In the first rehearsal, we focused on the movement of the spine and its projection into the space. The goal was for the dancers to visualize the skeleton externally and understand how one skeleton relates to another in a public space.


The concept plays around with the dynamic between being perceived as an object versus a human form. This became even more pronounced after placing the LED lights on the spine during the next session. My position is to understand the human body from the inside out, dissecting movements until we reach their root. This project focuses on the spine, with the dancers' intentions driven purely by physicality, without additional layers of information in the movement.


During the session, I decided to further explore moving backward from the spine. This approach naturally directed the dancers into curved pathways, connecting with the idea of desire lines. I was particularly interested in experimenting with different ways of moving backward, initiated by various vertebrae, aligning with my research on the self-moving body. Moving backward in a predominantly direct, goal-oriented space intervenes with the flow, and we experimented with tempo, actively slowing down to further enhance this disturbance.

 

On the 16th of January, we explored the possibilities of moving backward from the spine more freely, not just through walking. We incorporated circles, twists, bounces, drops, linear movement, and waves of the spine, initiated by different vertebrae.

 

I was looking for a set of tasks that could shape the dramaturgy the dancers would create within the space. These included walking backward, slowing down, exploring the vertebrae freely, and getting stuck, either alone or together. The sequence and the freedom within these tasks, and how they could be combined, are still being considered, with the intention of the dancers and the clarity of the projected image in mind.


The LED strips on the spine were introduced in the last part of this session. Immediately, Carlijn gave feedback that the intention was becoming clearer. The exploration of the space through the spine felt like having a set of eyes on the back—searching the space through the light illuminated by the spine. What is behind me and how am I engaging with it? What information becomes clear when I light up that part of the space?

 

The meaning of the light on the spine could be understood from the outside by shifting the dancers'  eyesight to the spine when activating the light. This transfer of attention motivates the movement backward, providing direct information for the observers. The better the performers understand the reasoning behind the work, the clearer it will be for the audience. The light itself conveys a lot of information—simplicity and clarity, offering straightforward answers to move forward.


In narrowing down the specific tasks, I need to consider the bigger picture, which is the concept of slowing down to create space for connection. For the performers, it’s necessary to understand the motivation and the method of moving within that space. The better the performers understand the reasoning behind the work, the clearer it will be for the audience. It’s important to consider why people need to see this and how the audience will perceive it.


We have not yet explored moving together, which is something that will be urgent in the next session.

On the 20th of January, we deepened the motives within the movement material we are developing. While working on walking backward, we explored the honest reaction of the legs to the freedom of the spine and the organic transference of movement from the vertebrae to the legs.

Presentation

The motivation for getting “stuck” in space has also been established. The searching continues, but with more calmness—you want to observe every aspect of the space behind you, taking in every detail, as if scanning the environment. The physicality stems from the feet being anchored to the floor, with an echo in the spine from previous movements. The feet remain anchored in random positions, not always in a parallel alignment.

 

 A first draft of a sequence is beginning to take shape:

Entrance: Walk in, and as the light turns on, it serves as the motivation to stop. An internal process becomes visible—this is the "switch."

1 - Walking Backwards: Always begin walking backward at a normal tempo

2 - Slow Down

3 - Add-ons: Introduce additional elements.

4 - Full-Body Movements: Expand into full-body engagement.

5 - “Stuck”

From Step 4 to Step 5, there is a fast yet gradual reduction in movement size. The tempo shifts to calm (not slow), allowing for full observation of the space behind. The sequence then loops back to Step 1, beginning again with a normal walking tempo.

 

A brainstorm explored the potential of finding a moment of connection, concluding with the idea of creating space for a dialogue between the spines. This dialogue goes beyond verbal sentences, focusing instead on the visualization of an internal conversation through non-verbal communication. The exploration involves studying the body language of non-verbal interaction, imagining the conversation, and “speaking” with the vertebrae as if the body itself could express words.

 

By watching the videos between sessions, I reached some conclusions that I clarified during the rehearsal on the 22nd. Moving backward is always dominated by a force behind you, meaning the front cannot take the lead or decide. The spine explores the backspace of the body, this curiosity guides you into space. This is particularly important during developed movement explorations – the movement is out of your control, and the excited spine leads the inquiry. This results in moving as much as possible from the backspace, without neglecting the natural flow of arms. The backspace refers to the back surface or shadow side of the body.

 

The order of tasks has been updated, and some tasks are now more defined:

Entrance - Walk in Forward

1 - Walk backwards in normal tempo

2 - Slow down

3 - add - ons

From Task 3, there are two choices:

  1. Develop further into movement exploration.

  2. Gradually increase to a normal tempo of the add-on and transition to walking.

4 - Develop further into movement exploration.

5a - Echo – Important note: When transitioning to echo, we don’t always stop in parallel positions.

5b - conversation - This is defined as "talking" to each other through postural movements, shifting slowly from posture to posture. The inspiration for these postures comes from observing the positions of passengers’ backs in public transport. The intention it conveys feels sincere, recognizable, and human.

 

The number system and rules provide a platform to create sequences.

 

0

1   1   1   1   1

2   2   2   2   2

3   3   3   3   3

     4   4        4

    5a  5b     5a

The day of the public intervention

 


In the studio beforehand, we addressed questions about entering and exiting the dialogue. The entrance is an invitation: you actively approach the other person, slow down as you near them, and illuminate them with your back. The exit involves transitioning into a normal walking tempo backward. The second person has a moment of realization that the other has left and leaves walking backward.

 

Eventually, we decided to perform two rounds of sequence 1-5a and one round of sequence 1-5b. This worked well in terms of timing, resulting in a performance of approximately 12 minutes. The simplicity of this approach was highly effective in the space, allowing us time to scan the surroundings before entering the bike roads. However, it was challenging to maintain movement initiated from the particular vertebrae, as there was occasionally a need to look back. This is something I will keep in mind for the future development of this idea.

I am very pleased with the results. We successfully intervened in the space, subtly disrupting its natural flow without causing danger or disturbing those around us. The desire lines became evident through the curves we needed to implement to navigate around bikers and runners. The decision to walk backward itself became a desire line—a form of protest against the conventional use of the space—while our deliberate slowing down to observe through the spine further emphasized this motivation.


The somatic exploration of the spine, analyzing its behavior in public transport, and using it to reconnect with the environment, proved to be a fruitful choice. It provided ample inspiration while developing this project.

 

The lights were significant, as they visually related the dancers within the space, even when they were far apart. This created a sense of cohesion between them. Placing the lights on the spine motivated the movement, making it intentional and meaningful. Integrating the illuminated spines through choreography in the space served its purpose, as some passers-by paused to observe and document the performance.