I See, But...

Had a chance to work on my solo a little bit more. I was starting to feel happy with the latest version performed in Wisconsin, but the Uma section still wasn't as strong as I would like it to be. Here I improvised putting more cloth into it. It's a bit messy, but I'd like some feedback to know if I should work to solidify this before perfecting it.

I See, But... (post tour rehearsal) from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

password: Sunoh!

Questions for feedback:

1. How is the use of the cloth in the Uma section and in the shame section?


2. How is the trajectory of build of the piece? Are their places it needs to build more?


3. The overall tone of this rehearsal is a bit heavier then previous versions. Do you prefer one tone over the other?


3. Other feedback or ideas?

PLEASE GIVE FEEDBACK BY JUNE 5

Premiere: Sunoh at the Miles Playhouse!

If you saw the show please leave feedback in the comments below!

New Video documentation is thanks to Carol McDowell and photos are thanks to Amish Desai


password "voice"

1. Preshow:
Sandra's shadow on back wall
bollywood clips on small scrim
Shy collecting cliches/stereotypes from audience about themselves and Cynthia putting them into live feed on big scrim.




2. Cyber Chat 1 on big scrim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSY5o4P_-vI&feature=player_embedded




3. Mixed Bag


Password: "Miles"


Mixed Bag from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

4. Wall of cliches stay up as Cyn sadly cleans up the stage

5. Learning to Walk Like Radha



password "oh krishna"
footage from Feb Highways performance
6. cliche wall stays up on main screen with Sad courtesan on back wall

7. Cyber Chat 2 on small scrim
http://www.vimeo.com/21902064


Cyber Chat 2 from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


8. Shy's letter

Password: "Miles"
http://www.vimeo.com/21967391


I see, but from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


Intermission-----------------------


1. Sandra's Skype call on small scrim

password: interlude


Sunoh Interlude from Sandra Chatterjee on Vimeo.


2. The Thorn the Leaf and the Butterfly
password "Uma"

3. Anj's skype/blog response
skype on little scrim
dance video on big scrim

4. Ranri
http://vimeo.com/21967464
password: "Miles"


Ranri from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


5. Marks
http://www.vimeo.com/21968225
password: "Miles"

Marks, Miles from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


BOW:


Our collaborators left to right: Ravi Deo, Cynthia Ling Lee, Shyamala Moorty, Loren Nerell, and Sangita Shresthova. Not pictured: Carole Kim, Mona Heinze, Kedar Lawrence and the rest of the Post Natyam Collective -Anjali Tata and Sandra Chatterjee!

Ranri (widow/courtesan)

Here is the excerpt of Ranri that I performed at Highways on Feb 12. I tried to integrate Anj's feedback about using more dance by adding footwork and movement roughly based on one of the kathak compositions in the Skype call, though I think this can be developed further. The courtesan flashback idea which I'm curious to try hasn't been integrated in this version yet.

Ranri (widow/courtesan) - in progress excerpt from Cynthia Ling Lee on Vimeo.

Shyamala's Response to April 2010 Assignment

]wrist[ runaway from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


I recommend watching it first before you read about it below.
Password: wrist
Cynthia and I were talking about Anjali's wrist projection and I was inspired to combine it with some of the ideas in the silks from my last study. This time I just wrapped myself in the silks, sari-like, rather then having them hang from the ceiling as they typically are (because of the chuni part of the assignment).

I imagined doing the piece live and asked Sangita to film it. Once we saw the first take, we realized it could be pretty magical on film, so I adjusted some of the elements to make it more for the film, rather then a document of what the audience would see live. For example, I was using foot stamps for the rhythmic build but they didn't even register on film so I took them out and did quicker distortions in the torso instead. I still hope to explore the live possibilities.

Questions:
1. Describe your experience watching this and how you interpret what happens?

2. What ideas do you have to develop this, either live or on film?

3. Any other comments?

Other thoughts: Although you can't tell, the cloth is white and extremely long and leaves long trails around me. From the front my face is shrouded by the veil, and it reminds me of the work of this artist: http://www.simeen.net/ If you get a chance take a look at her work and see if you might have more ideas for what else we might do with the cloth, with or without the projection.