The Arsenal Project

March 4-8, 2013

So what happened this week?  This first week back after a 4 month hiatus?

Before the company took a break, I held the first of two workshop sessions to begin to bridge the gap between the original Arsenal Project and a new full length work.  As of now, I’m using the working title The Art of Stealing to name this feat although I’m not quite convinced that will be the title I premiere the work with.  Anyway, the first workshop was held in October 2012 for two weeks and now I am halfway through my second workshop with the dancers.

Is it possible I may have generated too much movement?  This was the thought I had last night as I plodded around my kitchen.  I have so much footage captured on tape that I haven’t even looked yet and I’m sure I’ve forgotten.  But I don’t think so…I mean, when you have a vast amount of space between creative workshop sessions (i.e. such as 4 months) it becomes clearer what you’re still interested in, what you’re not interested in anymore and of course there’s always the desire (for me anyway) to try something new.  The challenge is to eventually put it all together to make something cohesive.  In the final outcome, at a certain stage I think it’s not necessarily about what you like.  If you’ve committed to a certain idea or theme then you need to follow it through.

Of course I could be wrong.

But it’s still early days!  I don’t need to worry too too much about that yet!  Hahahahahaha!  So this week was a great chance to get back in touch with the ladies of the group.  When I got stuck I made a phrase to Drake and that was fun.  We’ve also experimented with walking like zombies (with and without sound effects).  Next week I get more bodies and some apprentices so that will be good to test run some ideas I got when I was on the road.  We.  Shall.  See.

I’ll let you know what happens next week…

AFB

First Day of School, Part 2

Oh good gosh.  It’s been quite awhile hasn’t it?!

So, if you are a keener and have observed the huge gap in dates between my last entry and this one you will notice that it has been quite some time since I have blogged.  Maybe you wondered, maybe you didn’t.  But for those of you that did here’s the point form rundown of what’s happened since October 2012:

-I had my first workshop with the company after the official end of The Arsenal Project.  It was two weeks.  It was rad.
-The company went on hiatus; myself included.
-I came home about a week ago
-Today is the first day of our second workshop!

Also: I decided to keep this blog alive.  The Arsenal Project was a way for myself and the company to ask questions, scavenger and accumulate.  It was a phase of research.  But now I think that the title alone extends to the company carrying this blog over to document all aspects of our activity.  I think it makes sense to continue to keep track of our progress, especially with a new full length work on the horizon.  For those of you who have been keeping tabs on us my hope is that you are curious what will happen to all these ideas that have been gathered (I know I am!).

So that is what’s happening.  Today is my first day back in the studio after 4 months.  As always, there is excitement and a wee bit of trepidation. I remember how to do this right?  Right?!  If all else fails we’ll come up with some more sweet moves to put in the arsenal even if I’m not entirely sure what they mean yet…

Ooooor….maybe not every single step has to mean something.  Maybe the step is enough.  Huh.