One year ago yesterday and on International Women's Day I embarked upon a residential workshop in Orvieto, Italy with a group of peculiar women from all around the world (well, nearly). We had all come to take part in Simone Forti's Logomotion program and were to perform in Rome on March the 16th, just one week after our initial meeting.The event was hosted by Rosella Fuimi, one of seemingly few presenters of contemporary/ investigative dance practice in Italy.
The first person I met as I arrived in misty Orvieto the evening before the workshop, was Tihana from Croatia, friendly and warm in her red felt coat. Next came Patricia from the USA/Netherlands, then Defne from Istanbul, Joelle from Switzerland and Karen from Cambridge, USA. Later the group was completed with the arrivals of Chiara, Camilla, Glenda, Laura, Franca, Federica, Marina R, Cristina (all Italian), Katherine (USA), Marina T(Greece/UK), Elisabetta ( Italy/Netherlands) and Maxine (Germany).
It was a beautiful week of experimentation, learning and sharing facilitated by Simone within the remits of her own research and development of the Logomotion form. We worked physically and with the voice, a synthesis of information finding its way in and out of performance, mealtimes, walks around the town and personal writings.
The initial culmination occured at Teatro Vascello, Rome where we performed our improvised scores as solos, duets and trios, culminating in an open form- a score in which the whole company participated.
We have since retained links within the group, visiting each other for teaching exchanges, performances, conferences and holidays. I have made some great friends within this group of women and I know that I will continue my dialogue with them in the years to come- it just suprises me how quickly this year has passed: We had so many plans to work together again.
In such a large group with the many languages through which we filtered our ideas ( and personalities!) it has been difficult to develop relationships with each and everyone over the past year, but I know that as a group we have made significant in-roads toward maintaing those relationships, making contact when possible.
In May 2008 I travelled to Boston, MA to visit Karen, mainly to laugh and talk and talk and plan wild plans.... In October 2008 I was working for Valerie Preston- Dunlop at the Laban International Conference which was attended by Laura Delfini (Italy). I hope to be more regularly in touch with the group over the coming year with thanks especially to....
DEFNE! For taking the initiative to re-focus us on our time in Orvieto with the production of the flyer (above) which invited each memeber of the group to commerorate our process by performing an 8 minute solo on the 8th March 2009, one year after we had originally met.
It was inspiring to me to know that all over the place members of the group were remotely engaged with me, my dance and our collective experience in Orvieto. Already there were reports of dances in the woods, in jams, on stage, alone in the corners of the studio. One can imagine the same on the street, in public and private.
It was affirming for me to feel not only permitted, but required, more incited to perform for the group yesterday. It was a private affair for me, not advertised nor planned. Last week I was hit by a car and I am sufering physically now, aching and sore. I felt anxious that my offering to the group might in some way be substandard. Silly. I started, it didn't matter so much what I was doing this time- more the act of deciding to perform and perform I did. On my own (well with the cat as audience) but with all those beautiful women whose support I could intuit from afar.
Sometimes all we need is a reason to begin. So often I ask only that of myself and do not place enough value on my own need to create, the support of the others yesterday helped me to move, and more than that- to connect again.
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