29 Subversive Gestures Loop, Padam complete Draft

After discussing the three studies in the last post, we felt the Padam was the most incomplete and needed to be explored before writing about them all. So here is a competed draft of the Padam.
 
The assignment again was to create a critical, gender-subverting padam that uses repeating lines of poetic text and abhinaya.  Incorporate non-Indian, autobiographical material.

Not Enough Padam Complete Draft from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


password:  loop


Feedback Questions:
1.  What parts are the most interesting to you and why?
2.  What parts do you lose attention and why?
3.  What do you feel about the relationship of the text to the movement? 
4.  What music, if any, could you imagine with the piece?  Are there ways the existing text could become more musical?
5. Comment on the relation between autobiography and abhinaya in the work.  How is each mobilized?  How are the boundaries of each tested, expanded, or broken, if at all?  
6. Track the performance of gender throughout the work.  You might look at how the physical movement (angika), the costumes (aharya), the text (vachika) shift and change.  I'm also curious what gender the "beloved" reads as.  Do you assume it is a woman or man?  Does your understanding shift throughout the piece?
7.  Comment particularly on the costuming and costume changes -- sequence, timing, and performance.  Are there any changes you would suggest?  Parts that work particularly well?
8. Title ideas?

29 Subversive Gestures, final loop compilations

We decided to flesh out 3 avenues to complete our theory-choreography loop investigations.  

1. deconstruction, Goode-style.  
Repeat same movement phrase (femme) several times, changing the sound/text each time.
2. gat bhav
Create a pantomimed story to a rhythmic background about an intersex nayika
3. padam/thumri
Create a critical, gender-subverting padam that uses repeating lines of poetic text and abhinaya.  Incorporate non-Indian, autobiographical material.

1. Deconstruction, Goode-style:
We spent the longest time on creating various variations for this.
Below are 3 versions of this with differing orders.

a. includes all 6 of our variations.  Password "loop"
Password "loop"
29 loop 6 variations from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


b. includes only the variations that directly relate to Joe Goode's 5 variations.  Password "loop"
29 loop 5 goode variations from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


c.  Shy remixed the order of almost all of the variations for a different feeling.  Password "loop"

29 loop padam first from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

2.  Gat Bhav, intersex nayika
We felt we had already explored this one sufficiently in our last study.  Here it is again.
note, we realized the this stragy doesn't acknowledge or address Cyn’s body/identity as non-India.

Password: "loop" 
  Gender morphing study take 2 from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

3.  Padam/thumri
Create a critical, gender-subverting padam that uses repeating lines of poetic text and abhinaya.  Incorporate non-Indian, autobiographical material.
Password: loop 
Not Enough Padam from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.



QUESTIONS:  
1.  which elements from any of the three studies stand out to you the most?
2.  what is the main concept and/or feeling you get from each study?
3.  do you imagine any of the three studies intersecting or combinging in any way or do you feel they are three distinct approaches?

29 Subversive gestures, choreography response 3: padam

We did some free writing about a woman to woman love, and love between teacher and student.  Cynthia  turned hers into a Padam.

We each embodied the first and third stanza's of the padam.

Here are the videos and below is the padam.  All of the passwords are "loop"

Stanza 1: Cyn

29 padam stanza 1 Cyn from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

Stanza 3: Cyn

29 padam stanza 3 cyn from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

Stanza 1: Shy
29 padam stanza 1 Shy from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


Stanza 3: Shy
29 padam stanza 3 Shy from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.




PADAM: (Pallavi is "not enough"
We did not perform the greyed out part of stanza 1:


I.
Beloved, I brought you into my body
the ghost of your voice
high tinny reciting bols
your peacock proud chest
your kohl-lined eyes

I lost myself touching your feet
my body soft like a sponge
swimming in unknowing
eyes zero in: your hands moving softly
the breath opening of your chest

my hawk’s eye my vulnerable heart
you were my mirror
the precise tilt of your head
your negotiation of soft and sharp
when you moved i moved
me an imperfect copy
you opening up inside of me
but as much as i tried, i was not enough


II.
i was drawn to you as moth to flame
as a parched traveler to water
but i could not fit in your world
filled with laughing housewives and hilsa and mustard oil
i was not [bengali] enough.


III.
one day you said,
you have become very soft,
cynthia, like a bengali woman.
like you.

but i could not be you
my body would erupt with otherness
the stride too large the eyes too small
the questions unasked

and as much as i loved kathak
its hair-prickling rhythms and mathematical precision
its subtle micromovements and emotional transformation
it was still not enough for me
pishi, kathak was not enough
 
IV.
you did not know how to love me and give me my freedom
how to treasure my devotion without giving into 3rd world greed
you did not know that perhaps I would exceed your imagination
and perhaps, pishi, you were not enough


V.
i imagine us in a room together
just you and i
love an open channel between two hearts
counting bols
dancing like and unlike each other

but there is never just a room
there is always the world outside
and in the end, pishi,
our love was not enough.

29 Subversive Gestures Choreography Assignment 3: Not Enough Padam

This is Cyn's choreographic idea 2:

Judith Butler postulates that hyperfemininity and hypermasculinity can be attributed to a melancholic incorporation by heterosexuals of early childhood homosexual attachments:

“she incorporates them as parts of herself, modes of identification, and this means that they come to survive for her as her own character traits. She incorporates them -- makes them, in a way, into her own body, her own bodily sense and comportment, and this incorporation is precisely the opposite of -- and the consequence of -- unacknowledged loss” (121).

Create a melancholic padam about a lost love, in which the beloved is an Indian woman. Start the padam in hyperfeminine Indian garb and physicality. As the lost love is increasingly acknowledged through poetic mourning, have your body language and physicality shift towards being more androgynous and incorporating the physicality of cultures outside of India.

-----------------

In addition add a Pallavi (repeating phrase) of "not enough"
( based on  earlier assignment idea from the second reading loop)
and maybe play with rhythmic and verbal variations (as in the optional portion of Choreographic Assignment 2)

Theory Assignment 3: Krishnan, Butler, and 29 Subversive Gestures

Here is Theory Assignment 3, due on Jan 6!  

• All read Hari Krishnan's "From Gynemimesis to Hypermasculinity: The Shifting Orientations of Male Performers of South Indian Court Dance," Vasu Reddy's interview of Judith Butler, "Troubling Genders, Subverting Identities," and Butler's writing on drag from Gender Trouble. 
• Write responses.
• Come up with ideas for choreographic assignment based on readings.

Response to Choreographic assignment 2: 29 subversive gestures: sound

1.  Below is our response to the Sound part of the assignment, where we assigned sound consequences to the feminine movement gesture sequence from assignment 1.

password: loop

fem gestures n consequences sounds from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

FEEDBACK QUESTIONS:
a) How do these sounds shift your understanding of and feeling about the original phrase?
b) What do you think the consequences are?
c) Which parts do you find compelling; which parts confusing?

2. Below is the gendered script for the morphing sequence from Assignment 1.
We noticed that Babli didn't see the parallel intersecting stories of the masculine and feminine characters previously, and so we investigated this more fully here.  Our intention is to subvert conventional abhinaya practice by having the same character switch genders rather than one performer showing two different gendered characters interacting.   This script more or less follows the previous video, except we imagined some clarified transitions and removed the section with the mirror and lipstick so we could have a clearer narrative.

But first, here is the video of the gender morphing story, hopefully clarified now that we've written the script more clearly with intentions for transitions etc.  Watch before reading. We just added this on 1/12/13 so the first two comments below are referring to part 1 above, not to this. 
 password: loop
  Gender morphing study take 2 from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.


S/he
The mature, beautiful and rich courtesan (who is well established in her field) emerges languorously from her bath, her skin still moist as servants wave peacock fans at her.  S(he) braids her luxuriously thick, black, long, wavy tresses.

And then s(he) strokes her well groomed beard. (blurred)
and braids her hair and strokes her beard.
braids and strokes, strokes and braids
and strokes

(s)he puts on his yellow silk dhoti and assuredly wraps his princely turban around his well shaped head.

A melodious ghazal drifts in through the window and fills his body with longing. (S)he melts
and s(he) wonders “is my beloved out there, singing to me?” 

“But wait, my beloved thinks I’m a man.”
transition f to m: “I must be a man, I must be a real man.  There must be no doubt about it.”

(s)he: “I am ready!  I will go forth into the world.  Where is he? Ah! Come here my little baklava.”

transition m to f: “here you are, I forgot how beautiful you are!  I can’t look at you, I feel my whole being dissolve into a river of desire.”

s(he): “What? you would like to play a game of dice?  
(s)he: “This is my specialty!”

“What!  I lost? What will you have? An earring? I will give you a small one.”
 S(he) takes off her earring.

S(he): “Is it my turn? I’ve never played dice before. Do you shake it like this?

Transition f to m: “ooh it feels good! harder, faster!  
(s)he “I won!”

s(he): “So, maybe we should go up to my place now?”

Transition back and forth: “oh shit, he thinks I have a penis! how should I act?  What will I do?  Should I act female or male?  I don’t know what to do! etc...” fade out

Choreographic Assignment 2: Subversive Gestures, Sound and Rhythm

Following Meduri's identification of the 3 important elements involved in the improvisation of a Padam -gesture, sound, and rhythm- I have given and assignment for each. Both Meduri and Burt emphasize how the element of vocal sound is important, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to play with some sound possibilities. The gesture will help clarify the work we did in the last assignment even more. The rhythm aspect is optional.

Sound: Inspired by Burt’s interpretation of the war sounds as consequences for the effeminate transgressions, make a list of “consequences” for being “not enough” Create a sound score that somehow reflects the consequences through sounds instead of words. Superimpose over the feminine Kathak sequence that we made in choreographic study 1.

Gesture: Following Babli's idea of scripting gender, we will script out the morphing sequence from study number 1 to clarify the development as we understood it. We will will then work on exaggerating the genders as well as the transitions since not all the different types of transition were visible previously as reflected in Babli's feedback.

Rhythm: Make rhythmic variations on "not good enough" (I am envisioning foot rhythms, and we may do some vocal explorations too. I am imagining expanding "not good enough" in the way that Cynthia expanded "She's a good girl" while sitting in the chair in the Highways version.

Due Thursday Jan 3

Theory Assignment 2: Burt, Meduri and 29 Subversive Gestures

Here is our reading assignment #2, due on December 20!

1. All read Avanthi Meduri's “Multiple Pleasures: Improvisation in Bharatanatyam” and Ramsay Burt’s “The Performance of Unmarked Masculinity.”

2. Write short response papers: Sandra will concentrate on interpreting 29 Subversive Gestures through these theoretical lenses, while Cyn and Shy can also consider autobiographical more heavily.    

3. Each come up with a few ideas about a choreographic assignment.   

Response to Choreography Assignment 1: Gender Morphing and 29 Subversive Gestures

Here are 4 little video studies 1-2 min each and some comments about things we discovered while in the process.

The passwords for all are: "loop"

1. Take a section of the existing kathak sequence and slowly morph it on a gender spectrum from ultra-femme to super butch.

Feminine sequence:
Fem phrase from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

Femme to butch:
Femme to Butch from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

2. create a  series of masculine gestures (approx same number/length as part 1) in classical Kathak (If need, may also make non Kathak gestures influenced by rules of masculinity as noted by Gere on p. 351, 365 and Shah on p 4.)

Masculine sequence:
Masc sequenc from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

3. Switch back and forth between the feminine and masculine gestures in part 1 and 2. Try different transitions: once "blurring" the transition, another time making it fluid, and once emphasizing the rupture between the two characters.

Gender Morphing Sequence:
  fem to mas sequence from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

FEEDBACK QUESTIONS
1. Babli noted in her theory assignment 1 response that 29 Effeminate Gestures works from a "single-mindedness" whereas 29 Subversive Gestures works from multiple/fluid positions. How do our new explorations deal with the idea of multiplicity vs. singularity of positions? Is the multiplicity or singularity confusing or effective?
2. Do these explorations deal with abhinaya as methodology or as signifier of Indian-ness, and how? 3. Compare and contrast these explorations with our previous Highways draft.
4. Note moments that you find satisfying or pleasurable. Note moments that you find confusing or boring.
5. Any other thoughts?

NOTE: CYN AND SHY WILL POST REFLECTIONS ON OUR PROCESS

Choreographic Assignment 1: 29 Subversive Gestures

This is a combination of a suggested assignment from each of us and thus is in 3 parts.

1. Take a section of the existing kathak sequence and slowly morph it on a gender spectrum from ultra-femme to super butch.

2. create a  series of masculine gestures (approx same number/length as part 1) in classical Kathak (If need, may also make non Kathak gestures influenced by rules of masculinity as noted by Gere on p. 351, 365 and Shah on p 4.)

3. Switch back and forth between the feminine and masculine gestures in part 1 and 2. Try different transitions: once "blurring" the transition, another time making it fluid, and once emphasizing the rupture between the two characters.

While parts 1 and 2 lead to part 3, each part should be videoed separately for feedback as any of the three parts may be fodder for further developments of the piece. 

Cyber Manifesto Rough Draft

Guest Editor Prumsodun Ok has worked hard to put together this draft after many challenges of un-matching frame rates, stolen computers, scheduling etc. But it's all coming together now!

Please give any feedback by next Tuesday the 11th as he will be working on it again Wednesday morning LA time.  He is planning to layer different video footage into the ending section of yeses after Babli's solo, and make a few other refinements.  Otherwise things are getting close and it would be great to get feedback in these final stages! 

Password: manifesto
Cyber Manifesto Rough Draft from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

Theory Assignment 1: Gere, Shah, and 29 Subversive Gestures

Here's our next assignment: due December 3!  

1. All read David Gere's “29 Effeminate Gestures: Choreographer Joe Goode and the Heroism of Effeminacy” and Purnima Shah's “Transcending Gender in the Performance of Kathak."

2. Give feedback through theoretical lens: Sandra will concentrate on the work itself, Cyn and Shy can also consider autobiographical more heavily.    

3. Each come up with a few ideas about a choreographic assignment. 

Feedback on 29 Subversive Gestures

Our first assignment is to give general feedback on 29 Subversive Gestures as it was performed at Highways by Thursday, November 29. 

Here is the video of "29 Subversive Gestures" (password "subversive"):

As reference, here is Joe Goode's original "29 Effeminate Gestures."  (Note: the piece starts around 6:12.  We are actually working with a video of Joe Goode performing the solo, rather than the younger company member featured here.)


FEEDBACK QUESTIONS:
1. What parts of the piece draw you in; what parts feel superfluous?
2. What meaning do you read throughout the work?
3. What do you make of the chair?  What meaning does it hold for you?  Do you find it to be an effective prop?
4. Compare Goode's original work to ours.  How do the differences between the embodied cultural traditions drawn upon, as well as the racialized and gendered identities of Joe Goode and Cynthia Ling Lee, cause the works to read and resonate differently?  How do our compositional strategies replicate or depart from Goode's, and how might you imagine that Goode's compositional strategies could be appropriated or manipulated for our context?

New Project: 29 Subversive Gestures Theory-Choreography Loop

We've decided to embark on a new project!  We're planning to rework 29 Subversive Gestures, the solo that Shyamala created on Cynthia investigating gender and Indian classical dance, which was performed at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica, CA in August 2012.  Our plan is to revise the work in dialogue with Sandra as part of a praxis-based article to be written by Sandra and Cynthia to submit to an academic anthology on queer dance.  As part of this process, we're planning to establish a feedback loop between the three of us whereby where in-process choreography is analyzed, and theoretical engagement in return affects choreography.  The process thus combines long-distance and in-person collaboration, as well as dynamically moving between theory and choreography.  Following is an excerpt from our paper abstract:

"Cross-gesturing Meets Abhinaya: Subverting Gender in 29 Subversive Gestures

This praxis-based article intersects theoretical and choreographic research on performing gender non-conformity in the context of South Asian contemporary dance. It will expand upon our earlier theorizations regarding South Asian tactics for performing queerness, which examined cross-overs between the performance strategies of identity-based autobiography and the South Asian technique of abhinaya. Establishing a feedback circle where choreography-in-the-making is analyzed, and theoretical engagement in return affects choreography, we will chart the creation of our in-progress solo, 29 Subversive Gestures....The piece translates aspects of San Francisco-based dance-theater artist Joe Goode’s seminal, queer postmodern dance-work, 29 Effeminate Gestures (1987), for the context of Indian classical dance. We find resonances between David Gere’s theorization of cross-gesturing, heroic effeminacy, and camp in 29 Effeminate Gestures and abhinaya’s techniques for a solo performer to fluidly switch between genders."  

-Sandra Chatterjee and Cynthia Ling Lee 

  

Here is a working timeline of assignments that we've created:

• Thurs. Nov 29: All give general feedback on 29 Subversive Gestures
• Mon. Dec 3:
• All read David Gere's “29 Effeminate Gestures: Choreographer Joe Goode and the Heroism of Effeminacy” and Purnima Shah's “Transcending Gender in the Performance of Kathak”
• Give feedback through theoretical lens: Sandra will concentrate on the work itself, Cyn and Shy can also consider autobiographical more heavily.  
• Each come up with a few ideas about a choreographic assignment.  
• Sat. Dec 8: Shy generates assignment based on everyone’s ideas

• Dec 18: Sandra and Babli finalize Theory Assignment 3 (Sandra will decide on Butler, propose Vanita possibility, Cyn will upload Hari’s article) - Make sure Babli has all videos/articles before leaving to India!
• Dec 20:
• Babli gives feedback on Dec 14 study
• All read Theory Assignment 2: Avanthi Meduri on “Improvisation in BN Abhinaya” and Ramsay Burt’s “The Performance of Unmarked Masculinity”
• All write responses to these articles
• All come up with ideas for choreographic assignment based on readings
• Dec 24: Shy generates Choreography Assignment 2 based on everyone’s ideas
• Jan 3: Shy and Cyn upload study and feedback ?s for Choreography Assignment 2 to blog
• Jan 5: Sandra gives feedback on Choreography Assignment 2
• Jan 6: Theory Assignment 3
• All read Hari Krishnan's "From Gynemimesis to Hypermasculinity: The Shifting Orientations of Male Performers of South Indian Court Dance," Vasu Reddy's interview of Judith Butler, "Troubling Genders, Subverting Identities," and Butler's writing on drag from Gender Trouble
• write responses
• come up with ideas for choreographic assignment based on readings
• Jan 7: Shy generates Choreographic Assignment 3 based on everyone’s ideas
• Jan 11: Shy and Cyn post Choreo Assignment 3 on blog
• Jan 13: Babli gives feedback for Assignment 3; all 3 brainstorm possible overall choreographic structures
• Jan 14: Shy and Cyn start working on Choreographic Assignment 4: to combine material from 1-3
• early Jan: bug David Gere about possible involvement
• Jan 17:
• Shy and Cyn upload choreographic Assignment 4 to blog
• Sandra and Cyn start formulating final paper structure
• Feb 12: finish paper
• FEB 15: submit full paper

Cyn, Shy, and Sandra will continue feedback loop and “finish” the choreography by April.

Babli's response to Assignment 4: Saleye Origin Storyboard

This storyboard charts the character of Saleye, an unsuspecting girl, played by Sandra, who comes to earth from PLANET BOLLYWOOD- a planet where life is pre-scripted and uneventful. As she discovers how life on earth works-- that one needs money for everything, for example, and that this money has to be earned-- strange things happen around her. At crucial moments of tension her reflexes take over, she can't help but do a weird sort of dance, only to see the attitude of the person in front of her change suddenly.

She will discover that she has a superpower-- which is to dispel stereotypes in the eye of the beholder.... 

Saleye also intersects with the Ruwaxi character of Cynthia - the exact point of intersection will need to be finalized. 

The video unfortunately is missing one section of sound (the immigration part)- also the sound on this draft is low - so the script is below.

Password: saleye

Saleye Storyboard Assign 5 from Sandra Chatterjee on Vimeo.



Feedback questions:

1) Which parts of the story do you find most compelling?
(2) Does the storyline make sense? If not, at which parts does it need clarification?
(3) Do you have suggestions for translating this into live performance?
(4) Which movement motifs that I tried to sketch at certain parts work for you, which don't?
(5) Do you have any  suggestions for incorporating live feed?
(6) Do you have any ideas about clarifying the connection?
(7)  Any other comments, suggestions, ideas?



Script:

Saleye- Origin Story

Not too long ago on a planet far far away, there lived a girl by the name of Saleye. She was a
quiet girl, living in her own world, while her family was a mainstream, busy, beautiful, successful
Bollywood family. Their life was picture perfect: father and mother happily married, with the
customary ups and downs to work through. They were living in a big suburban house, with too
many rooms, furnished straight out of a catalog. Saleye was an only child, and was living in her
own flat in the parents house. The relatives of the extended family were living in the surrounding
houses. They had everything they needed, and more: living in luxury and harmony, with a healthy
dose of solvable conflicts that were blown up to melodramatic episodes to spice up their lives.
The lives of their friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and colleagues were similar: predictable,
uneventful, stable, fixed.

But Saleye was growing increasingly anxious. She did not trust the outward contentment and peace. She was bored of the melodrama, of the predictability of all of their lives. She was longing for something “real”- “real” life – not sugarcoated, melodramatic luxury problems: and she was longing to be looking for it on PLANET EARTH, because she heard that that is where one could still find “real life.”

In order to reach her goal, she proceeded to go out more frequently to hang out in the vicinity of one of the big stars of the planet, who can travel the neighboring planets like planet earth for public relations: The stars contribute to the fame of the planet.
As was the purpose of hanging out with the stars, Saleye manages to sneak in with the entourage of the big star as someone to iron his undershirts. As one of his entourage she gets permission to travel to planet earth. And they are about to leave on a trip. Secretly she packs and sneaks out to the interplanetary airport...

As they arrive on planet earth, the star and his whole entourage are stopped by immigration. The star is the main focus of attention, but not because the officers are starstruck-- but because they don't recognize him and think he is a threat. They don't want to let him in.

Saleye gets nervous. She is not even supposed to be there, and now she is stuck in this situation!!! When the officer comes to her to question her, her heart is beating, her hands are shaking (but she can hide it), she feels as though sweat is running down her back. To mask it all, she decides to follow the melodramatic conventions she grew up with and is overly nice. She has a huge smile and is her most charming self, to not arouse suspicion.

As he questions her about her passport and permission to enter planet earth (even though he has her complete papers in his hand), she suddenly is taken over by reflexes. Before she realizes, her reflexes take over. She cannot control it, but finds herself looking him straight in the eyes, lifts her arms to frame her eyes and moves her neck and eyes right to left-

The officer's expression suddenly changes to open and friendly. She returns her papers and says “enjoy your stay on planet earth”! Confused about the sudden change in attitude Saleye takes her papers. Quickly she takes her belongings and swiftly proceeds into the world of planet earth.

But she remains to be confused.... what just happened? What caused his change of attitude?

Venturing out of the airport she gets confused where to go, she dances about the city, here and there until she is attracted by a store, that has familiar sounds, images, and smells--- an Indian grocery store.

As she wants to get something to eat and find out about a place to live, she finds out that she needs money for everything.

Saleye: Money- where should I get money from?

Shopkeeper: are you joking? You have to earn it!!!

Saleye: Earn money? How?

Shopkeeper: Uff, try getting a job! Here is the paper- here are the ads. I will even let you make a phone call!

So Saleye did. She found a job as a domestic help-- even with accommodation! Sooner than later she was on her way to the home of a rich immigrant family in the City of Angels. She commenced her job immediately.

On the first evening itself, the family sent her into the room of their daughter Ruwaxi.

Since she had not met her yet, she slowly quietly opens the door to Ruwaxi's room. Ruwaxi
jumped-- she had been lost in her books and studies or writing....

She turned around and stared at Saleye—thinking “who is this stranger in my room?” Ruwaxi got
shy, being looked at. (NOTE: it's to be worked out if now and here, or when they are elsewhere
together.)

Suddenly Saleye's reflexes took over again.... she started moving involuntarily... framing her eyes with her forearms, moving her eyes and neck side to side--- only to be witness to a wonder-some transformation in Ruwaxi.

What just Happened??

As they continue their journey, they will find out in due time....

TO BE CONTINUED....