DUET CREATION
together with and performed by:
- Lien Vandenborne
- Gaia Salsi
inspired by:
- H3H3 podcast: Ethan Klein & Trisha Paytas
First sketch of 2nd part piece
SLOMO TENSION + ELEMENTS
CHARACTERS/CHARACTERISTICS (ETHAN&TRISHA)
DISTORTION AND REPETITION
ETHAN Your idea for a video is to eat pizza with me? You think that's a good idea?
TRISHA Well yeah of course, its cute.
**ONE HEATED DISCUSSION FURTHER**
ETHAN The pizza's here, woehoeeeeewwww!!!
TRISHA We really need to stop now.
ETHAN It's the damn pizza curse!
RELATION BETWEEN THEATRICALITY AND PHYSICALITY
= LIPSYNC/CHARACTERS
ROPES
= CONNECTION/RELATION
INSPIRATION PODCAST H3H3
= RELATION TRISHA AND ETHAN
REPRESENTATION OF ROPE
What does the rope represent?
= connection/relation of my past
coming from: a love-hate relationship
PHYSICAL RESEARCH
I started the physical research with these elements, that I foresure wanted to dive deeper into/research more for the duet. Those are all elements that were parts of the past researches I did, where I now felt the need to dive more into.
ELEMENTS
- ROPES (a prop)
- SLOMO TENSION (movement quality)
- LIPSYNC (movement quality)
- DISTORTION (movement quality)
- ABSURDNESS/MADNESS/GOING CRAZY (theatrical tool)
- SPECIFIC CHARACTERS/CHARACTERISTICS (theatrical tool)
- EXPRESSIVE/EXAGURATING (theatrical tool)
DUET ELEMENTS 'SLOMO TENSION'
- open arms, above head
- caressing floor
- pistol signing
- hiding face, facing backwards
- thumbs
- fuck you
- mouth opening
These elements came out of several improvisations we did based around the slomo quality I wanted. I used these elements as well for my further research, to experiment with repitition in my work. Which is an element that I could say defines my work and how I like to create.
ABSURDNESS
= freedom
= not giving a fuck
= jumping endlessly, keeping up a routine
= arms above the head
REFERENCE TO FIRST SOLO
During one improvisation session, I used different kinds of music to try to find the atmosphere I looked for. And I was trying to find a song that had a duality of happyness and sadness, which reminded me of a scene of the series 'squid games'. In the scene, they played 'Fly me to the moon' while hunderds of people got shot.
Olga, a classmate of mine, as well played this song at a certain point. And I felt it really suited the image and the vibe I wanted to create, as well it refers back to the inspiration sources of my 1st solo creation.
SONG INSPIRATION
At a certain point, Ella who's as well my classmate, gave me a listen to this absurd/weird song. And at first, we were joking and just using it as a funny joke if we would use it to create a piece. Actually out of this absurdness and joking around, it actually truly inspired me as a startingpoint to create indeed something fun/absurd. Even also chaotic.
So I was really inspired, I started listening a lot to the song and then used the song to research on myself. I wanted something absurd, physically and facially, so did some research in the studio on my own first.
And then afterwards, I showed this impro during the rehearsals to them so they had a refference. Which really helped them to understand my image and fill it in with their own interpretation.
STRUCTURE DUET
begin: silence, 2min
= image of entering the stage by pulling the rope, which is hanging over stage.
= inspired by memory of pulling myself over water as a child, memory of entering a playground and ready to be playful. also comming from this game where u have to pull the rope, the other team/person you have to pull them over to your side. reference to serie squid game as well as memory of myself.
= referring to the time where this connection w the person was starting of lovely and playful. yet there was already some underlaying tension in the relationship, which is represented by the rope.
2nd part: music, 4min 30sec
= using a physical/theatrical phrase, repetition and distortion. a build up.
= image of marriage, being so in love and at the same time trying to keep it composed. there's a difference in proportion: one person's standing, one's down. the early stages where you just try to fix everything, love is blinding as they say.
= inspired by my memories with this person, dreamy atmosphere together with an underlaying off feeling. while there's a lot of love, there's an akwardness building up inside and eventually growing as well outside for the world to see.
= referring to the early stage of love, yet as well feeling there's a disproportion. a powerdynamic that isn't feeling right. references from for example sweaping the floor, meaning: cleaning up the shit of the other person.
3rd part: silence, 3min
= using the rope, more physically and subtle theatricality that evolves into taking control. using as well repetition.
= image of marriage, a relationship where you feel stuck. 'because i'm married for so long, i can't get away'... feeling that a label/definition that is inprinted needs to be furfilled. therefore not finding the stand to leave it, trying to still deal with this connection
= inspired by the relationship where the person who i was with was as well together with someone else, so there was love to try to make it work because of the immense feeling for eachother. Yet as well the realisation that this defined label made the relation feeling stuck.
= referring to the hate feeling, this underlaying off feeling. also understanding that your stuck together, maybe meant together. trying to deal with this as much as possible, yet also trying to get out of there.
4th part: dialogue, 1min
= using a dialogue, voice. heated discussion.
= image of trisha and ethan having a big argument in front of people.
= inspired by my memories with the person where we had arguments about this relationship, which no one knew about and people started to notice the heat. somewhat feeling exposed, feeling watched.
= referring to the time where my classmates got intertwined in my connection with this person and were fully going to expose us, in the heat of my already difficult situation. making it even more difficult and confusing, akward.
5th part: music, 3min 23sec
= using physical/theatrical phrases, more chaotic and absurd. repetition and distortion.
= image of mozes entering the room after a blown up fight between trisha and ethan. where they both feel totally exposed, as well going nuts/crazy because they don't have any control anymore abou what's been said.
= inspired where you are fully exposed, you totally lose control and don't know what the hell to do anymore. yet you are together in this with the other person, as well you actually don't want to be there anymore. you have to get through it, together or not. you're trying to push through inside the total madness.
= referring to the time after my classmates fully exposed us by doing fucktup shit. I and the person got crazy, we didn't know anymore what to so because people took our thing in their own hands. So our already difficult situation was out of our hands, and controlled by other people. We just went with the madness, chaos and everything just went from there.
End: silence, 30sec
= image of trying to find each other again, because thats the only thing you have left
= inspired by the image of me and this person where we hug, yet its not a thight hug. It's a hug out of doubt, it feels not right since people decided for us that its not right.
= referring to the feeling I had after the whole exposure time, where I saw the person again and felt like there were bricks missing in our house we build on.
LAYERING METHOD
I used the layering method to define the work, to really fine tune the details. It helped them and myself to find more specific words for the work itself. I thought it was as well handy to go over it and define it together so they were sure of themselves. As well the structure began to make more sense because of the clearity in layers.
IMPRO WITH TASKS, NARROWING DOWN
I used improvisation assignments in the beginning to dive into the research, let them explore the physicalities and theatrical tools by themselves. After going for some time, I narrowed it more and more down by writing down elements I saw and using them for the next round. So they could use 2 elements during one improv session of 15 min, to really dive into the research of those qualities. It helped them to narrow it down, so it became less in the mind on what they had to so as an assignment. As well it gave them, opened up more possibilities to research and for me to use in the piece.
SETTING AN EXAMPLE/GIVING DIRECTION
I tried to during the rehearsals word myself as much as I could, and as propre as I could to be clear about my images. Yet I understood, and already understand some time, that certain words have different definitions for each individual. Especially the words I used during this research, like emotions etc, have different depth for the dancers. So sometimes, I had to show the images physically and theatrically while they could watch what I was imagining. Which first of all really helped them to find clearity in what I was asking for, as well it gave them a base/an example to work with. What sometimes I feel needs to happen with some people to give them the space to really go for something, because I feel if I do it they will also do it. So that was super nice.