Lo Bil : spontaneity & form
Choreographer / Performer
Goal:
To distinguish a way of working that will enable re–entry into the world of an “Action” even within improvsational performance.
To develop Actions particularly for a performance in three months.
To work on physical states within an Action.
NB Lo’s use of the word “Action” encompasses the complex interdependence of activities and states within the world of the performance or section and the pathways into it.
Beginning with:
10 “Actions”
A developed personal process to prepare long durational performances.
A strong body of knowledge of her own improvisational performance and her experience within it as a performance process.
Desires:
Wants exploration and physical identification of state to open up places of imagery or physical possibility.
Wants to plumb knowledge of mentors who are dance artists to apply to her own performance practice, to gain alternate perspectives and tools.
Questions from mentors:
When in process/creation do you have a third eye? Can you turn it off and on at will?
As a performer you deliver engaging material. In performance do you know what you want to deliver as a creator? Target? Draw audience into a personal experience?
How do we know what we are experiencing without language? It is possible.
Challenges:
Over intellectualization and hyper–consciousness when feeling blocked.
To find similarities and differences between dance practice and your performance practice.
Be precise with physical performance.
Discovery:
Long concentrated periods of practice better for her than short periods. Is it because it is known or more comfortable or because she actually creates better pieces from it.
General Observations:
Lo’s art-making is aligned to dance and physical performance techniques rather than theatre text art or performance art that comes from the visual art field. Inspiration and impulse comes from somatic information and sensation that elucidates movement and text.
To Practice:
Experience continuous here and now, as a performer and creator.
Drop into at state immediately, drop out of state, repeat with different states.
Do an action and notice the different states within the action.
Strategies to generate and develop material:
Let go of the identification “action” (theme), and explore individual “states” as a way to develop dependable entry points.
Improvise, then note the physical and choreographic aspects that stayed with you.
Use imagery as an outside trigger and as a way to associate with one’s physical imagination.
Cycle through a few states to develop them.
Move for two hours with pure movement (no language). When noticing a drift away from pure movement, return to pure movement.
What next:
After a rehearsal or performance, take a moment to reflect on what you actually felt you were doing in terms of your corporal body (muscles bones breath seeing hearing weight, skin feeling). Let it go, eventually it will hone your ability to know the details of your moving self.
ABOUT : LO BIL (2017) defines her work as performance research. She is an accomplished performance artist creating installation works that originate in physicality of imagination and presentation. Her work is presented regularly in Toronto (recent presenters include Rhubarb, Harbourfront, FADO, Gibraltor Point, OCADU, Across Oceans Arts). Cooperations with artists in Berlin, Montreal, South Carolina and other locations continue to expand her perceptions and responses.
