rogue rehearsals

An amusing detail came to mind this morning - something that hadn't ever actually occurred to me until, while monitoring the pour on a ristretto, somebody asked me where we are conducting our weekly workshops. Until recently we had been exploiting the availability of Alex's studio space in Kew. However, recent changes in circumstance have opened the divide between Kew and Brunswick, rendering the journey a logisitical nightmare. This forced a scouring of local studios and dance training spaces. A searched that produced not a single available space. David only recently moved to a new place in Thornbury, but had been living in a block of units in Fitzroy. They had a pool and (!!!) a small studio space, with proper wooden floors even. So, every Monday and Thursday we sneak in via the side entry and use the space. It isn't exactly breaking and entering, nor a breach of anyone's personal space - but i like the feeling that we are like rogue artists, stealing into abandoned studios where we can put together our weird little productions. We have to bring our own lanterns to illuminate the space, as there is no power available to the space. There is, indeed, something Dead Poets about the situation.

What else to share at this point? I try to be as 'free' in my musings here; it is difficult to completely forget the fact that this blog is publicly available. The journal tends to the performative. I am a little concerned at the moment about a few impending distractions - David is having a baby in July, and Daniella is going to Las Vegas for the duration of the same month. The work seems to be developing very nicely, with everybody contributing at workshops and the "fuck around" time at a minimum. There has been less time dedicated to 'exercises' and 'warm ups' this time around, which is interesting. My patience with the repetitive task of improvisations and visualisations seems to have waned. The emphasis is on the building of scenes, with extended breaks to explore body postures and gestural landscapes as need presents itself. How this will affect the product, only time can reveal. But we have reached the point where i must utter those three terrifying little words - the choreography needs it and very soon: "Learn your lines." This has the potential to completely disrupt the work we have produced thus far - but it could also be the missing ingredient for allowing the performers to become completely immersed in the work. Some other edits will need to be made, but that is luxury of having started developing so far in advance - there is room to think, plan and make decisions.