In the summer of 2023, I facilitated some drop-in workshops for families using short lengths of rope. Nearly 18 months later I have returned to the studio with the rope.
Within it I noticed a constant spiral and memory of form (which in turn accessed my own archive of dance techniques that utilise spirals).
I like that the twisted cotton fibres have a perceivable memory.
I started composing sculptures, creating small constellations. These constellations were brief, but their compositions informed the next ones, and so on. Because how the rope lies for a while, stays with it.
At the end of the first day, I wondered if the rope could have weakened through all the day’s usage.
The spiralling cotton creates an integrity and strength that makes balancing something seemingly flexible, possible. I want to try using the rope to balance people too.
I did some moving, whilst holding both ends of a length – one end in each hand. And then finishing this by leaving the rope in a new composition.
There was something almost sentimental about dancing with, and leaving within the rope sculpture a memory of the dance. As proof that we danced, and that I can still dance despite my occasional doubt in that area.
I usually jot down observations and specifics of tasks in my notebook, so I can easily access how to initiate an activity later (as I know in words what I have been working with). But for some reason I barely wrote anything down.
I couldn’t work out whether not wanting to specify tasks with words was simply my laziness, whether it was because I don’t know what it is I’m actually working with yet, or if it’s because the exploration is so deeply physicalised already that the words are unnecessary.
I’m sure I’ll find out when I next return to it.
This residency was part of winter makerspace at DanceEast, rehearsal space at the Jerwood DanceHouse, Ipswich provided by DanceEast.
I am reminded of last autumn, when I attended a short process sculpture course at Arts Academy London (led by Julian Wild), as part of my DYCP – supported using public funds by Arts Council England.
Each week we were introduced to a new material to experiment with. I noticed that whatever the material was, I had no desire to cut it or stick bits together – I wanted to find things and work with the properties they had.
I can’t help but feel like rope might just be the perfect material for me to work with at the moment. Because there is absolutely no cutting and sticking, merely selecting lengths, composing, shaping, balancing, assembling, reassembling…
It feels choreographic, like working with the attributes dancers have, instead of insisting they replicate movements that aren’t supported by their anatomy.
Here is an image of the last sculpture I created as part of the course.
I think it shares similarities with the rope – there is a surprising strength.
I suppose I am interested in how things can hold or be lifted with less effort, a key component of contact dancing.
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