Anna 

 ·     Wearing floral dresses – but wearing them in different ways. Makes me question if that’s on purpose? One has red socks that takes my focus
·      Music starts but stops quickly because they are uncertain
·      Rise from chairs and start at different times. Makes it seem like they are moving together (Like mountains falling and rising/peaks and valleys changing in flow movements)
·      Trajell comments that they shouldn’t get stuck looking down but should also face up, the dancers agree
·      Some of the dancers move at faster pace
·      Only some dancers
·      Unaffected by music change
·      Confusion in audience between the 2 overlapping contracting pieces of music
·      Initially seems like they are moving away from the chairs in groups but continue into further distance between them so it becomes clear they are all individuals
·      Their movements start to vary more. One dancer shakes upper body in a way that makes them seem very separate from the rest
·      Different facial expressions, one looks more focused than the rest
·      Moves to the piano music in a way that creates a big friction with the unmatching slow piano ambience
·      Use a big floor space but frequently huddle up
·      When the individual dancers get close to each other, seems like they are in their own world, but at the same time coordinated to each others movements: such that they are tuning into each other’s energy, but swiftly taps back out into themselves and moves on
·      Starts to huddle more together and I think they are about to do something totally different, but continue 
·      Music changes to electronic and their movements “step up a notch”>seems more alive.
·      One discretely disappears from stage and I keep anticipating their return
·      They now seem more like a cohesive unit, but with one at a time gradually drifting off which makes them all disperse again
·      Whereas they had before let the music guide them, they seem more focused when leaving the stage one at a time – the rest of the dancers are unaffected
·      Tip toing back in (wonder where they went)-runway inspired?
·      Suddenly you realize they are only 3 dancers left on stage
·      They start looking at each other not knowing what to do
·      Holds my attention when moving up and down in elevation with all similar hand movement
·      Discussing whether they return too quickly

Auguste

Ophelia

Costumes are hiding bodies
Movements up down, portraying depth through heads facing down
Intense facial expression like feeling music
Looks like they are moving through water, like wading
Layo and “single ladies” hand movement
Momentum continues even when silence occurs
Piano dissonance gives off disconcerting feel
Interesting head wobble
When side by side doing the same movement, creates large contrast to “randomness” of other people
Song played in reverse, or is that the actual song?
Tiptoe walk out, where did she go?
2 couples, similar hands, whole group similar hands
Very connected for a few moments, then passes
Exchange through exit, costume tucked in back
After they leave, two come out at the same time
Trajal=interactive, up there, helpful
See them as people
Impressionistic folk through the lens of butoh

Sharon

Najla

-Really raw painting

-Further developed from Tuesday’s showing

-Wow, there are costumes. How will this make a difference? will today’s showing be different than Tuesday’s?

-Black flowery dress. Open from the back

-Performers’ are sitting on black chairs

-dancers are gradually standing

-Standing, sitting, standing, sitting

-Music is off and they were just practicing

-Music played on again

-Movements are slow in motion

-Movements are similar in some ways but at different variations

-Dancers are in the same exact position. They did not change place

-Music is changed. Another type of music is played on. Music is smoother.

-Dancers are gradually moving away from their places but they did not move that much farther

-They are moving farther right now

-They are turning around

-Thier faces were facing us at the beginning with their eyes facing the ceiling or the floor; eyes are closed

-I can see some facial expressions on Ondrej’s face

-They are shaking their heads

-They formed a circle like formation

-Piano is playing and music is on the background. The piano is louder than the background music. -background music stopped

-Piano is still playing

-Some dancers are shaking faster than the other.

-They are dancing close to each other.

-Two dancers are performing same exact movement.

-Music is changed

-Dancers are in a circle again; they are coming closer to each other in the circle.

-One dancer is in the middle of the circle while the other dancers dancing outside the circle.

-The dancer that was in the middle left the stage

-Another dancer is in the middle of circle and the other dancers are at the sides

-Dancer in the middle left the stage

-Dancer who first left came back while the other dancer is leaving

-Dancers are shifting/exchanging  places(only four dancers are dancing); someone leaves the other come back.

-When dancers is leaving the stage, they walk on their toes. Plus, even when they come back to stage, they walk on their toes. INTERESTING

-They are back on the circle. Bending their knees and going down

-One hand is waving and circulating on the air.

-Trajal stopped them

-Head movement is inspired by the Butoh

-History of the costumes-he used this dress in another piece.

-Trajal wants to have a layer of change

Bunny

There is no devil yet informed.
I have no understanding of what they are talking about – shared vocabulary.
Same length dresses – look different on everyone.
White Church dreading
African American funeral lament ritual vibe
The red socks are too intense!!
Black dress, black background, long hair under dress.
Trajal-s comments change the mood.
“It starts with silence”
Ritual vs personal movement – what are their bodies following?
MUSIC IS A HUGE MOOD CHANGE EVERYTIME!
Placement in space, undulation.
they’re shaking now. Common space and movement.
Are they moving differently on purpose?
At some point an element of threat arrives.
Pace change often partners with synchronisation.
What is that third song? It strikes me really heavily.
Now it’s just 4 of them.
Pointed pacing style when leaving group – uniform, similar t. – TIP TOES.
They’re tying their dresses when they leave, this is so exciting.
Interesting pop culture reference feel now.
They change action so quickly after Trajal comments.

Eliza

-flowers on black veil floating around

I can maybe see a bit of Butoh or am I just stuck on seeing Kazu Ohno in every dance I see now?

-avoiding eye contact with audience

“I’m just gathering pieces together, I”m just holding myself, I’m living on stolen bread” – feels like they are all reliving whatever the song is saying

-seeing their uncovered (by their black floral gowns) back gives you a certain feeling of being placed into reality, a certain feeling of humanity.

-“lost in translation” kind of vibe

– a gentle swirl of Layo’s hand

-Francis gazing up, quite terrifying image

-gathering in the circle as some sort of ritual

-is  Medeea in all of them?

-Francis just left on her tiptoes, very elegantly after a terrifying gaze at the ceiling, feels like Medeea elegantly and silently leaving the country after killing all her beloved ones

-Vanya and Layo left as well and returned with their gowns tight up around their waist. They came back on their tiptoes,looking down, some sort of bossy attitude

-Why is Ondrej not doing the same thing? Why is he not leaving to tie up his gown?

Tori 

Little section, about 20 minutes

Working (like a rehearsal) and talkback

The Devil is in the Details → no details yet

Ondrej as Trajal again.

Bench formation – two upstage, three downstage

Costume- flowery dress, black with pink flowers

Beginning – sitting, arms and feet moving

Wave- they called it “threading” i think

Slowly standing → levels

Pauses between music → no Trajal didn’t like it

I love the open rehearsal atmosphere

While Trajal is working on music → dancers work out movement, practice, chat

Trajal: change music + giving notes

Starts with silence, this time is less together than before – is that intentional?

Volume of music → tempo of dancing, increased,  not necessarily to beat?

Difference in fluidity of arm movement → levels of arms

Moving away from benches, dissonance in music, facing away from center and audience

Back to study from Tuesday, different types of moving

Shaking
Bouncing
Swaying
Shimmying

Music layered – classical piano + lyrics, lyrics faded away only piano now

Still a bit dissonant

Getting closer together

Head movement → Butoh

Song 3- is it backwards?? Different language??

Circle closer together

Circle broke when Frances went into the middle

Frances left??? She just walked off stage left???

Vania left now and Frances is back!! And now layo left and Vania is back!!

Slowly zipping dresses

Looks like halfway? Or just the cut of the dress?

And there goes Maria….Layo isn’t back yet→ costume troubles??

Oh they’re both back now yay

So now Ondrej is the only one who is completely open…

Levels – crouching low together rotating arm in air

Moving with costume → flowy

CONTROL THE FLOW!!!

Element of c o o l

(End of performance)

Yuki

How Movements Make Meaning — 2nd O’Medea Rehearsal

–   Further development from the previous one

–   Flowery costume, with black as foundation and white+pink+red flowers drawing on it

   •    Two people has a costume with open back, the other three has closed back costume

   •    Betamo

–   Really engaged the discussion

–   Butoh elements in included in the piece

First song (with male vocal)

–   Somehow the same flow along 5 people  (eyes close since from the beginning) but still the motion was somehow distinguishes between each other

   •    Requires individuality to show through

–   “gather in pieces” one person start going apart from the other person

–   Does not care about even when the music stops

2nd song (piano)

–   Trying not to reveal the other side of the skirt (don’t really understand what’s the purpose for not letting the costume have some natural flow )

–   Emphasis on the level and the speed of the standing and shifting right and left part

–   shakey hand, toes’ movement, and the right-left movement has increased its speed as the process goes on

–   The people standing behind first started moving away their original position, then the people in the front role as well

–   The overall standing position is like a “X”

–   Two people has exceptionally shaking shoulders

–   After disorganizing the previous standing position, it shifts to a “O.” And another cycle again

–   Constantly adjusting the speed

–   Whenever Ondrej is, there will be a moment that his motion will be the same as the outermost dancer

Third song (with female vocal)

–   A person has left from the stage, interruptly (walking with toes) —> 3 times

   •    The two people who left at the second time and third time returned back together

–   Hands up down and body forward and backward movements more

–   More like having a ritual ceremony

–   Gathered and separate again

–   Hands started having circular motion

–   Did not lift up their feet, instead standing on the same spot but the movements from the upper body (mostly their waist) still goes on

P.S. during the rehearsal (not the performance), their atmosphere were still pretty relax and playful

Ideas about this piece:

– really different form the last piece as in last one is more like wanting to join, but this one is more like a bystander

Daniel

Katrin

O! Medea Final Notes

·         They are still not working with details

·         Developed version of what we saw on Tuesday

·         The dancers are putting on dresses with flowers on them; each dancer has the same dresses as the rest

·         They are sitting on chair

·         Start performing without music

·         The music starts shortly after they have started moving

·         Three of the dancers are sitting in the front, the other two- behind them

·         Moving their bodies with eyes closed

·         Standing up/ some of them stay seated

·         Trajal is ‘guiding’ them/showing them in what way he prefers for them to do certain moves with their bodies

·         They move their hands slowly; their shoulder and rocking from side to side

·         4 of the dancers are standing up

·         They continue dancing after the first song has finished playing

·         Starts another song

·         Each dancer moves with their own tempo

·         Two of them step away/ move away from the chair where they we sitting

·         All of them start spreading around the space

·         Two stay on the left side of the stage

·         The other three are on the right side of the stage

·         Two of the dancers perform similar movements – shaking their shoulders next to each other, one facing the front, the other with their back towards the audience

·         The dancing intensifies in contrast to the music (piano)

·         All of the dancers are shaking their heads and shoulders at the same time

·         One of them is with their right hand in the air

·         There is something ritualistic about their repetitive movements, enchanting

·         Another song starts playing

·         Three, than four, than all five of them have their right hand up in the air

·         One of the dancers exits stage right by walking on their tip toes as if on a runway

·         Two hands in the air

·         Another dancer exits in the same direction as the first one, switching places with the first dancer who was to exit- she enters now again

·         The second dancer to leave stage right comes back while simultaneously another one exits again stage right

·         Fourth dancer exits

·         Three dancers are left on stage dancing in circle in the same ritualistic manner

·         Two of the dancers enter from backstage and join the rest in the circle

·         All of them now are crouching in a circle slowly moving their right hand up and down the air

·         End of performance

·         Trajal advices the dancers on how to perform certain body movements

·         They repeat those movements in the last bit of the performance where standing in a circle facing each other

·         The head movements are inspired by butoh dance

·         Trajal: previously has used the flower dress costume for a solo piece of his that was staged last April

·         To see that each of the performers is a person of their own, Trajal claims each and all of them have their own personal story lying behind the layers of costumes

·         Impressionist type of dance performance

·         It is perceived as a departure for Trajal

·         ‘What you see is not realistic, it is filtered, hazy’ – Trajal

·         Walking out on and off stage is another layer of the dance piece

·         Trajal’s dance pieces are most of the time runway shows with the difference that this particular one ( O! Medea) is unconventional in a way

·         It is consists of two layers: one is the dance itelf, the other is the meaning of the dance, what the dance conveys

Stalina

1) Dancers put the dresses on, which makes their appearance more performative. 

2) They start to prepare themselves: seating, warming up and discussing some moments. 

3) Music is on. They start to move like the animals with their bodies, hands and legs, sometimes also moving up.

4) Music stops. Trajal gives a suggestion to go up more often. 

5) They start again, their movements are very soft.

6) They bring themselves up and slowly move away from their places, surrounding the seats, creating sort of groups  

7)  Their movements alter to the sharp and worried ones, but the principle is still the same

8) It feels like they are lost and trying to find themselves

9) The song changes, they become more energetic, but still mysterious. 

10) One of the dancer leaves, others create the shape similar to a square

11) Another artist leaves and the previous one comes back, they cross each other in a modelling way, it reminds me of a runway. 

12) Artists are coming and going away.

13) One more dancer leaves but the person behind the stage is not coming back

14) Three other dancers continue moving in a triangle shape and a minute later two of them behind the stage come back. 

15) They continue moving but noticeably go down in a sitting position

16) Sometimes they are rising up.

17) They raise one hand up and slightly circle it 

18) Trajal stops the music, showing the funny way they are doing it with a hand

18) Everyone laughs 

19) The music starts, they try the last part again and they are better in their movements now.

Laura