Lesson 5

Today we looked at something that I have never heard of but I believe it will help us tap into our freedom and improvisation as a performer- Butoh dance. Butoh dance is a concept in which you move in which ever way your body deems natural; you are completely free, there is no right or wrong, your body is in control. We used music as a stimulus to start our movement and we all interpreted it in a different way. My body wanted to move using weight, falling, rolling and crawling relying completely on my body weight to move me. I felt supported and comfortable, but in the same way I was still energised and aware of myself and others. It was completely fluid. The idea of Butoh fits perfectly with our concept- mental health combined with experimental creates a free for all in which personal experiences can be expressed however we want. Being free to express yourself in whichever way you deem appropriate is essential if we want people to access layers of their person as both a actor and human. It can be a very empowering experience for all involved.

We then did an exercise in which we wrapped our hand in cling film. We then had to burst our hand out of our restraints. I noted a sense of frustration and desperation when one of the bodies natural movements is blocked by something. However this makes the sense of freedom and relief intensify when you are finally free from the cling film. Tapping again into our instincts, this allowed me to compare what it is too move completely free within Butoh dance and then stopping the bodies natural flow. These two opposites would be interesting to experiment with when creating a sense of chaos within our bar setting. Then we repeated the action without the restraint which was strange because in the same way I was stopping my bodies flow, it didn't have to be stopped. These feelings can be played with within the rehearsal room to portray the frustration of having no restraint to the naked eye, but your mind creates one- something that links closely to our work on mental health.

We then did another set of exercises that contrasted each other. We walked in a circle following someone, concentrating on keeping the same distant between me and them. Then we skipped around the room like a four year old. This contrast again plays with the balance between control and freedom; a balance strongly needed in experimental work- working out how to be free in our work whilst being precise and accurate in our aim as a piece.

Today we learnt a song called Blue Skies by Tom Waites which we will all sing at the end. I think that this song is such a nice way to end the piece. It sums up everything that has happened in our bar, in a simple, artistic way that involves the cast as an ensemble. Finishing a piece on mental health with a song is quite effective- sometimes spoken word fails you, so find another way to express yourself, song being one them.