A Journey through Public Spaces: From Green Hours to Curtea Veche Calea Victoriei / Lipscani Making our way from Green Hours to Curtea Veche we will encounter a series of major/ and minor public spaces; through out this workshop we shall explore the concept: The social power of bodies in urban spaces. Throughout this session we shall play with the concept of choreographic method as apparatus of socio-cultural empowerment. Practice aims: 1. To test choreography as a means of urban analysis through uncovering the body as an archive of lived experience in cities with complex social geographies. 2. To demonstrate how choreographic practice can articulate counter cartographies and personal narratives of urban history and memory. The Score: The Spaces: The final Improvisation.
Green Hours 22 Cafe Bar, Calea Victoriei 120, București 010093, Romania
© 2012 Google
1. Head toward Strada General H. M. Berthelot
go 280 m total 280 m
southeast on Calea Victoriei
Pass by Novel Research (on the left)
© 2012 Google
2. Turn left at CEC
go 54 m total 350 m
onto Strada Episcopiei
© 2012 Google
3. Turn right
go 16 m total 350 m
KEY IDEAS: • The body as social conduit • The body as spatial conduit © 2012in Google • How to create specific atmospheres public spaces • How to respond to existing atmospheres in public spaces 4. Turn left go 51 m total 400 m • The senses in public terrain • What are you experiencing? • How can you communicate this? http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Green+Hours….015689,0.038581&z=15&layer=c&ei=-Qu8T9T9JcXUsgav2qTCBg&pw=2 Page 2 of 7 If there are any key issues which the route brings up how can you express this physically in such a way will enable a shift or acknowledgement of this issue. FOCUS ON THE BODY AS EMOTIONAL CONTAINER FOCUS ON THE BODY AS SPATIAL OBJECT Alternating your relationship to public space to understand better the boundaries/ atmospheres of the location. We will be creating a spatial-‐ choreographic commentary of the route with a final improvisation to outline all the issues, which have arisen on the route.
Exercise$i:$The$body$as$Site$
$($conscious$embodiment)$$ ( TArrive(to(the(space;(take(the(time(to(actually( arrive.(Breathe.(Take(the(space(into(your( body.(What(does(it(necessitate(you(to(do?( Close(your(eyes(and(open(them,(reconsider( how(you’re(looking,(stop(looking,(and(allow( the(rhythm(of(the(space(to(guide(subtle( movements(to(gradually(occur( ( ‘This(process(occurs(as(a(result(of(a(heightened( awareness(of(being(in(the(moment(during( which(the(body(becomes(porous,(open,(and( receptive.(In(the(analysis(of(the(practiceGasG research(investigation(discussed(here,(the( bodily(experiencing(and(expressing(of(site(is( prioritized(and(placed(at(the(centre(of(the( 3 investigation.’ ( Become(aware(as(to(when(you(start(to(move( how(far(you(allowing(the(movement(to(be( authentic(and(how(far(you(are(relying(on( codified(techniques(or(past(experiences(of( present(preoccupations(to(guide(you.(( ( Become(empty.(Porous.(Still.(( ( i:$Trace$the$lines$of$the$space$with$your$body$ ii:$follow$the$lines$in$space$others$have$made$ iii:$react$to$the$noise/sound$of$the$space$ through$movement$ ( Allow(your(body(to(systematically(collect( ‘data’(from(the(site.(Consider(the(weight(of( history(of(the(site.(( ( How(far(can(your(body(become(a( representation(of(your(emotional(response(to( this(site?(Actively(allow(your(body(to(become( a(disciplined(mirror(to(location.(( ( ‘Pushing(the(body(into(the(archive,(pushing(the( archive(into(the(body—a(mutual( metamorphosis(conjuring(up,(creating,( secreting,(excreting,(inflecting(critical(points( 4 where(virtuals(and(actuals(exchange(place.’ ( ( ( ( ( ( (
3
(Victoria(Hunter((2005).(Embodying(the(Site:(the(Here(and(Now(in(SiteT Specific(Dance(Performance.(New(Theatre(Quarterly,(21,(pp(367T381(( (André(Lepecki.("The(Body(as(Archive:(Will(to(ReTEnact(and(the(Afterlives(of( Dances."(Dance(Research(Journal(42.2((2010):(28T48.((
4
$Exercise$ii:$Choreography$as$apparatus$of$ capture$and$social$re-alignment$ ($subconscious$investigation)$$ The$Site$as$Choreographer:$( ‘The(perceptive(and(receptive(repositioning(of( the(former(spectator(into(a(visitor(changes(the( latter’s(function(from(a(beholder(to(a( participant(in(an(uncertain(relationship(with( 5 the(performative(order.’ ( ( Use(the(previous(embodied(movement( exploration(as(a(motivation(to(begin(exploring( your(own(position(in(site(to(others(around( you.(( ( Take(an(active(role(in(actively(partaking(in(the( scene(you(are(involved(with(as(facillator.(Take( the(view(that(the(site(can(provide(you(with(an$ unlimited$capacity$to$transform.$ ( ‘The(city(as(environment,(the(city(as(a(setting( 6 for(behaviour.’( ( ( The(phenomena(of(urban(encounter(and(the( means(by(which(the(city(creates(spaces(in( which(humans(encounter(each(other(in( various(intimacies;(the(realities(of(these( encounters(is(subjective,(we(construct(routes( through(the(city;(we(construct(micro( geographies(which(become(our(daily(realities( of(place;(allow$yourself$to$become$a$filter$ your$perceived$intentions$of$the$space.$$ ( ‘We(shape(our(environment(and(are(in(turn( shaped(by(them(in(a(never(ending(cycle(of( 7 mutual(influence.’( ( To(superimpose(a(personal(geography(on(to( the(canvas(of(a(city(cannot(be(an(experience( without(price(and(various(compromises(for( such(geography(to(emerge.(Become(open(to( how(the(space(‘wants’(you(to(move.(Consider( how(these(expectations(emerge.(( ( Return(to(exercise(i(and(create(a(dialog( between(the(two,(consciously(alternate( between(awareness(of(self(and(self(as( reactant(of(place(until(you(can(create(a( harmonious(synergy(between(the(two.((
5
(Sabine(Huschka.("MediaTBodies:(Choreography(as(Intermedial(Thinking( Through(in(the(Work(of(William(Forsythe."(Dance(Research(Journal(42.1( (2010):(61T72.( 6 (Krupat.(E.(((1985)(People$in$Cities.$The$Urban$Environment$and$its$affects.( Cambridge(University(Press.(UK.(( 7 (Krupat.(E.(((1985)(People$in$Cities.$The$Urban$Environment$and$its$affects.( Cambridge(University(Press.(UK.(
Leave Green hours 24 breaths.
Eyes closed The spine The head (8 kilos) Waiting for encounter Poised Ready. With determination to create archive. With a partner: one hand on lower back; one on spine: walking with eyes closed: Swap each street. When we arrive to Parcul Ateneului, Strada Episcopiei, separate. Enter the park. Allow yourself to play. Allow yourself to formalize: Collect 8 movements from observation: begin repeating them: in a large circle; when every one has joined the circle; begin to ‘swap’ picking up other phrases of movement. Collect a new partner. Hold hands. Hold arms. Embrace ( in some way) Leave the park.
When we are walking to Palatul Cercului Militar Național; we will find one more space on the way: close to the Byzantium church. This is not fixed. When we arrive to the Byzantium church. Pause. Allow yourself to walk in the area around of the church. Collect 8 movements; from observation Invent 8 sentences. Before we leave find somebody Show them and tell them what you have learnt. Consider this as form of gift exchange. This can be to stranger ( or a fellow participant) Leave as a group. Walk as group How can we walk as group Stay close. Stay fixed. When we arrive to Palatul Cercului Militar Național: SEPERATRE but stay close.. Begin to repeat the 8 movements from Parcul Ateneului, Strada Episcopiei and from the church location. Mix them. Play with REPETITION EXAGGERATION SPEED EASE
GRACE THE UGLY We will leave the space one by one.. Leave a 3 to 5 minute gap between the departures. Walking slowly to Universitate, ( just before.. we will turn off ) We will work on this walk with creating short improvs of Walking/running/ pause/ gestures‌ Then slowly all come together ; FLOCKING.. coming together and moving apart: PROXIMITY; DISTANCE: how can we be connected/ how can we be separate. We will pass the Bulgarian Church and pause. Then choose two people: take it turns to notate ( through voice ) all the gestures you see, the paces you notice; BETWEEN ARCHIECTURE And the BODY: from fiction to reality: HOW DO YOU WANT TO PRESENT THE CITY. Arriving to the space just after Strada Franceza ( the relics museum) we will all arrive: PAUSE: until all are present. Then we begin. We Play We are serious. How are an archive to our Experience? Introduce to 8 movements from Parcul
Ateneului, Strada Episcopiei and Palatul Cercului Militar .. remember your stories; remember the eyes closed and open; reconnect to all the people you walked with and shared with. Keep the ideas of REPETITION EXAGGERATION SPEED EASE GRACE THE UGLY in mind. Keep your focus; do you want to extend to the people in the area? Play with this. This will last for around
15 to 20 minutes. FINISH IN PAUSE: LEAVE THE SPACE> what do you leave? WHAT IS YOUR TRACE?
The$nature$of$Trans-disciplinary$choreographic$practice$ The$boundaries$of$Socio-choreographic$Practice:$$ Research/$Practice$/$Choreography/$Sociality.$$ Beatrice(Jarvis( $ The$body$|$the$city$|$the$space$between$ ( ‘Social(performance(is(so(embedded(in(our(everyday(experience(that(we(do(not(notice(it,(while(artful( 1 performance(is(what(we(perceive(as(remarkable.’ ( ( ‘Typically,(social(performance(involves("everyday"(or("ordinary"(behaviour(by(people(who(may(deny(or( qualify(any(awareness(of(their(performative(strategies(and(qualities,(while(artful(performance(involves( what(is(typical(of("the(theatre,"(where(the(participants(work(in(terms(of(intent,(craft(and(artistic( 2 convention.’ ( ( This(series(of(short(exercises(are(designed(to(explore(how(far(the(body(can(become(archive(and( conduit(of(movement(patterns(in(urban(space.(Perhaps(these(exercises(can(be(called(‘dance’(but(only( in(the(sense(that(they(are(adapting(the(principles(of(the(highly(trained(body(which(dance(promotes.( Dance(within(these(exercises(is(used(a(framework(for(the(dynamic(activation(of(body(awareness,( allowing(the(body(to(become(capable(to(articulate(such(accentuated(awareness(of(the(experience(of( the(body(as(it(moves(through(the(built(environment.(( Dance,(within(this(exercises(is(not(reflect(upon(a(codified(technique,(rather(an(activation(methodology( to(pursue(the(use(of(the(body(as(social(and(spatial(apparatus.(( Through(this(simple(series(of(exercises(((reactions(are(deliberately(subjective)(I(seek(to(explore(the( dynamic(realignment(of(the(body(to(the(city.(( The(built(environment(acts(as(a(container(for(investigation(in(this(context,(presenting(the(body(with( multiple(and(contrasting(potential(experiences.(( ( The$rational$space$capable$of$conscious$manipulation$ ( The(following(exercises(are(crafted(to(explore(the(physicality(reality(of(the(body(in(the(built( environment,(((this(can(explore(the(internal(and(external(experience)(moving(then(into(a(social( context,(((this(is(refers(to(choreography(as(social(tool,(employing(constructs(of(cultural(geography,( structure(and(agency(to(redefine(the(visible(and(invisible(relations(between(meaning,(identity(and( power(in(which(the(subject(is(placed(and(has(to(find(its(way(around)(Then(thirdly(a(reflection(of(self(in( the(city,(how(far(can(these(exercises(enable(you(to(developed(an(embodied(cognitive(map(which( explores(the(relationship(of(your(context(and(preconditioned(awareness(of(the(public(realm.(This(can( become(a(personal(reflection(as(to(the(experience(of(the(body(as(carrier(in(urban(space.(These( exercises(focus(on(the(concept(that(their(can(be(no(passive(body,(a(body,(even(still,(in(space(and(time( withstands(a(constant(internal(and(external(dialog,(of(desire,(pain,(pleasure,(and(the(body(forgoes(an( exploration(of(border(dialogs(around(these(sensations,(in(multiple(real,(imaginary(and(symbolic( places,(exploring(its(relationship(within(concepts(of(power(and(resistance.(In(this(sense(we(are( effectively(exploring(the(perceived,(conceived(and(live(relationships(of(spatial(embodiment.(( How$can$the$body$become$a$reflective$mechanism$for$the$experience$of$the$body$in$the$ city?( How$far$can$the$city$be$shaped$and$moulded$by$the$actions$and$reactions$of$the$body?$
1 2
(Mason.(J.(D.(Street$Fairs:$Social$Space,$Social$Performance.(Theatre(Journal,(Vol.(48,(No.(3,(Enacting(America(n)s((Oct.,(1996),(pp.(301T319.(The(Johns(Hopkins(University(( (Mason.(J.(D.(Street$Fairs:$Social$Space,$Social$Performance.(Theatre(Journal,(Vol.(48,(No.(3,(Enacting(America(n)s((Oct.,(1996),(pp.(301T319.(The(Johns(Hopkins(University((