Today’s blog is focusing on departure and what that means in context to starting a dance or any form of art.

Departure

A teacher of mine once described departure as a starting point for a project or, in this case, a dance. And I like to imagine departure is like the direction of the wind, and the wings are the “idea” in which you are being inspired by. And you the creator is the body and pilot to take the first leap. Departure is essentially a task or idea that serves as a starting point to your choreology.

Departure in Material

Sometimes it is difficult for me to simply begin. And when it comes to considering a departure point I get stuck on what to focus on. My brain works like a traffic jam during rush hour in Montreal downtown. So I am going in multiple directions. It is bustling and crowded up here (my head). And what helps is thinking departure as not the final destination or decision but as material to guide you. Material is information, and as dancers, writers, creatives, picking a material can help you from hitting roadblocks in the mind or brain farts. Material/ departure can be a song, a single line of lyrics, a poem, a location, a movement in the body like swinging your hips, and focus on this one thing. It does not control what happens next but allows the material to tell you what to do next, and follow where it leads you.

I know that sounds easier said than done, but when I created SKINS, my short film, I started off with a word, which was conformity. I defined that word in multiple ways then from there, I created an image of lines to explore how that word moves, I ended up with a spiral for the shape. The spiral informed me that my solution/conclusion to the narrative or story might lead into a spiral in, or spiral out. This led me to believe two things: will I find another form of conformity once I spiral in or be freed from this perception of conforming by spiralling out. From there a lot more mapping occurred and storyboarding. As well as studying other materials like developing text. When it came to the day of the shoot I had prepared monologues in advanced. However, as the day went on filming when it came to the monologue portion my body knew more about the material than I did. And for the most part, my monologues were improvised, and I letting go of my pre-written monologues. And that took a lot of trusts.

Departure & Creation

Trust me, the material you play with will know a lot more than you do. And that is when creation gets a little funky and fun! I think it is hilarious when you start somewhere and then end up a completely different direction. It is a ride! Accept when things don’t end up going to your expectations. Try not to worry right away about whether it is good enough or whether people would like it because that limits you and is total BS. You should create something that is connected to you and not aimed to be content for others entertainment. Our generation tries very hard to be relatable by being abnormal, or we push the narrative that think we are different from the rest. There is this need for people to believe you are special. And artists are notorious for that. I urge you to be yourself with your work and make something that matters to you even if you think it is “ordinary” . Let me tell you in dance, when you take something ordinary and make it unusual or subvert our expectations of this ordinary feeling, idea, and/or movement that is when something extraordinary comes out of it and can be relatable without “trying” to be so.

Departure & Choreography

Departure, where does it begin? You have already started because you are thinking about it, so take one thought, find an image and start moving to it, finding a rhythm in your thoughts, rhythm in the shapes of the image. And record your discoveries along the way, which will make remembering easier. I guess to quote Jonathan Burrows, “accept what comes easily” and “choreography is a negotiation with the pattern your body is thinking.” So our departure is a tool and inspiration to be attentive and sensitive to but can always shift and start over. And in doing so, you’ll create different circumstances for your character or dancer to move through, and thoughts will pop-up, feelings can emerge, and from there, a reaction from your body will inform the form. The form is a sequence of movement, and it can limit and liberate you, so when it comes to what your departure is, that is creating a form, to begin with. Take a circumstance/concept, to a thought, then feeling, make it into an action. And from there, trust the imagination!