d3b\u751f\u751f\u7684\u827a\u672f\u201d\uff08living art\uff09\uff0c\u662f\u65e0\u6cd5\u4f5c\u5047\u4e0e\u518d\u73b0\u7684\u827a\u672f\u3002\u5728\u53f0\u5317\u7f16\u5bfc\u82cf\u5a01\u5609\u7684\u6392\u7ec3\u4e2d\uff0c\u6b63\u5982Chris\u5728\u535a\u5ba2\u4e2d\u6240\u5199\u7684\u201cStudio and\u00a0stage\u2026space and\u00a0place\u201d\uff0c\u5728\u6211\u770b\u6765\uff0c\u5c31\u662f\u5728again and\u00a0again\u4e2d\uff0c\u8fd9\u4e00\u523b\u663e\u5f97\u90a3\u4e48\u53ef\u7231\u2014\u2014\u56e0\u4e3a\u5b83\u7684\u771f\u5b9e\uff1a\u65f6\u95f4\u5728\u53d8\uff0c\u6c14\u606f\u5728\u53d8\uff0c\u8fd0\u52a8\u5728\u53d8\uff0c\u8fd9\u6216\u8bb8\u5c31\u662f\u821e\u8e48\u7684\u9b45\u529b\u3002\u6240\u4ee5\uff0c\u82cf\u7684\u521b\u4f5c\u662f\u5f00\u653e\u7684\uff0c\u770b\u5f97\u5230\u8fd9\u4e00\u523b\uff0c\u4f46\u662f\u4e0d\u77e5\u9053\u4e0b\u4e00\u523b\u2014\u2014\u5982\u540c\u5386\u53f2\u7684\u4e0b\u4e00\u523b\u65e0\u6cd5\u9884\u77e5\u4e00\u6837\uff0c\u6b63\u5f0f\u6f14\u51fa\u65f6\u7a76\u7adf\u4f1a\u600e\u6837\uff1f 2\u3001\u8fd9\u4e00\u5904\uff08very place\uff09 \u821e\u8e48\u662f\u7a7a\u95f4\u7684\u827a\u672f\uff0c\u8fd9\u4e00\u5904\u7684\u7269\u7406\u5b58\u5728\u548c\u53d8\u5316\u8ba9\u821e\u8e48\u6210\u4e3a\u201c\u89c6\u89c9\u827a\u672f\u201d\uff08visural art\uff09\u3002\u9664\u4e86\u65f6\u95f4\u7684\u53d8\u5316\uff0c\u4ecestudio\u5230stage\u7684\u7a7a\u95f4\u53d8\u5316\uff0c\u4f1a\u5f71\u54cd\u821e\u8005\u5728\u8868\u6f14\u573a\u57df\u5185\u7684\u7a7a\u95f4\u611f\u77e5\uff0c\u90a3\u4e00\u523b\u7684\u821e\u52a8\u5c06\u4f1a\u600e\u6837\uff1f\u5317\u4eac\u7f16\u5bfc\u8d75\u6881\u5728\u6392\u7ec3\u4e2d\u544a\u8bc9\u88ab\u7ed1\u5e26\u56f0\u4f4f\u7684\u821e\u8005\uff0c\u5982\u679c\u6f14\u51fa\u65f6\u88ab\u7f20\u4f4f\u7684\u8bdd\u5c31\u76f4\u63a5\u8131\u4e0b\u6765\u2014\u2014\u8fd9\u4e00\u65b9\u9762\u662f\u5bf9\u821e\u8005\u89e3\u51b3\u7a81\u53d1\u72b6\u51b5\u7684\u5efa\u8bae\uff0c\u53e6\u4e00\u65b9\u9762\u4e5f\u201c\u5267\u900f\u201d\u4e86\u821e\u53f0\u548c\u6392\u7ec3\u5ba4\u4e4b\u95f4\u5b58\u5728\u5dee\u5f02\u7684\u82e5\u5e72\u53ef\u80fd\u6027\u4e4b\u4e00\uff0c\u8fd9\u4e00\u5904\u53ea\u662f\u8fd9\u4e00\u5904\u3002 \u6240\u4ee5\uff0c\u821e\u8e48\u53ea\u5728\u6b64\u65f6\u6b64\u5730\uff0c\u771f\u5b9e\u5730\u611f\u53d7\u5b83\u7684\u6c14\u606f\uff08Auro\uff09\u5427\u3002 Translation... ArtsCross Observations (3) 1. This very moment Dance is a\u00a0time-based art form. The\u00a0way in\u00a0which dance occurs within a\u00a0moment, before evolving and\u00a0developing makes dance a\u00a0\"living art\". It is an\u00a0art form which cannot be faked or\u00a0reproduced. During the\u00a0rehearsals with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General posts"","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1033,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/on-being-out-of-place\/","url_meta":{"origin":743,"position":2},"title":"On being out of place","author":"Sanjoy Roy","date":"8 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"A\u00a0visit to\u00a0two groups this evening \u2013 Su Weichia\u2019s and\u00a0Guo Lei\u2019s \u2013\u00a0 and\u00a0it\u2019s the\u00a0first time I\u2019ve come away thinking about dancers being singled out. Both these groups feature one UK dancer within a\u00a0group of\u00a0Chinese dancers. Of\u00a0course, that\u2019s not the\u00a0only way of\u00a0looking at\u00a0the\u00a0groups \u2013 and\u00a0I'm conscious of\u00a0my\u00a0Londonist perspective coming into play, however\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General posts"","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":254,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/07\/qualities-part-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":743,"position":3},"title":"Qualities, Part 2","author":"Martin Welton","date":"26 July 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"For\u00a0good or\u00a0ill, 'quality' (or\u00a0'qualities') is the\u00a0term and\u00a0idea I\u00a0can't stop thinking about this year. Lodged somewhere in\u00a0my\u00a0memory is my\u00a0slightly perplexed seventeen year old self reading Robert Pirsig's Zen and\u00a0the\u00a0Art of\u00a0Motorcycle Maintenance. I\u00a0haven't returned to\u00a0the\u00a0book in\u00a0the\u00a0intervening decades, but what my\u00a0memory (and\u00a0a\u00a0brief dip into Wikipedia) reminds me, is that, leaving the\u00a0two-wheeled travelogue to\u00a0one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General posts"","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"IMG_0480","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/IMG_0480-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":798,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/ppt-file-for-seminar-crossing-languages\/","url_meta":{"origin":743,"position":4},"title":"PPT file for seminar “Crossing Languages”","author":"CHEN Ya-ping","date":"6 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear All, Attached please find the\u00a0PPT file of\u00a0the\u00a0seminar \"Crossing Languages.\" The\u00a0connection Martin made between unraveling and\/or\u00a0re-entangling identities and\u00a0Su Weichia's dancers on\u00a0the\u00a0blog is beautiful. I'm still reading others' inputs. Thanks to\u00a0everyone's thought-provoking participation in\u00a0the\u00a0discussion. Crossing Languages Yaping","rel":"","context":"In "General posts"","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1118,"url":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/2013\/08\/after-the-fact-group-b\/","url_meta":{"origin":743,"position":5},"title":"After-the-Fact: Group B","author":"Donald Hutera","date":"10 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"[Things have undoubtedly moved on\u00a0since I\u00a0scribbled down what I\u00a0am now shaping into the\u00a0following observations, but here they are for\u00a0the\u00a0record\u2026] Founders Studio: The\u00a0dancers chosen by\u00a0choreographer Ho, Hsiao-Mei include four Westerners. Two of\u00a0them \u2013 Azzurra Ardovini (small, contained and\u00a0often low to\u00a0the\u00a0floor) and\u00a0Henry Curtis (tall, expansive, rangey) \u2013 are in\u00a0the\u00a0centre of\u00a0the\u00a0space acutely attuned\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General posts"","block_context":{"text":"General posts","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/category\/general_posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743","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\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=743"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":763,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743\/revisions\/763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}