21st July, we finished the work!

Hooray! I took my own advice from yesterday and simplified the final game this afternoon. And it was still too long, so in the tech run this evening, I simplified it even more and finished right on time!! Given that we were  two dancers missing tonight (performing for the schools sponsors)  it might change a bit tomorrow, but we have another 3hr rehearsal to resolve this. I don’t care; my dancers have put up with my Nancy behavior over the last two days and still pulled together. Nice job! They ROCK!

After the run they asked me if they could shout and muck around a bit more in each of the games, I said ‘Hell Yeah!”

Oh yeah! And it was Angela's Birthday today

Music By Ryadan Jeavons
Cinematography By Kuan Ling Tsai

20th July, Nancy Day!

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.

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!