Rehearsal 6 - Organic Improvisations

Devising through organic improvisations instead of mentally planning and mapping out your movements allows you to free up your head and body which ultimately leads you to connecting to your partner on an intimate level as you have to listen and respond to one another. The level of intimacy that is created enables you to live and breathe the movements, and creates a level of trust between your partner which can't be created when you just think about what your going to do and do it.

When mentally planning a physical piece you can often be hindered by being scared or insecure because you have the opportunity to choose not to do certain movements that your perhaps unsure about, whereas when you improvise movements come naturally to you and you begin to create work and do lifts that you didn't believe was possible because is happens in the moment. This sense of freedom and openness allows you to feel comfortable with trying new things and exploring whereas planning only takes you so far. 

DV8 Research

DV8 Physical Theatre was formed in 1986 and has been led since its inception by Llyod Newson. DV8 Physical Theatre receives regular funding from Arts Council England and is an Artsadmin associate company. DV8 has also received project support from The British Council. DV8 is a member of the ITC and Dance UK.

DV8 are an experimental physical theatre company that aims to take risks, challenge, motive and inspire. They explore the barriers between dance and theatre through the means of multi media and immersive theatre, combining interesting visuals and creative artistic story telling using the body. DV8 use both traditional classic dance and more modern contemporary dance in their pieces.

DV8 are very much driven by a want and need for more interesting, challenging and thought provoking theatre, that allows the audience to feel like they are living in a new world and have an experience like no other.

Film and video plays a large part in the work they do, mixing live art, installation, theatre and physical theatre together. This challenges the preconceptions of what theatre can be, how far we can take and how far we can push the audience.

DV8 often use political and social issues like homosexuality, religion and gender equality as their stimulus and test peoples attitudes towards these issues. They don't shy away from being offensive or controversial, instead shed light on these issues often in an intense and real way. This is why DV8 have gained their much deserved reputation. Research plays a large role in their desire to create pieces that are integral to the truth, the company will spend long periods of time researching and developing their work in order to create work that is dynamic and real.

They aim is to allow people to understand and discuss complex issues that perhaps are closed off from discussion or that are understood/accessible by certain types of people.

DV8 has also been known to incorporate dancers with disabilities into its pieces, for example in the film the cost of living, giving people opportunities where they may find hard previously and looking past the prejudiced and sexist ways that often theatre can be help accustom to.

It has thus far produced 18 dance pieces, all of which have toured internationally, and 4 award-winning films for television featuring the types of modern dance they advance. Some of which are named here:

• Can we talk about this
• Living costs
• Just for show
• Strange fish
• To be straight with you 

Physical objectives

Theatre practitioners work with objectives because having a meaning/intention behind your actions creates a strong narrative and allows you to open up an emotionally, connecting with the piece and making a more dynamic interesting piece.

You can use various objectives that change the way you hold and move with your partner. Here are some ideas about the way your body moves with different objectives,

To caress - with this objectives your body would be light and sensitive, you would touch and hold your partner with a sensitiveness. Your neck and body should be loose.

To hate - with this objective your body would be heavy and strong, grabbing your partner with a roughness and harshness. You shouldn't be afraid to be forceful in this objective as your whole body should be telling a story using your objective.

Using objectives gives you a base or almost starting ground to creating a piece that tells a story as you find the objective with in you and display it through instinct. For example if your objective was to hate, you have to find that hate within you which then fuels natural instinctive behaviour like pushing, pulling, grabbing etc. Using objectives can open up a whole spectrum of emotions and allows you to connect with your movements.

Your objectives could also change throughout a piece, as you listen to your body and your partners you may feel a sense of sudden love or care and you react with that in the moment.

Banana rolls and lifts

Surfing Banana Rolls

1.) One person starts off lying down in supine position, with their hands flat above their head.

2.) The other kneels besides them and places one hand on their partners thigh and another on there rip cage.

3.) the partner lying begins to turn and the other begins to follow, placing all the energy onto the other and stretching their hands as far out as possible. Lengthening the spine and quads.

4.) As the first partner rolls over they go to the floor and lay in supine position and other partner rolls over them in the same way.

5.) This continues on

Doing this exercise helps you build trust with your partner and also opens up your body, stretching your muscles and opening your back up.

Performing a lift

Shoulder lift 
Partners 1 and 2 stand shoulder to shoulder, they then walk in sync 4 steps whilst breathing. Then partner 1 jumps into partner 2 whilst partner 2 swings 1 around and up onto their shoulder. Partner 1 then stretches out and puts all their weight into partner 2.
Cradle lift
The first partner places their arm round partner 2's neck, making sure is secure, the first person jumps up and tucks their knees into their chest. Placing their other hand around the other shoulder. Partner 2 must catch them, wrapping their hands round partner 1's legs.

Pencil Lift
The first partner will stands straight and partner 2 stands in front of partner 1 and places both hands on their shoulders. Partner 2 jumps fairly high enough to build some energy. Partner 1 then then catches them and supports them, holding them just under the bum with both arms wrapped around their legs not just supporting with their hands. 

There are different types of lifts in which we have started to experiment with. Lifts are super important in helping you develop your gentleness and grace whilst performing and being aware of your body and others. 

Breathing is also a really important factor whilst doing lifts as breathing helps you focus and relax. If you hold your break (especially when holding another person) you may panic and feel like you can't hold them, this is because they are actually short of breath not because they cannot physically take the weight.

Timing is also another key element. You need to be in tune with your partner and communicate so you can work together well and get the lift right. If you don't listen to your partner, the timing won't be right and you could potentially hurt each other. 

Crossing centres enables you to gain more height and creates a quick and easy transition.

Successful Partnering

Do be work successfully with your partner you need to be able to be open and free in your movements because your partner will more easily be able to listen to your body. You also need to be sensitive and respond to the other persons emotions. 

In order to be successful with your partner you need to develop a sense of understanding for one anothers body and natural instincts. Doing this helps you  communicate through your body in a natural free way and stops your mind from taking control over your movements which leads to a rigid performance.

You need to trust each other - making sure you trust yourself and your partner with you own body weight and theirs. 

Being coherent and corporative are key.

Place, press, push

Place, press, push is where you partner up and place certain parts of your body on your partner. This exercise is testing how much weight you can take but it also about using your body to connect with another and explore different ways to move around another body.

For example you would take your hand and place it just above your partners knee. You would then press further into there muscle and keep an eye on how your partner is taking the weight . Next you would push all of you weight into your partner. It is important to to trust yourself in giving all your weight and it is also important to communicate with each other is it hurts and you can't take the pain, in order to reduce risk of hurting each other.

You can then explore ways of moving around your partners body, jumping, spinning etc. This is a great way to build trust and start thinking about ways you can use place press push in our physical pieces.

Routes and Push/pull

Explain the need to develop routes to the floor

It is important that we develop routes to the floor as it enables you to feel connected to your surroundings and stay in touch with your body.
Devolving our routes to the floor will allow you to further explore the way our body moves and the different ways we can travel.

Developing your routes to the floor helps free up your mind and body, allowing your body to take control and to listen to your instincts. Developing your skills in doing this will only allow you to get better at switching off the sub concious. Switching off your subconscious mind will help with the energy and flow of your movements as you are not hindered by thinking your doing something wrong or being embarrassed. 

Push me/pull me exercise 

This exercise helps each person build trust with one another and tests your physical strength. You rely on your partner to insure you don't fall back as they pull your weight up so you have to have a good communication and strength between one another. You also find your self easily warn out and can be hard on your lower back, so getting past the mental block and carrying on - trusting your body's strength.