Text Documentation by Israel Aloni
The following text was written spontaneously whilst watching a work in progress presentation of materials that iCoDaCo 2018 has been developing during their residency in Hong Kong (6th - 22nd of August)
iCoDaCo team members who were physically present in the residency and the work in progress showing: Artists: Lee Brummer, Imre Vass, Eddie Ladd, Mui Cheuk Yin & Weronika Pelczynska.
Producers: Gwyn Emberton, Jacqueline Wong, Marta Wołowiec & Israel Aloni.
ArtisTree Hong Kong.
August 22th 2018 6:45 pm
Presentation
The evening’s background and context is shared with the public by Jacqueline Wong and Gwyn Emberton.
Who we are, where we are from, what we do and what is iCoDaCo.
English then Cantonese then English, then Cantonese…
Introduction of all the present artists and telling about Joseph Lee not being physically present in the residency and presentation in Hong Kong but will join the process in the next residency in Wales. Joseph will meet most of the collective in Tanzmesse Germany next week where we will share information about and some materials from the project with the international dance community.
Vasi is describing the concept and the stracture of the improvisation.
7 min
Vasi lays down, face to floor
Stiff
His bright pink top stands out on the black floor.
Attension. Lee & Eddie attend to Vasi.
Eddie leaves and Lee flips him over. Eddie goes away.
Now Eddie and Mui approach Lee and Vasi and Weronika can not resist and she joins them too.
Vasi, still stiff.
Statue.
The women, like mother apes trying to fix/arrange a baby monkey
Eddie, Lee, Mui and Weronika nurture Vasi like a folk of alpha females. Holding him together, fixing his clothes, supporting him. He remains indifferent.
A child bursts out laughing in the crowd.
Laughter of joy or discomfort?
The child appears male, are they sympathising with the only male appearing individual on stage who is manipulated by all the females?
Vasi must be moved. The other 4 performers carry him to another part of the space. They lay him back down on the floor.
Mui’s head is now covered by the back of Vasi’s jumper.
Their heads are both covered with the pink fabric.
Their image of their bodies blends into one solid silhouette. It is hard to distinguish which body part belongs to whom and whether they each faces the floor or the ceiling.
Lee exposes Vasi’s head, the difference between Vasi and Mui is now evident again.
Exchange. Who is lying on whom? Who is seen and who is concealed?
Duplication, replication, repetition.
6 min
Mui is frozen.
Eddie lays black socks over her ankles.
The black socks converse to her black hair which is now messy after being under Vasi’s jumper.
Delicate.
Sensitive movement. Trying to balance the sock on her ankles, Mui moves slowly.
The socks become precious and charged.
They are just socks.
Negotiation. Conversation about rules and boundaries.
What is comforting and what is annoying?
Who is controlling the situation and who is following?
Mui and Lee alone in space.
The light turns blue.
Alarm
5 min
Weronika. Bear
In the middle of the space.
Vasi approaches suspiciously.
Change of direction and leave.
Lee: “It doesn’t do anything”
Cough
Mui is coughing. Approaching the bear. Waving hello.
4 min
Eddie went to fetch the fire extinguisher
Weight training
“Carry an object high”
“You do it until you start breathing quite hard”
“Then you start sweating a little”
Bodybuilders
Transformation of a shoe
Vasi is pausing. Nearly naked.
Slight sound from the extinguisher.
Alarm
3 min
Eddie grabs the mic
Carbon dioxide exercise
Breath in … breath out… breath in… breath out…
Breath sound and movement on stage.
Intimacy
Closeness and experimentation
Introducing your rhythm and your sound to someone else and to the space
The alarm went off but the performers didn’t hear it.
They continue in the task.
An animal. Mui is crawling on the floor.
The sound is still in the room. Eddie and Mui are no longer in it though.
We just hear them breath and talk into the mic but we do not know where they are.
Horror movie.
Eddie: “Go away. Stay away. Leave us alone”
Not here and not now
“Leave me a lone”
Whisper.
2 min
Vasi and Mui start a dance with Mui’s top
Dynamic.
Romantic.
Repetition.
Longing
Love
Fidgeting
Calming down
Relating
ALARM
Continuing
Stoping
1 min
Thank you!
That was it.
Conversation with the public
Weronika explains how the collective worked and their approach to the score/improvisation structure
Does anyone have any questions?
I go to join the public discussion…
The work in progress sharing was live-streamed online, click HERE for to watch the video on iCoDaCo's Facebook page.