I have the worst luck at gauging how warm it is outside. Indoors it was pants and a thick tee shirt weather, out side it was shorts and a tank weather. The first TBA for Sunday was Third Angle New Music Ensemble: The City Dance of Lawrence and Anna Halprin. The two hour dance took place at four fountains in downtown. The performance started at the Keller Fountain. It was a beautiful fountain and it would have been a perfect day to take pictures, but alas I didn't think to bring my camera.
The Keller dancers wore turquoise blue. One of them I think was in the tEEth performance from last years TBA. The fountain is totally set up to play in and play/dance they did. They writhed in the shallow pools, jumped into the basin, pressed against the side, and did all sorts of dancey things. It seemed a little too choreographed and not really a representation of free movement within the terrain. As the performance went on, I grew more and more jealous of the dancers being able to cool off. The TBA dancers in general have been a wide range of people; not all of them are 20-somethings in the peak of shape. Dancers in white came in but didn't get in the fountain.
A bell was rung and we toddled off to the next fountain: Pettygrove Park. People in orange were frolicking and shouting lines from a poem as an eight member band played. There was a little confusion about where to sit. I was stepping back and all of a sudden I felt hands on my back shoving me forward. I trod on this ladies foot by accident. She gave me a really weird look and for some reason I didn't feel bad about stepping on her. Anyway, the next dance didn't hold my interest so much because it was near impossible to take it all in from my vantage point. It was even more forced movements with sparse music played irregularly. The program said it had to do with a tree growing. The Lovejoy Fountain performance provided me with yet another lady to not be happy about. This not-small lady was in the second row and while everyone was seated for the performance, she persisted to stand and blocked the view for many. She didn't even look behind her to see if her stance was a bother.
The music for the Lovejoy sequence was better organized and was even a little experimental. Some cymbals were clashed against chains and various pianos were played from various points. Bright yellow dancers played in the water and this was by far the most organic feeling dance of the four. The crowds squeezed together to reach the Source Fountain and the final dance was just four people around the fountain undressing and redressing in a dancerly way. We were all asked to join hands and walk around them. I found people to join hands with and at the end of it all, I got a pin that says PLAY. I left the performance feeling very happy, despite my massive heat induced headache.
Due to my ailment, I took my bike on the Max for the journey home. I even managed to hoist it up into the hook. Not an easy feat for a little thing like me.
During my break between performances I read my History of Design texts. They are both wonderful and easy reads.
I have heard a lot of positive things about Superamas, my second TBA for the day and my final TBA all together. I have also heard some warnings that they MEAN IT when it says for MATURE AUDIENCES. With a set up like that, I was expecting a little more than just some breasts. But hey, some people can't handle mammaries. The show had two scenes that were repeated. All of the dialogue was a voice over being lip synced by the performers. The first part was a band practice. The act was played several times, with it stopping and the actors freezing at various moments. I felt like it paused to sort of tell the audience, "See, this is a moment you are being given the time to dissect." The second part was a scene in a locker room and that one was acted over and over about 10-15 times. It was never really exactly the same. Some times the dialogue cut out and a clip from a movie was playing as a commentary track to what they were supposed to be talking about. Sometimes there was footage and audio of car crashing. There was a transition of the "band" singing Smells Like Teen Spirit and a group of girls dancing to Crazy and doing a dance-off. It was a wonderful set up and I wish I could describe it better. There was a short movie played about the Superamas getting the gigs to play in America and an odd little training video about love and opening up. There were many little elements but it fit together. Sort of like thinking the puzzle pieces in a box came from multiple puzzles but discovering that they do in fact go together once you work at it.
The Time Based Arts Festival gives me new ideas and gets me in a mind set to see things differently and odd ways to set things up. Overall I am really happy with the amount of shows that I saw and don't regret a single one. Sure it has been hard to juggle work and shows but I figured out a way. It all goes towards helping me be the better artist.
Cidney is in town and she, Karen and I chilled together tonight. We played this Scotland Underground game where we chase a Mister X. Nathan would clean up, I think I just got lucky. We also had a round of Munchkin Fu. Cidney wasn't quite following it but she still won. I had no armor or anything and only managed to get to three levels while they were neck and neck. After that I made popcorn, Karen made rice, and we all sat down and watching Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Good movie, and Rob Brydon is in it! Who knew?
Tomorrow I have to go to school and see about my prints, get my tube back from Chelsy, then sit in Powell's and draw people, go home and do my sketchbook and reading assignments.
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