Dell Arte: Week 10

Well, week ten was wrapped up awhile ago and our task was Dramatic Acrobatics and to present our finished mask on Tuesday.

Mask went well.  We got up and played around in them.  As the playing commenced, all of us realized that the masks became much more alive if their movements were exaggerated and large.  This allowed the actions to be clear and precise. When the masks were following an action or need they became alive as well. Aimless wandering has no value whatsoever.

Dramatic Acrobatics was a p-lab that I thoroughly enjoyed.  We divided in groups of 5-8. The group I was in had 8.  We worked on this p-lab for two weeks.  The task that at hand was that we develop a movement piece without text.  Music is possible.  The movement is only to be used with what we already have learned in our repertory, no new "tricks" were to be learned specifically for this piece.  This was a challenge for our group because we had some skilled acrobats and circus artists and it was easy to fall back into them to develop a piece.  BUT we came back to the task and it was all good.

Once we had a pieces of movement put together, the technical stuff was in much need of some TLC.  To make these movements mean something, the quality of the movement had to be looked at and verbs such as push and pull were applied.  As well as where our eyes were looking.  Once our eyes looked at each other, the piece instantly became more interesting.  Eyes people, it's where it's at!  

This was my favorite p-lab we did in the first ten weeks.  Because it brought everything we have been working on into a piece, breath, acrobatics, second-circle work, playing with the music, etc.  I loved the idea that this piece was NOT to tell a story, NO NARRATIVE.  That through our physical movements, it is possible that the audience is inspired by a movement they see that reminded them of something in their life, an image, a feeling, whatever.  But that the audience is alive in the movement as much as you are.  That it doesn't matter how we feel in the piece, that our simply being present, breathing, and eye contact is all that is needed to pair the movement to inspire.

This was a good close for me for the end of the first 10 weeks.  I left feeling more confident and ready for the journey ahead.