We invite you to join us on DAY ONE of R&D week. The sun is shining, the energy is up, and the company are in full swing of our first day. The theme of today has been exploring and sharing. Exploring and bringing together our own thoughts, bodies, and minds to create sequences of strength, vulnerability, and flow. We got to share in our experiences of isolation and our view on others’ experiences of lockdown comparing age, mindset and the absence of productivity.
This all sounds very serious, there has been lots of silliness and clowning around to break down those barriers and get out of our own minds. We’ve had good, mad and ugly dancing, all to the soundtrack of various Eurovision hits. What’s wrong with clowning around? Clowning has been so important today to break us out of this mould of not being able to interact and make contact in AN ACTUAL SPACE! Taking the time just try lots of different ideas and just have fun playing and enjoying acting in the space was a joy to do and to watch unfolding.
AUTUMN’S HIGHLIGHTS
The moment that felt most powerful today was seeing the build-up of storytelling take shape. Almost like brewing a potion, an isolated moment kept forming to build up into a storm. This storm captured the hectic and the calm and it was so beautiful to see the ensemble working together fully for the first time. This will feed into a bigger movement sequence later in the week.
RACHELS WORDS
After a long and thrilling day, our Artistic Director, Rachel was asked to sum up the day in three words. She chose “fizzing, jam-packed and bananas”. That sentiment entirely captures the fantastic energy of the day and our hopes for the rest of the week!
Written for StrikeUp by Autumn Beddoe.