Today I had my Nancy day!
I’m trying to create a third and final game for my work, and the dancers told me it was too hard! So I got a little bit shitty, called a 10 minute break and ducked around the back of the school for a ciggy……maybe I left it a little bit late to start something new (we have our first plotting tomorrow, but we have till Saturday for the performances) . As I see it, this project is an opportunity to create a completely new work, in an unfamiliar environment, so I’m OK if I fail. But I won’t, because the first two games are finished and look great! So, to try something completely different is fun for me…………..however, I’m learning that most of the dancers are really young (18years) and have never been allowed to fail, all they want to do is “practice, practice, perfect!” (I think that’s normal in every culture, not just TaiwanJ) All I want to do is “play, play, create”.
So I had my 10 minutes to think, went back inside, had a small talk with them, tried explained my reasoning and tried to apologise. I think they were on the same wave length because they drew this wee picture on the floor while I was away.
Last week the dancers saved me from embarrassment when I walked into rehearsal with this tee shirt that I bought at the night markets on.
It says something like “I’m afraid of my wife” (I won’t show you what it says on the shoulder it’s really rude!)
So I think it’s only fair that I cut the dancers a little slack and find a way to make the third game a little simpler so they have time to “practice, practice, perfect!” it's only fair.
I've just been for a night ride and I just have to respond to this myself. How can I possibly expect the dancers to understand my process in two and a half weeks?? I barely understand it myself! We've been super lucky to have created two successful games/sections, they have no idea about happens if failure occurs(panic i assume)! So I think I need to give them some space, a bit of time to work the way they know how to best, even simply the final game and if they get the hang of it, then I can push the envelope.
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