"How to use body, presence and action to create works of performance art?"
This was the question that was introduced into this 7 day long class by BBB Johannes Deimling. We learned the bases about body composition in space, the use of material and the process that comes into the making of an action... In an alternation from group and individual exercises such as The Slide Show or The Compass, we learned the different steps that a performer takes from the start, with an idea/concept, to the end, with the execution of the action and the reflection that follows the work. Monika Deimling documented our progress through pictures and a wall with thoughts, ideas and feelings was gradually taking over the space.
" Actions can turn us into heroes or bring us to prison. On a daily basis, we are doing hundreds of activities without realizing or questioning most of them. They are deeply rooted in our human behavior and without them, nothing would move, develop and be produced. Brushing teeth or peeling potatoes seem to be simple, but are a conglomerate of little actions, like taking, holding, pushing, scrubbing… Is there a single, pure action or are they always happening in coexistence? " by BBB Johannes Deimling
November 2019
28 Steps, Performance
In a corridor, I wear a light dress with little flower patterns. My dance shoes are ready to slip on the tile. In front of me, I see a group of people waiting. In my back, I feel the same energy. I reach my right hand to the sky and left hand to the heart. And start taking steps backwards. I make sure that my feet caresses the ground. Then I turn facing the group of people that was once behind my back.
I make eye contact with a young girl and as I walk towards her with open arms she smiles. Gently, I put her hand on my left shoulder and hold her with my left hand, under her shoulder blade. I look into her eyes and take the first step. Together we are going to the other side of the corridor. I am walking backwards and she forwards. In the middle of our journey, we stop and switch places. This time, it is my right hand that supports her back. Together we go to the other side.
This time I make contact with a young man. I open my arms as I walk towards him. He is taller then I and his arm rests on my shoulder. For some reason, we didn’t need to look into each other's eyes to make contact. His head was leaned to me. This simple gesture made our walk concentrated towards both of us. We grope the ground and slip our feet step by step. Once on the other side, we turn. He gives me a nod and I start my lonely walk to the other side ready to meet my next passenger.
I turn and choose a tall young man with glasses leaned to the wall. During our walk, he was surprised to see me looking at him. He smiled and made sure that we weren’t going to bump into people.
I see this woman ready to walk with me. She has a blue hat and scarf but not as blue as her eyes. She walks like a feline ready to catch her prey. She is determined. But the closer we get to the end of our walk the slower our steps become. And slowly we arrive.
The next person was enchanted when I invited him to walk with me. I didn’t need to take a step towards him. He came the second I opened my arms. When we walked his head was tilted on the side and his eyelids almost closed. He had full trust in me even though I couldn’t see where we were going. Later I learned that he was in a meditative state.
On my side, there is a tall man from a certain age. He is tall with small eyes. When we walked he had to bend his knees and spread his feet to not crush mine. I was excepting that we would take big steps but he was careful.