Please learn about
Ann Moradian's Perspectives In Motion
on our new website:
https://annmoradian.wordpress.com
Classes, Workshops and Retreats
are all found on:
Friday, September 4, 2020
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Ann Moradian's "Meaningful Questions" on Liveable Future
What three questions do YOU have? These are Ann's:
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Liveable Future: Meaningful Conversations
Ann Moradian in conversation with Gonzalo Munoz, Shriji Arwind Singh Mewar and Camila Amaya-Castro, co-founder with Sebastian Gaggero of Liveable Future
Friday, February 21, 2020
Dancing-Moving-Knowing
with Hiie Saumaa (Institute Fellow), and Lynn Matluck Brooks, Kiko Mora, and Ann Moradian at the Institute for Ideas & Imagination at Columbia Global Center - Paris, April 16, 2019.
- What does the moving body reveal?
- What can we know about the world and our selves through the body?
- And what is the nature and value of this knowledge?
These are some of the questions raised during the roundtable discussion, Dancing-Moving-Knowing, co-organized by Columbia Global Centers, Paris and Columbi Institute for Ideas & Imagination.
In putting this program together, Institute Fellow Hiie Saumaa was committed to bringing the moving body to this conversation, and made space for us to integrate simple experiential practices throughout. After “tuning in” by bringing attention to the breath and subtle sensations, participants said they were more aware of tension, and more sensitive – “even more sensitive to your words.”
Our moderator, Kiko Mora, dance historian and Professor of Semiotics of Advertising and Culture at the university of Alicante (Spain), opened the evening by pointing out astutely, "What is of interest here tonight is less 'What knowledge can do for the body' and much more 'What can the body do for knowledge?'"
Saumaa is a dance scholar, writer,and somatic movement educator, who thinks of herself as a “somatic researcher” both when she is teaching movement, and when she is in the archives digging through historic artifacts. In both situations, she says, she brings a somatic, or “felt sense” of the body with her as a way of gathering information about how she feels, what she senses, images that arise, and what is being learned. She uses her somatic awareness even in choosing which materials to focus on in her research.
Dance historian and educator, Lynn Matluck Brooks, also applies her embodied knowledge as a Laban Movement Analyst, choreographer, performer, and critic, to her research. In order to make sense of the traces that remain “from the great flux of history,” she looks for “body shape, center of gravity, stability and mobility, movement qualities, the ranking of movement according to power structures, and social-group identification and class,” which, she said, are “often indicated by the degree of control over the body.” She also highlighted the influence scientific developments can have on cultural ideas and expressions, including dance.
Like Saumaa, she brings her own body to the experience. She described her first exposure to real, rather than digital documents in Seville, Spain, as “thrilling.” It was as if, she explained, she were holding hands across time through the physical page she was holding that had been touched and signed by the choreographer. “To me, that created a link across 300 years,” she concluded.
Saumaa raised many questions throughout the evening, for both the audience and the panelists. One of these was: How can this individual experience of our body’s intelligence and knowledge relate to the larger picture of our communities, our global world, and beyond? This is a powerful and important question.
From my perspective as a movement artist, with research interests in systems thinking, ecology, mythology, cultural transformation,and mindful movement, I highlighted the often overlooked fact that we are always in relation. When we move with mindful awareness, over time we develop not just emotional empathy, but a physical empathy – which can sometimes come across to our dancers or students as if we were reading their minds, when in fact we are simply reading their bodies through our own.
Mindful movement is a way to practice bringing conscious awareness to the information available within our bodies and within the world around us. Leading the group through a balancing exercise gave an experiential sense of dynamic balance. This is a key concept within systems thinking. Science today understands that living systems use information from within and from without in cycles of feedback, processing,and response in order to navigate, grow, and evolve. The body holds this knowledge, which can become potently apparent as we practice moving with awareness, and the depth of our awareness increases with experience over time.
I pointed to the example of group movement improvisation, where we can practice encountering the unforeseen. Over time, our response can evolve from one of stress and cognitive shut-down to a more open, conscious,and creative response. For many movement practitioners, this becomes a playful collaborative adventure. In today’s uncertain and unpredictable world, these are important and useful skills to have.
The field of 'Body Studies,' Mora said, is an inherently "trans-disciplinary investigation that includes sociology, economics, philosophy, bio-politics, semiotics, history, anthropology, and the arts." it also includes biology, physiology, ecology, psychology, physics, and somatics. It is a vast, and truly multidisciplinary subject that merits further attention. The thoughtful responses and contributions from the audience underline its timeliness.
The field of 'Body Studies,' Mora said, is an inherently "trans-disciplinary investigation that includes sociology, economics, philosophy, bio-politics, semiotics, history, anthropology, and the arts." it also includes biology, physiology, ecology, psychology, physics, and somatics. It is a vast, and truly multidisciplinary subject that merits further attention. The thoughtful responses and contributions from the audience underline its timeliness.
--
Ann Moradian
Please contact Perspectives In Motion for the full transcript.
Please contact Perspectives In Motion for the full transcript.
Somatics (definition): Thomas Hanna, who coined the termed, defined somatics as “the body experienced from within.”
Video link:
Institute for Ideas and Imagination
Columbia Global Center I Paris
Friday, January 10, 2020
Dancing Through Time and Space
August 11-15, 2020 <-- Cancelled (rescheduling for 2021)
Ute Lodge, Colorado
Atmospheric scientist and geologist Scott Denning and yogi and movement artist Ann Moradian join forces once again to offer this exceptional 5-day retreat that combines stargazing (we have timed this to catch the annual Perseids meteor shower), geology hikes, yoga, breathing and guided movement practices. This is an immersive exploration of the natural world that spans scales from the birth of the universe in deep time, through geological time, to the incoming and outgoing breath of the current moment that sustains each of us.
Nested in this almost private haven under the dark night skies of the new moon in the Rocky Mountains (about one-hour from Meeker, Colorado), we'll nourish and replenish body, mind and soul. This year, we have the luxury of shared meals, skillfully prepared for us by our hosts with local organic produce.
Program costs include organic locally grown vegetarian food and housing (transportation not included):
$1400/person (Private room, double occupancy)
$1000/person (shared room)
$ 900/person (tent camping/single occupancy,
reduction for double occupancy)
For more information and many more details, please click here.
Ute Lodge, Colorado
Nourishing body, mind and soul with dark night sky stargazing, geology hikes in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, daily yoga, breathing practices and guided movement...
Atmospheric scientist and geologist Scott Denning and yogi and movement artist Ann Moradian join forces once again to offer this exceptional 5-day retreat that combines stargazing (we have timed this to catch the annual Perseids meteor shower), geology hikes, yoga, breathing and guided movement practices. This is an immersive exploration of the natural world that spans scales from the birth of the universe in deep time, through geological time, to the incoming and outgoing breath of the current moment that sustains each of us.
Nested in this almost private haven under the dark night skies of the new moon in the Rocky Mountains (about one-hour from Meeker, Colorado), we'll nourish and replenish body, mind and soul. This year, we have the luxury of shared meals, skillfully prepared for us by our hosts with local organic produce.
Program costs include organic locally grown vegetarian food and housing (transportation not included):
$1400/person (Private room, double occupancy)
$1000/person (shared room)
$ 900/person (tent camping/single occupancy,
reduction for double occupancy)
Monday, November 25, 2019
Movement Improvisation Workshop
 |
| © Moradian and Vanagas. |
Saturday, November 30th
from 3-6:30pm
from 3-6:30pm
Tenri Cultural Center
8-12 rue Bertin Poirée (downstairs)
Paris 75001
Participation: 35 euros
(sliding scale available if needed)
No dance experience necessary, just a willingness to move, explore, connect, and enjoy!
The workshop will be blending elements from yoga, movement improvisation, and dance as a way to explore our relationship with our own body/ being/ self, with our environment, and with each other.
Ann and Corinne believe that we can and do naturally develop our capacity to respond creatively and constructively to the unknown and 'the other' by becoming more comfortable with the natural feedback of our embodied experience, and extending this comfort zone through movement improvisation. We find, over time, that this type of responsivity carries over into our lives so that we begin to 'dance' creatively with our world. It is a way, in effect, of practicing participating in our lives as if it were the work of Art we are engaged in creating. It is fun, and also meaningful. (At least that is what we are aiming for!)
If this speaks to you at all, please join us!
Thursday, September 26, 2019
A Few Thoughts on the Basic Mindset Needed for Interdisciplinary Collaboration
 |
| "The Final Gate" © Ann Moradian, 2018. |
WARNING:
This path
is not for everyone.
is not for everyone.
"Your brain craves certainty and avoids uncertainty like it's pain."
(Rock, 2009)
Uncertainty can trigger limbic system to respond as if it were under threat. Interdisciplinary exchange ‘messes with’ this. The objectives in opening up to interdisciplinary or collaborative work might be to expand knowledge and understanding, find new synergies, map out new territories, or develop new forms. These shared adventures are, inevitably, journeys of discovery. If you only search for what you already know, or think you know, you will miss a lot. (I must admit, however, that this is the only viable approach I have found when looking for a lost contact lens.)
In my experience, it is when we open up to the unknown, and the uncertainty it brings along with it, that things start to get interesting – and hopefully, eventually, also fun! There seems to be a curious balancing act, however, between receptiveness and active engagement that is called for to ensure productivity. I suspect there must be an art to this aspect of collaboration, because there is definitely no reliable manual for it!
Interdisciplinary work is inherently collaborative – not in the negative sense of the word as in ‘cooperation with an enemy,’ but in the more constructive use of the word that implies working together toward a shared goal or vision. This demands a willingness to share power, and to be open to the unforeseen and unforeseeable. It also demands a willingness to step forward – to risk exposure of our ideas, our wishes, our needs... If you imagine you will be able to do this kind of work without ever feeling vulnerable or uncomfortable, or without ever having to examine your assumptions, you are sorely mistaken.
Having a shared goal or vision is vital. It is this shared aim that gives us the courage to advance in these unchartered domains, no matter what we encounter. As the martial strategist Miyamoto Musashi said:
“There is more than one way to the top of the mountain.”
On such a journey, our differences become a strength, rather than a handicap or threat. There should be at least a moment when each person can step forward to shine, and many times when we allow the others to share their knowledge, strengths or skills. A willingness to learn from each other is important. A willingness to share power is essential. This includes knowing when it is necessary to hold one’s ground, and when it is viable or necessary to adjust.
In my experience, it has been important to collaborate with those who have different but complementary skill sets and experience from my own. In addition, I have found it critical that each member in the team truly wants to be there. This suggests that not only do they have something to contribute through their participation, but they also have something to learn or gain through the venture.
As we explore the frontiers of our knowing, we will be changed by the experience. If we chose to embark on the adventure of interdisciplinary collaboration, testing out new pathways and possibilities, we will leave an impression of our passing on the terrain. Whether we encounter our own discomforts (which can be richly revealing when we explore it carefully), or new and wondrous marvels, we will not leave this experience unmarked ourselves. And if we are very lucky, when we stumble or are lost in the maze of possibilities – and this may happen many times – we learn to help each other through.
“Traveler, there are no paths. Paths are made by walking.”
(Australian Aboriginal saying)
--
Ann Moradian
26 September 2019
--
Citation:
Rock, David (2009). “A Hunger for Certainty,” in Psychology Today. Published 25 October 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2019 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-brain-work/200910/hunger-certainty)
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Dancing Through Time and Space
 |
| Yellowstone night sky, www.wbur.org |
Jackson Hole, Wyoming (near Yellowstone National Park)
June 29 - July 3, 2019, $550
I am delighted to be joining forces with atmospheric scientist, geologist and avid night-sky gazer, Scott Denning, and his science education nonprofit organization, ReachScience.org, to develop this once in a lifetime retreat for you. In addition to daily movement, breathing practices and self (and nature) awareness practices, we anticipate exploring the geology and ecology of this extraordinary region during the day, and nature's open galaxy under the very dark night skies of the new moon.
We will explore the natural history of the Earth from its origins in the clouds of cosmic dust through the formation of our atmosphere and oceans, the origin and evolution of life and biochemistry, to the many episodes of mountain building and erosion that have produced the spectacular topography and landscapes of the Rocky Mountain region. We will see the effects of ice ages and flora and fauna that have transformed the region’s ecology. We will see how glaciers and rivers and life have sculpted the land, and we will explore how modern climate change will impose rapid changes in the decades to come.
Throughout these explorations, we will include structured movement to become centered in and aware of our bodies as parts of the natural world, through which matter and energy flow. We will come too truly understand how we are a part of nature, rather than apart from it. Participants will experience a broader view of the concept of nature that includes a deeper appreciation of the science of origin and destiny well as a deeply personal sense of dwelling both in one's embodied being, in nature, and in the larger cosmos.
$550 includes the retreat program and very simple shared, dorm-style rooms (with 4 beds and a private bathroom). It is possible to upgrade to a private room (at approximately an additional $110/night, depending on availability). Food and transportation are not included.
To reserve your place, please contact Ann or Scott directly.
$550 includes the retreat program and very simple shared, dorm-style rooms (with 4 beds and a private bathroom). It is possible to upgrade to a private room (at approximately an additional $110/night, depending on availability). Food and transportation are not included.
To reserve your place, please contact Ann or Scott directly.
https://shingaia.blogspot.com/2018/09/dancing-through-time-and-space-summer.html
Friday, June 15, 2018
ChildhoodNature in Motion: The Ground for Learning
This chapter, co-authored by Ann Moradian and somatics expert Martha Eddy, "aims to establish embodied movement as both the physical and metaphysical grounds for learning, including aesthetic learning in an ecological context. We advocate the moving body as critical to celebrating and deepening childhood nature... We suggest that developing a lifelong somatic relationship with our bodies in motion, a relation in which we bring our attention to our lived (psychosensory-motor) experience, is a powerful way to reclaim that wholeness which allows us to care and connect for self and others, to feel a sense of place and belonging, and to self-regulate our behavior for optimal interaction with our world..."
To link to the abstract and online publication, click here.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51949_97-2
To link to the abstract and online publication, click here.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51949_97-2
© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
Eddy, M.H., Moradian, A.L. (2018), Childhoodnature in Motion: The Ground for Learning. In Cutter-Mackenzie A., Malone K., Barratt Hacking E. (eds) Research Handbook for Childhoodnature. Springer International Handbooks of Education, Springer, Cham
Eddy, M.H., Moradian, A.L. (2018), Childhoodnature in Motion: The Ground for Learning. In Cutter-Mackenzie A., Malone K., Barratt Hacking E. (eds) Research Handbook for Childhoodnature. Springer International Handbooks of Education, Springer, Cham
Monday, May 7, 2018
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Global Water Dances (Paris) - March 22, 2018
World Water Day
22 mars de 15h00-18h00
dans la grotte avec la cascade
au Parc des Buttes Chaumont (Metro Botzaris)
Nous dansons notre reconnaissance pour l'eau. Mashol, que est venu à Paris de Ecuador, partage avec nous le Chanson pour l'Eau elle a apris a Columbia. Bienvenue!
Des questions? contactez Ann: perspectivesinmotion(a)gmail.com
The best way to find the grotte and cascade is from the Laumière stop on the Metro line 5. Follow avenue Laumière and enter in front of the 'Maririe due 19ème' rue Manin, then follow the little lake, the grotte is next to the lake.
March 22nd from 15h00-18h00
22 mars de 15h00-18h00
dans la grotte avec la cascade
au Parc des Buttes Chaumont (Metro Botzaris)
Nous dansons notre reconnaissance pour l'eau. Mashol, que est venu à Paris de Ecuador, partage avec nous le Chanson pour l'Eau elle a apris a Columbia. Bienvenue!
Des questions? contactez Ann: perspectivesinmotion(a)gmail.com
The best way to find the grotte and cascade is from the Laumière stop on the Metro line 5. Follow avenue Laumière and enter in front of the 'Maririe due 19ème' rue Manin, then follow the little lake, the grotte is next to the lake.
March 22nd from 15h00-18h00
in the grotte (cave) with the waterfall (cascade or chute d'eau)
in Parc des Buttes Chaumont (Metro Botzaris)
Everyone is welcome as we gather to dance our gratitude for the water. Mashol, who is here from Ecuador, will also share with us the Song for the Water which she learned in Columbia. Feel warmly welcome to just show up. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Ann: perspectivesinmotion(a)gmail.com.
in Parc des Buttes Chaumont (Metro Botzaris)
Everyone is welcome as we gather to dance our gratitude for the water. Mashol, who is here from Ecuador, will also share with us the Song for the Water which she learned in Columbia. Feel warmly welcome to just show up. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Ann: perspectivesinmotion(a)gmail.com.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
IMPRESSION: Sisters & Monster Mechanism
 |
| Elsa Wolliaston (foreground) and Roser Mantle Guberna in Sisters. Photo (c) Christophe Raynaud de Lage. |
Sisters: "While feet and fingers flutter like thoughts, and elbows and ankles anchor and thrust, the life of Guberna's character spreads out in a smooth and endless spiral through space like thick, soft butter. Wolliaston, in her chair, becomes a magnet that orients, a home to return to."
 |
| Sherwood Chen and Yuko Kaseki in Monster Mechanism. Photo (c) Sigel Eschkol. |
Monster Mechanism: "The only effective section is what I call the “kiss and smoosh" bit. Here the performer’s mouths target each other like missiles. They connect momentarily only to slide fiercely off-track, leaving trails of lipstick all over each other’s faces. Performing with single-minded attention, the duo veers directly toward the absurd... When a performer aggressively shoves their ass in your face, it had better be clear — at least by the end — why. If not, the gesture remains simply grotesque.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Sandra Abouav's "A bouche que veux tu?" at L'Etoile du Nord, Paris
Photo © Patrick André.
Okay, I confess: I set out in search of escape. While the world collapses in the face of human greed and violence, the often-bloated self-importance of artists has grated on my nerves. Sandra Abouav’s À bouche que veux-tu, a study of yawning and its metamorphoses, sounded like a pleasant diversion...
Abouav comes forward to teach us how to cut a(n imaginary) pear, on a plate that slips out of mind into suspended, yawning moments of mental wandering, like Salvador Dali’s melting clocks. It is a delightful immersion in the surreal, and it is, indeed, absurd. Words stretch out-of-phrase so far they no longer mean anything. They’re just sounds unfolding around and through you. This section is my favorite.
“To cut a pear in two” (couper la poire en deux) is a French expression for reaching a compromise. While Abouav talks, the group yawns themselves into sleep, first politely melting into one another, and then, eventually, completely entwined with bottoms and arms, necks and feet fitting together in a ridiculously improper merging of body parts..."
To read the full Impression, published by The Dance Enthusiast, click here.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
New Directions in Dance: Cybernetic Epistemology, Social Choreography, the Choreography of Humans...
© Ann Moradian. January 2017
"There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"
(Mario Savio as quoted in RSOD program materials)
The RICEAN School of Dance (RSOD) is a program of RICE on Hydra, which is focused on "the choreography of humans". It describes itself as a "self-actuated" school without teachers, with a "curriculum" that is "neither led nor taught". I expected to be challenged -- and I was. The 10-day experience was extraordinary and I will certainly never see choreography in quite the same way again. It is unfortunate that it was upstaged by its "satellite project" which was, frankly, unhealthy. It has taken over two months to find a way to write about it that I believe is honest, fair and constructive.
The rocky shores of Hydra, August 2016
You get to the island by crossing the, often churning, Aegean Sea from Athens. From the shores of Hydra, the central vortex through which you enter the RICE experience -- and the frame that contains it -- is a 10-day 'choreography' that I have dubbed The Scroll of Propositions. It begins with a giant roll of kraft paper stretched out across a studio floor. Everything is optional. We are, however, strongly encouraged to attend dinner. The location of our evening's meal is found clearly marked on the lower left side of the scroll. On Day One, the other propositions, fastened with pieces of bright blue electric tape, do little to clarify just what we might be up to over the coming days:
- Parliament / we could do this again this year if there is interest / talk with Michael
- Day Out of Time / meeting Sunday 2pm to prepare / Vito
After a series of intense, inspiring discussions at dinner the night before, I stood there, groggy-eyed, staring at this scroll with my head abuzz: What is Parliament? Who is Michael? Day Out of Time?? Well, Sunday 2pm. Ok. At least I know who Vito is… What day is today again?
At a traditional school or conference, this Scroll would be called the "Schedule". Here, our program was in constant flux, with new activities added at any time by those who dare. (I was told by someone who "knew what was going on" that only those who "knew what was going on" should really post, so I certainly did not dare…) The organizers seemed to disappear beneath a cloak of invisibility, disowning authority and letting the structures and clues set in place take on a life of their own. Clearly, the intention was to wake us from the kind of complacency that a rigid schedule encourages. No problem. We were game for it.
Valerie Lytle, Day Out of Time, RSOD August 2016
The Greek isle of Hydra* is a lot like a computer Game landscape come to life. Rugged stone pathways carve out narrow corridors up, down and through the town. These turn into open dirt trails as they lead out to vistas overlooking the sea, or plunge down rocky stairs into the deep, warm turquoise water that thrusts itself up against the island's shores.
The beauty of The Scroll of Propositions is that it creates more questions than answers, and sent us in search of one another for information, clarification, verification: Where have you been? What have I missed? What is Parliament? When is the Rice Circle? Has anything changed? and, most importantly, How do you get to Anita's for dinner? Over time our desperation to connect as we passed each other on the streets became a comfortable sense of camaraderie, knowing that we could rely on each other to find a way through what felt a lot like chaos. I think it is fair to say that a framework that sets the conditions for us to work together as a community is a beautiful thing.
RICE stands for Radical Institute of Cybernetic Epistemology (among a number of other things), which I had never heard of. Cybernetics most often refers to the study of computerized control systems but is also sometimes used as a synonym for "systems thinking", which focuses on the complex inter-relationships that create and define both living and non-living systems. Its Greek root, kybernesis, means steering, navigation, and governance. Epistemology is the study of knowledge. Putting these two words together points to the study of how systems and frameworks steer or govern. Personally, I think it is best described as the study of how we grow our world.
The 60 of us who attended RSOD this year are adventurous souls who take risks willingly, question deeply, and live along (or are frequent visitors to) that borderline where the known and unknown meet. I have been dancing here cheek-to-cheek for over 15 years, and even I was surprised at how seriously disorienting this set up was. We all migrated gratefully toward the only proposition, other than dinner, that clearly stated where, when, who and what.
Donkey Shit Lane, Hydra 2016
This was altogether different from the other proposals, and was described as a "satellite project" at a "satellite site". It held a steady position on The Scroll in the lower right corner and was to be an "excavation site" for "institution building". The space it was held in was far more welcoming than the main school, with chilled lemon-water to counter the blazing heat, and and a smiling, gregarious host to help us feel at home. Hansel and Gretel must have felt the same kind of relief when they came upon the witch's gingerbread house in their treacherous German woods.
Powerful contradictions were at work here. Regimented controls like when to enter, where to sit, and even how to behave were at odds with the stated aims and modes of operation I had read about and been led to expect from the program materials we had received weeks before arrival. Our self-designated 'King' selected those he deemed worthy to speak, present or perform, which set us in competition with each other, vying for validation and approval from the powers that be. It was disappointing how easily most of us slid back into the deeply grooved patterns of the old system we were here to challenge.
Essentially, this was an experiential excursion into what Gregory Bateson described as a "double bind" -- a situation with two or more conflicting messages, with one negating the other. "A successful response to one message results in a failed response to the other (and vice versa)."** If, for example, we rebelled, then we were excluded, shamed, avoided, or punished. If we cooperated, we might win power or prestige, but also sacrificed our dignity, our integrity and our role as active participants in shaping our world. In this kind of setup, no matter how you respond, you lose. Confusion was used, as it often is in a double bind, to deflect resistance and deter response. I had never heard of a double bind before. Unfamiliar with cybernetics, epistemology, or any of the other big words and concepts being swished about flamboyantly like cloaks hiding Superhero wannabes, I watched as we either fit ourselves to the demands of the hierarchical power structure we were confronted with, or rebelled quietly, refusing to participate. There was no confrontation and no open discussion about what was going on. As rebels go, we were all very polite.
Rice Field, RSOD August 2016
The ethical dilemma here is that none of us signed on to be guinea pigs in a 10-day experiment that was neither framed nor informed in a way that it could be anything by psychologically destructive. Double binds are known to be the root cause of schizophrenia. This "satellite" world was a deeply disturbing experiment in social behavior, and it appears to be continuing with the creation of a real-world institution that replicates, once again, that "survival of the fittest" mentality I thought we were trying to get away from. If this was all intentional (and that could be debated), then the responsible and humane thing would have been to expose the experiment and its framework before we left the island at the end of our stay in order to learn something from it. That was not done.
In writing this, I feel as if I am throwing my body into Mario Savio's machine to make it stop. Someone has to care enough. I guess that would be me. And I care because other parts of RSOD were amazing: like Parliament, a movement score by Michael Kliën. About 30 of us ventured up to the school at the top of the hill at 11pm one night to begin a 3-hour immersion into "thinking body, moving mind". Our directions included: "Do not have ideas". It took me at least an hour to figure out how that might be possible! I would have loved to have had another two hours at it, since things were just beginning to get moving at 2am when we called it a night. The score of this social choreography set in place just enough "constraints that it enable(d)"*** us to be present together, no matter how uncomfortable that might be, no matter how scary we might seem to each other, no matter how deeply we might be moved, or how bored we might become.
'Parliament', RSOD August 2016, score by Michael Kliën
There was so much that was worthwhile, including discussions led by Erin Manning and Brian Masumi around the question of what an institution for the 21st century might look like, and how to archive experiences that do not lend themselves to traditional documentation -- like this one. My very favorite moments, though, were the many unscheduled exchanges that appeared out of nowhere on a bench between activities, or over a cup of tea in pajamas.
Dancers, movement artists and choreographers have much to contribute to the burgeoning subject of "Social Choreography", and I am glad to see this conversation being broached within the dance community by experienced movers. The question about how we steer the creation of our world is potent and timely. Social experiments can be enlightening, even revelatory, but they can also end up being outright damaging. It is not enough to be unflinchingly true to the ideas and ideals at work, we must also be true to the heart of the matter, and that, in this instance, is: What kind of world are we creating together? When we lose sight of this, we end up with a nightmare that looks a lot like Lord of the Flies or the white supremacists movement of Eugenics in the 1930s. We can do better than this.
Freedom Dance Night, RICE on Hydra, August 2016
"A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it." (Rabindranath Tagore)
_____
* The isle of Hydra is not, I was told, related to the multi-headed monster of Greek mythology! That, apparently, is the Lernaean Hydra)
** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_bind
*** Erin Manning
LINKS:
Mario Savio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Savio
Lernaean Hydra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lernaean_Hydra
Hansel and Gretel: http://www.grimmstories.com/en/grimm_fairy-tales/hansel_and_gretel
Gregory Bateson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Bateson
Double bind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_bind
Erin Manning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Manning_(theorist)
Brian Masumi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Massumi
Lord of the Flies: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/
Eugenics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics
"There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"
(Mario Savio as quoted in RSOD program materials)
The RICEAN School of Dance (RSOD) is a program of RICE on Hydra, which is focused on "the choreography of humans". It describes itself as a "self-actuated" school without teachers, with a "curriculum" that is "neither led nor taught". I expected to be challenged -- and I was. The 10-day experience was extraordinary and I will certainly never see choreography in quite the same way again. It is unfortunate that it was upstaged by its "satellite project" which was, frankly, unhealthy. It has taken over two months to find a way to write about it that I believe is honest, fair and constructive.
The rocky shores of Hydra, August 2016
You get to the island by crossing the, often churning, Aegean Sea from Athens. From the shores of Hydra, the central vortex through which you enter the RICE experience -- and the frame that contains it -- is a 10-day 'choreography' that I have dubbed The Scroll of Propositions. It begins with a giant roll of kraft paper stretched out across a studio floor. Everything is optional. We are, however, strongly encouraged to attend dinner. The location of our evening's meal is found clearly marked on the lower left side of the scroll. On Day One, the other propositions, fastened with pieces of bright blue electric tape, do little to clarify just what we might be up to over the coming days:
- Parliament / we could do this again this year if there is interest / talk with Michael
- Day Out of Time / meeting Sunday 2pm to prepare / Vito
After a series of intense, inspiring discussions at dinner the night before, I stood there, groggy-eyed, staring at this scroll with my head abuzz: What is Parliament? Who is Michael? Day Out of Time?? Well, Sunday 2pm. Ok. At least I know who Vito is… What day is today again?
At a traditional school or conference, this Scroll would be called the "Schedule". Here, our program was in constant flux, with new activities added at any time by those who dare. (I was told by someone who "knew what was going on" that only those who "knew what was going on" should really post, so I certainly did not dare…) The organizers seemed to disappear beneath a cloak of invisibility, disowning authority and letting the structures and clues set in place take on a life of their own. Clearly, the intention was to wake us from the kind of complacency that a rigid schedule encourages. No problem. We were game for it.
Valerie Lytle, Day Out of Time, RSOD August 2016
The Greek isle of Hydra* is a lot like a computer Game landscape come to life. Rugged stone pathways carve out narrow corridors up, down and through the town. These turn into open dirt trails as they lead out to vistas overlooking the sea, or plunge down rocky stairs into the deep, warm turquoise water that thrusts itself up against the island's shores.
The beauty of The Scroll of Propositions is that it creates more questions than answers, and sent us in search of one another for information, clarification, verification: Where have you been? What have I missed? What is Parliament? When is the Rice Circle? Has anything changed? and, most importantly, How do you get to Anita's for dinner? Over time our desperation to connect as we passed each other on the streets became a comfortable sense of camaraderie, knowing that we could rely on each other to find a way through what felt a lot like chaos. I think it is fair to say that a framework that sets the conditions for us to work together as a community is a beautiful thing.
RICE stands for Radical Institute of Cybernetic Epistemology (among a number of other things), which I had never heard of. Cybernetics most often refers to the study of computerized control systems but is also sometimes used as a synonym for "systems thinking", which focuses on the complex inter-relationships that create and define both living and non-living systems. Its Greek root, kybernesis, means steering, navigation, and governance. Epistemology is the study of knowledge. Putting these two words together points to the study of how systems and frameworks steer or govern. Personally, I think it is best described as the study of how we grow our world.
The 60 of us who attended RSOD this year are adventurous souls who take risks willingly, question deeply, and live along (or are frequent visitors to) that borderline where the known and unknown meet. I have been dancing here cheek-to-cheek for over 15 years, and even I was surprised at how seriously disorienting this set up was. We all migrated gratefully toward the only proposition, other than dinner, that clearly stated where, when, who and what.
Donkey Shit Lane, Hydra 2016
This was altogether different from the other proposals, and was described as a "satellite project" at a "satellite site". It held a steady position on The Scroll in the lower right corner and was to be an "excavation site" for "institution building". The space it was held in was far more welcoming than the main school, with chilled lemon-water to counter the blazing heat, and and a smiling, gregarious host to help us feel at home. Hansel and Gretel must have felt the same kind of relief when they came upon the witch's gingerbread house in their treacherous German woods.
Powerful contradictions were at work here. Regimented controls like when to enter, where to sit, and even how to behave were at odds with the stated aims and modes of operation I had read about and been led to expect from the program materials we had received weeks before arrival. Our self-designated 'King' selected those he deemed worthy to speak, present or perform, which set us in competition with each other, vying for validation and approval from the powers that be. It was disappointing how easily most of us slid back into the deeply grooved patterns of the old system we were here to challenge.
Essentially, this was an experiential excursion into what Gregory Bateson described as a "double bind" -- a situation with two or more conflicting messages, with one negating the other. "A successful response to one message results in a failed response to the other (and vice versa)."** If, for example, we rebelled, then we were excluded, shamed, avoided, or punished. If we cooperated, we might win power or prestige, but also sacrificed our dignity, our integrity and our role as active participants in shaping our world. In this kind of setup, no matter how you respond, you lose. Confusion was used, as it often is in a double bind, to deflect resistance and deter response. I had never heard of a double bind before. Unfamiliar with cybernetics, epistemology, or any of the other big words and concepts being swished about flamboyantly like cloaks hiding Superhero wannabes, I watched as we either fit ourselves to the demands of the hierarchical power structure we were confronted with, or rebelled quietly, refusing to participate. There was no confrontation and no open discussion about what was going on. As rebels go, we were all very polite.
Rice Field, RSOD August 2016
The ethical dilemma here is that none of us signed on to be guinea pigs in a 10-day experiment that was neither framed nor informed in a way that it could be anything by psychologically destructive. Double binds are known to be the root cause of schizophrenia. This "satellite" world was a deeply disturbing experiment in social behavior, and it appears to be continuing with the creation of a real-world institution that replicates, once again, that "survival of the fittest" mentality I thought we were trying to get away from. If this was all intentional (and that could be debated), then the responsible and humane thing would have been to expose the experiment and its framework before we left the island at the end of our stay in order to learn something from it. That was not done.
In writing this, I feel as if I am throwing my body into Mario Savio's machine to make it stop. Someone has to care enough. I guess that would be me. And I care because other parts of RSOD were amazing: like Parliament, a movement score by Michael Kliën. About 30 of us ventured up to the school at the top of the hill at 11pm one night to begin a 3-hour immersion into "thinking body, moving mind". Our directions included: "Do not have ideas". It took me at least an hour to figure out how that might be possible! I would have loved to have had another two hours at it, since things were just beginning to get moving at 2am when we called it a night. The score of this social choreography set in place just enough "constraints that it enable(d)"*** us to be present together, no matter how uncomfortable that might be, no matter how scary we might seem to each other, no matter how deeply we might be moved, or how bored we might become.
'Parliament', RSOD August 2016, score by Michael Kliën
There was so much that was worthwhile, including discussions led by Erin Manning and Brian Masumi around the question of what an institution for the 21st century might look like, and how to archive experiences that do not lend themselves to traditional documentation -- like this one. My very favorite moments, though, were the many unscheduled exchanges that appeared out of nowhere on a bench between activities, or over a cup of tea in pajamas.
Dancers, movement artists and choreographers have much to contribute to the burgeoning subject of "Social Choreography", and I am glad to see this conversation being broached within the dance community by experienced movers. The question about how we steer the creation of our world is potent and timely. Social experiments can be enlightening, even revelatory, but they can also end up being outright damaging. It is not enough to be unflinchingly true to the ideas and ideals at work, we must also be true to the heart of the matter, and that, in this instance, is: What kind of world are we creating together? When we lose sight of this, we end up with a nightmare that looks a lot like Lord of the Flies or the white supremacists movement of Eugenics in the 1930s. We can do better than this.
Freedom Dance Night, RICE on Hydra, August 2016
"A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it." (Rabindranath Tagore)
_____
* The isle of Hydra is not, I was told, related to the multi-headed monster of Greek mythology! That, apparently, is the Lernaean Hydra)
** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_bind
*** Erin Manning
LINKS:
Mario Savio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Savio
Lernaean Hydra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lernaean_Hydra
Hansel and Gretel: http://www.grimmstories.com/en/grimm_fairy-tales/hansel_and_gretel
Gregory Bateson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Bateson
Double bind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_bind
Erin Manning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Manning_(theorist)
Brian Masumi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Massumi
Lord of the Flies: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/
Eugenics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
IMPRESSION: Blanca Li in Paris at Theatre des Champs Elysées
Photo © Vincent Pontet
Blanca Li has put a solid and powerful structure in place for her work Déesses et démones (Goddesses and Demonesses). The lighting, by Caty Olive, and sets, by Pierre Attrait, speak with a simplicity that borders on brilliance. The designer swaths of flowing fabric are undeniably beautiful. Charles Carcopino's video projections carry the vision of the work forward magnificently. Both performers, Blanca Li and Maria Alexandrova (a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet), are excellent dancers. It is unfortunate that the work is hampered by the choreography that seeks to support it.
Déesses et démones begins with thin lines of light bridging the vast expanse between the stage floor and rafter sky. A deep, velvet sea of darkness cradles the glowing columns with a tenderness that gives them form — a great start to any tale that speaks of gods and demons or, more precisely, goddesses and demonesses.
A giant venetian window blind at the back of the stage snaps open... more
Photo © Vincent Pontet
--
For The Dance Enthusiast, by Ann Moradian:
Sunday, November 15, 2015
A quick postcard from Paris
Dear Christine,
I have been trying to find the words to share with you what it is to be in Paris just now, after Friday night's terror attack… The 'dance', at the moment, is one of the heart -- twisting and roiling. And still pumping, for many of us. Still pumping. A group of us had been just blocks away from the slaughter earlier in the day, at an improvisation workshop by Jurij Konjar (which I will share with you all another day), oblivious of what was to come. Most of us had moved on by nightfall to other things, other places…
I think for me silence is the best I can do to keep my heart strong and clear and bright. Information continues to emerge. Reactions collide inside of each of us like an old pinball machine. Silence gives a little space for the expansion of the heart, when it might otherwise contract too strong, too hard.
But a friend of my son's shared this beautiful piece of writing by a young woman named Isabel Bowdery, who was in the Bataclan. This is worth sharing with you. I think she expresses beautifully what it is to stay human in this moment… I copy it in text below, as well as this link more directly to her post: https://www.facebook.com/isobel.bowdery/posts/10153885280769893">https://www.facebook.com/isobel.bowdery/posts/10153885280769893">https://www.facebook.com/isobel.bowdery/posts/10153885280769893
"you never think it will happen to you. It was just a friday night at a rock show. the atmosphere was so happy and everyone was dancing and smiling. and then when the men came through the front entrance and began the shooting, we naiively believed it was all part of the show. It wasn't just a terrorist attack, it was a massacre. Dozens of people were shot right infront of me. Pools of blood filled the floor. Cries of grown men who held their girlfriends dead bodies pierced the small music venue. Futures demolished, families heartbroken. in an instant. Shocked and alone, I pretended to be dead for over an hour, lying among people who could see their loved ones motionless.. Holding my breath, trying to not move, not cry - not giving those men the fear they longed to see. I was incredibly lucky to survive. But so many didn't. The people who had been there for the exact same reasons as I - to have a fun friday night were innocent. This world is cruel. And acts like this are suppose to highlight the depravity of humans and the images of those men circuling us like vultures will haunt me for the rest of my life. The way they meticoulsy aimed at shot people around the standing area i was in the centre of without any consideration for human life. It didn't feel real. i expected any moment for someone to say it was just a nightmare. But being a survivor of this horror lets me able to shed light on the heroes. To the man who reassured me and put his life on line to try and cover my brain whilst i whimpered, to the couple whose last words of love kept me believing the good in the world, to the police who succeded in rescuing hundreds of people, to the complete strangers who picked me up from the road and consoled me during the 45 minutes I truly believed the boy i loved was dead, to the injured man who i had mistaken for him and then on my recognition that he was not Amaury, held me and told me everything was going to be fine despite being all alone and scared himself, to the woman who opened her doors to the survivors, to the friend who offered me shelter and went out to buy new clothes so i wouldnt have to wear this blood stained top, to all of you who have sent caring messages of support - you make me believe this world has the potential to be better. to never let this happen again. but most of this is to the 80 people who were murdered inside that venue, who weren't as lucky, who didnt get to wake up today and to all the pain that their friends and families are going through. I am so sorry. There's nothing that will fix the pain. I feel priviledged to be there for their last breaths. And truly beliving that I would join them, I promise that their last thoughts were not on the animals who caused all this. It was thinking of the people they loved. As i lay down in the blood of strangers and waiting for my bullet to end my mere 22 years, I envisioned every face that I have ever loved and whispered I love you. over and over again. reflecting on the highlights of my life. Wishing that those i love knew just how much, wishing that they knew that no matter what happened to me, to keep belieivng in the good in people. to not let those men win. Last night, the lives of many were forever changed and it is up to us to be better people. to live lives that the innocent victims of this tragedy dreamt about but sadly will now never be able to fulfil. RIP angels. You will never be forgotten."
I have been trying to find the words to share with you what it is to be in Paris just now, after Friday night's terror attack… The 'dance', at the moment, is one of the heart -- twisting and roiling. And still pumping, for many of us. Still pumping. A group of us had been just blocks away from the slaughter earlier in the day, at an improvisation workshop by Jurij Konjar (which I will share with you all another day), oblivious of what was to come. Most of us had moved on by nightfall to other things, other places…
I think for me silence is the best I can do to keep my heart strong and clear and bright. Information continues to emerge. Reactions collide inside of each of us like an old pinball machine. Silence gives a little space for the expansion of the heart, when it might otherwise contract too strong, too hard.
But a friend of my son's shared this beautiful piece of writing by a young woman named Isabel Bowdery, who was in the Bataclan. This is worth sharing with you. I think she expresses beautifully what it is to stay human in this moment… I copy it in text below, as well as this link more directly to her post: https://www.facebook.com/isobel.bowdery/posts/10153885280769893">https://www.facebook.com/isobel.bowdery/posts/10153885280769893">https://www.facebook.com/isobel.bowdery/posts/10153885280769893
"you never think it will happen to you. It was just a friday night at a rock show. the atmosphere was so happy and everyone was dancing and smiling. and then when the men came through the front entrance and began the shooting, we naiively believed it was all part of the show. It wasn't just a terrorist attack, it was a massacre. Dozens of people were shot right infront of me. Pools of blood filled the floor. Cries of grown men who held their girlfriends dead bodies pierced the small music venue. Futures demolished, families heartbroken. in an instant. Shocked and alone, I pretended to be dead for over an hour, lying among people who could see their loved ones motionless.. Holding my breath, trying to not move, not cry - not giving those men the fear they longed to see. I was incredibly lucky to survive. But so many didn't. The people who had been there for the exact same reasons as I - to have a fun friday night were innocent. This world is cruel. And acts like this are suppose to highlight the depravity of humans and the images of those men circuling us like vultures will haunt me for the rest of my life. The way they meticoulsy aimed at shot people around the standing area i was in the centre of without any consideration for human life. It didn't feel real. i expected any moment for someone to say it was just a nightmare. But being a survivor of this horror lets me able to shed light on the heroes. To the man who reassured me and put his life on line to try and cover my brain whilst i whimpered, to the couple whose last words of love kept me believing the good in the world, to the police who succeded in rescuing hundreds of people, to the complete strangers who picked me up from the road and consoled me during the 45 minutes I truly believed the boy i loved was dead, to the injured man who i had mistaken for him and then on my recognition that he was not Amaury, held me and told me everything was going to be fine despite being all alone and scared himself, to the woman who opened her doors to the survivors, to the friend who offered me shelter and went out to buy new clothes so i wouldnt have to wear this blood stained top, to all of you who have sent caring messages of support - you make me believe this world has the potential to be better. to never let this happen again. but most of this is to the 80 people who were murdered inside that venue, who weren't as lucky, who didnt get to wake up today and to all the pain that their friends and families are going through. I am so sorry. There's nothing that will fix the pain. I feel priviledged to be there for their last breaths. And truly beliving that I would join them, I promise that their last thoughts were not on the animals who caused all this. It was thinking of the people they loved. As i lay down in the blood of strangers and waiting for my bullet to end my mere 22 years, I envisioned every face that I have ever loved and whispered I love you. over and over again. reflecting on the highlights of my life. Wishing that those i love knew just how much, wishing that they knew that no matter what happened to me, to keep belieivng in the good in people. to not let those men win. Last night, the lives of many were forever changed and it is up to us to be better people. to live lives that the innocent victims of this tragedy dreamt about but sadly will now never be able to fulfil. RIP angels. You will never be forgotten."
Saturday, June 13, 2015
The Conscious Body IV – Mouvement et Conscience
Samedi 20 juin 14h-19h
Un dispositif interactif à la rencontre de
la neuroscience, la danse et la philosophie
La Briqueterie
CDC du Val-de-Marne
17, rue Robert Degert Vitry-sur-Seine
À partir de la fin du XIXème siècle, les théories de la conscience s'orientent vers l'idée que les phénomènes psychologiques (perceptions, émotions, volontés) relèvent de la motricité. Ainsi la perception, non seulement requiert un grand nombre de mouvements conscients (faire le tour de l'objet) ou inconscients (saccades oculaires, circulation électrique dans les neurones), mais doit elle-même être comprise comme une activité motrice par laquelle nous nous insérons dans le monde. Prolongeant cette intuition, la théorie sensori-motrice (en sciences cognitives), mais aussi les philosophies du corps au XXème siècle (Merleau-Ponty, Deleuze, Foucault) ont cherché à interroger cette relation de la conscience et du mouvement, dont les pratiques contemporaines de la danse s'emparent plus que jamais.
À l'occasion de cette rencontre The Conscious Body [TCB] IV, nous avons invité quinze participants provenant du monde de la recherche scientifique, des sciences humaines et des arts à se réunir pendant six jours pour une série d'expérimentations autour de cette relation conscience/mouvement. TCB se présente ainsi comme un cadre dans lequel scientifiques, théoriciens du mouvement ou de l'art et praticiens créent ensemble des dispositifs artistiques et expérimentaux destinés à être vécus de l'intérieur par le public de la Briqueterie.
Samedi 20 juin à 14h, TCB ouvre donc ses portes au public, afin qu'il puisse participer, non comme regard extérieur, mais comme sujet actif, aux expérimentations conçues par le groupe durant la résidence. Ce dispositif a pour vocation de permettre au public de vivre de l'intérieur la création de ces expériences sensorielles et en mouvement.
L'organisation de la journée:
14:00-14:30 Monologue d'introduction
Présentation de TCB IV et de Labodanse
14:30-15:30 Un dialogue danse/philosophie
{Erin Manning rencontre Catherine Contour} La conscience comme mouvement
15:30-18:00 Polylogue
Expérimentations en circulation libre dans la Briqueterie
18:00-19:00 Métalogue
Retour sur expériences, discussions avec le public
Nous aurons le plaisir d’accueillir :
pour les praticiens : Noëlle Simonet (notation Laban) ; Benoît Lesage (danse-thérapie) ; Angela Loureiro (Laban-Bartenieff) ; Ann Moradian (yoga et kinomichi) ; Hervé Baunard (rolfing) et Catherine Contour (chorégraphe, hypnose)
pour les scientifiques : Isadora Olivé (physiologie de la perception et de l'action) ; Pierre Pouget (neurophysiologie de la perception) ; Chlöé Farrer (neurophysiologie de l'attention) ; Sergiu T. Popescu (psychologie de la perception) et Pauline Hilt (plasticité sensorimotrice)
pour les philosophes : Damien Schoevaert (morphologiste et biomathématicien) ; Frédéric Pouillaude(philosophie de la danse) ; Geisha Fontaine (philosophie de la danse) ; Nicole Harbonnier-Topin (explicitation et analyse du mouvement) ; Erin Manning (chorégraphe, plasticienne, philosophe du mouvement)
La participation est gratuite mais la réservation par e-mail (reservation@alabriqueterie.com) ou par téléphone (briqueterie: 01 46 86 17 61) est fortement conseillée.
Un bar sera à la disposition des participants tout au long de l'après-midi.
Ce projet est soutenu par le labex ARTS H2H, le PSL et la Briqueterie.
https://www.facebook.com/events/378681962331624/
Un dispositif interactif à la rencontre de
la neuroscience, la danse et la philosophie
La Briqueterie
CDC du Val-de-Marne
17, rue Robert Degert Vitry-sur-Seine
À partir de la fin du XIXème siècle, les théories de la conscience s'orientent vers l'idée que les phénomènes psychologiques (perceptions, émotions, volontés) relèvent de la motricité. Ainsi la perception, non seulement requiert un grand nombre de mouvements conscients (faire le tour de l'objet) ou inconscients (saccades oculaires, circulation électrique dans les neurones), mais doit elle-même être comprise comme une activité motrice par laquelle nous nous insérons dans le monde. Prolongeant cette intuition, la théorie sensori-motrice (en sciences cognitives), mais aussi les philosophies du corps au XXème siècle (Merleau-Ponty, Deleuze, Foucault) ont cherché à interroger cette relation de la conscience et du mouvement, dont les pratiques contemporaines de la danse s'emparent plus que jamais.
À l'occasion de cette rencontre The Conscious Body [TCB] IV, nous avons invité quinze participants provenant du monde de la recherche scientifique, des sciences humaines et des arts à se réunir pendant six jours pour une série d'expérimentations autour de cette relation conscience/mouvement. TCB se présente ainsi comme un cadre dans lequel scientifiques, théoriciens du mouvement ou de l'art et praticiens créent ensemble des dispositifs artistiques et expérimentaux destinés à être vécus de l'intérieur par le public de la Briqueterie.
Samedi 20 juin à 14h, TCB ouvre donc ses portes au public, afin qu'il puisse participer, non comme regard extérieur, mais comme sujet actif, aux expérimentations conçues par le groupe durant la résidence. Ce dispositif a pour vocation de permettre au public de vivre de l'intérieur la création de ces expériences sensorielles et en mouvement.
L'organisation de la journée:
14:00-14:30 Monologue d'introduction
Présentation de TCB IV et de Labodanse
14:30-15:30 Un dialogue danse/philosophie
{Erin Manning rencontre Catherine Contour} La conscience comme mouvement
15:30-18:00 Polylogue
Expérimentations en circulation libre dans la Briqueterie
18:00-19:00 Métalogue
Retour sur expériences, discussions avec le public
Nous aurons le plaisir d’accueillir :
pour les praticiens : Noëlle Simonet (notation Laban) ; Benoît Lesage (danse-thérapie) ; Angela Loureiro (Laban-Bartenieff) ; Ann Moradian (yoga et kinomichi) ; Hervé Baunard (rolfing) et Catherine Contour (chorégraphe, hypnose)
pour les scientifiques : Isadora Olivé (physiologie de la perception et de l'action) ; Pierre Pouget (neurophysiologie de la perception) ; Chlöé Farrer (neurophysiologie de l'attention) ; Sergiu T. Popescu (psychologie de la perception) et Pauline Hilt (plasticité sensorimotrice)
pour les philosophes : Damien Schoevaert (morphologiste et biomathématicien) ; Frédéric Pouillaude(philosophie de la danse) ; Geisha Fontaine (philosophie de la danse) ; Nicole Harbonnier-Topin (explicitation et analyse du mouvement) ; Erin Manning (chorégraphe, plasticienne, philosophe du mouvement)
La participation est gratuite mais la réservation par e-mail (reservation@alabriqueterie.com) ou par téléphone (briqueterie: 01 46 86 17 61) est fortement conseillée.
Un bar sera à la disposition des participants tout au long de l'après-midi.
Ce projet est soutenu par le labex ARTS H2H, le PSL et la Briqueterie.
https://www.facebook.com/events/378681962331624/
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
CREATING YOUR OWN PRACTICE
A Workshop for Yoga practitioners wishing to continue their practice over the summer, at home or on vacation. We will go through the basics of what is needed for a well-balanced practice, with plenty of examples and ‘hands-on” experimentation. Each student will develop their own home practice, designed to suit their individual needs, abilities and interests, while working with the reality of their time and other constraints. Pre-registration is necessary for this workshop.
Photo © Alex Vanagas.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
19h00 – 21h30 (55€)
YogaYoga Paris
6 passage de la Vierge
Paris 75007
Open to students of all levels, and practicing any form of Yoga. It includes a mandatory pre-workshop telephone conference to discuss expectations, needs and limitations.
Photo © Alex Vanagas.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
19h00 – 21h30 (55€)
YogaYoga Paris
6 passage de la Vierge
Paris 75007
Open to students of all levels, and practicing any form of Yoga. It includes a mandatory pre-workshop telephone conference to discuss expectations, needs and limitations.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
IMPRESSION: Compagnie Silenda (Laura Simi & Damiano Foa)
Festival signes de printemps (Signs of Spring Festival)
at Studio Le Regard du Cygne, Paris
April 17, 2015
Both works on this program, Titre Inachevé (Unfinished Title) choreographed by Damiano Foa and Shut up!, a collaboration between choreographer Laura Simi and composer Jean-Noël Françoise, tap into how light, sound, and movement can work together to create pockets of enhanced visceral experience. (To read the rest, click here…)
Photo copyright Sebastien Laurent.
at Studio Le Regard du Cygne, Paris
April 17, 2015
Both works on this program, Titre Inachevé (Unfinished Title) choreographed by Damiano Foa and Shut up!, a collaboration between choreographer Laura Simi and composer Jean-Noël Françoise, tap into how light, sound, and movement can work together to create pockets of enhanced visceral experience. (To read the rest, click here…)
Photo copyright Sebastien Laurent.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Dance Box Festival - Version Clip 2015
Colum Morgan performing in a work created in collaboration with Ann Moradian, March 10, 2015 in Paris. All photos © Alex Vanagas:
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