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September 28, 2006
Motion – Movement – Motion
Over time I’ve periodically paid attention to movement, particularly motion and rhythm, which then I construct a tune to further accentuate and prolong that motion and its fluidity. I would watch and listen for a period of time till it falls into a rhythmic pattern. After reading Stanislavsky’s ‘Plasticity Of Motion’ it inspired me to recall, observe and employ elasticity and floating form in my immediate surroundings. At least I am able to conjure up a pattern with a rhythmic form. I look at the movement of people on the subways, their stance at rest, the stance at anticipation on the platform, their entry into and out of the train, and their stance in the train during its motion. I often affix my feet at various positions and balance without hand support – how long can I surf the train before the wave of stops and turns send me crashing to onto bystanders or face-plant into the metal bars. At those moments I pay attention to my body, almost motionless till I have to shift to offset the opposing forces, may that be the movement of the train or people. I evolve into elastic and solid forms simultaneously. Every angle, movement, non-movement, and rhythm of the train on the tracks all serve a purpose – I am floating at those moments, at least for a brief self-connected moment.
Working on my class project I decided to observe motion in water. Form, timing and elasticity is very important when in water. Catherine was my subject for this observation. As she moved through he water I looked at her position, every stroke, every kick, every breath of air taken. First she kicks off with her extended connected arms, she glides to become acquainted with this foreign environment. Then her extended arms separate in a synchronized form where they meet the side of her legs as she propels forward. Then she applies the kicking of the legs to the movement of the arms all in a synchronous form. All while keeping her head in a fixed position sustaining her depth under but near the surface of the water. She would then rise head first in order to get that all-important breath of air so that she could repeat this dance. The form is rhythmic and can be easily scored (applying music to specific visual…).
The two observations - examples are what I would call Elasticity, Fluidity, Rhythm and Motion – Movement – Motion.
Posted by Allistar Peters at September 28, 2006 09:29 AM