Queering Abhinaya Assignment #4: alternative translations

Inspired by one of Lionel Popkins’ approaches to his full length trio “Ruth Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” I am interested in translating texts describing dance into alternative movement interpretations than the original intention.  In my memory of the piece, Lionel tells the audience that he is using Ruth's dance directions of her work quite loosely, in a similar manner to how she treated the dances from the multiple cultures that she represented/appropriated in her work.  
 

As we recently discussed in an in person session, abhinaya  traditionally interprets texts, and literally means to “carry across” (like the word translation).   As we are queering abhinaya, I invite us to find alternative interpretations that may open up, subvert, or even create contrary interpretations to the original text and dance that the text was written about.

So, find a text that describes or gives directions for how to do a dance.  Then create your own alternate version of the dance that relates to the text but somehow explodes the expectations of your chosen text.  For example, if the text says “turn”, there may be many ways to turn the body, or turn the perspective, or turn a body part, or to say “turn” in various languages, or to get someone else to turn etc.

Retreat Day 3: Story Telling and Multimedia Madness!

Today we each worked on a loose interpretation of an assignment from Hari:
"Based on your research, choose a potent story..." "Solely through abhinaya (using both the face and body), recreate the story you have chosen. The length should be between 3-5 mins. Pay attention to all the juicy details of your story, making sure your depiction is lush, descriptive and colourful."

Shy took a few phrases from Uma's story and put them in her face. Password: "Uma" Note: the video is about 5 minutes, but there is additional black afterwards

My Silent Cry Abhinaya version from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

Cyn edited her logomotion improvisations into a short storytelling study with the cloth, also incorporating her courtesan cliche, on "veil." Password: "logomotion" Note: the study is around 5:30 minutes, but there is a bunch of black at the end.

Feedback Questions:
(1) What were the parts that pulled you in?  The parts where you were less interested?
(2) What do you imagine me wearing in this piece?
(3) Thoughts about my various uses of the cloth?  Were there ways that you found effective, ways you wanted to see extended, ways that you didn't like?
(4) Do you like the even, pedestrian, remembering/storytelling quality that predominates?  Would you like to see more variation, for instance by sometimes being in the moment rather than narrating something that happened in the past, or through more emotional/dynamic/movement variation?
(5) Compare this more choreographed version to the improvisations I did yesterday.  Which do you like better?  Are there parts you found more effective in the improvs that you'd like to see brought in here?

Sandra's abhinaya phrase draft. Feedback wanted. Its not where I want it to be. Password "dont"

Babli Abhinaya phrase draft 1 from Sandra Chatterjee on Vimeo.

Anj had already been working on the courtesan padam adapted by Cynthia yesterday, so today she decided to take another idea from it and put it to rhythm. Note, the actual video is only 2min but for some reason vimeo added 17 min of black afterwards! Password: "tell me"



later Ravi joined us and we experimented putting Anj's "I didn't say a word" padam with a live feed (see yesterday's post) with Shyamala's "My Silent Cry" -no video
He helped us brainstorm a soundscore for this piece, as well as for the layered Temple Dancers studies.

We also got his help to add a little from Sandra's cliches to the courtesan cliche phrase - no video


And in the evening we did lots of multimedia trials with Carole:

]wrist[
figure 8 live-feed of Cynthia's wrist poem and Shy improvising based on poem and Anj's wrist.  Password: "writing"

wrist_writing

Teaching Courtesan Cliches
over figure 8 live-feed. Based on Carole feedback will try again later with signs instead of words. Password: "meta"

My Silent Cry Abhinaya in Window
Shy sits upstage on chair facing away from audience. Downstage her face is projected into a frame.
Password: "frame"

My Silent Cry face dance, framed

Skin Experiment: live feed. 
Password: "skin"