Bodies in Space
It was a fun, challenging October making things with friends. I've been busy helping out with movement for two very different genres of theatre, and it's been quite fun comparing the two in terms of style & methods.
The first is ensemble movement for scenes in Macbeth, which makes use of huge numbers of bodies to create epic tableauxs. And these numbers are made out of students who are not used to activating their bodies, much less perform. So, how do I lead them towards movement in a way that doesn't overwhelm them?
After abit of experimenting, I realise it all boiled down to simple movements that were multiplied & echoed. And don't expect them to create, but rather to repeat. When the ensemble is still learning to listen, it's harder for them to play, much less to make. Making them repeat and recreate takes the burden off them, while training them to be in control of their bodies and at the same time, listen to each other. That's how movement can still have an impact both in the process and the work, while taking the abilities of the students in consideration.
The other project is a show for young audiences, which involves alot more detailed work, and with trained actors. Now, this one is more about dynamic movement stemming from gestures and internal rhythms of the two main characters.
This is where I have the most fun, because it's just such a joy to see the actors discover the characters through the body and, as with all TYA shows, they are always damm cute. And that discovery forms the foundation of the movement sequences, which adds so much more nuance to their characters even as it adds a sense of rhythm to the show.
The challenge, if anything, was the amount of time we had to develop the sequences, and in that same vein, keep the physical language consistent throughout the show. There was so much tweaking and adjusting involved as the show grew, but I was privileged to have such a collaborative partner in my director and beautiful actors that were intuitive and playful and ready to take it on.
It's just so exciting to see an articulated need for movement direction, which is ever so slightly different from choreography. It was one of the few things I was interested to study as my MA way back when, but demand for it had not quite surfaced in SG. Now that things are picking, and more people are creating a bigger a range of works, maybe movement direction will prove useful in multitude of ways. Hopefully these two projects will be the start of a journey towards this area of interest. What a fruitful start it is!
