quodlibet

96dpi

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:41:03 +0100

96dpi

visualizing theory

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:16:00 +0100

a diagram of structuralist/post-structuralist routes to ‘meaning’:

languisity

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:20:38 +0100

languisity

"it’s not something i prefer to discuss, but i knew i had lost before the final throw."

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:19:32 +0100

“it’s not something i prefer to discuss, but i knew i had lost before the final throw.”

- bryan bennet, 2nd, rock paper scissors world series.

guardian weekend photo feature on people who didn’t win, but came second.

behind the times

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:32:00 +0100

sheila sent me details of janet lansdale’s forthcoming book: «decentring dancing texts: the challenge of interpreting dances»

Decentring is a term used both in dance and in critical theory. […] The absence of a directed structure for the spectator invited instead a multiplicity of co-existing perspectives. The lack of a centre is also typical of writings in new theories of post-structuralism

[…]

The contributors use insights from web-based theories of hypertextuality to analyse the making of new television dance and to construct the spectator as co-creator of meaning in the work, with the original maker.

reading the introduction [pdf] , i sense flawed reasoning from lansdale. intertexts are not hypertexts; yet the sample chapter implies a convergent relationship.

with a blindness to existing texts, lansdale claims:

Few scholars have written on these relationships [intertextuality hypertextuality], a notable exception being George Landow in the field of literary criticism in relation to hypertextuality (1992; 1997). None has addressed the performing arts.

head over to hyperchoreography for evidence to the contrary. lansdale’s research is hopelessly out-of-date.

i will write a review once the text is published.

mutoscope

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:52:04 +0100

mutoscope:

do-it-yourself flipbook from video, using after effects (project file included). reminds me of «microflicks».

via make

kyle webster via swissmiss

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:35:47 +0100

kyle webster

via swissmiss

seri*

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:36:11 +0100

seri*

via

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:29:00 +0100

simon sent me a link to zotero, a mozilla firefox referencing extension/system. after using it for a week, i’d recommend it to students.

you might also want to look at:

portable firefox [os x or vista/xp/2000] - usb stick (no install, portable) version.
context search - “expands the context menu’s ‘search for’ item into a list of installed search engines”.
quote url text - copies selected text to the clipboard including page title, location (url) and date

my browser of choice is safari, with the following referencing sites/applications:

jabref - bibtex citation manager
ottobib - creates citations from isbn numbers.
leech - download manger that embeds source url [€9.95].

need a quick/easy citation solution? try citation machine (mla/apa/turabian/chicago), it also gives ‘in text’ references.

reynolds number

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:11:00 +0100

most artists/students have a limited understanding of choreographic principles. this lack of applied knowledge is usually dismissed as irrelevant; ‘traditional’ forms are outdated. each artist should find their own approach.

we can observe this trend in the way choreography/composition is taught. the focus is on inspiration (and its embodiment/realization), followed by manipulation (extending/developing the initial movement).

the use of compositional devices to manipulate material, is considered a ‘lesser’ skill. devices imply a lack of creativity, and ‘known’ results. students are rarely given the skills, or time, to develop compositional expertise. this is reflected in their poor usage and adaptation of basic devices.

the best/worst example of flawed understanding is ‘chance’. popularized (in dance) by merce cunningham, most people believe chance procedures create ‘random’ movement. but rather than unpredictable events, they result in probabilistic (predictable) outcomes. few students realize that discrete movements and space-time (paths) should undergo chance operations.

the confusion is due to dance ‘borrowing’ composition terminology from other art-forms. in music, chance (aleatoric) is clearly differentiated from indeterminacy. in translating the concept/theory to movement, the core philosophy has been lost.

limited exposure to compositional devices, means students don’t discover what’s been ‘lost in translation’. a canon is (can be) more than a delayed movement phrase. a ‘perfect’ canon (in dance) should not refer only to the performance. the content of the canon should be equalling compelling. but who/where focuses on that kind of skill?

consider the different types of looping:

loop
reverse loop
growing loop
shrinking loop
shifting loop (positive /negative)
palindrome loop
compound loop

you could manipulate a singe phrase, or find the ‘best’ phrase for each loop type. neither approach should be considered an absolute, both provide applied (experiential) knowledge. a firm grasp of technique can lead to intuitive, but inspired choices.

rejecting the ‘traditional’ requires creating the contemporary. but when was the last time you heard of a ‘new’ compositional device. all works have a structure; compositional devices are inevitable.

we discard technical skills for the sake of self expression. but spurting fountains of (unbridled) creativity, tend to make the ‘same’ mess. artist should be able to shape their ‘flow’.

peakoverload

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:10:42 +0100

peakoverload

building blocks

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:19:03 +0100

how many compositional devices can you name, explain and utilise?

do you consider them ‘basics’ to be learned and left behind, or are they fundamental to your practice.

we tend to concentrate on the artistic ‘self’, and trust the work will reveal ‘itself’. but is this true?

dissertation 101

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:18:03 +0100

dissertation 101: what not to do …

«ellie’s love theme» (1971) - issac hayes...

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:02:00 +0100

«ellie’s love theme» (1971) - issac hayes [3’15”].

this is an audio post

quadratiges

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:48:03 +0100

quadratiges

grey male

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:04:39 +0100

grey male

post-structuralist dance

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:04:00 +0100

doug fox asked me for examples of post-structuralist dance. but few artists make post-structuralist work; contemporary practice is usually postmodern, with features of post-structuralism.

instead of video, i’ll give a basic overview of post-structuralist trends. understand the principles, and you can observe/discover examples for yourself. listen to what artists say about their process/work, and how they want you to engage with it.

structuralism

in structuralism, meaning is contained within the practice/object. as such it holds a fundamental truth for all readers. a detailed and isolated observation of the object, will lead to comprehension of meaning. the creator of an object directly authors its meaning.

post-structuralism

in post-structuralism meanings are found by the reader, and outside the practice/object. links a reader makes between objects, result in subjective shifting ‘truths’. the social, cultural, historical contexts of the reader, will affect the meanings and ‘truths’ they find. in the absence of an absolute position, readings can be self contradictory.

the creator of an object, looses total ‘authorship’ but not relevance. whilst they do not write the ‘true meaning’, their personal contexts have affected the creation of the object. examining the various facets of an ‘artists’ life leads us to more readings and ‘truths’.

artist (performer) audience

post-structuralism remind the artist that they are not the only location of meaning. both audience and performer actively interpret and create meanings. every individual will find something different in the work. artists exploit this situation to avoid (over) explaining their work.

the de-centering of meaning/truth is not restricted to personal contexts. physical contexts also lead to divergent meanings. e.g., being able to perform ballet vocabulary will affect your reading of a ballet. even location has an impact; seeing a work at ‘eye level’ you may not notice the patterns a ‘birds-eye view’ gives. each view, and your perception of other audience members, will result in different readings.

alongside these concerns, artists must reconsider how they make objects. in the absence of a universal ‘truth’, each work much be approached uniquely. the artist strive to understand the ‘self’ and how it affects their reading/writing of objects.

central to this understanding of ‘self’ is a deconstructive and phenomenological approach. the artist ‘deconstructs’ objects and their links (intertexts) to observe how they experience them (the phenomena of being). this leads to a multitude of interrelated meanings and ‘truths’. the artist will then synthesize their ‘truth’/meaning/phenomena links into a new collection of objects (the work). then they helps the performer(s) find their own ‘self’, meanings and ‘truths’ within the work.

artists ‘authors’ the score/structure, performers ‘author’ their performance, audiences ‘author’ their own meanings from the performance and structure.

locating contexts

the rejection of ‘traditional’ methods/forms is postmodernist, rather than post-structuralist. for the post-moderns, all methods are of equal value and be exploited. for the post-structuralist, personal experience/context is more important than method/form.

divergent use of other disciplines terminology (as a form of metalanguage), is post-structuralist. the intention is to (re)claim new readings/’truths’ from structuralist knowledge, and build new intertexts.

deconstruction for critique (taking apart to find new readings) is different to compositional deconstruction (taking apart to reorder), and deconstructivist choreography (disrupting the form/structure but retaining function).

in dance theory, post-structuralism is used to re-read/re-write critical perspectives. cultural, historical, social, political and gender narratives, have been foregrounded to offer alternative ‘truths’. however, this type of study is also dependent on postmodern theory and concepts.

further reading

Belsey, C., (2002). Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction.
Burt, R., (2007). The Male Dancer:Bodies, Spectacle, Sexualities [2nd Edition].
Lepecki, A., (2006). Exhausting Dance: Performance and the Politics of Movement.
Martusewicz, R., (2001). Seeking Passage: Post-structuralism, Pedagogy, Ethics.
Midgelow, L., (2008) Reworking the Ballet: Counter-Narratives and Alternative Bodies.

transmission

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:57:29 +0100

audiences are not passive. an experienced performer will acknowledge (in some manner) the audience. therefore, most performances are interactive. this (in very general terms) is what post-structuralism and intertextuality teach us.

just ‘turning up’ means you contribute to the performance. that’s not to say your contribution is significant. it simply means that you are never a passive, detached, or direct recipient of a works meaning/content. the location of your seat affects your view, and within that visual field your eye wanders. there is no ‘single’ audience perspective.

an artist/choreograper (author) may use audience actions to trigger pre-determined responses. this gives the impression of increased interactivity, but only the ‘right’ cues will be have an effect. the cues can be general (mirror movement) or specific (do x when you see y), but the structure (score, choreography) is already in place.

say we have a dance work in which the audience vote via text for what happen next. after a section of dancing the audience are given 3 options for what happens next. if this occurs five times the total number of possible sequences is 243 (3^5).

if the audience can select the order of a set (n) of sequences (without repetition), then the total number of permutations is n!. e.g. if a dance have five sections, there are 120 permutations (5!).

in both cases, the audience is responding to the structure. this is no more interactive than the audience of a ‘set’ work, or the call and response in a pantomime. (oh no it isn’t, oh yes it is …).

interaction is smoke and mirrors engagement. you (subserviently) learn the structure of participation or/and are blind to effect of your actions. the allure of the word leads to you believe you are ‘empowered’. the audience is always in a position on power, but all too often they (willingly) give it up.

ever tried to leave, or get on the ‘stage’ in a work that attempts to remove the barrier between audience and performer. your freedom to interact/engage is limited, and usually under the guise of ‘heath and safety’.

all interactions follow rules/structures; they can be predefined, or emerge over time. every performance setting has rules, and few people disrupt/challenge them.

katcolorado

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:57:57 +0100

katcolorado

dismayed of dulwich

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:11:25 +0100

dear dance company/choreographer

i find your dvd’s a little lacking, the ‘special features’ are especially disappointing. for example, where is the choreographers/dancers/dramaturges commentary so i can ‘watch with them’?

how about real rehearsal/development footage that shows your process. or at least teach the cast/crew to act more convincingly. please can we have a proper trailer, with non patronizing voiceovers and fewer jump-cuts.

once you have fed us the marketing pitch (trailer), how about an 8 min excerpt without edits or voiceover. the excerpt should also be available online (for free), and at ‘high’ quality (e.g. vimeo).

make the special features more engaging, share the process of making costumes, set, lighting (etc.). watch some mainstream dvd’s for ‘ideas’, and to see ‘what works’. dance bloopers belong on you’ve been framed.

adding educational content to the dvd? don’t forget undergraduate dance students need resources. make sure there is a transcript of any voiceovers/commentaries.

finally, please make the dvd easy to buy (e.g. performance, amazon, specialist retailer) and reasonably priced.

thank you