Sick days

My picture of the week: Taylor quickly figures out a way to be supported in our movement class. Good picture. Thank you Katie for uploading all of these pictures from movement class so I could add them to my blog!!First of all, let me apologize for slacking on the blog. I am trying to get back on track. I had a headache from last Monday until last Friday. The doctor thought it was a compacted disc in my neck vertebrae but on Saturday I woke up with fever, the chills, sore throat, runny nose, and achy muscles. A virus has been going around and has hit most of the undergraduate theatre students... yuck. I'm still sick today but hoping to get back into the swing of things tomorrow. This blog will include everything the highlights since my last blog through last Wednesday the 7th.

After warm up in Movement we ran through the room leaping and hopping. Then Claudia said that when she clapped her hands we would either support someone or be supported. It started in two's then three's then half and half, then the entire group. We decided to call these lift portraits. Once we arrived in our portraits we would come out of them in slow motion and go back into them in slow motion. This really helped us find our balance and how to pose without momentum. We did this again on the next Wednesday. Here are some pictures of our second run through this:

Courtney, Bob, Ben, and I making a quick portrait:


Louise, Caroline, and me; this one was not so easy to reverse without momentum:

I accidentally clocked Bob in the chin with my knee during this pose... sorry Bob!:

All of us in our first poses:

Louise and Mer Mer:

Louise, me, and Taylor:

We started working on Downward Dog walking in pairs (one on the other) then rolling over in pairs. Next we went back to one of us being the bench the other now doing a handstand on their back only using the upper arms. We tried walking as a group blocking different areas of our bodies one at a time starting with sternum, pelvis, knees, feet, neck, shoulder blades, then teeth. It was very interesting to understand what blocking these parts will do to the way you walk and feel on the inside. We also explored intrograde and retrograde (doing a movement and reversing it). We did improv contact dance. Making our partners aware of their lines, joints, where they place their weight, and give the partner suggestions and then let them move on their own while you observe. We did some more partner lifts using the sacrum scoop and working towards rolling over the back.

The biggest highlight of voice class (something new that we weren't revisting) was the 4 emotions wheel. We had four different points in a circle and you had a different emotion you sand in at each point. The transition was most important. We worked in partners 'kneeding bread' on their backs into a full person lift using a person at each limb. We did some rolls across the floor (REMEMBER YOU HAVE TWO LEGS). We did some rhythm work 4/4 on top of 3/4 call and response. Then we did one of my favorite exercises: Gargoyles. This brings something out from the inside that is unexplainable and sometimes a little scary, but it is extremely interesting all the same.

In Music we worked on ritual. We improved a ritual with objects in a sacred space. Then we made up our own rituals or create what ritual is to us to present in the next class. Taylor came up with a great one for us to do together. He's working out in the fields while I'm washing clothes by the watering hole. Then he comes in from the fields to get water and begins pickin' and singin' a Robert Johnson tune. I begin humming and making a rhythym with my laundry bin. It was fun!!

Cabaret, Soccer and Friday!!

Our first Cabaret on Thursday night:

Bob, William, Meredith, and Caroline before Cabaret started.

Katie getting ready for her song.

Ben Sota as Professor Fluff "A" Nutter.

Juggling and balancing!!

Katie singing and playing 'I'm in Love With Your Ghost' by the Indigo Girls. One of my faves!!

Scott playing his pop song.

On Saturday we played Soccer:

Tristan, Brian, Ilse, and Kevin are getting ready for the big game.

Meredith and Caroline look ready to go!!Bob's war wound.

The Aftergame.

Taylor messing with me as per usual.

Jenna's war wound caused by Caroline's shoe.

Walking back from the PAM.

Brian walking his basket up the hill.

Kevin, Caroline, Meredith, Brian, and me taking a break after the hill.

We had a bit of an emergency with one of our MFA students on Thursday night, so Voice class was only one hour on Friday. We warmed up on our own doing stretches and movements Kevin has taught us. We were able to begin with vocal work in a group. Starting with the circular slide on a hum. Next we sang RO RO RO on a descending minor triad pointing from low to middle to high on the wall. Then Louise did some solo work and Kevin had her imagine running to catch the bus in Pescaiola. If she missed it she is screwed and has to walk the whole way to school. Fantastic!! Then we all did that together. Next we worked through Vee Vee Vee O going from the image of an opera singer to a muscle man. This works well between your legato and staccato.

In movement we did an interesting thing where we walked around the room, first remembering what we have been doing (going towards the prep into a handstand). Then we stopped, jumped together, stopped and started walking together. Each time we started walking again the tempo would speed up. At the end we were at a dead run. This is a great group exercise to work on listening to each other no matter how crazy the tempo can become. We went through some more Yoga exercises. I was very frustrated with the Yoga on Friday because I was feeling quite tired and couldn't really find my balance points. I'm sure these times will come and go frequently. Next we worked on rolling backwards then reversing it frontwards. This is not as easy as it sounds trust me.

We then started working on the dreaded headstands. Dreaded is the word I use because I was always afraid that if I did a headstand my neck would break or crush under the pressure. This of course is an unfounded fear that I no longer have thanks to help from Claudia and my headstand partner Meredith. I did one today during our Sunday practice!! Yay me!!!! We were shown two different headstand methods: the tripod and the hand cupping method. The tripod I still have not mastered because I'm a little too unstable yet, but the hand cupping I finally figured out. Very nice! We did some Alexander Technique walking (that is what I call it) where your partner puts their two fingers on either side of upmost part of your neck (where it meets the base of the scull) and you walk around, your head floating freely above your neck. Finally we worked with a partner who was your bench and you roll over them from the side always keeping contact with each other's bodies. Next we did this when the partner is in child's pose.

Days three and four!

Last night we had a MFA dinner at Scott's house. Here are some notable pictures:

Me and Jesse


William, Kimberlee, and Kevin


Action shot of Courtney, Katrin, Kevin, and Claudia


Caroline and Meredith

Ben, Brian, William, and Bob getting some wine and food.

Kevin, Scott, and Ben with Taylor and Jesse in the background.




Scott gives a toast!

Taylor cooking it up!


Me, Katie, Meredith, and Courtney


Katie and Claudia


Louise, Caroline, and Bob


The men hanging out: Taylor, Phil, and Jesse



Yesterday we got more in depth with acrobatics in Movement with Claudia. We learned how to roll on the ground and started learning how to roll over each other. We worked more on the handstand; with the image of rolling a bowling ball on the floor.

Our second day with Marcello was much more physical. Our warm-ups consisted of isolations, shoulder contrasts, swingy hand thing (that is what I call it) as counter isolations. We learned the robot man in 5 parts, the puppet breakdown and build up (in ten parts). Then we started the Balloon Guy. This is a very hard exercise. You start by standing with your arms outstretched. Next, as if you were filled with air and someone took a pin and poked you in the center of your body, you begin to deflate. You deflate to the floor... but there is one catch, all parts of your body must move at the same time and stop at the same time. It is not as easy as it sounds.

After this we did walking exercises. The catch being that the whole group has to start at the same time. Then once we have started we had to pick a partner without making it obvious. The next time we had to pick a partner and then a place to meet without making it obvious. No talking... just eye contact. This exercise is fantastic for group building. It starts us out listening to each other without words. Then into breath exercises. First, you sit on the ground cross-legged, take in a big breath while turning your head to the left, blow out the air while head twists back to the right. The point is to finish the movement and the air at the same time. The next step is to do the same thing but this time draw a water scene: first the waves, then the ship, then blow the ship away. Finally, we laid down and isolated the breath coming in and out of our chest and stomach. Then we started improvs... you'd have to be there.

Today we had voice work with Kevin. We started with breathing and releasing exercises on the ground. Same concept of isolation, but starting with the chest, to the ribs, to the stomach, to the pelvis. We did this solo, in pairs, and in trios. Next we worked with elbow rounds. Laying down putting our elbows across our chest, moving them in a circular motion, vertical, and horizontal. We let the air out on an 's' then moved into sound. Now, by ourselves, we performed the clavical and ribcage press with air.

We started what William calls 'Wiggle-O's' and started working with text and sound. Imagine it, all of these people standing in a circle, vibrating their body and trying to read an E.E. Cummings poem (this is what my facebook status comes from)... pretty hilarious. We continued working with this text by leading our partner around the room while they were trying to read the piece of paper, the telling it as a story to our partner, then experimenting with text and sound and dance.

In acting today we started with the same warm-ups and then worked with partners on walking away from the imaginary wall but not moving our hands and ducking under a table without moving our hands. Our partner would put their finger tips on either side of your cheek bones and you would move around it without moving your head... as if your head was stuck inbetween some bars. We worked on mirroring and leading the robot guy with sound and Puppet Guy with your partner counting. Next we worked in small groups on the sailor wheel and the 14 step pick-up sticks.

Using this last exercise we found different objects besides sticks. Keeping the same 14 step technique, just modifying it to your imagination. We did these improvs in front of the group. Mine was this: I was hot, so I saw a magazine and picked it up, while fanning myself I see an actual electric fan; I go to the fan and throw the magazine behind me as I plug in the oscilating fan and follow it back and forth; Then I take my fan when I see my refrigerator and throw it away as I open the freezer door; After I have stuck my head in the freezer, I see there is gelato (ice cream) so I grab the gelato and kick the fridge over; while eating gelato and singing I see a slip-n-slide, I go to the slip-n-slide and throw the gelato behind me; I set up the slip-n-slide and run into a belly slide across it (I actually did this, I think I really am insane). Finally we worked on more improvs. One element was added, only one person and move or talk at a time. Everyone else must keep their focus on that one person until the focus is returned to them. Very fun and interesting.