19th July, It’s all coming together!

I have almost finished my work…………And thanks to Kenny (the lighting designer) the sound operator now has Q-Lab!! Ryadan has sent me the final version of the music and I have almost finished the final game (hehe). Three more rehearsals!

And now I am soaking wet from having to ride in the Taiwan rain to buy more props!

This is the Taipei national theater (Right and Left) This pic dose no justice. It dwarfs the Opera House!

Pic from the other direction, a Memorial Monument to a famous General.

18th July, Cheng Tsung-Lung

Allen “Hey Zaimon, Can I have your music today?”

Zaimon “No.”

Allen “Oh? Well, tomorrow then”

Zaimon “I can get it to you buy Thursday.”

Allen “Oh no, that’s too late!?”

Zaimon “Well maybe Wednesday then....................”

Allen “………………..errrrr”

Zaimon “……………morning?”

Allen “Ok! But no later!”

On Sunday I went to Taipei to see our good friend Cheng Tsung-Lung and I got to sit in on a rehearsal of “On The Road”, for the designers and production staff! It’s a new work and he said it was different work for him, I think he’s quite nervous, but he has nothing to worry about: Three beautiful, amazing dancers, dancing for 70 minutes (with only a three minute break). There is so much focus that you can understand, empathises, laugh and cry just through watching their eyes. I think this is going to be a really special work! I was very honoured to be there!

The performance runs Friday22nd-Sunday24th July in the Experimental Theatre at the Taipei National Theatre. 

Pin-Hsiu Chen and Cheng Tsung-Lung

 I also had a really great chat to Pin-Hsiu about contemporary dance and dance development in Taipei too.

15th July, Let's dance!

Sorry for the delay, I've just had way to many things to explore this weekend.
But here is a short video of my dancing experience's so far!

Music composed by Ryadan Jeavons

See you Monday!

14th July, Nearly finished, not finished yet.

Today I had a panic attack! I thought that next week we only had Monday and Tuesday for rehearsals before we begin tech runs from Wednesday! I’m already running over the 10 minute time limit and I hadn’t even begun the third and final game, so I have a lot of work cut out for me!!?? But the timetable for next week was up on the notice board today and it turns out that we still have 5 full 3 hour rehearsals in between right up to Friday, so all is happy in Zaimon land…………J

I was pleased to have dinner and ice cream with Naim and some of the dancers tonight, I haven’t had a chance to chat with him yet and learn more about him. So tonight we got to talk, and he’s very interesting, we even have someone we know in common, Nanette Hassell (he performed in Perth one time, unfortunately he never meet my good my good friend Justin Rutzou who also works at WAPPA,, but I will find out more…..)

Yi-Jie Yeh, Naim, ?,?

Half of the cold rock ice cream was funded buy my coffee addiction. For every two coffees you buy at the 7/11, you get one sticker.

And I have my Program photo I love it!

13th July, Sharing

Today I had an opportunity to share some knowledge I’ve learnt over the last couple of years, about critical feedback. Julia, Angela and I thought it might be good to show some of the ideas we have been working on over the last week. I suggested that maybe we could use some of Liz Lerman’s critical feed back as a base; neither of them had heard of her and found the process very useful and interesting. I think the three of us walked out of that showing with a big sigh of relief! Knowing that, the only pressure to produce is the pressure you put on yourself and any expectations from anyone else is irrelevant.  Our dancers also got to sit in on the discussions and I think they’re beginning to understand, perhaps, that we don’t want robots, we want personality.

My dancers a speaking up more now too, giving their opinions and input to the work, sometimes I can’t get them to shut up! I love it!

12th July, not superstitious at all!

I’ve broken my piece down into three stages. I have stage one organised, stage two well developed, stage three…..well let’s just say it will be a nail bitting finish J

Went out for dinner with the dancers tonight at a awesome dumpling house! And shared jokes, mine seemed to get lost in translation……..or maybe they were just really bad, I think I have to Google some better jokes tonight, I got a lot of kudos to make up!

On the left Li Yen, Pei Ing, Hsing-Miao, Yi-Ting & Yi-Echen
Right Me, Ming Shan, Yi-Jie & Michun

If you look closely at my forehead you can see how I learnt that I’m actually pretty tall over here, when it comes to doorways.

This morning I went for a walk to this amazing run down old graveyard behind the hotel. After that photo, I tried to take a video of the dogs, but they all upped and left before I had a chance, so I walked around some more and more dogs keep poking their noses out from behind tomb stones, but not long enough to get clear shot. Guess they thought one shot was enough. Is there a Chinese superstition about dogs chillin on tomb stones? I love dogs!

Then I came across this shanty home in the middle of the graveyard and an old man (later worked out he was the caretaker), his daughter and a their beautiful cat  invited me to sit, and chat, English to Taiwanese, didn’t understand a word, but I’m pretty sure they want me to purchase a plot, they were pretty funny!

11th July Fishing Alley

Wow! It’s amazing how a weekend off can give a dancer something special! We worked on some new solo material today and they were so on it! It’s hard to describe. Anyway the work is progressing and I’m happy J Also we resolved one of the three games I’m creating for this work. All I have to do is find a way to keep track of the time so they know when it's over. One of the dancers suggested a warning sound in the music, like Count Down, haha! awesome! how annoying! Any suggestions? Something from Taiwan?

For anyone unfamiliar with the Count Down Theme click here, but be warned! It will haunt you forever!

Tonight, on my way down to my regular restaurant, I discovered a fishing hall, much like a Bowling Alley, so I’ve named it the “Fishing Alley”, you buy beer, catch fish, take it home and cook it?! There are even arcade games in the back corner for the kids! I’m sooooo up for this! Kuan like's bowling, maybe she will? Now I need a cook J

In this picture: a lot of keen anglers!