an evening of swirling imaginings

Hi -

Thought of the project tonight while in awe of Joanna Newsom's performance tonight at BAM. I wanted to immerse myself in her songs and dance among the trees in the park. I imagined slow movements, self- referential, with lots of slow development of sensual but playful hand to body contact. I wanted to burst out of the slowness with jumps and rolls. Yes perhaps through whizzing cars, sounds of the breeze, jumble of voices. How do we make our own voice heard? 

Block # 2,348- the narcissistic inventory of all things wrong or difficult. 

# 2, 349 Isolation. How is it possible to isolate myself among the 9 million that I live with? 

A state of mind.

How does dancing among the cars make me feel... I will ruminate on it Kathryn?

Love.

Kim

Contact

Hi Ladies,

Went to contact improv jam tonight. It was great, really chill. I'm seeing a projection on a screen of a scene - cars whizzing by on a busy street. We're each in the middle of the traffic, and the cars look almost life-size. They're driving over and through us. How would that make you feel or dance?

Working hard on lots of things, including this project.

Love
K

1/17/07

Hi Yulia,
I don't mind at all that you set up a blog. That's great!

I am also feeling out of ideas, and physically in pain leaving me less than inspired to move.
Argh! Just a part of the process, right...

~Kim

1/17/07

Absolutely!

Kim-I hope you don't mind. I was playing around with blogspot.com and created a page for us. What I liked about it was that the blog can have multiple authors. I send you both an invite. Let me know if it works.

I finally have a video camera, but I'm feeling shy about dancing. All out of ideas.

~ Y

1/15/07

great! support and community are what makes art grow.

still working on getting to making our blog page. will do this weekend. sorry for the delay.

love,
kbk

1/15/07

great! support and community are what makes art grow.

still working on getting to making our blog page. will do this weekend. sorry for the delay.

love,
kbk

1/15/07

Hello Darlings,

I was thinking about our giant blocks idea. I talked to my roommate who is an artist and who loves to build things and also work with dancers. I asked her if she'd be willing to work on some set design with us. She said she'll start drafting some ideas. I just wanted to get your feedback on that - How do you feel about including other artists in our project?

Love
K

1/8/07

Yay! a new year and new discoveries and creations...

Hi LAdies-School begins on Monday for me and my internship starts up again this Thursday. I have been thinking a lot about our project over the holidays. I have my camera ready for filming and have been ruminating over movement ideas while going on long walks and listening to inspiring music while on long bus rides. I have been listening to very joyful music and wondering how we can lighten up our concept and not get stuck in the verbal process but play with visual ideas too. This has been my challenge. I have also been challenged by not having a community of dancers to dance with every day to be inspired by and I feel a need to reach out for this support. We don't move alot in my classes at Pratt. Our movement experiences are linked to group dance therapy mock sessions and stay pretty contained. There isn't a lot of room to explore a movement repertoire as there was at the UW. I miss this immensely and am in search of workshops/classes to attend that can rekindle this need for movement exploration and development. I feel out of touch with my dancing body and this is yet another block rich for exploration. I am inspired by the two of you further exploring butoh. The workshop and class sound so cool! Let's keep each other posted on what develops out of this movement exploration.

This brings me to the blog idea. I love it! I have been saving all of our correspondences and wondering how we can all look back at them and see our group development/ process. I love the idea of simultaneously sharing it with the public and garnering feedback and input. As far as how or where to blog I have no experience ther, but am ready to learn. I have also been thinking about sharing our videos with each other and how they can be weaven into our performance since this will be a crucila aspect to how we develop our piece. I love the idea of projecting them onto ABC like blocks for the performance. This set idea is a great idea on how to bring in the childlike element to our piece.

A certain level of childishness, messiness, playfulness and most importantly for me -acceptance, are the elements to living with our blocks. Instead of feeling like they are separate elements in my life I have been working on how I can invite them all in as part of my process, as part of my whole self.

Yulia- I agree with your ideas for pricing, show and space times and think we can confirm this with Linda. I didn't see the contract attached to your email. Will you send it so I can check it out?

Y- unblocking versus blocks- so timely!

K- developing material for DMC and with others will be such great stimulus as well as the butoh class with Diana. I love the image of the blue crane... costume ideas might be emerging? The chaos in your image makes me think of moments of business of NYC living when I am able to soften to the struggle and challenge of life here and find my own internal peace and sanctuary in spirit.

I confer that in order to be productive for this project and its timeline I too must give myself weekely goals otherwise I will procrastinate to the last minute. I will journal, collage, move/dance, film, and blog in some configuration weekly and figure out a more concise personal schedule in the coming weeks.

I am excited to be sharing our worlds and creating something uniqe together!!!

Much Love,
Kim

1/7/07

Hello darlings,

So very good to be communicating again. I wanted to email a couple times during the holidays, but felt I had nothing significant to say. Like you said, Y, it's a new year and now's the time for getting going on this wonderful project.

Thank you for being our delegate to the meeting. July 13th is a sunday, 3pm would be a good time, but what do you mean "I think" about the date? I think a low price like $5 for students/senior citizens/children and $10 for others would garner a good turnout.

Yulia, your email comes at a perfect moment. All winter break, I was thinking that we need to make this long-distance project involve a long-distance audience. Your idea for a blog is fantastic. We could advertise there for the show itself, and post videos on youtube to garner some viewers. What's more, we will create a piece that is not dependent entirely on the product, but on the production of the product. How does one broadcast live over the internet?
I love the idea of this dance being patchworked together by videos broadcast and sent over the internet. Can we project some of these onto the stage? Maybe we could project them onto some giant abc blocks, hmmm...

I have this image in my head of a blue crane, standing on one leg, in the midst of utter chaos - whizzing cars, neon signs, rushing people - not moving at all. Her stillness is accentuated by the blurs of movement surrounding her.

I am taking Diana Garcia-Snyder's Butoh course this quarter. Class is at 8:30 in the morning and is two hours long and it starts tomorrow. I am excited. She has studied with Diego Pinon.

I am also choreographing for the DMC. The concert is March 6-9. I have a great cast of women: Kia, Callie, Hannah Marx, Nasim, Chelsea Weaver, and Meghan Crane. It's shaping up. I am thinking of you Kimberly when I am rehearsing with them.

I love you both,

K

1/7/07

Hello Ladies!

Hope the new year has been treating you kindly so far. Has school started for you already?

I went t the Alembic meeting yesterday. It was a short meeting, each group/person just introduced themselves and their project. I did sign a contract so we are all set for July 13 (I think). Linda needs to know ASAP the price of our tickets and the time of the show. I was thinking we could do a sliding scale $5-10. As for the time, we have the space from 12-6 and that includes set up and take down. Should we say show starts at 3pm?

I have attached the Alembic contract.

I was thinking that it would be really cool if we have some sort of an online blog for this project. For 2 reasons mainly: for us to communicate and to post our videos and thoughts. And also for the public to be able to see our process, so we have this whole online audience as well as the audience in July. Do you knw of a good blog website? I'm familiar with Facebook and yahoo groups, but I don't know if those are the best ones. Facebook might not be so bad though. What do you think? Any suggestions?

I'm currently involved in a 2 day butoh workshop with a local artist name Mizu Desierto. It's all about rediscovering the child within, the child's universe, unblocking memories and senses. It's a small group of 5 women and the first day was so powerful and intense. I'll write all about it in our blog.

I signed up for a class at the NW Film School today. I'm so excited! I'm giving myself a late birthday present and buying a video camera. I can't wait to start dancing and recording and discovering.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of blocks, is children's ABC blocks. I'm kind of obsessed with them right now and want to own a set. I think we coud incoporate them in the performance and make some videos.

I know it's been a while since we talked about this project. With the holidays I didn't have time to give much thought to it. But it's a new year and I'm really motivated and excited and I hope that you are too.

I know that personally I need structure to get anything done. Once I get my video camera, my goal is to make a short video once a week. And to keep a daily blog/journal. Some sort of daily practice is my new goal.

Ok, tell me all about your worlds!

Much love,

~ Y

11/18/07

Fear is often my biggest road block. Many a bike rides I've declined lately becasue of my fear of heights and the impossible notion of biking across a bridge. I recently had a panic attack while biking across a bridge and haven't faced the risk of being in that situation again. I want to face it, but slowly, and methodically. I have been thinking a lot lately about how often I think I should be someone that I'm not; should know all of the answers- sending a message to myself that either I don't know who I am or have yet to accept myself. Now that I am living in a new city, recently married, and attending a new school I feel that I no longer know who I am. I have no histroy or connection to the place where I live and feel bombarded by constant stimulation and this is compounded by having no time to process my experiences.

Graduate school is demanding in a way I couldn't have possibly prepared myself for. I have been fatigued by the emotional demnads of the program and have made little time to give back to myself. Slowly I am changing this pattern. One reminder is working on this project with you two. It keeps me focused on the moment, on the importance of expression through movement, on a connectin to something larger than myself. I feel inspired to keep my body well-tuned so that I will have the energy, strenght and flexibility to dance. I started swimming this week and took an African dance class at the YMCA by my house.

Cassidy is going to order a battery charger for his video camera and then I will be able to record some ideas and send them to you two. I am excited to begin moving my ideas.

I was also thinking of how we could integrate these video clips into our final showing. Also, I have been thinking about how our blocks are in our heads, but manifest in our bodies. How could we represent this?

Let's play a word game... what words, images, associations, ideas come up for you when you think of the word block(s)?

Then we can begin to move these images and pass on the pulse of movement inspiration to each other maybe via video clips. What do you think?

**Yulia- Your powerchair story made me smile and feel lighthearted. I am so excited to dance with you in your new chair!

**Kathryn- I am sending love and healing thoughts to your ankle, and your very being. I love the questions you asked- I have thought a lot about how I have changed and how Seattle has changed since I've moved. I recall Seattle with only the purest of positive memories and have let go of any negative ones. The good memories rise to the surface and the heavy ones sink. My view of home has changed in that I need more quiet and comfort than ever before because I live in sich a state of constant chaos. NYC is busy, loud, dirty, overstimulating, exciting, beautiful... so much of everything all at once, so I need more time for myself to relax. I move faster and with more direct intention. Biking on flat roads has made me feel strong and limitless, and willing to take more risks. That is a huge shift from living here - I feel I can take more risks, test the boundaries, and push through more than ever before.

Skyscrapers, loud sirens, carhorns, diversity, taxis, wormholes/subway tunnels, hot dog stands, smell of roasting nuts, blue skies, rats, newspapers, brownstones, kids playing jumprope, basketball courts, shady deals, cash only, bodegas, pizza parlors, boutiques next to thrift stores, high heels, scarves and mittens, lost kittens... so many things.

We make time I think by keeping it simple, being in the moment, and sharing our ideas with each other often.

Love,
Kim

11/14/07

Good evening lovelies,

I know what you mean that we block the opportunities from ourselves. Just the other day I was walking my dog around a playground and noticed that there was a leaf stuck to one of the metal benches. I had an urge to decorate the whole bench with leaves in a pattern, work by Andy Goldsworthy flashed in my mind. I saw my self gathering the leave then arranging them in a meditative state on/in the bench. It sounds kinda of dorky, but it was such a strong desire to do it for no other reason than just to feel this and experience it. but of course I made hundreds of excuses not to (it;s too cold, too windy, the dog is too hyper, oh I'll come back). I make excuses a lot and end up missing out on wonderful moments, experiences, opportunities. What blocks me? What blocks you?

One more thought:

Today a whole new world opened up to me. I finally got my powerchair after about a year of waiting. I spend about half the day waiting for it to arrive and the rest of the day driving around Portland in my new chair. I feel transformed, changed. I don't know how to describe it: freedom, pure freedom. I didn't go anywhere new for the most part, but everything looked new and fresh and exciting. Hills and curb cuts looked inviting instead of difficult. Oh and the speed. I can go so much more faster than I have been able to in the last 15 years. I'm all for the slow movement, but it's so nice to have the option to go fast which I didn't have before. It's like you having the option to go fast by running. So much of my fears have diminished just in a few short hours and it's fear that blocks me, that holds me back. Erik and got off the MAX tonight and went into a public courtyard and danced around, spinning and circling, smiling, laughing in the dark and wind. I felt like a little kid all giddy and excited playing with my best friend with my brand new toy.

It's midnight and although I'm still giddy and excited, I should probably go to bed.

Take care of your ankles and dreams.

Goodnight,

~ Y

11/14/07

Hello,

Tonight at rehearsal I sprained my ankle. My blocks have manifested tonight. I feel like there are lots of wonderful opportunities lying ahead which might not be maximized because we block them from ourselves.

We're all very busy and we all live in different locations. What is important to you in your current place? Have you ever thought about your daily journeys, who you were in the morning and who you are now? What about your view of the place - how has it changed since Seattle? Since we are geographically separated and also busy, how can we each make time to meditate on this project? How can we make time to meditate, period?

I think everything is actually quite simple, if I allow it to be.

Kathryn

11/29/07

Hi Ladies,

I like that blurb, Kimberly. Maybe we can include more about the "long-distance" part, like what Yulia wrote for the first one.

I think blocks can be both literal and metaphorical. Is one of the blocks our distance between each other? Or are we just dealing with our own personal lives? Does our distance inhibit this process, allow us to procrastinate, or does it free us from constraints? I feel like we are asking important questions right now. Has anyone been working on movement as well, or at least thinking about it? Maybe there is a movement or a very specific theme/idea, that we could each include when we create phrases?

I want to come on the 16th but I'm still not sure how it will work financially and with the amount of time I have. I still have to work that out.

Love,
Kathryn

9/7/07

Hi -Yulia,

I did get your message. I wish I had been in NYC when you were here.Kathryyn, have classes begun. What are you studying? What is inspiring you two at the moment?

How are the transitions shifting for you both?

I have been giving some thought to our first long distance project and I have been inspired by the ideaof clowning and the upcoming Butoh festival in October. Not necessarily a totally evident thoughtprocess, but since reading "Free Play," a book on how to unblock ourselves to allow for free and openimprovisation and ultimate creativity I have been thinking that we three might play with these ideas.

My idea is to play with our blocks. Literal, or figuratively... create movements that represent that whichblocks us. Look at the movements and discover something about how our blocks become ourornaments. Any suggestions or other ideas?

Thinking of you,

Love,
Kim

Testing

Hello Ladies,

This is just a test message. I'll try to post some of our earlier e-mail conversations. Hope it works.

Blessings,

~ Yulia ~