Today was a busy day: each group presented the pieces that they worked on Monday. The ensemble nature of the group is crucial during presentations because as any of you that have worked with middle school students there are always absences for one reason or another. So to start of we had all the groups stand apart and then had all the people that weren't here on monday stand in the middle. And groups just grabbed whoever they wanted until all were gone, absorbed into a group. This was key because some groups had members that helped create the work on Monday that weren't there today. You need to create a system to allow this ebb and flow to deal with this age group. Then they spent 1/2 hour in their different locations preparing their movement sequences that responded to the architecture of the that space and imbued it with what we have decided to call "the sense of the sacred, because some student told me there was no such word as sacredness. Don't know if that's true or not, but when she suggested this phrase the rest liked it so we went with it.
After a half hour we performed. Each group got to decide where the audience sat to view their piece. It was amazing to witness their creations. Each group was so different and each really incorporated the specifics of their environment into their pieces. After each presentation the audience told what struck them and what impressions they had. This is a critical and difficult process in devising work, for it is impossible to remember or to take down in note form every thing people say. I have tried recording their ideas on a digital recorder but I found it cumbersome. Instead, I do two things. One, is I do try and take notes of things that students say that strike my ear. The other is I tell the students I can't hold on to everything and that if something really strikes them it is up to them to take note of it. If we had more time I would have everyone write something, but in a 90 minute session, just getting the devising and the performances done is enough. And this is middle school and not everyone wants to write--they love to move and talk after a full day of school. I will probably add Tuesdays/Thursdays in a few weeks to allow for kids interested in writing to meet. More on that later.
Here are some things we noted from these performances: A lot of the groups had something or someone that was hidden in their movements (the group that created in the auditorium seats had concealed themselves behind seats in a fascinating use of the architecture) and this struck quite a few of the students. They also saw that the thing that was sacred was often stolen or coveted by others; that there was a sense of mystery to the rituals and movements created; that there was someone or group that needed to guard the sacred place and protect it; and finally that once you leave a sacred place you can never return.
These are timeless themes for sure that grew out of their work. I am excited about them and where we will go next. I will post some photos of their work in the next few days and I will let you know my plan for the next session in the next entry.
After a half hour we performed. Each group got to decide where the audience sat to view their piece. It was amazing to witness their creations. Each group was so different and each really incorporated the specifics of their environment into their pieces. After each presentation the audience told what struck them and what impressions they had. This is a critical and difficult process in devising work, for it is impossible to remember or to take down in note form every thing people say. I have tried recording their ideas on a digital recorder but I found it cumbersome. Instead, I do two things. One, is I do try and take notes of things that students say that strike my ear. The other is I tell the students I can't hold on to everything and that if something really strikes them it is up to them to take note of it. If we had more time I would have everyone write something, but in a 90 minute session, just getting the devising and the performances done is enough. And this is middle school and not everyone wants to write--they love to move and talk after a full day of school. I will probably add Tuesdays/Thursdays in a few weeks to allow for kids interested in writing to meet. More on that later.
Here are some things we noted from these performances: A lot of the groups had something or someone that was hidden in their movements (the group that created in the auditorium seats had concealed themselves behind seats in a fascinating use of the architecture) and this struck quite a few of the students. They also saw that the thing that was sacred was often stolen or coveted by others; that there was a sense of mystery to the rituals and movements created; that there was someone or group that needed to guard the sacred place and protect it; and finally that once you leave a sacred place you can never return.
These are timeless themes for sure that grew out of their work. I am excited about them and where we will go next. I will post some photos of their work in the next few days and I will let you know my plan for the next session in the next entry.
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