Group piece (Rehearsal) evaluation

Evaluating Rehearsals:

I have learnt from developing our contact improvisation piece that the key to a successful rehearsal involves completely letting go of the mind and letting instinct take over, letting the body flow through connection and energy with my group. 

I believe that at the start of the process we wanted to aim high and create an exciting piece consisting of lifts and impressive movements. However, we were so fixated on thinking about we could do, we spent the majority of the rehearsal talking and so when it came to physically moving we had lost our connection and impulse. 

I understand that a connection between us may not be present straight away and it must develop. However I think that next time we should spend less time discussing and planning and more time physically exploring. 

Furthermore, another thing I have learnt from the rehearsal process is that research and watching other performances is key because it acts as a stimulus and can help generate subject material. At the start of the devising process, I had not conducted any research and as a result I found it challenging to get in the zone and devise. However after watching videos and performances, I am now able to perform movements without thinking, with fluidity. 

"When you’re building an ensemble, the last thing you want is 20 people who are all the same. There isn’t a magic formula. You need some people who are great thinkers and great at dissecting text, you need some people who are incredibly physically intuitive and imaginative and other people who can envisage space. It’s about how they complement each other through a process of collaboration"- Complicites Catherine Alexander.

I can relate this quote to my physical theatre group. I have learnt from this devising process that it is important to be in a group of people with a range of different abilities. I was in a group with 2 students who were not very strong, as a result we found it challenging to perform lifts and various movements. Next time, I will take this into consideration when forming a group.

"The first thing I’d say is, watch lots of devised theatre. You need to know what’s out there, what practitioners are experimenting with. So try to see what smaller companies in particular are exploring."- Complicite’s Catherine Alexander

This relates to our devising process because at the beginning of our rehearsal sessions we found it challenging to generate ideas about what our piece could be about and how we could convey this. However, we took time to watch various different examples of physical theatre and we began to find the improvisation easier the more research we conducted. I will take this into consideration in the next devising exercise, I must research and watch as many physical theatre plays as possible to broaden my understanding of Contact Improvisation.

Research the theatre company Complicite (L4)

Make commend and evaluate their performance work, subject material and rehearsal methods. (min 600 words)

Complicite was founded in 1983 and is led by Simon McBurney. The company’s work ranges from devised pieces to adaptations and revivals of classic texts.

Productions include The Master and Margarita, Shun-Kin, A Disappearing Number, The Elephant Vanishes, Mnemonic, The Street of Crocodiles and A Minute Too Late.

From being smuggled into a shanty town in Chile to perform in 1984, to being broadcast live to cinemas across the globe in 2010, Complicite's productions have reached more than 120 venues in 34 countries winning numerous awards.

Rehearsals:

The roots of Complicite's work can be traced back to the training of its members, many of whom studied at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. This training is at the heart of the Company’s Teaching Workshops, which reach over 2,000 people in schools, colleges, clubs, museums and other institutions in the UK and abroad every year. These workshops focus on the exercises and techniques Complicite uses in the rehearsal room, including the study of the neutral mask, clowning, storytelling, the chorus and performance skills.

Generally Complicite do open workshops, and they tend to be led by quite experienced associates of the company, looking at something quite specific and in-depth for a week or two.

Probably it’s the longer-term encounters that are the most valuable for us and for the participants. There’s time to actually learn a lot about the participants because a workshop isn’t just about sharing a set of skills, it’s about developing a sense of communication and collaboration and you can’t do that quickly. The first sessions are about gaining trust and teaching some basic languages. Then there’s an opportunity for the participants to devise work, get feedback and then develop the work further in a dialogue. It’s an exchange and the longer you work together, the more meaningful that exchange becomes.

I can apply Complicites rehearsal methods to my devising process. I found that during our first rehearsals we we not able to be completely comfortable with one another and because there was an awkwardness present we could not trust each other, as a result I was not comfortable in trying risky movements like jumping into my partners arms. However over the course of devising we have all established a trusting relationship with one another and I believe that our piece now flows with fluidity because we have a strong connection. I have learnt that it is perfectly normal to not be fluid during the first improvisation because first you must establish an un breakable bond with your partner. A first I found the devising process challenging because we were not able to move as one. However I now understand that we just needed to time to develop a connection and trust with each other that has to be natural and not forced because awkwardness is visible in any performance. 

Subject Material: 

Complicite create their subject material using inspiration from other theatre company's as well as every day life. 

"The first thing I’d say is, watch lots of devised theatre. You need to know what’s out there, what practitioners are experimenting with. So try to see what smaller companies in particular are exploring."- Complicite’s Catherine Alexander

This relates to our devising process because at the beginning of our rehearsal sessions we found it challenging to generate ideas about what our piece could be about and how we could convey this. However, we took time to watch various different examples of physical theatre and we began to find the improvisation easier the more research we conducted. I will take this into consideration in the next devising exercise, I must research and watch as many physical theatre plays as possible to broaden my understanding of Contact Improvisation.

Here are some of Complicites devising notes, I think it will be useful to spend a short amount of time with my group next time to create some notes about what we want to achieve in our piece, so that we are 100% clear about our topic and subject. 

Annotate and describe the process of devising in a restricted space or devising from the movement of an element and evaluate what it is beneficial for. 

Devising in a restricted space is an activity with a group of people that requires professionalism and a decent understanding of each other in order for it to be successful. First of all you need to find a space, now this space must be one that doesn't provide much room for you and your peers to move around in and should restrict you in terms of the freedom you have. This restriction forces you to adapt and be able to work in tight spaces. After finding a space with a group of people with or without music you begin to improvise a contact improvisation. This improvisation is based around being able to move your body around efficiently and with confidence in really tight angles. The first time i performed it was in a tight corridor with 6 other people, due to the extreme amount of tightness in the space we resorted into using different layers in order to find space to move our bodies together. For example if people began to lower to the floor I would stand up on the window seal in order to create space and initiate a reaction from everyone else and give them somewhere to move afterwards. Depending on the space will vary whether you can use different levels or not, if there is no space to go onto the floor or somewhere to climb, then it will be much more difficult to devise in a restricted space. The restricted space itself provides a sense of intimacy with the group you're devising with and will allow you to get familiar with each others bodies.

Evaluate Complicite devising methods.

Complicite use an extremely structured method in terms of devising, when producing a production they go through multiple stages in order to be sure that they are getting the most out of what they are creating. The sections consisting of space, games, ensemble work, the language of movement, tension, rhythm, creating characters, working from text, roles within the group, the creative environment, keeping records, reading aloud as a group, choosing a subject, exploring a subject, gathering the material together, consolidation, and presentation. It is clear to see that due the sheer amount of detail in their rehearsal process and devising all the way up until the presentation that they put in an enormous amount of work into creating the best possible piece of theatre possible. From space, until creating characters is when I believe that the most practical work would take place, and would consist of improvisation sessions and would allow the actors to take control of their work. The rest seem to be sit down discussions and very structured. This highlights how Complicite when devising tend to begin by letting the actors and directors just go with what they feel, and then as soon as they believe they have something, they sit down together and communicate with each other about their takings from the improvisation and eventually create a piece of theatre.

Contact Jam (L2)

What sensibilities do you need to develop to be successful in a Contact Jam?

To be successful in a physical theatre contact jam you need to be able to demonstrate many different sensibilities confidently. You need to be able to be intimate with another person and therefore you should also be capable of comfortable self exploration. A contact improvisation jam has potential to be an extremely dangerous exercise, meaning there are many sensibilities that are extremely important to develop before practicing the technique.  

The ability to make physical offers to your partner is one of the extremely important sensibilities in a contact jam, as is the ability to accept other people’s offers and then to respond appropriately to these offers in a mature way. With so many individuals working closely together, it is vital to offer physical movements to others that allow your partner to create an originally organic physical response and as one movement flows in to the next, there should be a palpable energy in the room during the contact jam.

Maturity is also a very important sensibility that all of the training actors must employ during a contact jam, because the entire exercise involves vigorous spontaneity and intimate physical contact with other training actors, therefore it is extremely simple to ruin the entire improvisation if any individuals within the group are uncommitted to the work. The focus of the entire group will be instantly diffused and the palpable energy in the room is lost. Mutual respect is also required for the focus of the group as well as yourself in order to understand your own personal physical boundaries.

Another one of the sensibilities needed to be successful in a contact jam is spatial awareness. 


Although contact improvisation requires a very flexible body (something that personally I found quiet difficult and an area of my personal being that I must work on to improve) a contact improvisation jam can often include a very large amount of people in a small confined space and therefore lots of collisions and even injuries are likely to occur. It is absolutely integral that you are aware of any collisions that occur and react accordingly, but you should try to avoid them and being especially aware of the nature of those around you.

This is a movement that I found interesting whilst researching professional Physical Theatre performances. I think this position is successful because they are not holding each other using hands or legs, they are contacting each other using core and this is a very challenging movement. 


I hope that throughout the devising process I could possibly include this in our piece. However, this position requires extreme focus and confidence with one another because if not performed correctly, accidents could occur.

Contact Improvisation (L1)

To begin today's lesson we performed the 'Sun Salutation' exercise, this allowed me to feel connected with my body and to clear my mind of all distractions and thoughts outside the work of physical theatre.

In today's lesson we explored contact improvisation through a number of exercises.
Firstly, in pairs we were asked to improvise a series of movements remaining in contact with each other throughout, this meant staying in sync with each other through breathing and movement. Improvisation is a challenging technique for actors because it is completely spontaneous, anything could happen.

Firstly, I moved into a position using my partners position as a starting point. E.g. My partner put his arms and legs on the floor in a 'bridge' position, so I swiftly moved my body underneath him and moved my head between his arms, looking up at him. This position could convey a greater meaning that could tell a story e.g. The re-building of a broken friendship because I was moving towards him from a distant proximity, possibly revealing how over time we were getting closer.

I have learnt from this exercise that it is vital that I have strong eye contact with my partner so we can communicate through being mentally in touch with each other, this also prevents accidents from happening because it means you are completely focussed on each other and this vital because Contact Improvisation is about reacting to the other persons positions.



At the start of the exercise the bond between me and my partner was not strong, we felt slightly uncomfortable and unsure of what movement to do because we were planning out what we were doing in our heads. I am now aware that to be aqueous I must let go of my mind and let my body take control, using my instinct.

This book relates to the exercise because it refers to the idea that 'The Body Has A Mind Of Its Own' and once you let your body take over, you can discover movements and positions that you have never before come into grasps with. Once you come into contact with the energy that runs through your body, you came established a stronger connection with the world around you.



Furthermore, because I had not established a connection with my partner, we were not in sync with each other and as a result our elbows clashed and we injured ourselves. I have learnt that it is extremely important that we are both focused and connected to avoid hurting each other.





Additionally, at the start I was quite stiff and tense and at times I hurt my muscle when trying to perform the positions. However, after a while we became more comfortable and trusting with each other, as a result the transitions between the positions were fluid and it looked more natural.





When watching my peers perform this exercise I noticed how as an audience member the performance is more pleasing when the strong bond between the pair is visible, any awkwardness is noticeable and watching the performance makes the audience feel uneasy and tense. Overall, I have come to the conclusion that to successful perform Contact Improvisation I must first be comfortable and trusting with my partner.


From this lesson I have learnt that Contact Improvisation is a dance technique in which points of physical contact provide the starting point for exploration through movement improvisation and to successfully master this technique I must be connected with my partner through good communication (direct eye contact, movement and breathing. I should also relax and let my body take control in order to make the piece fluid.


Who invented it and why?



The development of Contact Improvisation was inspired by a dance performance created by Steve Paxton in January 1972, with the intention that it could become a form of expressing post modernism into the world of dance. Called Magnesium, it was performed with 11 students at Oberlin College and combined inner-focused movement and athleticism including wrestling and falling, jumping and rolling. Over the following summer, Paxton explored this movement vocabulary further, rehearsing with a group of dancers, including Nancy Stark Smith, at the John Weber Gallery in New York City and gave the first Contact Improvisation performances which reportedly had 'a powerful emotional and kinaesthetic effect on audiences.'



The dance form subsequently saw a development of movement qualities from the risky rawness and danger off the initial experiments, to a period of smooth, continuous controlled flow in the late 70s and early 80s, followed by an interest in conflict and unexpected responses including previously avoided eye contact and directive hand contact.

In 1975, the dancers working with Steve Paxton considered trademarking the term Contact Improvisation in order to control the teaching and practise of the dance form, largely for reasons of safety. This idea was rejected in favour of establishing a forum for communication, and the newsletter consequently created became the journal Contact Quarterly. The journal reached volume 38 in 2013, and continues to be published by the non profit organisation Contact Collaborations, incorporated in 1978.



What qualities do you need to be successful at Contact Improvisation?



I have learnt that to be successful at contact improvisation I must be energetic, focussed and committed. It is important that I let go of all insecurities and worry's because I must be completely confident and comfortable with my partner to make sure that there is no awkwardness present in the performance.


I was pared with someone that I did not know very well, I was not comfortable and trusting so I was tense and that was visible in my performance. However after feedback from the teacher, I disconnected with my mind and thoughts, and instantly felt that I had become more flexible and fluent because I had a belief in my own ability.



Additionally, I have learnt that I not only have to be trusting with my self and my own body but my partner too because if you do not trust your partner, you are not completely comfortable, as a result you may be tense. This does not only lower the quality of the performance, but you could hurt a muscle.


Furthermore, I have learnt from todays lesson that I need to be honest and truthful. I should allow my gut instinct to lead my body. It is important to disconnect from my mind and only communicate feeling and emotion through my physical movements. Because contact improvisation  invites an individual to create spontaneous movement without rehearsing it may be used to enhance one's overall self exploration of their physicality. It stretches our ability to think quickly whilst building confidence and my capability to take risks. It builds respect, in that we must accept and work with each other's idea and it promotes and encourages students to assume a leadership role in the exploration and creation of movement.


Overall, many different qualities are needed in training actors to be successful at contact improvisation, however during the exercise itself various attributes such as resilience, versatility and creative problem-solving skills are built upon.



In this exercise I was slightly tense because I was unsure of movements and positions, therefore my overall performance was not fluid. To improve I have been watching various physical theatre plays online and I have been practising some of the positions I have learnt over the course of Physical Theatre so that they become more natural to me.


Additionally, I have been performing the 'Sun Salutation' exercise every morning so that I am relaxed because I have found that I am generally quite a tense person, possibly due to stress. Performing this exercise has started to have a positive effect on me because I have found that my overall posture and physicality has changed. For example, I had a slight hunch, my neck was slightly bent and my head was slightly facing downwards. However, now I have an upright posture, straight back and my head simultaneously facing upwards. Additionally, my breathing has become more relaxed and calm.
As a result I enter my physical theatre lessons feeling refreshed and relieved of all stress that I may have had in the morning.

Describe the process of conducting the Ball of Energy exercise: 

In this exercise we had to pass the ball of energy back and forth to our partner using various different parts of the body.


Firstly, I passed the ball of energy from my upper to lower arm through my fingertips and to my partner. I believe that at the beginning of the exercise I was not familiar with my partner and so I did not feel comfortable to challenge myself with my movements. However, over the course of the exercise I let go of my mind and conscious and as a result, I was able to use my whole body to pass the ball of energy.  

For example, I passed it from my upper body to my lower back and down towards my right leg. I did this by carrying an impulse that electrified through my body carrying an energy that was contagious to my partner. It is important that during this exercise I let my body take control, you have to be spontaneous using instinct in order to let the ball continuously flow in a way that is natural to the body.

Evaluate the benefits of the Ball of Energy exercise. What is your opinion to it? 

I believe that the Ball of Energy exercise was beneficial to me because it allowed me to come into contact with every muscle in my body, I became more flexible and in touch with my body; at the start of the exercise my body was stiff and my muscles were tense. However at the end of the exercise I noticed that my movement flowed, the transitions between my movements were soft and fluent and I noticed an overall positive change in my body. This was because I had become more comfortable with letting the ball of energy take control and explore my body. I was not planning where it would move next, my movements were spontaneous and instant, as a result my performance was more aqueous. 

Why is it important for you to be able to listen and be honest during contact improvisation work? 

It is highly important and essential for you to be able to listen during contact improvisation work because the basis of the work is observing the movements of another person, interpreting their movements, and then responding in an appropriate way; therefore listening is a key skill required for contact improvisation work.

Listening is important not just because of the quality of the piece but also for safety as well. Keeping an ear out for your partner is essential when performing contact improvisation because when an actor is in full flow of a piece they may not notice if their partner is in pain or in danger. These risks can be minimised by girls tying hair back, all actors wearing appropriate clothing and so on but in this sort of work there are always potential hazards.

Honesty is a key factor of contact improvisation. Although it can take time to gain a comfortable amount of trust and honesty, particularly with a new partner, it is vital when creating improvised physical work. Genuine natural response between actor’s opens doors to a far wider range of physical possibilities, as mentally manipulating a piece can ruin its fluidity and its truth. The organic honesty required for even basic contact improvisation makes the ergonomic movement far easier to achieve and also helps with developing meaning in a piece.

To further my understanding of Contact improvisation, I have been watching videos of actors using this technique. 

I came across this video:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ED8hNoulZv4

Watching this video was beneficial to me, I found that throughout the majority of the exercise in class I was using my legs and arms to contact my partner. However, the actors in the video really thought about how they could connect in a deeper more passionate way.

 For example, they used their core and back to lean on each other without using arms and legs. I thought this was really effective because as an audience their connection and impulse was visible and so their movement carried a clear meaning and emotion.

Additionally, I have learnt from the video that in order to create a more fluid piece, transitions should not just be moving using your hand and feet but moving through other body parts such as your core, side of body, knees, inner thigh and arm etc. This keeps the connection alive, in relation to my performance in class today I felt that after I had performed a movement and then used my hands to move to the next position, the vibrance and energy disappeared and so the magic was lost. In the screenshot above you can see an example of how the actors used their side to move. I thought this was creative and successful because the passion of the piece was still present and no energy had dissipated after a position was complete. 

Combining text with contact (L3)

Describe the process and application of combining text with contact. 

The very first step in combining test with contact improvisation is to introduce the group of training actor’s to conversation during contact improvisation. All of the participants in this exercise must ensure that the conversation is disengaged (it just flows from their mouths, and it rides on the action). The speech does not essentially have to take place straight away; it is up to the individual training actor and their own gut feeling in their body when they feel the words should come out and are appropriate to the current situation.

Here is an example of one of the pieces I have watched whilst researching, this performance is by theatre company DV8:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vNVPumETpuA

I think this piece works really well as a performance. Often an actors words can be lost whilst moving. However, throughout the whole piece the actress was articulate, clear and projected and her movements were fluid and aqueous. 

I have gained an understanding of how I can combine text with movement in an effective way without focussing on one more than the other. Additionally, 

Discuss the value of actors studying contact improvisation and justify all your comments. 

I believe that actors studying contact improvisation is essential in the growth of an actor in various ways. It first of all is able to create a physical and emotional connection between you and the person you are working with, you must be on the same wave length for something such as a contact improvisation to work hence this exercise allowing you to familiarise yourselves with each other and come to grips with each other. It also helps you develop your focus as an actor as during contact improvisation whilst improvising you must also focus mainly on maintaining contact with your partner. This focus being applied gets you used to paying attention to more than one thing at a time, making you more versatile and professional as an actor.