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ask dance theatre: Christian worldview and the creative process
Submitted by
Angela Pratt, BA (Dance) Grad Dip Ed (Secondary)
A thesis submitted in fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts (Research)
Creative Industries Research Arts Centre (CIRAC)
Queensland University of Technology
Kelvin Grove Campus
2003
i
KEYWORDS Christian arts, Christian dance, Christian worldview, Christianity, choreography,
collaboration, contemporary dance, dance companies, creative process, ethnography,
group dynamics, hermeneutics, worldview
ii
ABSTRACT Professional dance companies which reflect a Christian worldview are slowly emerging
within the dance community, but this is territory which is generally uncharted
academically, especially in Australia. Consequently, this paper is an ethnographic
study of an Australian professional dance company of this kind. ask dance theatre is a
professional dance company located in Sydney. Established in February 1999, it has
three key personnel - Phillippa-Oakden Patch (artistic director/ choreographer/dancer),
Hannah Horsley Cooper (choreographer/dancer) and Steve Cooper
(composer/musician). Developing a philosophy based on a biblical worldview, one of
the company’s aims is to provide a “nurturing environment for artists of different
disciplines to grow artistically and spiritually while creating dance theatre works”. This
has involved working collaboratively, incorporating dancers, singers, musicians, visual
artists and actors, to create original works which have been performed at major
contemporary dance and Christian arts events in New South Wales, Australia. Through
the ethnographic methods of participant observation, interviewing and document
analysis, details of this company’s worldview as a group of “committed Christians” and
their creative process was researched. This paper focuses on the description, analysis
and interpretation of their creative process in the production of a new work during the
first six months of 2001, identifying how their Christian worldview is reflected in their
creative process.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 1
1.1 DEFINITION OF TERMS 3
1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 4
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 6
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 7
1.5 OVERVIEW 7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 8
2.1 CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW 8
2.1.1 Definitions of “worldview” 9
2.1.2 Framework for identifying worldview 13
2.1.3 Christian worldview 14
2.2 CREATIVE PROCESS 16
2.2.1 Group dynamics 17
2.2.1.1 Collaboration and Organisational Psychology 17
2.2.1.2 Collaboration and the arts 19
2.2.2 Choreographic process 21
2.3 SUMMARY 24
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN 26
3.1 INTERPRETATIVE PARADIGM 26
3.1.1 Role of “prejudices” 28
3.1.2 Relevance of the paradigm 30
iv
3.2 RESEARCH STRATEGY 31
3.2.1 Process for locating participants 33
3.2.2 Field methods 34
3.2.3 Issues for researcher’s role 37
3.2.4 The “observer-observed” relationship 38
3.2.5 Transformation of data 39
3.2.6 Techniques for providing reliability of data and data collection 43
3.3 SUMMARY 44
CHAPTER 4: ask’S CONTEXT 46
4.1 FOUNDATIONS 46
4.1.1 Reasons behind company’s establishment 46
4.1.2 Genre and movement style 47
4.1.3 Company mission and goals 50
4.2 GROUP DYNAMICS 52
4.2.1 Group development throughout 1999: Stages 1 and 2 – “forming” and “storming” 55
4.2.2 Group development throughout 2000: Stage 3 – “norming” 58
4.3 CONCLUSION 61
CHAPTER 5: CREATIVE PROCESS OF IN YOUR LIGHT 62
5.1 PHASE 1: FEBRUARY 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th 63
5.1.1 February 8th, 2001 63
5.1.1.1 Scripture reading 64
5.1.1.2 Warm up 65
5.1.1.3 Improvisational tasks and activities 66
v
5.1.2 February 9th, 2001 68
5.1.2.1 Scripture reading and warm up 68
5.1.2.2 Improvisational tasks and activities 68
5.1.3 February 15th, 2001 69
5.1.3.1 Scripture reading and warm up 69
5.1.3.2 Drawing activity reflecting perceptions of process and product 70
5.1.4 February 16th, 2001 71
5.1.4.1 Scripture reading and warm up 71
5.1.4.2 Improvisational task 71
5.2 PHASE 2: MARCH 29th and 30th 72
5.2.1 March 29th, 2001 73
5.2.1.1 Warm up 74
5.2.1.2 Discussions and development of material 76
5.2.1.3 Appraisal 77
5.2.2 March 30th, 2001 78
5.2.2.1 Warm up 78
5.2.2.2 Development of material 78
5.2.2.3 Appraisal 79
5.3 PHASE 3: MAY 24th and 25th 80
5.3.1 May 24th, 2001 80
5.3.1.1 Warm up 81
5.3.1.2 Rehearsing material 81
5.3.2 May 25th, 2001 82
5.3.2.1 Rehearsing and reworking material 82
5.4 CONCLUSION 85
vi
CHAPTER 6: ANALYSIS OF ask’S CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW IN THEIR RHETORIC 86
6.1 PROPOSITION 1: GOD AS PRIME REALITY 88
6.2 PROPOSITION 2: GOD AS CREATOR 92
6.3 PROPOSITION 3: HUMAN BEINGS AS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF 94 GOD
6.4 PROPOSITION 4: DEATH AS THE GATE TO ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD 97
6.5 PROPOSITION 5: HUMAN KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE CAPACITY CREATED BY GOD 99
6.6 PROPOSITION 6: ETHICS AS TRANSCENDENT AND BASED ON THE CHARACTER OF GOD 102
6.7 PROPOSITION 7: HUMAN HISTORY AS LINEAR 104
6.8 CONCLUSION 104
CHAPTER 7: THEIR CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF IN YOUR LIGHT 106
7.1 DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR COMMUNICATION WITH GOD AND HIS ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUNICATING WITH THEM 107
7.1.1 Prayer and meditation on God 108
7.1.2 Bible reading 110
7.1.3 Physical guidance from God 110
7.1.4 Communication through circumstance 115
7.2 DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE “RESTORATIONAL PROCESS” 116
7.2.1 Discovery of and submission to God’s will 117
7.2.2 Concept of the “breath of God” to “cleanse” and “nourish” 121
7.2.3 Dealing with tension and conflict in relationships 123
7.2.3.1 Example 1 123
vii
7.2.3.2 Example 2 125
7.3 DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH THE CHARACTER OF GOD BY MAINTAINING A “SAFE, NURTURING ENVIRONMENT” 128
7.3.1 Use of discussion 129
7.3.1.1 Example of their use of discussion to communicate perceptions and concerns 130
7.3.1.2 Example of their use of discussion to maintain open communication 132
7.4 CONCLUSION 133
CHAPTER 8: POSTSCRIPT 137
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: RESEARCH AGREEMENT 140
APPENDIX B: OBSERVATION NOTES FEBRUARY – JUNE 2001 142
APPENDIX C: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS 167
APPENDIX D: TRANSCRIPT CHECKLIST AND PARTICIPANT CHECK REGISTER 301
APPENDIX E: DIAGRAM OF COMPANY’S FOCUS FROM 2000, AS DESIGNED BY STEVE COOPER 302
APPENDIX F: ROOMS OF ‘WYNOLA’ 303
APPENDIX G: POEMS BY ULRICH SHAEFFER AS USED IN IN YOUR LIGHT 304
APPENDIX H: CORRESPONDENCE FROM PETER HALLETT, SPIRITUAL ADVISOR 306
APPENDIX I: WELCOME PACK, ETERNITY CHRISTIAN CITY CHURCH 311
BIBLIOGRAPHY 313
viii
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted for a degree or a
diploma at any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and
belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person
except where due reference is made.
Signed:
Date:
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge the counsel, support and encouragement given to me by my
supervising lecturer, Jude Smith, whose knowledge and understanding of, as well as
her interest and faith in this research project continued to spur me on to excellence. Of
course, I am indebted to the members of ask dance theatre, Phillippa Oakden-Patch,
Hannah Cooper and Steve Cooper, for allowing me to become part of their lives for a
“moment” and for their willingness to be vulnerable as I observed their discussions and
activities, as well as for their generosity in continuing to assist me in the time following
the observation period, providing feedback and further information whenever
necessary. I would like to thank my mother and father, Margaret and Jim Pratt, for
inspiring me to love learning and for their constant love and support throughout this
process. I am also grateful for my dear friends for their encouragement, love and
understanding over the past few years as I have spent so much time away from them
and at my computer instead. Thanks, too, to my associate supervising lecturer, Evelyn
Defina, for providing me with helpful feedback and encouragement. Finally, and most
importantly, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my Heavenly Father, Jesus
Christ and the Holy Spirit for continuing to change my life and for being my constant
guide as I have continued along this part of my journey.
1
CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Research into the inner workings and creative processes of professional dance
companies has only occurred to a marginal degree (Banes, 1983; Foster, 1986;
Hempenstall, 1996; Johnson, 2002; Mackrell, 1992; Servos, 1984). Even in the case
of internationally renowned ballet companies, the information documented has been
largely descriptive (Kirstein, 1973; Lee and Hunt, 1998; Lisner, 1983; White, 1985).
There is little reference to the contexts of the companies studied, including their setting,
creative processes (and the roles of the choreographers and dancers within these
processes) and their purpose for ‘existing’, so to speak. As for Australian professional
dance companies, the literature available is even more scarce (Hempenstall, 1996;
Lisner, 1979; Lisner, 1983).
Similarly, Christian dance is a genre that is active in the Australian Christian community
but about which little has been written. This genre tends to be utilized by both trained
and untrained dancers for the purposes of worship and communication of elements of
the Christian worldview, generally within the church environment. A few dance
companies that operate professionally in this genre are emerging in Australia but most
of these companies function intermittently on a project basis. Research into
professional dance companies that operate from a Christian worldview is almost non-
existent, certainly in Australia (Mulder, 1989).
This study will focus on an Australian Christian contemporary dance company. ask dance theatre is a professional dance company located in Sydney, Australia.
Established in February 1999, it has three key personnel: Phillippa-Oakden Patch
(artistic director/choreographer/dancer), Hannah Horsley Cooper
(choreographer/dancer) and Steve Cooper (composer/musician), with each of the
members having completed tertiary training and having had industry experience in their
artforms. The company was founded in order for each of the company members to
“challenge existing thoughts on art and promote contemporary art as a valid method of
communication within the Christian community” (ask profile, 1999). They also promote
themselves as being a “group of artists...committed Christians who seek to share their
vision within the performing arts and Christian communities” (2000,
http://web.1earth.net?~youth/ask-july99.html). Developing a philosophy based on a
Christian worldview, one of the company’s aims has always been to provide a
2
“nurturing environment for artists of different disciplines to grow artistically and
spiritually while creating dance theatre works” (‘green spice’ program, 2000:2). This
has involved working collaboratively, incorporating dancers, singers, musicians, visual
artists and actors, to create original works which have been performed at major
contemporary dance (Bodies, Dance On The Edge) and Christian arts (Black Stump
Festival, Prom Praise) events in New South Wales (2000,
http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html). The company’s foundational mission is to
be an outlet for “growing, experimental and collaborative dance” (2000,
http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html). These statements highlight their
involvement in both the areas of dance (or, at least, performing arts) and Christianity,
and, more specifically, the relationship between their artform and their worldview.
Many questions could have been asked when entering this study, but of particular
interest was one main question: how does ask dance theatre reflect their Christian
worldview through their creative process? While the products of many dance
companies are accessible, their processes and workings are mostly not accessible,
causing this research focus to be of benefit to the dance community. The principal
question then encompasses two further subordinate questions, which needed to be
addressed for the development of a more thorough understanding of the company.
The first of these is what is entailed in their worldview as Christians? Secondly, how
does their Christian worldview impact upon their creative process? These questions
consequently guided the investigation into how the rhetoric of ask dance theatre is
demonstrated in the actuality of their creative process.
After transforming the collected data through the processes of description, analysis and
interpretation, as espoused by Wolcott (1994), a number of themes were revealed
which provide answers to these questions. One way in which their Christian worldview
is reflected is through their communication with God and his active involvement in
communicating with them during the creative process. This was demonstrated through
the activities of prayer and meditation on God, Bible reading, their experiences of his
physical guidance and through circumstance. Their Christian worldview was also
evident during the creative process in their behaviour regarding their involvement in the
“restorational process” which was demonstrated in their discovery of and submission to
God’s will, in their use of concept of the “breath of God” to “cleanse” and “nourish”, and
3
when dealing with tension and conflict in relationships. Finally, it could be seen that
their Christian worldview was explicit in their active decisions to align themselves with
the character of God by maintaining a “safe, nurturing environment” through their use
of discussion to communicate perceptions and concerns and to maintain open
communication during the creative process.
1.1 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Two main terms are central to this study and thus need definition. The term, “Christian
worldview” as it will be used in this research, refers to Christian theism, the belief that
God is central to all aspects of life, “that everything stems from him” and that he “is
relevant to all life” (Sire, 1997:38). Colson and Pearcy (1999:xii) clarify this concept by
stating, …the dominating principle of Christian truth is not soteriological (i.e.. justification by faith) but rather cosmological (i.e.. the sovereignty of the triune God over the whole cosmos, in all its spheres and kingdoms, visible and invisible). The entire cosmos can be understood only in relation to God.
While this study works to interpret the Christian worldview of the members of ask dance theatre and is thus concerned with the concept of absolute truth, it should be
noted that, from a research perspective, the study employs methodology that seeks to
“build an interpretation via a blueprint of (the researcher’s) own design, and through
logical argumentation”, rather than attempting “to reproduce or objectively represent
reality” (Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999:171). Further, the methodology employed in this
study sees understanding as “participating in the event of tradition, a process of
transmission in which past and present are constantly mediated”, where “the horizon of
the present cannot be formed without the past” (Gadamer in Crotty, 1998:101). This
will be discussed in depth in Chapter 3. It is also important to note that the use of the
personal pronouns “he” and “him” will be used when referring to God. While God is of
neither gender, the use of “he” and “him” is the accepted tradition in the Judeo-
Christian Bible and in Christian theism and is language readily used by participants in
this study. Further discussion of the term, “Christian worldview”, will occur in the
following chapter in order for it to be clarified.
The second term, “creative process”, also requires definition. In this study, the phrase
will be used particularly in relation to the creation of dance (or the choreographic
process). Nevertheless, “creative process” explained simply by Blom and Chaplin
4
(1988:7) is the process used to bring “something new into being”. A number of texts
(Blom and Chaplin, 1988; Minton, 1997; Schrader, 1996; Hawkins, 1988) include
discussions of the concept that the creative process in dance involves stages or
phases through which a person or a group proceeds in order to create. Jenkins (in
Hawkins, 1988:12) even suggests that in the creative process these stages do not exist
in isolation from each other and that this “pattern of development” happens in a cyclical
fashion rather than a sequential and linear manner. Various writers’ opinions on these
individual stages will be discussed in the following chapter. At this point, however, it is
beneficial to outline a general definition of the creative process as provided by Hawkins
(1988:12): We know that the creative process involves a taking in of sensory data, a feeling about that which is perceived, an exploration of precepts and feelings, an imaginative relating of present and stored experiences, feelings, and meanings, and finally the forming of a new product.
1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY My reasons for conducting this research have been alluded to in the first section of this
chapter but will be expanded upon here. One of these is to reveal an Australian
professional dance company and its creative process. The study occurred at a
significant time, focusing on the final dancework created by the company prior to
embarking on a break of indefinite duration. This company could also be perceived as
being involved in a pioneering work, by interweaving their Christian worldview with the
contemporary artform of dance theatre. It was my desire for this study to provide
Christian organizations, particularly educational institutions, with an example of how a
group of Christian artists create works so that others might be informed and perhaps
inspired by such processes which can then be utilized in and adapted to the creation of
their own artworks.
From a personal perspective, this study is important in integrating the various elements
of my life. I have been involved in dance for most of my life with my experience of it
having been from different perspectives as a performer, as a choreographer and
mostly as a dance educator, in both professional and amateur fields. For almost as
long as I have danced, I have been a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ, a.k.a. a
Christian. These two elements seemed to travel in a parallel fashion for many years
throughout the journey that is my life, only intersecting briefly now and again. This
changed during my undergraduate years at university as I began to see the value in
5
the latter impacting upon the former, that is, my belief in and relationship with God
impacting upon my passion for and involvement in dance.
Yet, it wasn’t until I began teaching dance in a Christian secondary college that I truly
began to analyse how these two elements could be interwoven and to thus experiment
with creating works with this tenet at the forefront of my mind. Around this same time, I
also became heavily involved as a choreographer and performer in the performing arts
groups in my church community as well as in the musical theatre productions of a local
pro-am theatre company (founded and directed by Christian artists), causing further
growth in my desire to have my worldview as a Christian influence every area of my
life. And, as dance was (and continues to be) such a significant part of my life, I sought
to find ways to ensure that it was firmly impacted by who I was (and am) as a Christian.
The more I focused on the process of such change and development in my life, the
more it became my hope that a professional dance company could be founded in
Brisbane by Christian artists, a company which was grounded in and clearly reflected
biblical principles. It was a natural progression to want to discover other companies
that were already established with such a focus, in order to develop an understanding
of their creative process. Thus, I began my Master of Arts (Research) with this in mind,
hoping to find Australian companies of this nature, with a desire to see how they
functioned but more specifically to see how they create artistic works as a company of
Christians.
While I perceived the need for the detailed documentation of the context and
processes of an Australian professional dance company, my background in both dance
and Christianity has caused me to want to provide a documentation and an analysis of
a professional dance company that is both Australian and Christian, focusing in
particular on their process in creating a dancework. On meeting the members of ask dance theatre at the International Christian Dance Fellowship Conference held in
Mittagong, New South Wales in 2000, I discussed with Phillippa, Hannah and Steve
the possibility of their participation in my research, considering their present work as a
company of Christian artists. They agreed that I could be a participant observer of their
activities at regular intervals throughout the first half of 2001. This research was
expected by both parties to be of reciprocal benefit: they would be able to demonstrate
6
their processes in creating dance and I would eventually be able to share with them my
reflections on such processes. And as a participant observer partaking in an
ethnographic study of these people and their work, it seemed to be appropriate for both
the participants and the observer to be able to mutually benefit from this research.
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study is focused on the creative process of one company, ask dance theatre.
This means that only the processes involved in their creating will be analysed, which
does not include analyses of the product of this creative process nor past danceworks.
The research undertaken involved the observation of ask dance theatre between
February and July 2001. Within this timeframe, the focus for the company was on the
creation of a new work, directed by Phillippa Oakden-Patch. This was in conjunction
with her tertiary studies in a Master of Arts (Performance) at the University of Western
Sydney. However, it was also the final dancework created by the company before
embarking on a break of an indefinite duration.
This study documents the creative process of this one work, which was revealed
through observations that were made at intervals throughout the company’s entire
process. It was initially of some concern to me that I was only able to view the
company at work at certain intervals, not for the entire time they would use to create
the dancework and, thus, I wouldn’t be ’living’ with the company for the five months of
the creative process. Fortunately, the resulting visits occurred in each of the four
phases outlined by Phillippa (2002) in her exegesis, and, according to the company
members, enabled me to observe pivotal moments in the creative process. This study
is limited to the creative processes used in developing movement material to the final
formation of this material as a dancework, which means that the production phase of
the creative process is not considered in this study. My primary reason for this is that I
felt it was more beneficial to focus on the three members of ask and their collaborative
process in answering the principal and subordinate research questions, rather than on
what occurred when further artists were added during the production phase. Finally, as
an ethnographic study of this company’s creative process of this one work, it is not
intended to provide a framework of how all Christian choreographers should work but
rather provide examples of how ask intertwined their worldview with their creative
process for the work, In Your Light.
7
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is significant in a number of ways. Firstly, it presents a thorough analysis of
the company’s context, particularly pertaining to their worldview as a group of
Christians and how this is reflected in the creative processes utilized by them as a
professional contemporary dance company. As the analysis of the creative processes
employed by professional dance companies is an area of research which tends to be
largely undocumented in Australia (Hempenstall, 1996; Lisner, 1983; Lisner, 1985), the
study will be of further significance as it documents processes and approaches used to
engage the artists and to support the collaboration between artists. Also, literature
regarding dance in the Christian community frequently focuses on personal experience
with limited depth regarding rigorous analysis (eg Schroeder, 1995; Stevenson, 1998);
it is hoped that this study will be of significance in providing an in-depth analysis of the
creative processes as used by a Christian dance company. Furthermore, it will be
beneficial to researchers, educators and artists interested in studying the impact of
worldview on the creation of art in a collaborative context.
1.5 OVERVIEW The research undertaken in this study will be explicated throughout this dissertation. Chapter 2 provides a review of literature pertaining to the two areas central to this study, that of worldview, particularly Christian theism, and creative process. In Chapter 3, the methodology utilized in this study will be discussed, highlighting the interpretative paradigm of hermeneutics and the research strategy of ethnography as applied throughout the research process. The company’s history and development as a group is revealed in Chapter 4, providing the necessary contextual background of the company prior to the description of the creative process for their work, In Your Light, which occurs in Chapter 5. The analysis of the company’s Christian worldview as revealed in their rhetoric occurs in Chapter 6, providing answers to one of the subordinate research questions for this study. However, through the interpretation of how their Christian worldview is reflected in their creative process of In Your Light, answers to the principal research question are revealed, explicating “what I make of it all” (Wolcott, 1994:44). To conclude, Chapter 8 provides a personal account of the effect of the research experience on me as the researcher, a “postscript” in line with one of Wolcott’s (1994:44) approaches for interpretation of qualitative data.
8
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW As the research question focuses on the Christian worldview and the creative process
of ask dance theatre, literature regarding these aspects will be reviewed. Texts
relating to the Christian worldview will be reviewed initially, including literature which
defines the term “worldview” as well as those which define Christian theism. This will
be followed by texts and articles regarding creative process, including literature relating
to group dynamics and choreographic process.
The undertaking of the review of literature relating to these topics has proven to be
more difficult than originally expected for some of the aspects of the study, due to the
paucity of academic texts and journal articles relating to these subjects. Many recent
texts and articles have been written on the subject of Christian theism and the beliefs
of Christians. This subject appears to be of increasing interest to Christians living in
the age of postmodernism with a need to understand how Christianity relates (or does
not relate) to the current era and its attitudes and philosophies. However, while many
texts have been written regarding the creative process and even regarding
choreography, only a few texts explicitly discuss the development which occurs
through a choreographic process and associated activities. Even less has been written
discussing the use of collaboration, particularly in the arts, and the literature that is
available is mostly superficial in its discussion of the processes involved in
collaboration especially regarding the choreographic process. (It must be noted that
research into collaboration and the choreographic process is currently occurring as
directed by Shirley McKechnie and Robin Grove at the University of Melbourne. At the
time of writing this dissertation, only some initial papers have been published.)
2.1 CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW A number of texts are of assistance in defining the concept, “worldview”, and have
been referred to in the development of the framework for analysing the worldview of
ask dance theatre. Michael Kearney’s World view (1984) is of value due to his
identification of seven “logico-structural” categories through which an analysis can be
made of one’s worldview. These ideas have been refined and even developed further
by William Cobern (1991, 2000) and David A. Baker (2002), and, while both of these
writers have focused their research upon science education, their work is still pertinent
to this study due to their discussion of “worldview”. Definitions for the term,
9
“worldview”, are also provided by James W. Sire (1997) in his text, The universe next
door. This text is especially relevant due to its outlining of a framework for identifying a
person’s worldview and due to its detailed discussion of Christian theism. Texts such
as Nash’s Worldviews in conflict: choosing Christianity in the world of ideas (1992),
How now shall we live? (1999) by Colson and Pearcey, Marshall, Griffioen and
Mouw’s Stained glass: worldviews and social science (1989) are also highly relevant
due to their detailed discussions of the Christian theistic worldview.
2.1.1 Definitions of “worldview” Providing a definition for the term “worldview” is difficult due to it being a widely
contested term. Thus, texts which provide definitions of this term will be reviewed in
order to develop a foundation for understanding this concept. One aspect that appears
to be agreed upon by writers is that each person has a worldview from which they
operate. Sire (1997:16) distinguishes a worldview from philosophy explaining that
many people are unable to articulate their philosophical viewpoint on life but “everyone
has a worldview”, with each person “operating within such a framework”. According to
Olthuis (in Marshall et al, 1989:26), a worldview relates to the “ultimate questions of
life” which causes each person to formulate “some answer to these questions about
the human condition”. Proper et al (in Baker, 2002:95) further reinforce this point,
stating: All people possess worldviews. These are germane to what they think and do. Such views are acquired through a variety of influences including the family, media, interpersonal relationships and through ways our institutions are structured and the way they function.
Similarly, Wolters (1985:9) describes a worldview as “an inescapable component of all
human knowing” noting, as does Baker (2002:126), that it is “prescientific”, “pre-
dat(ing) formal learning”.
Another important point which is mentioned by a number of writers is that worldview
may be similar among those of similar cultural backgrounds, being “corporately held
and culturally formed” (Baker, 2002:95). Wolters (1985) explains that a worldview is
developed from the “shared everyday experience of humankind”, and this is supported
by Christie (in Baker, 2002:96) who states that a worldview comprises “the ideas and
beliefs which a group of people holds about its world and the people in it”. Further,
Aikenhead (in Baker, 2002:96) defines worldviews as “ culturally validated
10
presuppositions about the natural world”. Baker (2002:96) asserts, though, as does
Wolters (in Marshall et al, 1989:19), that a worldview is also particular to the individual,
being one’s own perspective of the “world”, causing a worldview to be both personal
and socially constructed. However, Baker (2002:99) does concede that while one’s
worldview is personal, it usually reflects the “negotiated mores and perspectives
resulting from involvement with a cultural group”. Thus, he (2002:125) espouses: an individual’s worldview will vary, if only slightly, from the worldview of others. Compatible worldviews, on the other hand, will often be found among individuals who share a cultural heritage or who know similar life experiences.
Having written an entire text on the theoretical concept on one’s perspective on reality,
anthropologist Michael Kearney through his text World view (1984) would appear to be
an exemplary source for further defining this term. Early in this text, Kearney (1984:1)
explains “worldview” as: culturally organized macrothought: those dynamically inter-related basic assumptions of a people that determine much of their behaviour and decision-making.
He (1984:41) develops this definition later in the text, revealing the relationship of the
mind to the development of one’s worldview which causes one’s perception of the
world to be coherent. This is clear in his statement that one’s worldview: consists of basic assumptions and images that provide a more or less coherent, though not necessarily accurate, way of thinking about the world.
Within Kearney’s definitions, it is clear that there are a number of important aspects of
a worldview. Firstly, he (1984:1) asserts that one’s worldview is organized. Wallace
(1970:143) supports this, stating that it may be expressed “systematically”. Wolters
(1985:3) describes a worldview as a “framework” or a “pattern”, and Nash (1992:16)
endorses this view, using the term “conceptual scheme” to explain the way in which
each person consciously or unconsciously organizes their beliefs. Cobern (1991:7)
also promotes this systematic function of a worldview by defining it as “a fundamental,
epistemological macrostructure which forms the basis for his/her view of reality”.
Further, Cobern (2000:8, 9) advocates that a worldview “defines the self”, and that one
even uses it to “set the boundaries of who and what I am”, “allow(ing) one to order and
systematise sense perception” (italics his).
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Secondly, Kearney (1984:1, 41) highlights the fact that a worldview is comprised of
assumptions one holds or makes about the world or reality. In Sire’s (1997:16)
definition of the concept, he similarly identifies this as a key aspect, stating: A worldview is a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true
or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic makeup of the world.
Such assumptions or presuppositions are identified by both of these authors to be
varying in their degrees of accuracy, even to the point of completely lacking any
accuracy, but that, nevertheless, these ideas about the world are the basis for the
construction of one’s worldview. These assumptions are used to “render coherent and
meaningful diverse facts and information” (2002,
http://www.willamette.edu/cla/wviews/construct.htm) and, in the words of Cobern
(2000:8), “predispose one to feel, think and act in predictable patterns”, thus clarifying
that a worldview “refers to cognition”(Cobern, 1991:25).
As it is obvious from the term itself, a worldview relates to the world or reality, which
Kearney (1984:41) includes in his definitions. Simply, it is “a way of looking at reality”
or is a “vision of life” (2002, http://www.willamette.edu/cla/wviews/construct.htm;
Newport, 1998:41; Olthuis in Marshall et al, 1989:29). Colson and Pearcey (1999:14)
explain that a worldview is “the sum total of our beliefs about the world, the ‘big picture’
that directs our daily decisions and actions.” A number of writers (Baker, 2002;
Wolters, 1985:2; Cobern, 1991) refer to the origin of the term in the German word
Weltanschauung, relating to one’s outlook on life and the world. Wolters (in Marshall et
al, 1989:19) explains this further, stating: Basic to the idea of Weltanshchauung is that it represents a point of view on the world, a perspective on things, a way of looking at the cosmos from a particular vantage point which cannot transcend its own historicity.
Nash (1992:16) also asserts that a worldview is a framework through “which we
interpret and judge reality” which is similar to Cobern’s view of this term as he
explicates that one’s worldview relates not only “to how one sees the world, but to how
one understands the world” (Cobern, 1991:15). Alston (in Nash, 1992:17) aptly
reinforces this view: human beings have a deep-seated need to form some general picture of the total universe in which they live, in order to be able to relate their own fragmentary activities to the universe as a whole in a way meaningful to them…
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The first of Kearney’s definitions also identifies the dynamic nature of one’s worldview.
This means that a person’s worldview can and does change “depending upon the
ability or willingness of the individual to reflect upon taken-for-granted assumptions in
the light of a novel idea or fresh evidence” (Baker, 2002:125). Such change is to be
expected through “life-long interaction with one’s culture, society and environment”,
according to Baker (2002:99). This view is supported by Olthuis (in Marshall et al,
1989:37) who states: Worldviews, then, if they are to remain viable, need to be changed continually as faith deepens, as insight into reality grows, and as individuals and cultures move on to new stages in their development.
The dynamic nature of worldview relates closely to the Christian theistic worldview that
is so relevant to this research. Those with a Christian theistic worldview believe that
people who follow God’s principles as written in the Bible are to be involved in constant
change in order to become more attune with God’s nature. This is clearly expressed
by Wolters (1985:1): The desire to live by Scripture alone, rather than Scripture alongside of tradition, is a hallmark of the Reformers. We follow their path in this emphasis as well as in wanting an ongoing reformation, in wanting to be re-formed by the Scriptures continuously (see Acts 17:11, Rom. 12:2) rather than living by unexamined traditions.
One aspect, however, which seems to have been overlooked by Kearney in his almost
definitive explication of this complex term is that a worldview is generally implicit.
Cobern (2000:8) promotes this as being the aspect that clearly distinguishes worldview
from philosophy: The premises of philosophy are arrived at through critical thought. Quite the opposite, the assumptions of a worldview are typically implicit, and only by the greatest effort at self-reflection does one become aware of them. (italics his)
Cobern (2000:8) reinforces this by further defining the development of one’s worldview
as an implicit act, stating that it is a “culturally dependent, implicit organization of the
mind” (italics his). In support of this, Wallace (1970:143) identifies the implicit nature of
worldview when he expounds: Worldview, accordingly, may be expressed, more or less systematically, in cosmology,
philosophy, ethics, religious ritual, scientific belief, and so on, but it is implicit in almost every act.
Olthuis (in Marshall et al, 1989:26) explains that while each person possesses a
worldview, it may not be “thematized or codified”, with their answers to the ultimate
questions of life only being “partially or implicitly” formulated. Morris (in Nash, 1992:22)
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similarly remarks that as one’s worldview involves the most general beliefs about life
and the world, it is “not usually consciously entertained”. In addition, Sire (1997:17)
supports this view, when he notes that worldviews are: generally unquestioned by each of us, rarely, if ever, mentioned by our friends, and
only brought to mind when we are challenged by a foreigner from another ideological universe.
Thus it would appear that an appropriate summary of these aspects might be to
suggest that a worldview is a generally implicit and dynamic cognitive organization of
assumptions or presuppositions which allow a person to render coherent his/her
perception of the world or reality.
2.1.2 Framework for identifying worldview As this research question involves the analysis of ask dance theatre’s worldview as
“committed Christians”, it is essential to identify a framework which can be applied in
identifying their worldview (2000, http://web.1earth.net?~youth/ask-july99.html).
Kearney’s (1984) work in this area, in relation to anthropology, is of note again
especially as he identifies seven fundamental categories to be used in order to
ascertain a person’s worldview, creating a “composite model of worldview” (Cobern,
2000:10). In addition, Cobern (1991 and 2000) and Baker (2002) apply this model to
science education research, giving it further credibility. Their model, however, appears
to be quite removed and objective which does not seem particularly appropriate for this
inquiry-based research.
It would appear that most valid detailed discussions of worldview identify that each
person holds views about himself/herself, others and the world. Kearney
(1984:chapter 3) discusses worldview in relation to the concepts “Self” and
“Other”/”NonSelf” as well as investigating the relationships between these concepts.
Hiebert (1976:356) discusses such categories by defining certain assumptions that lie
“(b)ehind the observable patterns of human cultures”. These assumptions include
“existential postulates” relating to “the nature of reality, the organization of the universe,
and the ends and purposes of human life”, as well as “values and norms” relating to
how one differentiates “between good and evil, right and wrong” (Hiebert, 1976:356).
Olthuis (in Marshall et al, 1989:31), Nash (1992:21, 26-30) and Sire (1997:17-18)
discuss the “universally found categories” from an inquiry-based analytical process.
This seems to be highly relevant to the subordinate research question, what is entailed
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in ask dance theatre’s worldview as a group of Christians? Olthuis (in Marshall et al,
1989:31) outlines the “ultimate questions” (“Who are we? Where are we? What are
we to do? What is good and what is evil? Where are we going?”) to which a worldview
provides “fundamental, seminal answers”. Identifying that philosophy and religion deal
with similar questions (regarding metaphysics, ethics and epistemology), Nash’s
(1992:21) analysis of the fundamentals of a worldview relate to similar questions of
“God” (or “one’s ultimate concern” in life), ultimate reality (metaphysics), knowledge
(epistemology), ethics and humankind (which includes death).
Finally, Sire (1997:17-18) provides seven questions relating to prime reality, external
reality, human beings, death, knowledge, ethics and history: 1. What is prime reality – the really real? 2. What is the nature of external reality, that is, the world around us? 3. What is a human being? 4. What happens to a person at death? 5. Why is it possible to know anything at all? 6. How do we know what is right and wrong? 7. What is the meaning of human history?
Due to its integration of the categories and questions used in the worldview models
mentioned here as well its use of an inquiry-based analytical process, Sire’s model is
to be used as the framework for the analysis of ask dance theatre’s worldview as
committed Christians. Its questions are also explicit in outlining that which they are
intended to ascertain as well as being both concise and probing.
2.1.3 Christian worldview The company members of ask dance theatre clearly refer to their alliance with
Christianity in their mission statement (2000, http://web.1earth.net?~youth/ask-
july99.html) as well as frequently in interviews, discussions, documents and during
rehearsals and meetings. Hence, it is vital for the term “Christian worldview” to be
defined, particularly as it pertains to this study, as that of Christian theism. It is also
important to note that whenever passages of the Bible are referred to in this
dissertation, the version used is the New International Version as this was used by the
members of ask during their creative process of In Your Light.
Christian theism is “grounded in divine revelation” and it is espoused that this
revelation occurs in two ways: through general revelation and special revelation
15
(Noebel, 2000:43; Sire,1997:31-32). General revelation refers to the revelation of God
through the created order of the universe and Carl F. H. Henry (in Nash, 1992:53)
discusses this point: He is a very particular and specific divinity, known from the beginning solely on the basis of his works and self-declaration as the one living God.
Special revelation refers to God revealing himself in extranatural ways such as
appearing in unusual forms, speaking directly to people in their own language and the
life of Jesus Christ, all of which were recorded in written form in the Bible (Noebel,
2000:43; Sire, 1997:31-32). Nash (1992:52) clearly highlights this when he espouses: The basic presupposition of the Christian worldview is the existence of God revealed in Scripture…this particular touchstone proposition allows the Christian ready access to all that Scripture says about God, the world, and humankind.
This opinion is reinforced by Wolters (1985:6, 7) who explains that the Christian’s
worldview “must be shaped and tested by Scripture” which “speaks centrally to
everything in our life and world”. He (1985:7) further states that a greater
understanding of God and his character requires that the Christian’s worldview be
tested against Scripture, “revising it accordingly (as a) part of the renewal of the mind”
which is promoted in Romans 12:2.
Both forms of revelation from God, according to Colson and Pearcey (1999:xi), are “the
source of all truth, a comprehensive framework for all of reality” (italics theirs). Thus,
Christian theism promotes the concept of absolute truth, “rather than a truth that
evolves with each new discovery”. Further, Colson and Pearcey (1999:xiii) discuss the
fundamental “contours of a Christian worldview”, stating these as follows: first, the creation of both the universe and human life; second, the fall into sin and how it marred God’s good creation; and third, how God has provided a means of redemption. (italics theirs)
As mentioned previously, Sire (1997:17-18) has devised seven basic questions which
allow for one’s worldview to be identified (see “2.1.2 Framework for identifying
worldview”). These questions relate to one’s perspective on the fundamental aspects
of life including prime reality, external reality, the nature of humanity, death, the basis
of human knowing (epistemology), the basis of ethics and the meaning of human
history (Sire, 1997:17-18). In order to understand Christian theism in greater detail, it
is necessary to focus on the answers to these questions that reveal a Christian
16
worldview. In summary, the responses to these seven questions are as follows (Sire,
1997:23-36):
1. God is infinite and personal (triune), transcendent and immanent, omniscient, sovereign
and good. 2. God created the cosmos ex nihilo to operate with a uniformity of cause and effect in an
open system. 3. a) Human beings are created in the image of God and thus possess personality, self-
transcendence, intelligence, morality, gregariousness and creativity. b) Human beings were created good, but through the Fall the image of God became defaced, though not so much ruined as not to be capable of restoration; through the work of Christ, God redeemed humanity and began the process of restoring people to goodness, though any given person may choose to reject that redemption.
4. For each person death is either the gate to life with God and his people or the gate to eternal separation from the only thing that will ultimately fulfill human aspirations.
5. Human beings can know both the world around them and God himself because God has built into them the capacity to do so and because he takes an active role in communicating with them.
6. Ethics is transcendent and is based on the character of God as good (holy and loving). 7. History is linear, a meaningful sequence of events leading to the fulfillment of God’s
purposes for humanity.
Each of these will be discussed in much greater detail in Chapter 6 when analysing the
Christian worldview of ask dance theatre as evidenced in their rhetoric.
2.2 CREATIVE PROCESS Creative process in literature regarding the arts tends to focus on the discussion of the
phases involved in the actual creating of an artwork. However, in order to develop a
more complete understanding of the creative process of ask dance theatre, it is vital
that the study of this artistic element of the creative process be complemented by a
study of the more pragmatic element, group dynamics. Thus, literature which relates to
group dynamics will be reviewed, focusing on the process of collaboration as the
members of ask refer to their desire to be involved in this process when creating
danceworks (2000, http://web.1earth.net?~youth/ask-july99.html). Texts and journal
articles relating to the use of collaboration within organisations will be reviewed. A
number of texts are available regarding the broad topics of groups, their characteristics
and their dynamics, but only a few focus on the characteristics and processes involved
in collaboration within organisations. Both of these types of texts will be discussed as it
17
is necessary to outline the characteristics and dynamics involved in organisations in
order to understand those relating to ask dance theatre. By identifying their input/s,
structure and processes as a group, the roles assumed by company members, their
current stage of development and the stages ask has already passed through, the
company can be comprehended within its correct context.
A review of literature regarding collaboration and the arts will also be undertaken.
While collaboration is a process employed by more and more artists, it is discussed
explicitly in only a few texts and articles as will be seen in this section. Following this,
literature that explicates the choreographic process will be reviewed, providing
definitions regarding the stages of the choreographic process. These texts are also
beneficial in conducting an analysis of the creative processes employed by the
members of ask dance theatre.
2.2.1 Group dynamics 2.2.1.1 Collaboration and Organisational Psychology Definitions of “collaboration” can be found in almost all of the texts located for this
study. In his text, No more teams!: mastering the dynamics of creative collaboration,
Schrage (1995:29) defines collaboration simply as the process by which a group of
people work together to solve a problem, to create or to discover something. Schrage
(1995:33) also defines it as the process of “shared creation” where two or more
individuals with complementary skills interact “to create a shared understanding that
none had previously possessed or could come to on their own.” In addition, Marshall
(1995:viii) in his text, Transforming the way we work: the power of the collaborative
workplace, states that collaboration allows people to be empowered, providing a
foundation for work relationships and enabling people “to resolve conflicts, disputes,
and disagreements without compromising (their) individuality.” Being non-hierarchical
in nature, according to Marshall (1995:4), collaboration further promotes trust, integrity,
power sharing, true consensus and ownership in all aspects of the organization in
which it is at work, as well as many other values which will be discussed in greater
detail in due course. Finally, Kraus, in the text Collaboration in organizations:
alternatives to hierarchy (1984:202), reinforces the fact that the collaborative process is
a shift from the product/outcome being the “primary component” to an “interaction and
interdependence between product/outcome and process.” Each of these texts are thus
18
useful in providing definitions of a topic which tends to be somewhat ambiguous at
times.
In order to focus on the characteristics and dynamics of ask dance theatre and to
discuss the company as an open system, Katz and Kahn’s text, The social psychology
of organizations (1978) provides useful information on the properties shared by all
open systems. Vecchio, Hearn and Southey (1992:374-399) in their text,
Organisational behaviour: life at work in Australia, provide an excellent discussion on
the subject of group dynamics, beginning with the topics of formal and informal groups,
and open and closed groups. They (1992:377) also propose a framework for
understanding groups, which involves a group’s inputs, its structure and processes and
its outputs.
The Team Management Wheel developed by Margerison and McCann (1984:6) is
presented in the article, ”A new approach to team management” and is certainly a
useful tool in analysing the roles that are or are not occupied by company members.
By identifying these, it assists in the discernment of whether the company is functioning
effectively. This factor can be further confirmed by comparing the company’s
operations with the seven guidelines for creating effective groups as proposed by
Johnson and Johnson (2000:13) in their text, Joining together: group theory and group
skills. Tuckman’s exposition of five developmental stages for groups is highly relevant
in identifying a company’s current stage of development, by understanding which
stages it has already passed through. This model is explicated in a number of texts
[Forsyth’s Group dynamics (1990) and Vecchio, Hearn and Southey’s Organisational
behaviour: life at work in Australia (1992)] providing a useful framework for the analysis
of a company’s development.
Finally, Velde’s (2001:12-14) exposition of the Action Research Model is useful in
analysing the process used by the members of ask in their creative process. Action
Research is a cyclic process used by groups, where an objective is initially defined
from which a cue is then created (Velde, 2001:12). A cue is a “key” or “indicator” upon
which the group can focus and is “based on the circumstances surrounding the
particular problem” (Velde, 2001:13) This cue leads to the generation of data, which is
finally collated, in order to reduce “the wealth of information into a coherent form that is
19
useful to the group” (Velde, 2001:14). Due to this collation of data, a new cue is
created, causing the cycle to continue (Velde, 2001:12).
2.2.1.2 Collaboration and the arts Reviewing literature regarding the use of collaboration in the arts became quite difficult
due to the dearth of texts and articles which truly delve into the creative processes
regarding collaboration. As noted by Peter Hempenstall in his Master of Arts (Drama)
dissertation, The art of collaborative leadership (1996), there are many texts and
articles which have collaboration as their topic but very few which extrapolate the
processes used in collaborative arts practice. Instead, Hempenstall (1996:5) suggests
these texts and articles largely concentrate on: 1. The specific project around which the collaboration has centred. 2. The personal, rather than artistic/professional relationships between collaborating
artists. 3. The idiosyncrasies in collaborative style between artists.
A few examples of such literature include the following journal articles: Michelle
Potter’s “’A license to do anything’: Robert Rauschenberg and the Merce Cunningham
Dance Company”; Joan Marter’s “Collaborations: artists and architects on public sites”;
Olivia Gude’s “An aesthetics of collaboration”; Roger Heaton’s “Music for dance”; and,
Sarah Swenson’s Process and product: three approaches to choreography. While a
few interesting quotes on collaboration may be found in this literature, very little depth
is given in the explanation of the collaborative process.
There is a small amount of literature available which provides some insight into this
process of creating art. In his article, “In the silence and the stillness”, composer Philip
Flood discusses some relevant characteristics of the collaborative process between
choreographers and composers, although he (1997:39) ends the article by negatively
advancing that he does not believe that true collaboration ever happens, stating that,
“the hierarchies and personalities will not allow it”. Nevertheless, he (1997:37)
provides a definition of collaboration, distinguishing it from “cooperation” and
“coordination” and describing the various characteristics required for a successful
collaboration to occur.
In the art of painting, collaboration also occurs and Michael P. Kinch’s article,
”Collaborative painting” (2002), about a mother-daughter collaboration highlights the
20
“advantages, logistics, and challenges of working on the same painting” (Kinch,
2002:104). It focuses on the vital characteristics of friendship, trust, pooling resources,
taking advantages of each other’s strengths and the need to work through conflict. Lori
Felton’s PhD dissertation, Structuring collaborative improvisation: reflections from
contact improvisational dance (2001), discusses some similar characteristics. While
focusing on the technique of contact improvisation, Felton’s (2001:6) paper does
promote the need for what she calls a “collaborative attitude” to be developed by those
working within this technique: To be successful participants, collaborative partners need to gain skills in co-constructing jointly shared emergent intentions. This necessitates attending to the communicative features that support interaction, in this case creating common ground while also sustaining intersubjectivity.
Virginia Johnson’s article, “Forsythe and company” (2002) discusses the philosophies
on choreographic process and the use of collaboration within the dance company,
Ballett Frankfurt, under the direction of choreographer William Forsythe. Forsythe is
described as being a choreographer who invites his dancers to be involved in the
choreographic process and he “looks for dancers who are ‘intellectually
curious'…(who) relish a working atmosphere that is physically and mentally
demanding” (Gates as quoted in Johnson, 2002:50). According to one of Forsythe’s
dancers, ”he wants to see what we can bring and then he takes from the palette”
(Gates as quoted in Johnson, 2002:50). Johnson (2002:54) adds that Forsythe
encourages dancers to bring their own experiences to the creation of each new work.
Two other texts also provide insight in relation to collaboration and the choreographic
process. The third chapter of Susan Leigh Foster’s (1986:194,200) text, Reading
dancing, analyses the collaborative process of the Grand Union of the 1970s: Metacommentary was only one of several techniques the Grand Union employed to create a self-reflexive and collaborative atmosphere. Another was improvisation: the dancers choreographed the dances as they performed them. Yet the dances emphasized the value of cooperation in group activities and showed how cooperation determined the meaning of those activities. In a climate both supportive and ironic, the dancers develop a sense of community and extended it to include the audience as well.
Schrader also refers to the collaborative process and choreography, providing a
perceptive definition of collaboration in her text, A sense of dance (1996:139): Collaboration…involves listening and compromising, respecting other ideas and letting go of the notion of personal ownership of an artistic product. In true collaboration all
21
ideas are weighed equally and, though consensus, are either trashed or incorporated into the final project. In a true collaboration there is no director, no individual who holds ultimate artistic control.
2.2.2 Choreographic process While many teaching manuals are available, outlining exercises for students of
choreography and delivering thorough explanations of the components of dance,
written works which inquire into the technical and cognitive processes undertaken in
the choreographic process, especially by contemporary dance choreographers are of
greater value for this study. Having written several articles and texts on the subject of
creativity, David Best, as recorded in a compilation of papers entitled Choreography:
principles and practice, edited by Janet Adshead (1986:33), intelligently reflects upon
the nature of creating artworks: Some people seem to regard inspiration as consisting solely in an explosive, purely private, inner experience. But it is not the sudden feverish mental experience which is the criterion of inspiration, but what is produced. And for that, of course, one needs to have learned the requisite discipline of the medium of expression.
As well as this, he (as quoted in Adshead, 1986:55) accurately proposes the need for
rational thought and understanding in the process of choreography: To put it briefly, the kinds of feelings involved in the arts are possible only for a creature capable of rationality: it is only by cognitive understanding of a work of art that one can
respond appropriately to it; it is only with an understanding of the art form of dance that one can express feeling in choreography.
By far, the most relevant literature available on collaboration and choreographic
process is the current research project, “Unspoken Knowledges”. Led by Shirley
McKechnie and Robin Grove, two dance scholars associated with the University of
Melbourne, this research focuses on the methods used by two different Australian
choreographers in creating danceworks, in order to discover the activity of
“choreographic cognition” (McKechnie, 2001). Three papers that have been written
regarding this subject are “Thinking bodies: a dialogue” (2000) by Shirley McKechnie
and Robin Grove, “Keynote address: new perspectives on collaboration in the
choreographic art” (2001) by Shirley McKechnie, and “Mind in motion: seeking a theory
of choreographic cognition” (2001), also by Shirley McKechnie. The first of these
identifies both the choreographic process used by the choreographers involved and
provides some excellent definitions of collaboration and the creative process with
regards to dance which can be seen in the following statement by McKechnie (2000:9):
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all kinds of dance-materials were generated out of the improvisations of the whole group, who, instead of pictures or demonstrations of what the choreographer wanted, were given spoken cues which they each had to interpret for themselves…In responding to those verbal prompts, each dancer found individual solutions. So the choreographer is not in control here. We could almost say there’s no separately distinguishable choreographer in the room. Choreography is taking place through a shared interactive dance-making to which everyone contributes.
The keynote address also identifies the creation of a dancework, involving
choreographer and dancers, as a “dynamic self-organising system” (2001:3), which is
not a new concept in itself but is new in its application to the nature of dance creation.
McKechnie (2001) also discusses the vital role of improvisation within the collaborative,
choreographic process. In the final article mentioned, some further exemplary
definitions are given regarding the choreographic process and choreographic cognition,
and one section towards the conclusion of the article summarizes the value of this
article in discussing choreography and collaboration (McKechnie, 2001:152). It reads: Their theories have contributed much to my thinking about the nature of the dynamical system which is formed by the interaction between the choreographer and the dancers as a choreographic work unfolds in time. Problems are solved, new ideas present themselves, solutions often appear random or arbitrary, patterns and structures may be planned, coaxed into being or simply emerge. Where real artistic collaboration exists the state of the work within an hour, or a week, is sometimes as unpredictable as a chaotic system. It can be mysterious and surprising, even to its creators.
Sally Banes’ text Democracy’s body: Judson Dance Theater, 1962-1964 discusses at
length the many and varied experimental processes of early postmodern
choreographers. Of significance, though, is the attention given to the incorporation of
improvisation as the stimulus for movement as well as for the continuation of creating
movement. This is of relevance to this study as improvisation is employed by ask for
the creation of the dancework which is the subject of this research. Choreographer
Trisha Brown (Banes, 1983:20) explains the benefits of improvisation in the
choreographic process through her statement that: If you stand back and think about what you are going to do before you do it, there is likely to be a strenuous editing process that stymies the action. On the other hand, if you set yourself loose in an improvisational form, you have to make solutions very quickly and you learn how to. That is the excitement of improvisation.
Similarly, Blom and Chaplin’s The moment of movement (1988) discusses
improvisation as it is a device used commonly utilized by contemporary
choreographers. The authors (1988:4-5) outline their theory regarding this
choreographic device in the early chapters of this teaching manual:
23
In investigating movement specifically as the medium for improv, there are three things to consider: the kinetic-kinesthetic event, the instrument (the particular dancer), and the form...As a kinetic-kinesthetic event, the movement is sensed, experienced, and perceived physically...Secondly, movement in improv is inextricably part of the instrument itself, that is, of the particular dancer: her (sic) body type, self image, personal affinities, movement style, and aesthetic choices... The third aspect is the form, that which emerges from the dictates of a developing structure. The mover makes choices that conform to, or realize, an overall form.
A number of texts are useful in their analysis of the creative process as they define the
various stages involved. While the models provided in Blom and Chaplin’s The
moment of movement (1988), Minton’s Choreography: a basic approach to
improvisation (1997) and Schrader’s A sense of dance (1996) have some differences,
they do share many similarities. Minton (1997:2) discusses Amabile’s proposal of five
stages of creating, also applying these to the choreographic process. Unlike the other
models, this model includes an early stage entitled “problem presentation”, which is
where the choreographer needs to “decide on a basic choreographic problem to be
solved” (Minton, 1997:2). All three models (Blom and Chaplin, 1988:7; Minton, 1997:2;
Schrader, 1996:144) then have the next stage of “preparation” in common, which
Schrader entitles “collecting”. Blom and Chaplin (1988:7) define this as involving
“exposure” to the skills and techniques required for dance, as well as stating and
researching the “problem” or task and establishing a “background”.
The next stage involves “incubation” (Amabile in Minton, 1997:2), “noting and
improvising” (Schrader, 1996:144) and “exploration” (Blom and Chaplin, 1988:7) of the
idea, allowing “enough time and work for the discovery of appropriate movement”
(Minton, 1997:2). Schrader (1996:145) explains that during the improvisational stage
the choreographer does not need to know exactly what he/she intends to
communicate, but, rather, must be open to many different aspects of the chosen focus,
“to discover what it is you have to offer and what makes you enthusiastic”. Blom and
Chaplin (1988:7) agree that, during this exploration stage, the choreographer
relinquishes “conscious control”, in order for “many options to be tried, explored and
experimented with” (Blom and Chaplin, 1988:7). This sometimes includes “laying the
problem aside” for a time, so that the mind can allow the ideas to “roll around and
regroup” (Blom and Chaplin, 1988:7).
24
The stage which follows this involves the moment when, through insight, “(t)hings
come together; the plan is seen, the theory clear, the image articulate” and in this
stage, there is a “heightened consciousness” as well as an intensification of thinking
processes (Blom and Chaplin, 1988:8). Blom and Chaplin (1988:8) refer to this stage
as “illumination”, while in Amabile’s model (in Minton, 1997:2) it is entitled “validation”,
also referring to the act of experimentation “with the use of the different movement
solutions discovered” in the previous stage (Minton, 1997:2). This relates to
Schrader’s model (1996:146-148) where this stage is referred to as “choosing and
developing movement material”. She (1996:146-148) highlights the need for the
choreographer to focus on the form and intent of the work, and to find and explore
movement material which relate to these. This requires the choreographer to answer
questions such as, “What is the function I would like this piece to serve?” and “What is
the focus of this piece?” in order to find the most appropriate structure for the material
being explored and developed (Schrader, 1996:146).
Schrader’s (1996:150) explanation of the next stage of reworking material outlines the
process of revising and/or reviewing the material created and making decisions as to
which material shows unity and correlation to the form and intent of the work, and
identifying aspects which need to be “modified or eliminated”. For both Blom and
Chaplin (1988:8) and Amabile’s (in Minton, 1997:2) models, this is the final stage in the
creative process. Blom and Chaplin (1988:8) refer to this stage as “formation” or
“formulation”, which is just as the title suggests – the application of form to “the inner
image”. Amabile (in Minton, 1997:2), on the other hand, entitles this stage, “outcome
assessment”, focusing on decisions as to further work needing to occur with the
dancework for it to be complete. Schrader (1996:144) also refers to this activity in an
additional stage, “rehearsing and refining”, which is followed by the final stage of
“performing” to conclude the creative process in her model.
2.3 SUMMARY The literature reviewed here is certainly of assistance in understanding the place of this
study in the ’world’ of research. The many insightfully written texts on worldview
provide useful definitions of this term, as well as outlining frameworks from which this
concept can be studied. Likewise, the discussion of Christian theism is made effortless
due to the number of exceptional texts and articles on this topic, which is helpful when
25
analysing the worldview of ask dance theatre as a “group of…committed Christians”
(2000, http://web.1earth.net?~youth/ask-july99.html). In contrast, only a small number
of texts and articles are available regarding collaboration, both in relation to
organisational psychology and the arts, and these mainly provide definitions of the
process, rather than detailed analyses of how this process occurs in practice. The
stages of the creative process have been clearly defined by a few texts, and these are
beneficial in analysing the creative process of ask dance theatre. It can be seen from
this review of literature that the study of a dance company’s creative process and the
reflection of their worldview as Christians during this process is a unique research
study, which will add to literature regarding both worldview (particularly Christian
theism) and creative process.
26
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN Studying the worldview and creative process of ask dance theatre required a research
strategy and an interpretative paradigm which would reveal the context, rhetoric,
activities and behaviours of the company in depth. The research strategy of
ethnography has been employed, providing qualitative description of the company’s
worldview and creative process. Permeating this research strategy is the interpretative
paradigm, hermeneutics, which involves the vital reflection on my own pre-
understandings of dance within this field, in order to understand and reveal my own
prejudices and biases. In relation to this, hermeneutics also involves focusing on the
text being studied, the experiences of the researcher and those involved, and the
context of the text. Hence, hermeneutics and ethnography are highly relevant to this
research project but still require further definition with regards to the premises, the
advantages, the processes employed and how eventual interpretations made using this
methodology can be evaluated.
3.1 INTERPRETATIVE PARADIGM
In order to begin an exegetic discussion of hermeneutics, the term must first be
defined. According to van Manen (1990:38), hermeneutics is “the interpretive study of
the expressions and objectifications (texts) of lived experience in the attempt to
determine the meaning embodied in them”. Hermeneutics has a long tradition, being
used in the interpretation of texts as early as the ancient Greeks and Jews in studying
literature with the Bible having “prompted the largest single hermeneutic enterprise”,
which relates closely to the subject of study here (Cohen, Kahn and Steeves, 2000:10;
Shapiro and Sica, 1984:11). It is the process of examining "the meaning of a text and
how its meaning is constructed" (Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999:163). Meaning emerges
from the process of interpretation itself combining one's own pre-understandings, the
text and the traditions and cultural context of the text (Fraleigh and Hanstein,
1999:163). While the term ’text’ at one time only referred to the written word,
hermeneutics now embraces all symbolic constructs of meaning as text, which includes
human cultural activity and, therefore, dance phenomena (Radnitzky, 1970:22). Kvale
(1996:47) further explains hermeneutics as a process of understanding the text in
which "the meaning of the separate parts is determined by the global meaning of the
text" or, in the words of Hans-Georg Gadamer (1998:291), hermeneutics requires “that
we must understand the whole in terms of the detail and the detail in terms of the
27
whole.” This is a prevalent method used in the analysis of dance where the dance
itself is studied in relation to its context.
For this particular study, the branch of hermeneutics to be used is the interpretive
theory as developed by Gadamer, particularly as explicated in his work, Truth and
Method (1998). As Zuckert (in Dostal, 2002:205) explains, Gadamer sees
hermeneutics as describing “the way in which human beings come to terms with
themselves, each other, and the world in practice.” In this ‘school of thought’,
understanding is not seen as a method or “rule-governed undertaking” and it is not “an
isolated activity of human beings but a basic structure of our experience of life”
(Gadamer in Denzin and Lincoln, 2000:194). According to Gadamer (Shapiro and
Sica, 1984:6), human beings are “always already hermeneutical” and thus are
constantly involved in the process of interpreting in everyday life. This is reinforced by
McNamara (in Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999:164) when she asserts Gadamer’s
perspective that: to exist is to interpret…One cannot perceive, think, speak, or write about a situation from outside the network of symbols that make up our culture. These symbols may include, but are not limited to, dances or other works of art, language, nonverbal body movement, texts, objects, or social interactions.
Thus, the meaning of a “social action or text” “emerges from the process of
interpretation itself” (Gadamer in Denzin and Lincoln, 2000:195; Gadamer in Fraleigh
and Hanstein, 1999:163).
As this research project involves inquiry focused on understanding, with an explanatory
purpose, it seems that hermeneutics is highly appropriate to be applied as the
interpretative paradigm. Wolff (in Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999:164) explains that
hermeneutics is a process which has the ability to work on any level of inquiry,
including the individual, the small group or the whole of society. Fraleigh and Hanstein
(1999:171) expound that: Hermeneutics is an unusually flexible paradigm, allowing for much creativity on the part of the interpreter. The hermeneut does not attempt to reproduce or objectively represent reality but, rather, builds an interpretation via a blueprint of her or his own design, and through logical argumentation. Unrestrained by rigid methodological underpinnings, the interpreter has the freedom to make numerous choices during every loop of the interpretive process. By constructing an understanding of meaning, rather than adhering to an exacting method, hermeneutics allows for the transient and mobile features of dance and its connected areas of inquiry to be more finely discerned.
28
Further, they assert that "the interchanges among one's own pre-understandings, the
text as well as the traditions and cultural context of the text, combine to construct the
meaning of any particular text" (Fraleigh and Hansetein, 1999:163). It is also viewed
as “a commitment to the careful description of things as they show themselves in our
experience of them” (Melville in Cheetham, Holly and Moxey, 1998:146).
3.1.1 Role of “prejudices” As much of my own work of the past ten years has centred upon dance and
Christianity, it would be impossible for me to study ask dance theatre using an
interpretative paradigm that requires the researcher to lay aside any existing
connection to the research topic when interpreting the text. Hermeneutics does not
regard “sociohistorically inherited bias or prejudice” as an element the researcher must
endeavor to be rid of or “manage” so that he/she can come to a “clear” understanding
(Schwandt in Denzin and Lincoln, 2000:194). Gadamer (in Denzin and Lincoln,
2000:194) supports this view that tradition is not “external, objective, and past” but
rather that understanding requires the identification, acknowledgement and
“engagement” of one’s biases and prejudices. Gadamer (1998:269) explains this
further in his seminal book, Truth and Method, when he states: …a person trying to understand a text is prepared for it to tell him something. That is why a hermeneutically trained consciousness must be, from the start, sensitive to the text’s alterity. But this kind of sensitivity involves neither “neutrality” with respect to content nor the extinction of one’s self, but the foregrounding and appropriation of one’s own fore-meanings and prejudices. The important thing is to be aware of one’s own bias, so that the text can present itself in all its otherness and thus assert its own truth against one’s own fore-meanings.
Subjectivity, then, is seen as unavoidable and not a "failing needing to be eliminated
but...an essential element of understanding" (Stake, 1995:100). Garrison (in Denzin
and Lincoln, 2000:195) explains that we are “to examine our historically inherited and
unreflectively held prejudices and alter those that disable our efforts to understand
others, and ourselves”. Hence, the reflexive thought process comes into play for the
researcher, rather than idealistically but impractically aiming to rid oneself of
preconceived thoughts on this topic. The interpretative process then must commence
by the researcher clarifying the “tradition/s” (“cumulative interpretation” of the meaning
of past events), biases and/or prejudices which he/she possesses (Zuckert in Dostal,
2002:205). Acknowledging that he/she is composed of unique personal experiences
and his/her historical and sociocultural situations, the researcher must understand
29
his/her historically and culturally determined self in order to understand the meaning of
the text being interpreted (Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999:166). Thus, it is essential that
pronouns revealing first person perspective (eg I, my, me, myself) be used throughout
this dissertation to reveal the researcher’s “own pre-understandings” and “experience”
of the text, in order to construct an understanding of its meaning (Fraleigh and
Hanstein, 1999:163, 171; Melville in Cheetham, Holly and Moxey, 1998:146).
From the outset, I realized that my background and my experiences (and resulting
perspectives) would impact upon the research that I was undertaking. Due to my
involvement in dance within the Christian community since about 16 years of age, I
have seen (and been involved in) many examples of ‘Christian dance’ which, in my
opinion, appeared clichéd. This occurred particularly in the use of certain movements,
movement styles, costumes, props and even accompaniment to convey obvious and
even typical Christian symbols. I have become somewhat frustrated that this is what
many people (both Christian and non-Christian) understand danceworks created by
Christians to be. So, I was looking for a company of artists (primarily dancers) who
were Christians but who performed using an approach and style that moves beyond
traditional liturgical dance which seemed to me to be particularly codified and gestural
in its style and approach, sometimes having its basis in the modern dance style of
Graham. Thus, at the beginning, I saw ask as a company that might be different in its
processes from other Christian dance groups in this country and such an attitude
meant that I was viewing the company in a very positive light from the outset. I also
identified very early in the research process that we shared many commonalities: we
were of similar ages (from mid-twenties to early thirties) and of similar backgrounds,
having all gained tertiary training in our fields of the arts and having all known about
Christianity and experiencing Jesus Christ in our lives from an early age, primarily due
to the influence of Christian parents. I knew this common ground would make it easier
for me to understand their language, but at the same time I knew I would have to take
care to maintain my “sensitivity” to the “otherness” and “alterity” of the text (Gadamer,
1998:269).
Kvale (1996:49) suggests that hermeneutics requires that the researcher has an
extensive knowledge of the subject so as to be "sensitive to the nuances of meanings
expressed and the different contexts into which the meaning may enter". As
30
mentioned in the introductory chapter and intimated in the previous paragraph, I have
had much experience and thus developed a good knowledge base for such a research
topic. I have been involved in the field of dance since the age of four, a Christian since
I was approximately eight years of age and involved in seeking to combine these two
elements since I was 16. Having now worked professionally in dance within the
Christian community as an educator, a choreographer and a performer, I have
experienced the many issues which impact upon people involved in this field. I have
felt the pressure to always create works which clearly (very obviously, in fact) reflect
Christianity and even the entire story of the Gospel with little time given to preparation
and performance of this. Then there is the other extreme where I have seen dance as
being perceived as secondary to music within the Christian community, with dance
being used to merely enhance the music or provide a visual impact. It has also been
my experience that dance has been viewed by the Christian community for many years
as being a ‘dangerous’ artform due to its use of the body as its instrument and, even
though this seems to be changing, such an attitude continues to impact upon the
creation of danceworks to some degree. My understanding of these issues and other
ideology which impacts upon dance artists who are Christians allows me to be
sensitive to the behaviour and language used by the participants, to the “nuances of
meaning”.
3.1.2 Relevance of the paradigm
Hermeneutics is relevant to the subject of study as an interpretative paradigm in two
principal ways. Firstly, hermeneutics is not a “methodology or technology, but an
account of what understanding is and how it involves our very being” (Grondin in
Dostal, 2002:45). Rather than reproducing or objectively representing reality,
hermeneutics builds interpretations through the continuous cyclical and analytical
process between the parts and the whole – the hermeneutic circle – eventually
reaching an “inner unity of the text free of logical contradictions” (Kvale, 1996:48;
Gadamer, 1975). In relation to this research study, the hermeneutic (and
ethnographic) approach has allowed the collection of data with only an overriding
question/topic rather than imposing an hypothesis on the subject for study. Throughout
the data collection process, I have described, analysed and interpreted the data,
cyclically reflecting on the “parts and the whole” of this topic. The “parts” have involved
the observation and noting of daily activities and behaviours of company members,
31
both creatively and personally, their language as used in activities and in interviews
and their backgrounds and Christian worldview as revealed through interviews and
relevant documents. The “whole”, then, is the way in which the company reflects their
Christian worldview through their creative process. By involvement in this cyclical
process, themes have thus emerged and my understanding of the topic has developed
gradually.
From this, it can be seen that hermeneutics is well suited for new dance forms and
related phenomena which certainly pertains to ask dance theatre. This is also due to
the fact that hermeneutics is able to accommodate the aesthetic, sociocultural and
historical contexts of the text as well as personal viewpoints and biases (Fraleigh and
Hanstein, 1999:171). Certainly, it is vital that the creative process and Christian
worldview of ask dance theatre be studied within its contexts in order for an accurate
understanding of its meaning to be developed and my own pre-understandings,
experiences and viewpoints have also been incorporated in this interpretation through
the reflexive process and revealed using first person perspective.
3.2 RESEARCH STRATEGY
The processes employed when using hermeneutics as the interpretative paradigm are
closely related to those used in ethnography which is the research strategy used in this
study. As mentioned previously, hermeneutics is the process of examining "the
meaning of a text and how its meaning is constructed" (Fraleigh and Hanstein,
1999:163) with the term ’text’ embracing all symbolic constructs of meaning as text,
which includes human cultural activity (Radnitzky, 1970:22). Similarly, ethnography
involves the study of “the behavior of a culture-sharing group (or individual)”, providing
“description and analysis regarding human social behavior” through the examination of
“the group’s observable and learned patterns of behavior, customs, and ways of life”
(Creswell, 1998:40; Wolcott, 1973:xi; Creswell, 1998:58). Spradley (in Creswell,
1998:59) elaborates on this in defining the ethnographic process: It consists of looking for what people do (behaviors), what they say (language), and some tension between what they really do and what they ought to do as well as what they make and use (artifacts).
Further, this is linked with “dance ethnography”, as two of its objectives are “to examine
the relationship of dance to ways of organizing life experience”, as well as “to explore
the creative process of…dance-making” (Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999:250). Both of
32
these objectives relate clearly to the research question and thus cause ethnography to
be the preferred research strategy. Ethnography also requires that the researcher
participate in people’s daily lives for a period of time, “watching what happens, listening
to what is said, asking questions – in fact, collecting whatever data is available to throw
light on the issues that are the focus of the research” (Hammersley and Atkinson,
1995:1) and these are the activities that have been completed in the research process.
A major reason for pursuing an ethnographic approach was that it allows the
researcher to “make explicit the assumptions they take for granted as members of that
culture” as well as attempting to “make the unknown known” (Maso in Atkinson et al,
2001:137). Little attention has been given in the literature as to what dance companies
actually do in creating danceworks, especially within the Christian community. This
approach allows this process to be reported and reflected upon. Many texts discuss
the choreographic process in an abstract manner, rather than focusing on illustrations
of how this occurs in practice. Through the ethnographic activities of participant
observation, interviews and document collection, the experiences of the members of
ask dance theatre have been described, analysed and interpreted. Data collected is
both qualitative and experiential. With hermeneutics, the focus is on a social action or
text and, as the text for this study is a dance company (its worldview and creative
process), it has been necessary to go into the natural environment of the company
(and to gather data regarding their context) and therefore the use of ethnography as
the research strategy is highly appropriate. The researcher “attempt(s) to make clear,
to make sense of, an object of study”, and the resulting interpretation “aims to bring to
light an underlying coherence or sense” and such information can be obtained through
the researcher's own lived experiences and the experiences of others (Taylor,
1985:15).
Both hermeneutics and ethnography see language as central and meaningful in this
process of interpretation by the researcher. This is due to the fact that language is “so
fundamentally part of our humanness”. As Gadamer (1998:389) explains: All understanding is interpretation, and all interpretation takes place in the medium of a language that allows the object to come into words and yet is at the same time the interpreter’s own language.
Writing also externalizes what is internal, ensuring that acts of interpretation move
beyond the internal world of the researcher "to become a complex social act in the
33
outer world; one which is deeply enmeshed in and perpetuated by the traditions of the
culture in which one resides" (Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999:180).
3.2.1 Process for locating participants When initially looking for Australian dance companies that have a Christian focus, I
began by conducting an Internet search. I located a number of companies who met
this criterion but realized that such companies were either amateur groups or were
project-based and thus only operated for certain periods of the year. ask dance theatre was the only company that had been in operation consistently for the two years
prior to my period of fieldwork and while they only functioned in a part-time capacity the
company was their main form of employment (i.e. any other work they did was to
enable their continued involvement in the foundation and development of the
company). Because of this, I knew I would be able to observe their process over a
longer period of time. I also hoped that a company functioning on a permanent basis
would provide an opportunity for developing a greater depth in my understanding as to
how a company of Christians works to create in a manner which reflects their
worldview. The research project thus began in first semester 2000, during which time I
was involved in the process of reading and note taking from relevant literature,
developing a literature survey by the conclusion of 2000. At this time, preliminary
contact was also made with ask dance theatre’s Artistic Director and founding
member Phillippa Oakden-Patch. At the beginning of second semester 2000, the
research project was discussed with the other founding company members at the
International Christian Dance Fellowship’s conference in Mittagong, New South Wales,
and ‘entry’ was gained to focus on the company from February to June in 2001 for this
ethnographic study.
As the company was creating a new work during these five months, it was hoped that
this would provide a typical view of what is involved in the company’s choreographic
processes to create the final product. Consent was gained from the participants,
initially through verbal consent and informally via emails and then more formally
through a written research agreement (see Appendix A); from this point, ethical
clearance (no.2339H) was attained. The research agreement provided the company
members with the opportunity to give their consent regarding the conducting of
participant observation, interviews and document analysis, the use of video and audio
34
recordings to document such observations and the opportunity to view and give
feedback regarding interview transcripts and observation (field) notes of rehearsals,
meetings, discussions and document analyses.
3.2.2 Field methods Fieldwork began in February 2001 from the 8th until the 16th and occurred at two more
intervals, March 29th and 30th and May 24th and 25th. It also included observation of the
final stages of the rehearsal process (June 23rd) and the first four performances on
June 25th and 26th. These were all agreed to by company members and the researcher
alike. [According to Phillippa’s (2002:9) exegesis regarding this process and product, I
attended all four phases, observing rehearsals from Sections One to Four in the
rehearsal process.] As the research was conducted in a social situation which was
relatively well known to me, the process of participant observation involved assuming
both “insider” roles (being involved in the choreographic process of the early stages of
the dancework, participating in rehearsals and interviewing) and “outsider” roles
(observing, reading, reviewing and making field notes) (Fraleigh and Hanstein,
1999:258). Observation initially involved attendance at workshops and lectures/group
discussions conducted by company members at the International Christian Dance
Fellowship conference in Mittagong in 2000. But, more importantly, observation
included rehearsals, meetings, church visits and performances between February and
June 2001 which meant that the settings were those in which the participants normally
conducted these activities and it is hoped that this ensured that participants were more
realistic in response to the research being conducted. Fieldnotes (see Appendix B)
were maintained “to provide descriptive accounts of people, scenes and dialogue, as
well as personal experiences and reactions, that is, accounts that minimize explicit
theorizing and interpretation” (Emerson, Fretz and Shaw in Atkinson et al, 2001:353).
In this way, data regarding the company’s worldview and its creative process could be
collected for analysis.
Mostly the participant observation which occurred during the research process was
“participant-as-observer” which, in reference to Gold’s (in Dane, 1990:159) term, is
described clearly by Wolcott (1973:8) as: a role in which the observer is known to all and is present in the system as a scientific observer, participating by his presence but at the same time usually allowed to do what observers do rather than expected to perform as others perform.
35
For me, this involved such activities as observing rehearsals and recording
observations in my journal. This note-taking occurred directly in all rehearsals and
official meetings but tended to be delayed during informal discussions with company
members especially in times of conflict as I wanted the company members to feel
relaxed in my presence.
There were some instances, though, where I was involved in “observer-as-participant”
activities such as participating in warm-up/improvisational activities and praying with
the company members (Gold in Dane, 1990:159). As discussed by Wolcott (1973:7), it
is impossible to do both (observe and participate) equally well. So, as much as I was
honoured that the company members felt comfortable enough with me to include me in
their “safe, nurturing environment” in an active manner, I found that it was extremely
difficult during these times to be able to focus on the responses and behaviours of the
members of ask.
Hence, the primary data collection method was through participant observation
although other methods for gathering data were also designed to augment my direct
observations:
Interviews. Four formal interviews were conducted and documented through audio
recordings and I then transcribed these personally (see Appendix C). The
interviews included one at the beginning of the rehearsal process with all company
members present (approximately 1½ hours in duration) and the remaining three
interviews (approximately 30 to 40 minutes each in duration) were conducted
individually approximately three-quarters of the way through the rehearsal process.
During each of these interviews, information was exchanged between the
interviewer and participants and the format was relatively unstructured with “the
emphasis of the interviewer…on listening to whatever the informant says as
opposed to guiding and controlling the conversation” (Cohen, Kahn and Steeves,
2000:61). Prior to each interview, I had developed a series of open-ended guiding
questions but “capitaliz(ed) on the interview session itself for probing, rearranging
the questions, or pushing some unanticipated topic of possible relevance to the
study” (Wolcott, 1973:10). My focus for the initial interview with all company
members was to develop an understanding of the background, history and
36
philosophies of the company. With the individual interviews, I wanted to gain an
understanding of their individual backgrounds, particularly in relation to
Christianity, and ask questions which related more closely to their creative process
and worldviews. These interviews were also designed to provide another source
of information, in order for triangulation to occur in the analytical process.
Recording with a camcorder. Video documentation was made of most of the
rehearsals, allowing for the provision of more thorough detail in observations as
well as providing the opportunity for triangulation of observation notes with the
recorded material. Fortunately, as Phillippa was filming most of the rehearsals for
her own learning [in her studies for a Master of Arts (Performance) at the
University of Western Sydney], the company members seemed unperturbed by the
presence of another camcorder.
Collecting of documents relating to the company. These included copies of their
mission statement, newsletters, performance notes, schedules, company emails,
newsclippings, photographs and, most significantly, their personal journals which
were maintained during the creative process of In Your Light. Phillippa directed
me to their files which were kept in a cabinet in office of the Dance Department at
the Wesley Institute of Ministry and the Arts (WIMA) and gave me permission to
take any extra copies of documents that I thought were relevant and allowed me to
photocopy original documents as well. I collected these documents to develop
further understanding of the company’s experiences particularly in identifying their
context as a company as well as highlighting elements of their Christian worldview.
The journals, however, allowed me to see the perspectives of each of the
company members throughout the process, again to provide another source of
information with which to compare my observations.
While the final product, the dancework In Your Light, will not be described nor analysed
in this dissertation, I did observe the first four performances of it on June 25th and 26th
as mentioned previously. I chose not to collect data relating to this aspect as it is
beyond the scope of this study and significant enough to be considered as a separate
study. However, to provide a setting for the study of ask’s creative process, a general
description of the final dance product will be included here. In Your Light revolved
37
around the metaphor of light from a Christian perspective, involving three characters
who are each at different places in their relationships towards God. The dancework
required the audience to travel from room to room in the stately manor of Wynola, in
order to follow the series of interactions between the characters and their responses to
the varying degrees and forms of light in each of the rooms. The music involved
original compositions by Steve Cooper, combining lyrics from three poems by Christian
poet Ulrich Schaeffer; each character reflected the attitudes of one of the three poems.
Performances occurred for five nights, June 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th and 30th. With the
dancework being approximately one hour in duration, the company performed the
dancework twice each night, at 6.30pm and again at 8.30pm. Following each
“showing”, a feedback session was held in the hall adjacent to Wynola for the audience
members to ask questions and to discuss their interpretations and evaluations of the
work. It seemed that these sessions were of benefit to performers and audience
members alike.
3.2.3 Issues for researcher’s role As I am already heavily involved in working with dance within the Christian community
in particular, it is of great importance that I have applied the reflexive process
thoroughly to ensure that prejudices are identified and thus ‘engaged’ in the
development of understanding of the text. Subjectivity has always been an argument
against ethnography being an accurate study of a people group. However, in recent
years, the striving after value neutrality and objectivity in research has been questioned
and the application of reflexivity is seen as being essential in recognizing the
researcher’s place within the social world which they are investigating (Hammersley
and Atkinson, 1995:14,16). This issue is summarized appropriately by van Manen
(1990:47) who states: It is better to make explicit our understandings, beliefs, biases, assumptions, presuppositions,
and theories. We try to come to terms with our assumptions, not in order to forget them again,
but rather to hold them deliberately at bay and even to turn this knowledge against itself, as it
were, thereby exposing its shallow or concealing character.
Another issue has involved deciding how much self-disclosure is appropriate as the
ethnographer within the research process. It is necessary for an ethnographer to be
honest and frank as he/she requires this of the participants. Nevertheless, the dangers
38
of over-rapport are possible although these have been minimized by maintaining a
relatively marginal position that has still provided access to the participants'
perspectives. Such a position was often difficult to maintain, though, as “it engenders a
continual sense of insecurity...involv(ing) living simultaneously in two worlds, that of
participation and that of research” (Hammersley and Atkinson, 1995:113).
Time has been the main constraint in this study as the company only worked in a part-
time capacity (that is, rehearsing on Thursday and Friday of each week) during the
participant observation stage, due to other commitments. Also, they were only working
on this new dancework during the first six months of 2001, which limited the time
available for study of their creative processes, in particular. As the company is based
in Sydney and I am based in Brisbane, this compacted the duration of time I could
spend with them within their context which meant that some further interviews with
company members were conducted via telephone or email and documents had to be
copied and analysed post-fieldwork. However, Fetterman (1989:19) cites this
application of ethnographic techniques in a “contract deadline time” as being typical
due to such limited resources of time and finances.
3.2.4 The “observer-observed” relationship This is a concept discussed by Wolcott (1973:11-15) in his ethnographic study of
elementary school principals in a district in the United States and seems relevant to
this study as well, as he focuses on the themes of “assimilation”, “impact” and “motives
of the observed”. My “assimilation” into the social setting of ask was quite smooth,
which could be attributed to a number of factors. First and foremost, Phillippa, Hannah
and Steve were very warm and welcoming of me from the first time we met and
discussed the possibilities of my researching their company. They had also had a few
other “outsiders” involved in their work prior to my involvement so they were
accustomed to the presence of one or two other people as they worked. As well, they
believed that this was a “good time” for them as a company in feeling as though they
had developed their “safe, nurturing environment”. It probably helped, too, that I am a
Christian with tertiary training in the arts and some choreographic experience as this
provided common ground for acceptance by the company members and for my
understanding and use of their “language”. They even invited me to observe their
personal life, through daily activities such as preparing and eating meals with them,
39
staying at the house which they were sharing at the time, and running errands for and
with them.
As for the “impact” I had upon them during the research period, I am certain that, in the
words of Wolcott (1973:13), “my presence did…produce some changes in (their)
behavior, although I am at a loss to give specific evidence of such change”. I don’t
believe that Hannah and Steve felt the need to perform for me in their improvisations,
nor Phillippa, for that matter, in her guidance of them. They all seemed to be
completely focused on the tasks given during the rehearsal process and seemed
unfazed by my presence. Even during their most critical moments of conflict, they
seemed to accept me as one of them, expressing their emotions without restraint, it
appeared. Nevertheless, I would imagine that my presence had some impact upon
them even if only to a minor extent.
In relation to the “motives of the observed” to be involved in this research project, there
seemed to be a willingness on the part of all members of the company to do so.
Through informal discussions with them, I understood that they hoped that the
recording of their work as a company might be helpful to other Christian artists
(particularly those in Australia). They commented that they didn’t have the luxury of an
example to follow in establishing their company, so perhaps others would be able to
learn from their experiences. Further, such a document would be useful for the
students at WIMA (where Phillippa is a lecturer) as there is little literature of an
analytical nature on dance by Christians especially those who are Australians.
Phillippa was possibly also willing to participate in this project due to her own
involvement in postgraduate study at the time which may have caused her to be
empathetic to my work.
3.2.5 Transformation of data Data from the conducted observations, interviews and document analyses have been
transformed through a cyclical process throughout the ethnographic study of ask dance theatre. This is to ensure that the reflexive process has constantly occurred in
order to discover questions, hypotheses and points to look for during each consecutive
period of study as well as to track the changing nature of the research. Fetterman
(1989:88-95, 101-103) suggests that there are a number of strategies for transforming
40
ethnographic data but the most relevant for this research project include triangulation
and identifying patterns within the data as well as key events.
Triangulation has been used in the transformation of qualitative data, so that one
source of information can be tested against another to “strip away alternative
explanations and prove a hypothesis” (Fetterman, 1989:89). This has occurred when
comparing statements made by company members during their group and individual
interviews regarding a specific topic as well as identifying the data relating to such a
topic as located in company documents. This process has been particularly useful in
developing the description of the company’s background. Another form of data
transformation has involved looking for patterns of thought and behaviour, by beginning
with a mass of uncategorised ideas and actions by the members of ask, then collecting
pieces of information and, finally, comparing, contrasting and sorting ideas and actions
“until discernible thought or behaviour becomes identifiable” (Fetterman, 1989:92). On
locating such a pattern, I have then listened and observed further to compare my
observations with this identified model, looking for exceptions to the original
observation and variations on a theme. This has involved further sifting and sorting to
locate matches between categories to finally see a theme or pattern emerging which is
“a collection of such matches between model and the ongoing observed reality”
(Fetterman, 1989:92). I have particularly employed this form of data transformation
when analysing their Christian worldview in their rhetoric as well as in interpreting how
ask’s Christian worldview is reflected in their creative process. The transformation of
data is often cyclical in the ethnographic process and both of these forms have been
used at any stage and revisited as required.
In the organization of data gathered, I have stored all data in computer files for greater
ease when including details and direct quotes within my final report. Such files were
stored in the computer program, NUD*IST, where initial categories were found from
searches conducted in this program. I also found it of benefit to have ‘hard copies’ of
these documents in order to gain a sense of the ‘whole’. In the analysis and
transformation of data, I followed Wolcott’s (1994) concept of qualitative data
transformation which involves the stages of description, analysis and interpretation.
41
Description focuses on the question, “What is going on here?” (Wolcott, 1994:12).
Such data consists of “observations made by the researcher and/or reported to the
researcher by others” (Wolcott, 1994:12) and may be transformed using a “Plot and
Characters” approach (Wolcott, 1994:20). In this approach, Wolcott (1994:20)
explains, “the main characters are introduced” and then “the story is put into motion”
where: the researcher may either fade into the wings or assume the role of narrator, taking responsibility to ensure that the audience understands what is happening by guiding or “talking over” as the plot develops.
My descriptive phase has occurred using this approach, as I have introduced the “main
characters” and begun to tell their “story” by describing ask dance theatre’s foundation
from interviews conducted and documents collected relating to the company’s history
and philosophies. I have also progressively described the “story” of the company’s
creative process when making In Your Light based on the rehearsals I observed. In so
doing, I chose to use a model regarding creative process to give the “story” some form.
While there are a number of models presented by various writers (as discussed in the
literature review of the previous chapter), I ultimately chose to use Schrader’s (1996)
model as it was the most thorough and explicit in its outlining of the stages involved in
creative process. This allowed me to identify these stages within the creative process
used by ask for In Your Light. The purpose of this thick description was not only to
provide a foundation for the ensuing analytical and interpretative stages but also to
document the company’s context and creative process in detail for the benefit of dance
practitioners and educators.
In the analysis stage, I searched for “patterned regularities in the data” (Wolcott,
1994:33), in conjunction with “drawing connections between the culture-sharing group
and larger theoretical frameworks” (Creswell, 1998:152-153). This has involved two
different aspects within this study. Firstly, I have contextualized the data regarding
company’s history and development within the broader analytical framework as
provided by Tuckman (in Vecchio et al, 1992:382) in relation to group development.
Secondly, and more importantly, analysis occurred regarding ask dance theatre’s
worldviews as Christians as evidenced in their rhetoric. In this vein, the identification of
“patterned regularities in the data” occurred firstly by my ‘immersing’ myself in the data,
noting any “regularities” in fieldnotes, interview transcripts and collected documents
which related to Christianity in any way (Wolcott, 1994:33). Initial categories from this
42
process emerged relating to creative process and the concept of Christian worldview,
and these were found through the use of the computer program, NUD*IST. However,
following this process, I searched for frameworks which would allow me to more clearly
find “connections” between “external authority” and ask’s Christian worldview as
evidenced in their rhetoric (Wolcott, 1994:34). Regarding worldview, I located James
Sire’s text The universe next door (1997), which espouses seven basic questions to
which the answers reveal one’s own worldview. These seven questions provide an
enquiry-based theoretical framework for identifying worldviews as well as explicating
the Christian worldview as deduced using this same framework. Thus, I applied this
framework in analysing ask’s Christian worldview within their rhetoric (interviews,
discussions, documents and references to biblical passages).
From this point, I proceeded to the final stage of data transformation as presented by
Wolcott (1994) - interpretation. This stage of data transformation occurred using the
approach of “connect(ing) with personal experience” (i.e. “This is what I make of it all.”)
(Wolcott, 1994:44). This also aligns with hermeneutics which is not concerned with
arriving at a true, correct, objective explanation/interpretation, as Schwantdt (2001:195)
explains, endorsing “the conclusion that there is never a finally correct interpretation”.
Instead, hermeneutics aims for enhanced understanding, the value of understanding
the very essence of the subject itself (Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999:181). So, in order
to understand the manner in which ask’s worldview as Christians is reflected in their
creative process, I sought to find “connections” between the fundamentals of the
Christian worldview (as proposed by Sire) and their language and behaviours during
the creative process, and so propose interpretations in answer to the principal research
question. The “connections” were exposed through my observations of the rehearsal
process and other discussions and meetings, video recordings of rehearsals, interview
transcripts and documents collected. While some data from the initial analysis as
stored in NUD*IST was used in the latter process, the interpretations occurred through
further “immersal” in the data and manually locating data which related to each
fundamental element. Through this process, themes emerged. Within these themes,
there were instances where “tension”, as referred to by Spradley (in Creswell,
1998:59), was evident between what the company members said, in relation to their
Christian worldview, and what occurred in practice during the creative process.
43
Through data interpretation, these instances of “tension” within the text are considered
alongside the “connections”. As well, the interpretations that I made from what was
revealed in the data were taken a step further through the use of another of Wolcott’s
(1994:44) options for “connect(ing) with personal experience”, that of interpreting “how
the research experience affected me.” Applying this interpretive option, I identified
what I have learnt from the research experience, how this relates to my own artistic
practice and the ways in which I hope to apply the understanding I have developed to
my future endeavours.
3.2.6 Techniques for providing reliability of data and data collection The researcher must remember that behaviour and attitudes of participants and the
researcher are not stable across contexts and that the research may, in fact, influence
the context (Hammersley and Atkinson, 1995:19). It is important that the researcher
does not take data as truth, but treats it as “a field of inferences in which hypothetical
patterns can be identified and their validity tested” (Hammersley and Atkinson,
1995:19). Clifford (in Marcus and Clifford, 1986:6, 7) supports this view of
ethnographic study by identifying the “partiality of cultural and historical truths”,
referring to ethnographies as fictions in the original meaning of the term, as “something
made or fashioned”.
Two techniques as proposed by Hammersley and Atkinson (1995) have been found to
be particularly relevant in testing the validity of data in this study. These include the
processes of respondent validation and triangulation. The first of these is helpful as
“participants involved in the events documented in the data may have access to
additional knowledge of the context – of other relevant events, of temporal framework,
of others ulterior motives, for example – that is not available to the ethnographer”
(Hammersley and Atkinson, 1995:228). For this reason, my observation notes, the
interview transcripts and drafts of chapters of this paper were given to the participants
for their rechecking and to provide the opportunity for their feedback regarding any
perceived anomalies (see Appendix D). As stated by Hammersley and Atkinson
(1995:21), “the success or failure of either report or full-blown ethnography depends on
the degree to which it rings true to natives…in the field.”
44
Respondent validation is seen as one form of triangulation, but this has also been
applied in other ways in order to further test the validity of the data collected and
analysed. One of these other forms of triangulation proposed by Hammersley and
Atkinson (1995:230) is “data-source triangulation” which: involves the comparison of data relating to the same phenomenon but deriving from different phases of the fieldwork…or…the accounts of different participants (including the ethnographer) differentially located in the setting.
As I developed my analysis of the company’s worldview as Christians, I compared data
collected from different members of the company through their comments in the group
and individual interviews. When developing my analysis and interpretation of their
creative process in relation to the fundamentals of the Christian worldview as espoused
by Sire (1997), I compared data collected in “different phases of the fieldwork” to check
for regular patterns. This occurred particularly in identifying the themes which provide
answers to the principal research question, how does ask dance theatre reflect their
Christian worldview through their creative process?
Another form, “technique triangulation”, involves the comparison of “data produced by
different data collection techniques” (Hammersley and Atkinson, 1995:231). I have
collected data from participant observation, interviews and documents which provided
the opportunity for cross-checking of my interpretations. I applied this process
particularly in developing an understanding of the company’s history and development,
by comparing data collected from interviews and documents. This also occurred in the
description of the creative process of In Your Light, by cross-checking observation
notes, video recordings of rehearsals and the company members’ personal journals.
3.3 SUMMARY Hermeneutics and ethnography are highly relevant to the study of ask dance theatre.
The application of hermeneutics as the interpretative paradigm ensures that both the
text (the dance company itself) as well as its historical and sociocultural contexts are
studied. This means that the researcher, too, participates in the reflexive process in
order to clarify his/her own presence to examine this as an integral part of his/her
interpretation. As an interpretative paradigm, hermeneutics is relevant to this study in
two ways: it builds understanding through logical argumentation (rather than objectively
representing reality) and it is well suited to new dance forms and related phenomena.
45
The processes employed when using hermeneutics are closely related to ethnography
which is the research strategy applied in this project. In this research, the application
of both ethnography and hermeneutics have enhanced understanding of the creative
process and Christian worldview of ask dance theatre.
46
CHAPTER 4: ask’S CONTEXT As mentioned in the opening chapter, ask dance theatre is a professional dance
company located in Sydney and comprised of three members, Phillippa-Oakden Patch
(artistic director/choreographer/dancer), and, husband and wife, Steve Cooper
(composer/musician/performer) and Hannah Horsley Cooper (choreographer/dancer) .
This chapter will provide details regarding the context of the company, particularly
focusing on its foundations and its dynamics as a group, as discovered through
interviews with the company members and also through the analysis of documents
relevant to this study. It also provides opportunity for the ’voices’ of the company
members themselves to be heard via quotes throughout the text. Without an
understanding of the company’s background, the description and analysis of their
creative process and Christian worldview, which follow this chapter, would have little
grounding.
4.1 FOUNDATIONS 4.1.1 Reasons behind company’s establishment The company was founded mainly through the instigation of Phillippa who in 1998 was
interested in establishing a dance theatre company which particularly allowed for the
collaboration of Christian artists. Through her work as lecturer in Dance at Sydney’s
Wesley Institute for Ministry and the Arts (WIMA), Phillippa had the opportunity to meet
and work with Hannah (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 45-53): P: Hannah and I can understand each other very well, obviously, because we’ve
had a year of my teaching her and then two years of working together. Plus, Hannah choreographed on me...
H: Yeah, that was a big part in language development... P: Yes...and understanding...’Cause Hannah had heard a lot of where I was
coming from through teaching and I got to hear a lot of what she was interested in...
Hannah shared a similar vision to Phillippa regarding the establishment of a
professional Christian dance company and she further articulated her ideas on the
relationship between Christianity and the arts through an essay entitled “Exercising the
Lordship of Christ in the Arts” which she wrote during her tertiary studies. Both
dancers also shared a desire to collaborate with artists of fields other than dance and,
as both of them had worked with Steve on separate occasions, they sought him out to
be involved in the company. Hence, ask dance theatre was established. Phillippa,
Hannah and Steve were involved in establishing the company as they shared the
47
common goal of aspiring to “support each other to grow artistically and spiritually, to
become part of the dance theatre community (in Sydney initially) and to share our lives,
our faith and our art (founded in Jesus) with that community” (2000,
http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html). They had all been involved in similar
Christian arts networks in the Sydney area, such as Black Stump and WIMA and as a
company rather than as individuals, they believed that they could impact the
professional arts and Christian communities more successfully.
4.1.2 Genre and movement style Their choice to use “dance theatre” as their genre was influenced by their commitment
to Christianity. Such commitment had an impact which was two-fold. Firstly, they
wanted a genre which non-dance audience members could understand and thus their
Christian worldview could be communicated (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines
119-120, 125, 129-133, 135): P: the reason why we chose “dance theatre” - ‘cause everyone has different ideas
as to what “dance theatre” is…Yes, I think it was because, mainly, (it was) a term we use to try and help...non-dancers see that we weren’t just dance; we weren’t going to do a pretty picture for them and make them feel good and give them entertainment. The theatre part was really... Most people understand theatre as being like a play which generally says something and explores something, so that’s why, really, we use the term, “theatre”...
H: It meant that we could incorporate other forms...
Secondly, they wanted to utilize a dance form which was also accessible for Christian
audiences: And that is one of the reasons why I wanted to start working collaboratively in the beginning…I felt that dance on its own is so inaccessible for the average Christian, that if I incorporate other things…that…are hooks for them to hold on to and to have in relationship to the dance, it brings more understanding.
(interview with Phillippa, 23 May 2001, lines 346-350) I want to make works that we can take to our church, for example, and show and they can get something out of it, and then with explanation can get more out of it. I want them to have some keys in…I don’t want to only cater to simple things but I also don’t want to be alienating in what I do.
(interview with Hannah, 24 May 2001, lines 245-247, 251-252)
They believed that by including the term ’theatre’ within their company title, people
would expect that an idea, theme or message would be communicated. They felt it
would also allow them to incorporate artforms other than dance which would cause
their work to be more accessible to a wider audience.
48
Within this genre, their movement style has been heavily influenced by ’release
technique’ and they developed a greater awareness of this style in their second year
together as company members through Isabelle Achard, a dancer/choreographer and
lecturer from the University of Western Sydney who choreographed a work on Phillippa
and Hannah in the first part of 2000. Both Hannah and Phillippa discussed this mode
of moving as being less restrictive and more aware of the body’s ’natural’ ways of
moving, capitalizing on the use of gravity. Phillippa (group interview, 14 February
2001, lines 967-968, 972, 977) mentioned how the technique was not as muscularly
taxing as many other techniques can be and this was beneficial initially as Hannah was
struggling with her health: Hannah was going through…blood pressure. But, this work, she could deal with because it was all…very much, body awareness and nurturing – very nurturing of the body.
She (interview with Phillippa, 23 May 2001, lines 142-146) later explained other
benefits of ‘release technique’ as discovered in their work with Isabelle: Obviously, she (Isabelle) was very interested in a movement that is totally released. If I stood on my leg and it was slightly pulled up, I had to let it go, things like that – really finding gravity and the weight of the body and enjoying the body being very natural and released and that was just beautiful. And breath – the breath just initiated everything.
Hannah (interview with Hannah, 24 May 2001, lines 335-340) further reinforced these
concepts in her discussion of the ’laws’ of ‘release technique’: if you decide a set movement is honestly going to be instigated by a particular part of the body, you let that happen; you don’t cheat another part to actually do what you are wanting to do. So that’s one sort of thing. Using things like “creasing”, “dropping”, “folding”…to do what you can do. So you use gravity and allowing your body to do those things, to do things you would otherwise do with effort and muscular work.
Phillippa (interview with Pip, 23 May 2001, lines 422-430) also proposed the view that
the technique allowed for their movements to communicate their thoughts or emotions
more clearly: it’s much more intuitive movement; it allows us to say a lot more. ‘Cause I actually don’t think steps can say much; it says, “Here is a step.” Whereas with this type of movement…(w)e feel it allows us to express a whole range of things and relate to people because they’re seeing natural movement. And it’s not about steps that they can’t do – I mean, certainly it’s still athletic and dynamic and they probably couldn’t do it - but because it’s naturalistic, I feel like people can relate to it more in a kinaesthetic way. So we prefer to use that and we find it interesting and the timing nuances are much more interesting than the beautiful steps.
49
Hannah (interview with Hannah, 24 May 2001, lines 306-313, 315-317) even discussed
her belief that it has some “affinity” with Christianity in providing an opportunity to be
’released’ of previous and harmful habits and to move in a manner which is new and
more free. I personally have an interest in ’release technique’ from the perspective that, although it’s bizarre…I feel like in some ways it has an affinity with Christian things, in the sense that I’ve had injuries and difficulties, and I’ve seen so many difficulties in other people, in techniques that force people to do things. And I think of it more as an allowing technique…Yeah, it’s more letting the body do what it can do and I feel like that’s what God’s like with us, rather than forcing us into unnatural sort of positions, or whatever…It’s almost going back to the way things should be in a lot of ways. Like, you’re sort of trying to undo unhealthy tension-holding patterns and all that sort of stuff…
From their work with Isabelle, they acquired an understanding of the application of
‘release technique’ in creating and performing movement. However, they transferred
this understanding to the development of their own unique movement style in the works
that followed. Hannah (interview with Hannah, 24 May 2001, lines 318-321, 323-331)
articulated this process as it initially occurred during the choreography of her
dancework, Smell the Train (2000): We worked with Isabelle deliberately because she’s a lot further down the path and she’s more extreme and…it was really, really good for us. We went miles just from doing that one work with her. So that’s been a big influence… So I guess it’s getting better at doing that stuff on our own bodies. But then, when I started working in the middle of last year on Train, I started thinking- ‘Cause the work before that – Isabelle’s work – had been really quite gentle and quite low key, and I started thinking, Yeah, that’s okay but can you keep this style and keep these laws and rules, and yet still be athletic in what you’re doing? And so that’s when I started to try to create Train with Pip, and I think we got another step along with that. So, gentle and yet still want to be able to do things that are…expanding the boundaries but keeping the laws.
Phillippa (interview with Pip, 23 May 2001, lines 400-410, 418-421) also identified the
development of the fundamentals of ‘release technique’ in their evolving movement
style: it’s come through a greater awareness of ‘release technique’ - which increased with working with Isabelle – a greater body awareness and a greater confidence to be ourselves and to have our own movement vocabulary. And, because Hannah and I have been working together for three years, and working beside each other, we had developed our own ways of enjoying moving, which is very much about release and breathing and natural movement. But…Hannah then explored in Train, how can we still be dynamic, as well as maintain those things…It’s also a case of “I’m getting older” and…both of us aren’t doing as many classes… Whenever we do classes, it’s not ballet or Graham and muscle-based ways of moving; we are focused on the ‘release technique’… It does enable us to move in quite a dynamic way, without having to have the power that, say, I used to have.
50
4.1.3 Company mission and goals Throughout both a group interview and individual interviews conducted with the
members of ask dance theatre, as well as through the collection and analysis of
documents relating to the company, their mission and goals emerged. From the very
beginning, the members of ask have wanted to use collaboration to allow everyone to
have input into the creative process and therefore the final product (Hannah Horsley
Cooper and Phillippa Oakden-Patch, group interview, 14 February 20001). Through
their artworks, ask has also sought “to challenge existing thoughts on art and promote
contemporary art as a valid method of communication within the Christian community”
(2000, http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html). ask dance theatre set their
goals clearly from the beginning, with their mission statement including three aspects:
growing, experimenting and collaborating. “Growing” refers to the fact that they wish to
be placed alongside other contemporary arts groups in order to receive feedback from
peers, and then to notate and evaluate their progress within the industry (2000,
http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html). “Experimenting” focuses on
“encouraging people to explore themselves and their beliefs in order to encounter truth”
through the production of new and original works (2000,
http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html). Finally, “collaborating” expresses the
company’s “mandate…to create a supportive atmosphere within which people can
grow artistically and spiritually” through a collaborative working process in which all
members can contribute and “cultivate their own practice” (2000,
http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html). By the end of 1999 alone, they had
incorporated 21 other artists in over 20 performances, including Bodies, Dance on the
Edge and their own season, play, as well as four original works. However, only three
people, Phillippa, Hannah and Steve, continued to be members of the company. As
well as working for ask on a part-time basis, meeting two to three days a week, each
member had to take up other positions of part-time employment in order to “pay the
bills” (Green Spice program, 2000:2). The company also ’survived’ over its 30-month
duration due to the contribution of individuals through the “Friends and Financial
Supporters of ask dance theatre” sponsorship program, as well as through major
sponsorship by WIMA (ask information pack, 1999).
With a philosophy based on a biblical worldview, one of the company’s aims has
always been to work collaboratively with other artists of different disciplines to create
51
dance theatre works (Green Spice program, 2000:2). While they originally intended to
include others in the company, they have found that they have been unable to do this
mainly due to the fact that others have not “grown” with them, as identified by Phillippa
(group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 43-45): If it’s just us working, well, we don’t have to incorporate others where sometimes the time is limited and they don’t have the same...they haven’t grown with us.
In an informal conversation, Hannah (8 February 2001) also mentioned that when
“searching for God’s guidance in the matter, especially through prayer”, each of the
company members felt that they were to remain the sole members of the company,
while continuing to work on individual projects with other artists, both Christian and
non-Christian. She (informal conversation, 8 February 2001) continued to explain that,
when collaborating, it is essential that there be a “safe, nurturing environment” and they
had developed this between the three of them; to include someone else, they felt,
could have been destructive. This “selective use of outsiders” is seen by Schrage
(1995:163) as one of the “ingredients for successful collaborations”. This attitude is
echoed further by Schrage’s (1995:36) statement that what matters most is that mutual
trust is developed between group members, that they are adding value and that they
are creating something new which is certainly the original aim set by the members of
ask dance theatre.
The company’s creation of danceworks culminated in annual performance seasons.
Danceworks were also produced for other events in both professional arts and
Christian communities, as well as for school tours where they were also able to explain
their artform, their works and their creative processes to secondary students.
Incorporated in these school tours were workshops which the company also used in
the Christian community to allow people to experience the artforms of dance, theatre
and music from professional artists. In order to explain their activities, products and
processes to their supporters, the company further produced newsletters which were
similarly available on their website. Financially, the company did benefit from their
performance seasons, workshops and school tours, which allowed them to continue
creating danceworks. Sponsorship and feedback was also received through those
people who became members of “Friends and Financial Supporters of ask dance theatre”, supporting the company both practically and affectively. In addition, feedback
52
from audience members and particularly from fellow professional artists often provided
the company with the necessary direction and motivation to continue in their work.
4.2 GROUP DYNAMICS Over the two and a half years during which ask functioned, all members had the
opportunity to direct works, although within the creative processes of each of these
works, each member participated actively (group interview, 14 February 2001). This
can be seen as “shared power and responsibility” which is suggested by Kraus
(1984:20) to be an essential element of collaborative organizations. It also relates to
the concept of collaborative leadership as a shared situational function, rather than
being hierarchical in nature (Marshall, 1995:8). Similarly, it reinforces Kraus’ (1984:20)
view that those involved in the process of collaboration are “individuals who are aware
of themselves: who they are, what they stand for, what their skills are, and what
‘pushes their buttons’”, as well as people who do not exploit others nor who require a
title or role. With the final work directed by Phillippa, she planned to break away from
the director/members approach, being intent on developing a more collaborative
approach by being less structured and by not beginning with a set idea of the creative
process nor its outcome (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 192-215, 266-277).
One aspect that has caused the company to work well together is their similar belief
systems. Each of the members identified in their personal interviews (23 and 24 May
2001) that they are committed Christians which has caused them to have a “common
value base” and this consequently influences their organizational and individual
behaviour (Kraus, 1984:21). Phillippa (personal interview, 23 May 2001, lines 62-63)
noted that they “believe in the same God and believe in God in the same way.” They
also reinforce the fact that they have always intended for the group to be a “safe,
nurturing place” for collaboration as is explicitly stated in numerous documents but also
reiterated by a statement made by Phillippa in the group interview (14 February 2001,
lines 307-310): I’m still trying to find a new way of working just to see what happens, which is fine. It’s
quite scary – it’s very scary – but the thing about our group is that I’m in a safe place to be able to do that.”
This type of environment means that the company fosters values such as trust,
openness, concern for others and honesty which has allowed them to openly discuss
any difficulties which arise through differences in opinion (Kraus, 1984:113). Steve
53
(personal interview, 24 May 2001) cited a situation which occurred early in their
development where, during prayer times at the beginning of rehearsals, he would
instinctively instigate holding hands as they prayed which he perceived to be a symbol
of unity. However, Phillippa broke away from this one day, stating that she preferred to
pray by moving about the room. Such openness allowed each of them to identify
differences in expectations and accept these. This process occurred further through
the involvement of Peter Hallett as spiritual advisor, according to both Hannah and
Steve (personal interview, 24 May 2001). Peter facilitated discussions on their ways of
working together, their differences in manner of communication, the ways in which they
related to each other within the group and as a group, and their preferences in relation
to worshipping together. This assisted them in identifying their individuality as well
exposing how this impacted their working relationships. By the beginning of 2001, their
third year as a company, they had begun to understand each other’s idiosyncrasies
and were learning how to accept these differences in their expectations and
understanding of ask’s purpose and in their preferred ways of working, as well as their
past experiences, their personalities and their temperaments (Hannah Horsley Cooper
and Phillippa Oakden-Patch, group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 358-375).
Characteristics of the individual members of the group obviously had an influence on
how they functioned as a team. While each of the members of ask are relatively
confident people, they all tend to have different strengths in their attitudes towards
work, as summarised by Phillippa (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 495-497): So we kind of worked out that I was primarily - this is a big generalisation - product - focused, Hannah was process-focused and Steve was relational-focused…
Phillippa (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 370-373), the eldest and most
experienced in the professional arts world, tended to be product-oriented more so than
the others: ‘Cause I’d come straight out of musical theatre, had a year teaching and started the company, and I’d done four years of musical theatre and prior to that been at QUT, where you’re just told what to do, you shut up and do it and you work hard and it’s just life!
As she had always perceived the company to be similar to the professional dance and
musical theatre companies that she had participated in previous to establishing ask,
Phillippa believed that it should produce numerous original works (which would occur
54
through a collaborative working process) and be promoted highly through the
professional arts and Christian communities (group interview, 14 February 2001).
Similar to Phillippa in that she is also quite extroverted, Hannah tends to be more
process-oriented when it comes to completing tasks. This obviously influenced her
perception of the company, as she joined it due to her interest in the collaborative
working process, rather than in it constantly producing many performances and
’polished’ new works (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 409-414): I came into the company just having been at Wesley for three years, I think really fascinated by certain elements of collaboration and stuff…and really, really keen to work with these two as well – but had been focusing really intently on…(a)nd being at uni, and having…that kind of luxury of time to work on things, when I was the choreographer.
On the other hand, Steve is more interested in the progress and well being of the
people involved in the tasks being completed than in the tasks themselves; he joined
the company because he wanted to work with both Phillippa and Hannah as people,
first and foremost, and then as fellow artists (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines
400-407): H: Steve was coming into the company because he just wanted to work with
Phillippa and Hannah and he was into collaboration and…it was the thing he was learning the most from at that period of his life... (to S) You’d learnt a lot through your life about relating to people well… So he wanted to work with us…
P: Us as people…
However, like Hannah, it was not important to Steve that the company was involved in
the production of numerous danceworks and performances (group interview, 14
February 2001, lines 1553-1556, 1560, 1645-1646): My point is that, I would have been quite happy to do the same as what we’ve been doing for the last two and a half years without the structure of the company. Just being a couple of people trying…stuff…I still just wanted it to be only a couple of people experimenting with stuff and spending time together doing things.
Thus, while it could be assumed that their various strengths (orientations to completing
tasks) would be a perfect balance for this group, the company members had not
developed such an awareness of their attitudes towards the completion of tasks
throughout their first year of functioning, which caused some misunderstandings and
breakdowns in communication. However, greater understanding of the integral roles
they played within the company was to develop more so in their second and third years
55
together, which was articulated by Phillippa in the group interview (14 February 2001,
lines 497-500): …and so in actual fact we had this fantastic, perfect trio… And so what we learnt to do is to go and listen to Steve when he was talking about relational stuff, and learn from Hannah about process stuff and I just made sure we actually got there. (laughs)
4.2.1 Group development throughout 1999: Stages 1 and 2 – “forming” and “storming”
It is particularly evident by the members’ responses during the group interview (14
February 2001), but also identifiable through their personal interviews (23 and 24 May
2001), that the company has proceeded through a number of the standard stages of
group development as expounded by Tuckman (in Vecchio et al, 1992:382). The first
stage, “forming”, involves the “testing of each other’s reactions” as to what is
acceptable behaviour and the dependency on each other for “cues about what is
expected in the way of contribution and personal conduct” (Vecchio et al, 1992:381).
Stage two, “storming”, involves “intra-group conflict” which leads to the “division of
power”, while stage three, “norming”, is a time of rule-making, causing greater
“cohesiveness” in the group as members develop a greater awareness of standards
and roles, and opinions are thus “freely voiced” (Vecchio et al, 1992:382).
“Performing”, the fourth stage, is as its title suggests the phase when goals are
accomplished due to the establishment of “a flexible network of relationships that aids
task accomplishment” (Vecchio et al, 1992:382). Finally, “adjourning” is a “termination
stage” where “the task is completed or the group is disbanded” (Vecchio et al,
1992:382). Of the five stages in Tuckman’s model, ask dance theatre had progressed
through the first three stages (forming, storming and norming) by the beginning of the
research period.
As discussed previously, each member joined the company in 1999 for different
reasons: Phillippa wanted to establish and direct a viable company which produced
danceworks, Hannah wanted to experiment with collaboration as a creative process
and Steve anticipated working with Hannah and Phillippa as people. However, during
the first half of their first year as a company, they were best of friends and hence
cooperated well as a group of artists to create their first work, Disa pear. Phillippa
(group interview, 14 February 2001, line 674) referred to this period as their
“honeymoon phase”, showing dependency on one another as is expected during this
initial stage of forming (Vecchio et al, 1992:381).
56
Their first work, Disa pear, involved all three performers in the choreographic process
although Phillippa was the director of the work (2000, http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-
july99.html). According to Phillippa and Hannah (observation notes, 9 February 2001),
the work had many “external agendas”, as they were focused on creating it for
performance in Bodies, a Sydney dance season which allows for lesser known and
emerging choreographers and performers to present their works to a wider audience.
Thus, it was primarily created for the “dance world” and, as the theatre director of
Bodies didn’t want danceworks where the movement used was within his own
capabilities, Disa pear was created using quite “technically demanding” and “virtuosic”
movement to “prove ourselves to the theatre director” (observation notes, 9 February
2001). They experimented with “all sorts of things”, as Phillippa wanted to have
“everything in it to show that I could do all these amazing things”, focusing on, “What
can we do? What can the three of us do? Let’s just try this, and let’s just try this, and
let’s just try this.” (Phillippa Oakden-Patch, personal interview, 23 May 2001, lines 355-
361) Also, in hindsight, Phillippa (personal interview, 23 May 2001, lines 366-370)
noted that in this first year of their work as a company, the focus was more on “artistic
endeavour”, as they “didn’t want to be really overt in (their) message”, desiring to have
a biblical worldview as Christians but without “preach(ing) the Gospel”. However, they
“didn’t really know how to be artistic and make the Word of God clear”, according to
Phillippa (personal interview, 23 May 2001, lines 369-370). Due to it being their first
work as a company, they were just beginning to learn how to work together and there
were also difficulties in organizing convenient times for rehearsals altogether with
Hannah and Phillippa meeting together for three rehearsals while Steve was only able
to initially be at rehearsals once a week which eventually increased to twice a week
(observation notes, 2001:6; Phillippa Oakden-Patch, group interview, 14 February
2001, lines 689-691). Phillippa (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 692-694)
admitted that while “the balance between the collaborators was never quite equal”,
more time was required to create the movement than was needed to collaborate on the
music to be incorporated in the piece.
Following the creation of Disa pear, they moved on to the creation of two more works,
If You are Willing directed by Steve and These Doors are for Walking Through by
Hannah. The feeling of a “honeymoon phase” began to change, however, as time
57
progressed and work pressures became heavier. Thus, by the end of 1999, the
company had moved into the second stage of development, that of storming, and
during this period, the company members’ unique personalities and differing
perspectives of members’ roles and expectations emerged, accompanied by the
resulting intra-group conflict that this stage encapsulates. In their group interview (14
February 2001, lines 436-438, 450-454, 458-476) they identified the reasons for these
difficulties, mainly highlighting the different manners in which they react to conflict: H: when we get tired, or when other things come up in our lives, or when things
don’t work in the collaborative process or… P: …(w)hen we’re under pressure… H: …we all deal with it totally differently. P: Yes!…I buckle down and just keep going! (laughs) S: I dig my feet in and say, “Hang on a sec, I’m not okay and I don’t think you guys
are,” and… H: …we’ve got to stop everything until we sort it out. S: …and that’s a priority. Yeah… H: Yeah, and…I’ll go on and on and on doing things but just get really silent and
won’t talk about it, so… P: And I’m not used to having to talk about it; you just shut up and got on with it. H: Yeah. P: And while we all treated each other well, those underlying things just… H: …started to get us down…
Steve would want to cease their activities immediately, attempting to influence the
others to identify the problem and discuss it. Hannah tended to continue working
through such situations but became silent about it. Finally, Phillippa would continue to
focus on the goal they had originally set, working on to ensure they accomplished the
task almost oblivious to the conflict. Such reactions to conflict highlight the general
focus for each of them as discussed previously: Steve tends to be relationally-oriented
and Hannah is process-oriented, while Phillippa is product- or task-oriented (Phillippa
Oakden-Patch, group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 495-498). While these could
be seen as strengths and complementary of each other for working together as a
group, they had not identified them as such at this “storming” stage and so they tended
to be sources of conflict.
4.2.2 Group development throughout 2000: Stage 3 – “norming” From the outset of 2000, their second year as a company, the members of ask dance theatre began to move into the “norming” stage, where “standards and roles are
58
adopted and opinions about task accomplishment are freely voiced” (Vecchio et al,
1992:382). Through discussions facilitated by their spiritual advisor Peter Hallett, and
Jenny Dennis, a lecturer who was studying them from WIMA, the members of ask began to learn from each others’ strengths as well as identifying their different
perspectives on work and their methods for dealing with pressure and each other.
Peter Hallett seemed to be able to provide them with feedback and guidance in two
ways. Firstly, according to Steve (24 May 2001, lines 138-143), Peter provided them
with the opportunity to resolve issues relating to their differences through discussion: It’s kind of a balancing effect on the company and how we related because whatever had been happening in our rehearsing and so on, or in our own, you know, outside lives that we…brought in as baggage, Peter helped us know how to deal with it and how to cope together. So, I think he probably helped smooth over a lot of stuff, you know, and smooth over the process of developing as a group.
Hannah (24 May 2001, lines 37-38, 43-48) also mentioned this element of Peter’s
input: I think probably our times with Peter have been a time where we’ve been able to discuss…especially in the first year…When Peter came…he’d sort of be trying to suss out what we wanted out of the times and we were, I guess, trying to suss out…for example, if we were going to worship together, what we want to do, what kind of songs would we want to sing. Would we want to pray? You know, what style was that whole thing? And that, I guess, was a way of opening up discussion.
Secondly, Peter seemed to provide guidance in involving God in their process, whether
relationally or creatively, and this is evident in Steve’s (interview with Steve, 24 May
2001, lines 109-116) comments: Peter is very…I was going to say disciplined about listening to God and following his lead but I don’t know whether he’s quite disciplined. He’s very honed; his skills are honed at doing that with our church, as well as with this spiritual advisorship. And so, he would come along and say, “I’m not really sure what you’re wanting but this is what God’s been teaching me this week and how I think he wants to impact you.” So, we’d have an hour session and, you know, he’d introduce different ways of having us reflect on what’s been going on and learn and share and worship…
From such discussions, they identified that it was important to them to work out how to
implement the collaborative process whilst still being productive and maintaining good
relationships which Steve articulated in the group interview (14 February 2001, lines
506-508): it was the biggest lesson for us to figure out how we could give process a go, alongside productive…you know, we give relationships a go alongside that.
This aligns itself with one of the elements espoused by Marshall (1995:39) for creating
a responsible work environment for a collaborative organization, that of the need for a
59
behavioural shift with all parties moving away from “avoidance, accommodation,
competition or compromise”.
Then, at a similar time, Jenny Dennis impacted upon their development as she was
focusing on the company as the subject of research undertaken by her. In order to
develop her own understanding of the company and write a report on ask, Jenny
questioned them through her facilitation of group discussions. This assisted the
members of ask to reflect upon and explicate their focus, identity and goals as a
company which they had not really reassessed since the beginning of their first year
together (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 1609-1616, 1624-1625, 1702, 1708-
1713, 1716-1719, 1725-1727). P: (B)ecause we all took on director’s roles… H: Part of how we were trying to get equal collaboration thing happening… P: That’s right. Therefore, it kept feeling like – where it started off with Pip
directing and Hannah and Steve being involved – but they kind of came up to this level but it wasn’t that level on everything…
H: Which is when Jenny (Dennis) tried to help up us work out some of our…pictures of what are we – a company…?
P: …I’ll show you her report…‘Cause she got it done just at the time, at the beginning of all of our issues and troubles…(S)he came in and gave us the foundation of us…
H: We got an idea of criteria… P: …so she’s saying, “What are you? You just, you know, having a good time
together or are you actually a company? What do you want to be? A company produces works and gets them out there; that’s what a company does.”…Well, you see, that’s the other main issue, is that I had to be Artistic Director, Administrator, Choreographer and Performer, I think. And she put that down as one of the biggest issues that was always going to hold us back…
Following further discussions amongst themselves, Steve formulated a diagram (see
Appendix E) which Hannah and Phillippa agreed was representative of the company’s
structure and purpose, outlining their core values (“principle-based agreements”) and
their beliefs as members of the group (“operating agreements”) (Marshall, 1995:38,39).
This process also enabled them to begin what would become an integral part of ask,
that of maintaining an “explicit governance process” which means the members keep
no secrets nor hidden agendas, with unspoken rules being made explicit and agreed to
by all parties so that people understand each others’ expectations (Marshall, 1995:39).
Perhaps due to the establishment of the overarching conceptual framework, the
company seemed to have a more productive year professionally in 2000, with five
works being created: Here and Now (directed by Isabelle Achard), Smell the Train and
Pilgrimage (both directed by Hannah) and Storm and Surge (both directed by Phillippa)
60
(group interview, 14 February 2001; Phillippa Oakden-Patch, personal interview, 23
May 2001; Hannah Cooper, personal interview, 24 May 2001; ‘ask newsletters 6 and
7’, 2000, http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html). Although due to Steve
suffering from glandular fever the company members felt some strain, Hannah and
Phillippa shared the workload for their performance season. With Phillippa completing
the administrative work and Hannah completing the production tasks, both then were
able to share the direction of works created. This seemed to be a highly successful
approach as each of these skills appeared to reinforce their personal strengths.
Progressing into the “norming” phase as a company while developing a greater
understanding and use of ‘release technique’ in their work through their involvement
with Isabelle Achard for the first dancework of 2000, resulted in the creation of Smell
the Train, directed by Hannah. These developments could be seen in a number of
ways in the creation of this work, which Hannah (‘ask newsletter 7’, 2000,
http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html) described as “a satisfying result of all the
(sometimes difficult) surprises of the last six months”. Firstly, it was a more
collaborative work between the two dancers (Steve was unable to rehearse with them
due to illness) than those of the previous year. The movement was devised from the
increased use of improvisation and it was seen by Hannah and Phillippa to be a
“healing time” for them (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 1095). Secondly,
their previous work with Isabelle influenced their development in using ‘release
technique’ as a basis for movement, believing that unlike “muscle-based ways of
moving”, this technique causes movement to be “more intuitive”, “naturalistic” and
“quite dynamic” yet “quite gentle” (Phillippa Oakden-Patch, personal interview, 23 May
2001, lines 419, 421, 427; Hannah Cooper, 24 May 2001, lines 312-318). Hannah
(personal interview, 24 May 2001, lines 327-329) felt that while Isabelle’s work, Here
and Now, was “really quite gentle and quite low key”, she began thinking, “Yeah, that’s
okay but can you keep this style and keep these laws and rules (of ‘release technique’)
and yet still be athletic in what you’re doing?” Thus, Smell the Train was stimulated by
her desire to “keep expanding the boundaries but keeping the laws” of ‘release
technique’ (personal interview, 24 May 2001, 331-332). Finally, the work was to be
premiered at the International Christian Dance Fellowship conference in Mittagong and
by this, their second year, Phillippa (personal interview, 23 May 2001, lines 362-364)
believes they had a greater understanding of what they could do, focusing on doing “a
61
little thing to the best of our ability”. This meant that the work was “more about having
the foundational beliefs about God in there as well as maintaining an artistic level”
(Phillippa Oakden-Patch, personal interview, 23 May 2001, lines 372-373).
4.3 CONCLUSION Having successfully progressed through the first three phases of forming, storming and
norming, the stage seemed set for the company’s development into the fourth stage,
the “performing” period, in 2001 where it was expected that overarching goals such as
collaborating effectively should be accomplished particularly through greater flexibility
in working relationships (Tuckman in Vecchio et al, 1992:382). It was from this point
that the research for this study was undertaken and observations made of the
company’s rehearsal period between February and June 2001 as they collaborated on
the creation of Phillippa’s major work for her Master of Arts (Performance Studies).
From the outset, Phillippa’s role was to be that of director, requiring her to facilitate the
creative process with Hannah and Steve being thoroughly involved in providing input
both creatively (through improvisations with movement and music) and verbally
(through feedback in discussions).
62
CHAPTER 5: THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF IN YOUR LIGHT In order to analyse the creative process of ask dance theatre regarding the ways in
which their Christian worldview is reflected in the creation of their dancework, In Your
Light, it seems obvious that the process itself requires description. Without such an
understanding of what transpired during the rehearsals, I observed from the beginning
of February till the end of May, the analysis which is presented in Chapter 7 would
have little foundation and little context. Similarly, description of the creative process
involved in creating In Your Light is of relevance to dance artists and educators,
particularly those in the Christian community, in bringing to the known the often
unknown processes involved in choreography. Hence, this chapter provides a
summary of the activities, the responses (verbal, movement-based and music-based)
and the behaviour of the company members which occurred in the creative process of
In Your Light, reflecting their “performing” stage as a company. Most of this chapter is
derived from the field notes I made during observation of the eight rehearsals, unless
otherwise stated. To provide structure to the discussion of this process, I have chosen
to apply Schrader’s (1996) model regarding choreographic process, which in her view,
has six stages as I discussed in Chapter 2. Phase 1 of ask’s creative process
encompassed their rehearsals on February 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th, during my first visit to
Sydney to observe their work, which relate to the first and second stages of Schrader’s
model, that is “collecting” and “noting and improvising”. Phase 2 of the rehearsals
(observed March 29th and 30th) aligns to Schrader’s third stage of “choosing and
developing movement material”. Phase 3 involved the rehearsals (observed on May
24th and 25th) that exhibit features relating to “’reworking material” and “rehearsing and
refining”, that is the fourth and fifth stages of Schrader’s model. Phase 1 will be
discussed in greater depth as it focuses on the activities involved in conceptualizing
and, consequently, the use of a wide variety of choreographic improvisation tasks and
stimuli. However, Phases 2 and 3 require less detail in their explanation as the
activities employed in these phases varied little from rehearsal to rehearsal.
Nevertheless, the Action Research Model (Velde, 2001:12) of defining the objective,
creating a cue, and generating and collating data to create a new cue (as has been
discussed previously in Chapter 2), is evident in each phase.
63
5.1 PHASE 1: FEBRUARY 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th This phase relates to Schrader’s (1996) first and second stages in her model of the
choreographic process, that of “collecting” and “noting and improvising”. In hindsight,
the rehearsals over this 4-day period were similar in their structure, particularly as
Phillippa was uncertain of the intent of the work but wished to remain open to
possibilities during this improvisational stage (Schrader, 1996:145). Firstly, the
company members would begin with the reading of Romans 12:1-2 and prayer, often
according to insight found in this passage. A physical warm-up activity would then
follow, involving an improvisational task in response to the Scripture or comments
made by the participants during the reading. The crux of each rehearsal, though, was
the main improvisational tasks, some of which were prepared by Phillippa prior to
rehearsals while others occurred as a result of what was produced during the warm-up
activities, discussions or tasks from previous rehearsals. The stimuli used for these
tasks also varied but the use of the concepts of the “breath of God” and “God moving
you” recurred. Thus, each improvisational task began with an instruction by Phillippa,
an exploration in movement and music by Hannah and Steve respectively, and
concluded with journalling by all participants which led to discussion and the
opportunity for feedback to be given regarding the responses of all to the related task.
This process reflected the Action Research Cycle (Velde, 2001:12) with Phillippa
defining the objective and creating the cue, Hannah and Steve’s improvisations then
generating data and the group’s collation of data through the use of journals and
discussion of their responses to the original cue, from which Phillippa then created a
new cue. Discussions occurred with the company members sitting on the floor in a
circular formation, facing each other, and a number of these sessions also concluded
with prayer. This summary of these early rehearsals can be seen in detail in the
following accounts as documented through my observations of this first phase of the
choreographic process.
5.1.1 February 8th, 2001 This was the first rehearsal for In Your Light and the beginning of my journey with the
members of ask. This rehearsal occurred in the newly erected hall adjacent to St
James Anglican Church, Croydon, and the large expanse of wooden flooring of the hall
allowed for great space to be enjoyed by the dancers. Steve had set up his electric
piano and auxiliary equipment on Stage Left, leaving the majority of the space for
64
Phillippa and Hannah to use for dancing; a small area at Downstage Left was used for
the Bible study and discussion times.
While earlier works had been directed by other members of ask, it is perhaps important
to note that this work would be directed by Phillippa. The creation of the dancework
was to be in conjunction with her postgraduate work at University of Western Sydney
(Master of Arts in Performance Studies). Thus, Phillippa’s aim at this stage was to
focus on not beginning with a theme or idea as her stimulus, but to simply use
improvisation as a device to discover how she best learns and thus choreographs.
Improvisation was also to be used in order for a more collaborative process to occur
with all members having impact on and providing input into the process and final
product.
5.1.1.1 Scripture reading Phillippa instructed us all to open our Bibles to Romans 12:1-2 (The Holy Bible, New
International Version), which she explained would be the scriptural focus for the
rehearsal session. As Phillippa read the scriptures aloud, we followed along: 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
She then discussed what she felt were the main points. Firstly, she stated that it is due
to God’s mercy that people can have relationship with Him. Then she shared her
impression that the phrase, “to offer your bodies as living sacrifices”, meant giving “all”
they have to God and for the company, that would require that they place a greater
emphasis on preparation, prior to choreographing and rehearsing. She supported this
by referring to a later phrase which states, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this
world”, and again she reinforced the need to spend more time with God, prior to
workshopping. Phillippa continued along the same line to explain that she wanted to
create works that are of “quality”, both artistically and spiritually. To assist in their
growth spiritually, they all agreed to spend time reading the Scriptures and biblical
study material, as well as in prayer and meditation on God, at the commencement of
rehearsal sessions. Hannah and Steve agreed with Phillippa that this would be
beneficial in causing them to be more prepared for and more productive in the
65
choreographic process. By this stage, they had already begun acting upon these ideas
by each reading January/February’s edition of the Christian daily devotional
publication, Everyday with Jesus, which focused on the names of God as presented in
the Bible, and the ways in which these names reveal elements of God’s character.
This involved their reading the required scripture for the given day, followed by reading
a related section of prose which highlighted the key points to be learnt from the given
scripture.
As another element of the creative process, the company members were to keep a
journal in which they were to record mental and artistic or physical responses to
improvisational tasks and biblical passages read, through the use of words, diagrams
and sketches. For example, they might write their thoughts in note form or in verse,
write prayers, note relevant parts of scripture, sketch pictures that become clear to
them and even use colour to reflect feelings experienced or concepts learnt. Phillippa
initiated the use of journals, inviting Hannah and Steve to write in their journals
whenever they wanted to during rehearsals. Phillippa explained that the journals would
enable her to see some of their thought processes through this ’journey’, as well as
allowing them each to respond to their activities during rehearsals and experiences that
they had outside of rehearsal time which could affect their responses in the sessions.
This allowed for further reflection, so that they were all equal participants in evaluating
tasks and giving feedback on these tasks. In turn, this aligns with the collation of data
stage of the Action Research Model (Velde, 2001:12), where the “wreath of
information” as generated by an improvisation could be reduced “into a coherent form
that is useful to the group”, in order for a new cue to be developed for the next
improvisational task (Velde, 2001:14).
5.1.1.2 Warm up For their first “Bible study” (Phillippa), in accompaniment to Romans 12:1-2, they all
read chapter 2 of Genesis which talks of the creation of humans by God’s design,
command and actions, and they similarly read the related passage from Everyday with
Jesus. This was the stimulus for the initial warm-up activity for movement (in which all
three members participated), focusing on the concept of the breath of God as being the
action which gave life to humans. Phillippa directed the activity through her verbal
cues:
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Focus on the breath of God moving over each body part…relaxing each part of the face and head, shoulders, arms, back, pelvis, hips, legs, ankles, feet…Now develop this to making sounds with the parts of the face…Now focus on breathing in as expanding and breathing out as decreasing in size…
Each of these cues were explored at length by Phillippa, Hannah and Steve, as they
eventually moved about the expansive area of the hall, being very specific to cover
each part of the body. The core values of trust, openness and honesty as well as
showing care and concern for others were evident, even in this initial rehearsal,
through the positive relationships the company members had with each other (Kraus,
1984:20). For instance, the loud, unrestrained sounds and large, uninhibited
movements produced showed that they were very comfortable and relaxed with each
other, allowing themselves to be vulnerable to each other. (Steve was perhaps a little
more quiet and a little less demonstrative than the others, although he still participated
in a focused and enthusiastic manner.) On progressing through these activities, they
all came to a halt in their own time and sat on the floor in a circle to discuss their
responses to any of the cues they were given. The warm-up then concluded with
Phillippa directing them to move around the space (primarily by walking), identifying
various objects in the hall, which they could hear, touch, smell and taste. Again, they
all demonstrated careful attention to detail and continued to appear very relaxed with
each other, with movements that made loud noises, that were large in size and that
seemed to show little, if any, inhibition.
5.1.1.3 Improvisational tasks and activities At this point, they sat again in a circular formation as Phillippa read Psalm 139:13-14
aloud: 13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. The passage relates to God as creator as well as revealing the Christian theistic view
of a human being as being made in the image of God. This led to the first
improvisation which had as its stimulus the question, “How do you feel right now?”.
Phillippa also asked that it be “a simple, unaffected response to the scripture”, to
initially be done separately by Hannah and Steve as dancer and musician.
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The second improvisation was to have the concept of the wonder of the human body
as a creation of God, as its stimulus. Phillippa directed Hannah to do this by
performing an “exploration” of the body and its movements from her toes through to her
head, while Steve was to “explore” the sounds made from the low keys through to the
high keys on his piano. It was very interesting to watch how Steve performed this by
moving to and standing in different positions in relation to the keyboard in order to play
different ranges of notes. Hannah not only played with different movements which can
be executed by different body parts, but also responded quite obviously to the pitch,
phrasing, rhythms, tempo and accents created in music by Steve playing the piano.
Phillippa then used Psalm 139 again as the stimulus, but this time the verses used
were from 5 through to the conclusion of 10: 5 You hem me in – behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Phillippa then directed them to imagine God’s hand moving over the body for Hannah
or the hands and fingers for Steve, elaborating that they should work separately,
though, as if God has a hand on each, although she conceded that there may be some
coordination. They began this improvisation with Hannah crouching and with Steve
kneeling in front of the keyboard. During the discussion that followed the
improvisation, Hannah shared that she had begun by praying that God would really be
guiding her, not that she would just imagine it. Steve’s starting position also related to
his communicating with God and he felt that God guided him by placing ideas of how to
play for the improvisation, rather than by guiding him physically.
With each improvisation, it seemed that Phillippa was requiring a greater depth in their
response, in reflecting their spirituality through their improvisations, and the fifth activity
seemed to be the pinnacle of this session. Two sources provided the stimuli for this
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improvisation, beginning with the biblical passage, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Phillippa
combined this with a comment made by her supervising lecturer, Kathy Driscoll, who
noted, “In our frustrations, we can go somewhere (artistically),” which Phillippa
expanded upon by encouraging Steve and Hannah not to disregard their frustrations
when improvising. Thus, the improvisation required the two of them to “communicate”
with each other through their art forms. The process Phillippa directed them to follow
was to commence by finding a weakness (or frustration) from this session, to “explore”
this experience through movement/music and “find God’s hand”, and to then confess
this to God, followed by a confession of it to their spouse. Phillippa provided further
guidance when she told them, “Recognition before God, receiving from God, blessing
to each other.” Their compositions seemed so personal, as though Phillippa and I
shouldn’t be observing such depth of emotion, especially through the use of focus on
each other and interaction between dance and music. There was something very
powerful about watching husband and wife collaborate together, seemingly guided by
another force.
5.1.2 February 9th, 2001 5.1.2.1 Scripture reading and warm up The new day of improvisations began around midday and the biblical passage,
Romans 12:1-2, was again used as the stimulus for commencing the rehearsal
session. The concept of the breath of God to “awaken” their bodies and minds was
also used to assist their preparation for the session. However, Phillippa didn’t provide
any boundaries as she had done the previous day, and they were instructed to use the
concept in any way they wanted, with Phillippa and Hannah doing so through
movement and Steve through his piano.
5.1.2.2 Improvisational tasks and activities Their devotional reading for the day related to the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verses
1-10, and the discussion that followed seemed to be especially focused on verse 3: 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, who you have sent.
After discussing the passage, the company members then moved into the eighth
improvisational activity of this process which, Phillippa stated, was to be motivated by
Hannah’s response to one of the activities from the previous day. Rather than simply
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setting improvisational tasks for Hannah and Steve objectively, this showed that
Phillippa had begun to use their responses to tasks as the stimulus for a subsequent
improvisation. This demonstrated her encouragement of Steve and Hannah’s process
of self-actualization, which is a value encouraged in the collaborative process (Kraus,
1984:123). It also illustrated the company’s aim to maintain a “safe, nurturing
environment”.
The direction from Phillippa was for Hannah to focus on her limited awareness of her
back and the space behind her (which Hannah had noted was a problem for her in
general when she moves, but one she especially noticed in the fourth improvisation).
Phillippa encouraged her to “give it (this inadequacy/concern) over to God”, which
emphasised the biblical passage read just prior to this improvisation, particularly the
concept reflected in the statement, “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine” (verse
10a). Steve was to simply continue his encouragement of Hannah. A little later,
Phillippa directed Hannah to “work with God moving you and to sense when he (God)
changes the tempo” and this activity seemed to be more of a fine-tuning of the previous
improvisation. (Steve was simply to continue with the previous idea of responding to
the breath, while also being influenced by Hannah’s changes in tempo.)
By this rehearsal, it could clearly be seen that while Hannah and Steve provided input
through improvisations and their verbal responses in group discussions, it was
Phillippa who created each of the cues for the tasks. This seemed to be in contrast to
their desire to be involved in the process of collaboration to create danceworks.
Phillippa was directing the process quite strongly, even at this early phase.
5.1.3 February 15th, 2001 5.1.3.1 Scripture reading and warm up
At this stage, Phillippa had decided to be flexible in the improvisational activities used
in each session, following whatever happened moment by moment, and exploring that
direction. Each section was to begin by “meditating on God’s word” and the
improvisational activity came out of that. Thus, with a return to focusing on Romans
12:1-2, Phillippa asked us all (including me) to choose a phrase from the passage, to
meditate on it and to pray aloud according to that phrase. This has now been read at
the beginning of each rehearsal thus far, and Hannah, Steve and Phillippa (at
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Phillippa’s direction) have asked God to show each of them something new to focus on
from this passage. Hannah’s prayer was most interesting as she incorporated her
difficulty in understanding the “balance between God’s will and his working all things
together for good”. Again, Phillippa chose to use this comment to guide the warm-up
which was not the exercise that she had planned for this session, continuing to nurture
Hannah and Steve through the creative process. The response to this task revealed
the role that their current situations and life experiences play in impacting their
improvisations, as well as revealing their belief in God’s active communication with
them. A detailed discussion of this task occurs in Chapter 7.
5.1.3.2 Drawing activity reflecting perceptions of process and product For the rest of the session, Phillippa discussed different aspects of her major work with
Hannah and Steve, setting an activity to allow further discussion as a group. She
shared some of her desires for the work and also identified some logistics of the major
work, such as rehearsal times and venues. As a conclusion to this rehearsal session,
Phillippa set a task for all of them to respond by using coloured pencils on coloured
paper to express three separate aspects: their expectations of the rehearsal process of
this work, their perceptions of possibilities for the end product, and their feelings at this
point about the process thus far. This activity was essential to the collaborative
process as it provided the opportunity for each person to identify and share their hopes
and concerns about the process and the final product, ensuring a move away from
avoidance, accommodation and compromise, and making each other’s expectations
explicit (Marshall, 1995:39). Again, they shared their responses openly, displaying
mutual respect for each other’s opinions and feelings through the use of effective
attending skills. This activity also showed their high level of oral communication skills,
which is an essential collaborative tool. As is promoted by Schrage (1995:66), “it takes
care, craftsmanship, and sincerity to speak in a way that consistently evokes empathy,
understanding, and commitment.” From their discussions thus far, the members of ask dance theatre have begun to effectively use language in this way, to encourage and
show value for each other. They also showed their desire to maintain their focus on
God by asking me to close the rehearsal by praying for them.
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5.1.4 February 16th, 2001 5.1.4.1 Scripture reading and warm up Beginning again with prayer, they focused on a phrase from Romans 12:1-2, which
encourages the readers to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices” to God. Phillippa
instructed Hannah and Steve to return to the idea of the “breath of God”, but this time it
was to be a cleansing and relaxing force, allowing God to cleanse them of all tension,
insecurity and fear, then allowing Him to nourish. Beginning lying on the floor, they
were directed by Phillippa to allow this process to occur through the face, mind and
head firstly, where they spent a longer time in comparison to the body parts which
followed. They were then to allow the “breath of God” to work through the spine and
the rest of the body, which was to eventually cause movement to bring them to
standing. Phillippa then directed them to, “Walk as though God is moving you.”
5.1.4.2 Improvisational task They moved from this warm-up into the fourteenth improvisation for the process, which
began with Phillippians, chapter 4, verses 4 and 19 as its stimulus: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!…19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Relating to this concept of joy, Phillippa instructed Hannah and Steve to play like
children according to the words she gave them. She told them that she had no further
expectations except for them to breathe between each word improvisation and, “Take
on God as you breathe.” She then provided them with a series of movement-related
words (“plod”, “tip-toe”, “wriggle”), action words (“flop”, “search”, “coerce/persuade”,
“fight”), emotions (“hilarity”, “numbness”, “patience”) and shape (“figure 8”) and Hannah
and Steve improvised according to their responses in movement and music to these
words. The two words which resulted in the greatest responses from them was
“numbness” for Hannah (who journalled about this for some time following her
improvisation, so much so that only Steve explored “patience”) and “figure 8” for Steve.
Due to certain words being more obviously stimulating than others for Hannah and
Steve, Phillippa chose to re-explore some these, instructing both of them to explore
“numbness” with their respective artforms, with Steve eventually going into an
exploration of “figure 8” while Hannah continued exploring “numbness”. [This was
mainly shown by her torso remaining quite still, with movement mostly being from her
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arms and legs.] From here, Phillippa directed them further, requiring Hannah to show
“numbness” moving into her knees, while Steve was to intersperse “numbness” with
“figure 8”. It was interesting to note that in this final activity with these two words,
Steve seemed to spend his time watching Hannah’s response to “numbness” rather
than playing his piano. During the discussion of this task, Phillippa shared some of her
preliminary ideas of the dancework’s form and shaping of characters. Steve did not
completely agree with some of these concepts and explained his viewpoint clearly and
carefully. This positive sharing of opinions, which is discussed in further detail in
Chapter 7, reinforced their openness and desire to maintain a “safe, nurturing
environment” and concluded the rehearsal.
5.2 PHASE 2: MARCH 29th and 30th My second visit to Sydney to observe ask’s rehearsals occurred at the end of March
and it became evident that they had moved into Phase 2 of their creative process. This
related to the third stage of Schrader’s (1996:146-148) model, “choosing and
developing movement material”, particularly in focusing on the form and intent of the
work-in-progress and developing material which aligned to these. This could be seen
in these rehearsals as the activities had begun to relate to the theme of ’light’, both in
the physical sense and in a spiritual sense, that is, with regards to the use of light by
Christians as a metaphor for God’s attributes of holiness and goodness. Rehearsals
had also moved to Wynola, the manse and offices of St James’ Anglican Church,
Croydon, which also impacted upon the material created.
Prior to the March 30th rehearsal, I had the opportunity to discuss with Phillippa the
basis of the work and the process involved in the decision to use ’light’ as the theme for
the work. As she had mentioned earlier in the process, she had discovered the idea of
using metaphors and wanted to incorporate these in the work as well as reflecting how
people relate to God. Through her discussions of her process with people at University
of Western Sydney, someone suggested light as a metaphor, and Phillippa could see
the close connection between light and God, as the Bible often refers to God as having
the qualities of light, as opposed to darkness. Hence, this informed the process as
they had been working in one of two ways with the concept of metaphors as their
stimulus: either by finding the metaphor first and then working on developing it or,
alternatively, improvising and finding the metaphor during the process. This stage of
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“illumination” is mentioned by Blom and Chaplin (1988:8) as the third stage in their
model of the creative process, where “(t)hings seem to come together; the plan is
seen, the theory clear, the image articulate”.
It was very helpful to have an understanding of Phillippa’s perception of the work-in-
progress. Her intention was to see that prayer also continued to be used at the
beginning of each rehearsal session, based on the phrase in Romans 12, “offer your
bodies as living sacrifices”. She also explained that she still wanted to begin each
rehearsal with the reading of a biblical passage (sometimes about light), with the warm-
up being drawn from the scripture, and continuing then to develop the work from where
they had ended in the previous rehearsal.
Thus, rehearsals began with warm-up activities relating to light (in the physical and/or
spiritual sense) and/or the rooms of Wynola in which the work was to eventually be
performed. Development of material followed, through explorations as guided by
Phillippa, often from discussions regarding the intent for each room, and associated
with the theme of light. During this phase, Steve often worked separately from
Phillippa and Hannah, in order to focus on developing music material. In contrast,
Phillippa worked closely with Hannah to develop movement material, using a process
which again related to the Action Research Model (Velde, 2001:12), with Phillippa
creating a cue, Hannah generating “data” through her improvisation, their collation of
“data” through discussion of Hannah’s response and beginning the cycle again by
Phillippa’s consequent creation of a new cue. Rehearsals tended to end with an
appraisal of their progress, providing the opportunity for feedback through discussion.
Each of the days I observed at this stage aligned with this structure as can be seen in
the following description. 5.2.1 March 29th, 2001 While the first four rehearsals occurred in the early to mid-afternoon and in the
spacious church hall, this rehearsal was held at Wynola, the offices and manse of St
James’ Anglican Church, in the evening (6.30-9.30pm) as this was to be the time and
place for the dancework to be performed. As I had not seen the company’s progress
for approximately six weeks, it was fitting and helpful for them to discuss their
consequential process. Phillippa explained that she had become more involved in the
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research process through the realisation that she needed to give Hannah and Steve
more direct guidelines for improvising. This relates closely to this stage of
“illumination” where an intensification of the thinking processes occurs (Blom and
Chaplin, 1988:8). Through this she had worked more on developing language which
she could use to communicate more clearly with Steve in order to provide him with the
same depth of stimulus as Hannah. She felt that they were consequently working
together more collaboratively, the way they had always wanted ask to work, without
the burden of expectations. This was due to the fact that they were not focusing on the
product as the “primary component” but they were all focusing on, participating in, and
contributing to the process, which Kraus (1984:202) explains is the case in the
collaborative process. Hannah shared openly that she had found this process to be
easier than the processes employed for previous works: while they would work hard in
rehearsal, it would not be a strain nor would it be forced, and yet they were discovering
so much material that was so useful for creating the work. They had now reached the
point where they had decided to create the dancework to be performed in Wynola, and
needed to continue rehearsing there to develop voice and movement according to the
space. There had also been a decision by the company to focus on light for their
explorations. Phillippa (2002:12) explained the use of the concept of light in this phase: The theme of light was incorporated into the rehearsals. A list was compiled of Bible references that contained the word light as a source of visual energy. Customarily, the Bible employs light as a metaphor for God, while his followers walk or live in the light. The verses were used as a basis for meditation, prayer, discussion, warm-up exercises and improvisation. In Wynola, both natural light (entering through the windows) and man-made sources of light were also used as stimulus. Various sensory and physical explorations were undertaken in each of the three main rooms. Reflection and discussion centred on the resultant experiences and possible life associations or metaphors that came to mind…The light theme created a foundational question for each improvisation: What possible relationship to the light might be established through this exploration?
According to each of the members, my visit was at a crucial point in the process and I
would be observing an important, new direction they were following in the creation of
the dancework, that of the use of the metaphor of ‘light’ and the rooms of Wynola to
guide their explorations.
5.2.1.1 Warm up The warm-up activity was based on two stimuli relating to light as a metaphor for God.
Firstly, Phillippa referred us to 1 John 5:11-12, and then Hannah presented the hymn,
“Immortal, Invisible”, which they then sang together, a cappella. Hannah had
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discovered it through a recent service at their church and felt it was relevant to the
work, due to its many references to light: Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the ancient of days, Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might; Thy justice like mountains high soaring above Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love… Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight; But of all thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart: Take the veil from our faces, the veil from our heart. All praise we would render; O help us to see, ‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee; And so let thy glory, Almighty, impart, Through Christ in the story, thy Christ to the heart. They then prayed together, thanking God for His provision of eternal life to them as
Christians, which showed connection to the hymn’s tenets. Phillippa then presented a
question which was to be used as the concept on which they should first meditate and
then respond to for the physical warm-up: “How can you express and explore the gift of
eternal life?” As they improvised according to the stimulus, Phillippa and Hannah’s
movement still appeared to have a strong focus and use of the breath, which linked to
some of the early improvisational activities in the creative process of this work. Steve
lay down next to the keyboard to yield everything to God, which he explained in the
discussion following this improvisation; this seemed to relate again to Romans 12:1-2
which had been the focus in many earlier sessions. Following the improvisation, they
discussed their explorations, each having contributions to make about their own brief
‘journeys’. Of particular note was Steve’s response. He appeared more open in his
verbalisation of his exploration than in previous rehearsal sessions, explaining that he
had been keeping his eyes closed when playing during this exploration, so that he
would not notice nor respond to the movement. I wondered whether there was a
connection between Steve’s “yielding” to God and the resulting music he played which
was of a “deeper”, “textured” quality, as noted by Hannah and Phillippa.
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5.2.1.2 Discussions and development of material Phillippa began to discuss where the work was situated at this time, seemingly for my
benefit. However, Steve and Hannah soon revealed that they were unaware of this
direction for the work and some disagreement resulted at this point due to their
disappointment that Phillippa had not shared this information with them prior to this
moment, particularly as it seemed that Phillippa had been working on these concepts
for some time. Eventually, they resolved the issue with Phillippa explaining her desire
to use her time outside of rehearsals to work on ideas regarding form. Again, this
situation is analysed in greater depth in Chapter 7.
A great deal of progress seemed to have occurred in the creation of material since my
previous visit which could be seen as they began to rehearse in the rooms of the
performance site, the traditional manor Wynola. The dancework was to be performed
in each of the three main rooms – the Ballroom, the Parlour and the Lounge (see
Appendix F) – with the audience travelling from room to room to follow the
performance. Thus, the rehearsal began in one of the rooms, the Ballroom, which was
a room approximately 16 metres in length and 6 metres in width with a polished wood
floor. One section of the work was to occur in this room and, during this rehearsal,
Hannah and Steve revised this section which they had already begun to develop.
In addition to the development of movement material for the work, Steve had begun
composing a song for either the Ballroom or for the entire work (i.e. to be performed in
various rooms). During this rehearsal, he discussed the possibility of using three
different biblical verses as the framework for each of the rooms, all relating to light in a
metaphoric sense. Psalm 119:30 was a possibility for the Ballroom: “I have chosen
the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.” For the Parlour, 2 Peter 1:19 had
been discussed: “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you
will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day
dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” And, for the Lounge, they felt that
they might use Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my
path.” After Steve had explained this to me, he then worked on the song in the Parlour
for the remainder of the session.
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Hannah and Phillippa then adjourned to the Lounge, where they came to the
conclusion that a combination of light and sound would direct the section to occur in
this room. They also discussed the possible motivation for Phillippa’s character’s
involvement in this scene and concluded that she would move the light, which would
consequently influence the movement of Hannah’s character. At this point, Phillippa
discovered a ledge outside the windows, taking an electric light outside with her and
talking to Hannah about the possibility of Phillippa’s character beginning outside. She
would then bring the light inside to shine it behind the audience members and onto
Hannah. This would ensure that the shadows of those watching the performance
would then move over Hannah who would dance, at the opposite end of the room to
Phillippa, in response to the light source, with audience seated or standing between the
two dancers.
The process followed by the two dancers at this stage was cyclic, bearing resemblance
to the Action Research Model (Velde, 2001:12) where Phillippa would define the
objective (eg to work collaboratively on the choreography to be used in the Ballroom)
and create a cue for Hannah (Velde, 2001:12). Data would then be generated through
Hannah’s kinaesthetic and verbal responses to this stimulus, which Phillippa would
also give feedback on, and they would then discuss this further (“collating data”). From
this point, Phillippa would make a decision, using either her own idea or Hannah’s, or a
combination of the two, which would then be the new, created cue for the next stage of
the improvisation.
5.2.1.3 Appraisal From this point they moved into the Ballroom to discover Steve’s progress. He
discussed with us the process he used in composing his song, with it being “a cross
between a hymn and a ditty”. This had been influenced by his habit of singing hymns
in recent days and, for this reason, he wanted to create a song with hymnal qualities.
He also explained that he would like to do some research to provide monologues for
his lyrics. Responding thoughtfully, Phillippa stated that she wanted to think about
what would help Steve in his journey and in the final product. They then closed the
rehearsal with prayer.
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5.2.2 March 30th, 2001 5.2.2.1 Warm up The next day we returned to an afternoon rehearsal, continuing to work in the rooms of
Wynola. For this session, the warm up activity required each of them to move through
the three rooms and respond to each room’s light, textures and sounds, noticing what
they responded to. While this activity provided the opportunity for each person to focus
and to ‘awaken their senses’, it seemed unusual that this warm up did not include
prayer or the reading of biblical passages. Other rehearsals prior to this point had
involved one or both of these activities and Phillippa had mentioned her desire for the
continued incorporation of these activities in the warm up, during a discussion with me
just prior to this rehearsal. The reason for the exclusion of these activities was not
mentioned by Phillippa and so remained unknown to me. Following the conclusion of
the warm up activity, they went separate ways – Steve to the Ballroom to work on the
song and Phillippa and Hannah to the Lounge.
5.2.2.2 Development of material Originally, Phillippa’s goal had been to have Hannah improvise in response to the
shadows in the archway (opposite the windows) caused by Phillippa shining her light
from outside the windows as well as when Phillippa had stepped inside. After a short
time of improvising and her seemingly having difficulty creating movements, Hannah
explained that she did not feel prepared, physically and mentally, to move immediately
into this depth of improvisation. Hence, Phillippa changed the cue, responding to
Hannah’s needs, showing her “care and concern for others”, which Kraus (1984:20)
explains is essential in the collaborative process. She continued to use the cyclic
process of the Action Research Model (Velde, 2001:12), creating another cue where
she led Hannah on a walk through each room to see how she responded verbally to
the variances in light. This caused Hannah to verbalize a narrative of a person
climbing out of a cave. Being pleased with the result, Phillippa encouraged Hannah
and then instructed her to repeat this process, recalling the narrative, and this was
followed by a second repetition of the ‘journey’, this time with improvised movement
based on her original speech, which Hannah then felt ready to do. Following this, she
provided Phillippa with feedback relating to her feelings of how she perceived this
‘scene’ to be unfolding.
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Phillippa then directed Hannah to begin working on becoming comfortable with this
new journey which was a response to light. Hannah then improvised with movement
which related to the speech but without saying the speech and thus in silence. After
watching Hannah improvise through her journey again, Phillippa discussed how she
saw that the simplicity of Hannah’s narrative was good as the audience would then
have the freedom to find their own meaning in the story. Hannah agreed, saying that
by immersing oneself in the subject matter, this would “come out” in what was created,
which she likened to her faith in God. Again, Phillippa listened and affirmed her as a
conclusion to this exploration.
Moving back into the Lounge, where they had originally begun improvising, Hannah
returned to responding to the shadows made in the archway by the combination of
Phillippa’s movements and the effects of the electric light Phillippa held as she moved.
After experimenting with this for a time, Hannah then added her story to the movement
she had discovered. However, she explained her concern that her movement wasn’t
distinct enough and that she wanted her movement to have little if any correlation to
the narrative. Phillippa directed Hannah to explore movement regarding the
differences in texture between the light and the darkness instead, following these
concepts: from shadows, to places that were illuminated, to sources of light.
Steve then joined Hannah and Phillippa, as they moved into the Ballroom to work on
another section. Phillippa talked about Steve’s character’s dependence on ice, as
opposed to the heat provided by the fire, as he continually crunches on and swallows it
throughout the section to demonstrate his rejection of the ‘light’. This was conveyed
further through Phillippa’s instruction for Steve to walk towards the painting (over the
mantelpiece of the fireplace), upon which he is intently focused, as he sings a verse
but then move back to the lounge chair where he sits and munches on ice again.
5.2.2.3 Appraisal Phillippa briefly discussed the form of the work thus far, explaining to Hannah and
Steve the ‘journey’ that the audience would take from room to room and the content of
what would occur in each room. From this point she identified areas that still required
experimentation and development. Hannah, too, made the suggestion that Phillippa’s
character could simply “be wanting to look at different parts of the room with the light”
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and the light could be an extension of Phillippa. Possibly, Hannah added, this would
then lead to movement and she compared Phillippa’s character’s fascination with light
to the way Christians are fascinated by God’s light. So, with Phillippa having discussed
the form of the work with Hannah and Steve, they approved of this, in contrast to the
beginning of the session, having developed further understanding throughout the
rehearsal regarding the basis for Phillipppa’s structuring of the work in such a way.
Nevertheless, this discussion continues to reveal Phillippa’s key role as director of the
work, which brings into question the nature of the collaborative process.
5.3 PHASE 3: MAY 24th and 25th In Phase 3 of the creative process of In Your Light, rehearsals focused on reworking
material as well as rehearsing and refining the work which aligns with the fourth and
fifth stages of Schrader’s (1996) model. This stage, as highlighted by Schrader’s
model (1996:150), demonstrated the company members revising material and making
decisions as to whether the material created correlated with the theme of light and the
use of the rooms of Wynola, with their elimination of material that did not show unity
with the form and intent of the work. Blom and Chaplin (1988:8) also refer to this in
their final stage of the creative process, “formation or formulation”, noting that it is the
application of form to “the inner image” as articulated in the previous “illumination”
stage as the metaphor of light.
Hence, the rehearsals I observed began with either a warm-up activity of some kind or
a discussion relating to their progress. Movement and music material developed thus
far was then rehearsed, with reworking of material occurring according to direction by
Phillippa. However, her directions were a result of feedback from Hannah and Steve
and also of her own concept of the material developed and its correlation to the form
and intent of what would ultimately be the final product. This process was cyclical,
again relating to the Action Research Model (Velde, 2001:12) as they moved from
section to section, and this can be determined from the description which follows.
5.3.1 May 24th, 2001 It had then been another two months before I was able to visit and observe ask at
work, and by this stage the work-in-progress had begun to take shape, with them
placing much emphasis on the development of the work’s form. As the performance
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season was only one month away by this time, this rehearsal session was focused on
the production elements to be incorporated into the work. For the
performers/collaborators, it tended to be a ’walk-through’ of the general happenings in
each room, so that lighting especially could be designed for the work as Phillippa had
explained to me the previous day following my interview with her. She hoped that they
would work through what would occur in each “box”, that is, each section of the work. I
was aware that there would be other people observing with me. They had all agreed
upon a ’showing’ from which they could receive feedback, so I assumed that they were
all comfortable with this situation. So, observing with me at the rehearsal were the
following people: Dot Wilkin (visual artist); Kathy Driscoll (Phillippa’s supervising
lecturer for her MA at UWS); Jacqui Simmonds (Head of Dance, UWS, who was also
to play Phillippa’s role for half of the performance season); Jane (a dance student from
WIMA who was to be a ’stand-in’ for Phillippa during rehearsals); Olivia Smith (stage
manager); and Iain Court (lighting designer). Due to the nature of the rehearsal and
the people present, a great deal of time was taken to prepare for the session. This
included the set-up of the usual music equipment (keyboard and amplifier), the starting
of a fire in the Ballroom fireplace by Steve, the set-up of stage lighting by Phillippa and
Jane (one set of two lights in the hallway near the church offices) and the placement
small tea light candles in an arc in front of the fireplace.
5.3.1.1 Warm up Once this was all completed, Phillippa began by praying and then proceeded to guide
the warm-up activity in which we were all invited to be involved. Phillippa asked us to
move around the room responding to the differences in light, which began just by
walking around and noticing these differences. Some sound was then incorporated
particularly by Phillippa, Steve and Hannah, and then, as Phillippa invited us to
“become aware of others and respond to them”, further movement was experimented
with. There seemed to be an atmosphere of freedom in this improvisation with all
those involved participating willingly and in a focused manner.
5.3.1.2 Rehearsing material From this point much of the rehearsal became focused on the Ballroom scene and the
lighting requirements for this scene, so little progress seemed to be made in the
choreographic process. I eventually had to leave at 9.30pm (although the rehearsal
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had been scheduled to conclude at 9.00pm), without having observed much of the
dancework due to the focus on the lighting design, and they continued to rehearse for
another 40 minutes, according to Hannah and Steve when I spoke to them prior to the
rehearsal the next day. While it may have been a useful and productive session for
Phillippa, I wondered how Hannah and Steve were feeling after the session as I had
observed that they had been allowed little input and had also achieved little, from a
creative perspective. I had no inkling what was to occur on the following day.
5.3.2 May 25th, 2001 Prior to the rehearsal, we met for lunch at Phillippa’s house as was a usual occurrence.
What was unusual about this particular meeting, though, was the heated discussion
that ensued. Hannah strongly expressed her disappointment with regards to the
rehearsal the previous night and her belief that Phillippa had forgotten the discussion
the three of them had on February 15, where Hannah expressed her concerns about
the process being forced into a product. Steve also expressed his concern that he and
Hannah would lose Phillippa’s attention in the process as she focused on the
practicalities of the final product, but he did this less forcefully than Hannah. After
discussing various issues, they eventually apologized to each other. This moment of
conflict will be analysed in greater depth in Chapter 7.
As the work began to take shape in the rehearsal session which followed, Phillippa
tended to be the one to make the final decisions as to what was to be included and the
details of how it was to be performed. Nevertheless, Steve and Hannah continued to
provide input, both creatively (through their experimentation with movement, music and
drama) and verbally (through vocalization of their feedback), which was welcomed by
Phillippa, and often her decisions would be through her agreement with Hannah and/or
Steve’s feedback. The Action Research approach of a cyclic process continued to be
used, causing this to be a very productive rehearsal, with the discussion at the
beginning appearing to be essential in reassessing their roles in the collaborative
process.
5.3.2.1 Rehearsing and reworking material Even though they began without prayer this time, it seemed that the discussion and
their working through some underlying issues to ‘clear the air’ was ultimately good
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preparation. They moved immediately into working on the section in the Lounge, with
Hannah and Steve both sitting on the couch. A large electric heater was positioned in
front of the couch and this was the sole focus for Hannah, while Steve focused both on
the heater and on the bowl of chips from which he was eating. Phillippa explained that,
led away by Steve’s character, Hannah’s character has left the ‘light’ as represented by
Phillippa’s role, and this symbolizes the desire of Steve’s character to be the one to
help Hannah and be her support.
It appeared that the process was now focused on structuring the product, with Phillippa
giving instructions or guidelines to movement that had been developed through
improvisation, and then providing feedback to hone what occurred. They experimented
with the movement created for this section thus far, with Phillippa giving
encouragement to both performers throughout, while also providing specific
instructions of how to execute each movement that Hannah and Steve developed,
including motivation for each action, which demonstrated her strong direction of the
process at this stage. However, her decisions were often made based on feedback
given by Hannah and Steve regarding their understanding of their characters as well as
their knowledge of ways to execute the movements efficiently. This same process
occurred when they progressed to the next section in the Ballroom.
From here, Steve continued to work on the song for this scene, while Hannah and
Phillippa moved into the Parlour to work on Hannah’s “dream”. This is her journey
“from the cave into the light”, which she had improvised with in my previous visit at the
end of March, so I was familiar with this scene. Following one run-through of this
scene, Phillippa shared her delight with Hannah regarding the success of this scene,
and Hannah shared her relief.
As the work progressed from the Parlour, they returned to the Ballroom for the next
scene, which I had seen in previous rehearsals. Steve continued working on his
composition on the piano (as Hannah, Phillippa and Jane set up the Ballroom), with
some of the lyrics being, Many feelings for you and the world around me
War with one another in me And yet behind all those feelings is a certainty…
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[Later I discovered that these lyrics were from a poem from Ulrich Schaeffer (see
Appendix G), and this was the basis for Steve’s character. Two different poems by
Schaeffer were the foundations for both Phillippa and Hannah’s characters. These
poems reflected different responses to Jesus and thus each character’s journey
reflected these attitudes.] Phillippa provided Steve with feedback, saying that she
wanted Steve to have “a note of certainty” (as is reflected in the lyrics) from time to
time, and Steve shared his understanding that Phillippa didn’t require his music to
always be complex, which assisted him in continuing to develop his song.
Hannah and Phillippa then began to work on creating a motif in relation to the fire, and
referred to some photocopied sheets of paper with poems by Ulrich Shaeffer on them,
and also to some coloured sheets of paper with the responses of the company
members to these poems. From this, Hannah began to improvise with and develop a
quirky walk, which, according to Phillippa’s instructions, needed to appear as though
the feet were willing but the body from the hips upwards was not. Hannah journalled
about this direction from Phillippa and then proceeded to improvise according to these
guidelines. After a few different rounds of experimentation, she asked Phillippa for
further guidance. From this point, the process was a cycle involving Phillippa providing
specific feedback to Hannah on her explorations and Hannah then implementing these
directions, again demonstrating Phillippa’s strong direction in the creative process at
this stage. Hannah also took the opportunity to write these comments in her journal to
assist her in the continuing process of experimentation in this section. Phillippa
concluded her work with Hannah on this section by sharing her desire to continue
working with Hannah on her use of breath for her character, which would be completely
different to Phillippa’s character’s use of breath, and it is interesting to note that this
concept connected with early improvisational tasks.
The session ended this time with Steve playing his song. Phillippa expressed her
pleasure with Steve’s progress and the resulting composition but encouraged him to
work on the tempo of the first phrase. This rehearsal seemed to me to be very
productive.
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5.4 CONCLUSION I returned to Sydney one final time to observe what could be identified as Phase 4 from
June 23rd to 26th. This phase encapsulated Schrader’s (1996) sixth and final stage,
that of “performing”. The dress rehearsal occurred on Saturday June 23rd and I was
able to see four performances, two on Monday June 25th and two on Tuesday June
26th. While these provided me with the opportunity to see the dancework which was
the result of their many improvisations and experimentation, the focus of this study
relates to the creative process of developing and forming the movement material (as
discussed in 1.3). Therefore, to provide an analysis of the production phase of the
creative process and the resulting dancework is possibly the topic for another
dissertation. For this reason, I have chosen to only discuss the first three phases I
observed, in order to present a descriptive account of the process used by ask dance theatre to create the movement material for In Your Light, and thus provide a
foundation upon which to build the analyses which follow.
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CHAPTER 6: ANALYSIS OF ask’S CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW IN THEIR RHETORIC Investigating the manner in which ask dance theatre reflect their Christian worldview
through their creative process first requires the analysis of what is entailed in their
worldview as Christians. This can be ascertained through their rhetoric, as ask dance theatre reveal their Christian worldview through their language. On their website
(2000, http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html), they identify themselves as being
“a group of Christian artists” who “seek to put God first” and in an early newsletter
(1999) given to supporters of the company, they reinforce this view, stating that they
are “committed Christians” who “seek to share their vision within the performing arts
and Christian communities”. In order to develop a deeper understanding of their
worldview as Christians, I have applied Sire’s (1997) framework for identifying a
person’s worldview as well as his propositions regarding a Christian worldview. As
mentioned in the literature review, his framework (1997:17-18) involves the following
seven questions: 1. What is prime reality – the really real? 2. What is the nature of external reality, that is, the world around us? 3. What is a human being? 4. What happens to a person at death? 5. Why is it possible to know anything at all? 6. How do we know what is right and wrong? 7. What is the meaning of human history?
The responses to these questions which signify a Christian theistic worldview will be
explained in detail in this chapter, as each proposition is presented in relation to each
of the questions outlined above. I have then made links between the aspects of each
proposition and the evidence of where these are identified in ask’s rhetoric. I
discovered such perspectives through interviews with them as a company and as
individuals and by observing rehearsals and listening to ensuing discussions during
these. Also, I gained further insight into their Christian worldview by studying
documents such as articles written by them and about them, correspondence that they
had with their spiritual advisor, Peter Hallett, their website, their newsletters, and their
journals which documented the creative process of In Your Light.
Before I begin this discussion, one interesting point I noted was that they felt their
worldview as Christians was mostly the same, with only minor differences which did not
affect their overall understanding of their Christian theistic perspective of life. Phillippa
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(interview with Phillippa, 23 May 2001, lines 58-63) identified this as being important in
their ability to work together as a company when she stated: While we’re at different stages of working through different issues with God, foundationally, we’ve come across very few things that are different in our understanding of God. And I think that’s why it’s so easy; we can be so free to talk about God ‘cause the other people believe in the same God and believe in God in the same way.
Hannah (interview with Hannah, 24 May 2001, lines 38-42) and Steve (interview with
Steve, 24 May 2001, lines 40-43) both discerned that their similar beliefs related to
their individual involvement in the Anglican church at some stage in their lives: H: …we knew we had some similarity in our background. We all had…some
Anglican background, particularly; that was probably our biggest common denominator and Steve, at the time, was from an Anglican church and so was Pip…I wasn’t but I had that in my background…
S: …I don’t think we really talk much about core beliefs and we partly assume that
they’re the same because Pip and I have both been strongly involved in the Anglican church and because Hannah has, too, in the past and that going to her church now I see that it’s very similar.
While Steve had been involved in the Anglican church for many years, he chose to
begin attending Hannah’s church, Eternity Christian City Church, when Peter Hallet
suggested, during pre-marriage counselling, that they attend the same church (Cooper,
2004). As Hannah was highly involved in this relatively small church, the couple felt
that it was more important for Hannah to continue her involvement there and this
decision resulted in Steve’s attendance at and eventual involvement in the work of
Eternity Christian City Church (Cooper, 2004). Although this church is part of the
Apostolic denomination, Steve (Cooper, 2004) noted similarities between it and the
Anglican churches that he had been involved in for many years. He (Cooper, 2004)
explained: The style of community at Eternity was very similar to my Anglican experience, and
while the spiritual/pentecostal/charismatic influence (of Eternity Christian City Church) had not been present/dominant in my previous churches, it was something with which I was familiar. Eternity also had a previous pastor who was Moore College (Anglican) trained, so there was a similar focus on evangelical, Bible based theology/teaching. My impression of Eternity at the time was that it…seemed to bear similar characteristics to those Anglican characteristics that I felt were important.
Each of these statements by the company members reinforce their opinions that they
share a similar worldview as Christians. Of course, they also each have individual
worldviews which impact on their perspectives of life, but this study is focused on their
common Christian worldview. In addition, while the propositions espoused by Sire
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assist in analysing their Christian worldview, the framework cannot possibly explain all
of their behaviours.
Finally, the company members also seemed to be impacted upon by Peter Hallett,
who, as described earlier, was particularly influential in their first year as a company in
providing the company members with opportunity to discuss their worldview as
Christians and guidance as to how this related to them as a company. Phillippa
reinforced his role in this manner in a newsletter published early in 2000 (ask
newsletter 5, 2000): This year Peter Hallett will visit us every second week. We are very grateful for his support and input into our spiritual well being. Peter has a wonderful ability to listen to God's Spirit. Last year, we were constantly amazed by how his words, prepared before he arrived were just what we needed to hear…
Thus, the comments of Hallett whose correspondence was filed by the members of ask
(see Appendix H) will also be included to contribute to this interpretation of their
worldview as Christians.
6.1 PROPOSITION 1: GOD AS PRIME REALITY The Christian theistic worldview is based on the belief that God is the basis of all life.
Sire (1997:23) describes God as “infinite and personal (triune), transcendent and
immanent, omniscient, sovereign and good”. By the term, “infinite”, God is seen as
without equal and beyond measure, the “only one God”, “the one supremely powerful
and personal God” and “the one prime existent, the one prime reality and…the source
of all other reality” (Nash, 1992:34; Sire, 1997:23). God is referred to as “he”, thereby
possessing personality, and is believed to be involved in the processes of self-
reflection and self-determination (Sire, 1997:24). Also, this belief contrasts with
pantheism, by viewing God as personal and thus God should “not be confused with the
world that it is his creation” (Nash, 1992:34). Described as “triune”, God is seen as
three ‘persons’ who are “coequally and coeternally God”: Father, Son (Jesus Christ)
and Spirit (Holy Spirit) (Sire, 1997:24). Nash (1992:35) clearly defines this concept: The doctrine of the Trinity reflects the Christian conviction that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct centers of consciousness sharing fully in the one divine nature and in the activities of the other persons of the Trinity.
While God is perceived as “transcendent”, which means he is beyond both people and
this physical world, he is also classed as being “immanent”, that is, he is everywhere
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as well, but in a manner which is completely complies with his transcendence (Sire,
1997:24-25). Thus, God is believed to be “beyond all, yet in all and sustaining all”,
while also being the “ultimate source of all knowledge and intelligence” in his
omniscience, and such beliefs “reject pantheistic attempts to limit God’s power and
knowledge” (Sire, 1997:25; Nash, 1992:35). Recognized as the ruler of all but also
suggesting his “ultimate interest, control and authority”, the Christian theist sees God
as sovereign, while also believing him to be good in character. The latter suggests two
elements of God’s character, that of his holiness (separateness from evil) and his love
for all, which “leads him to self-sacrifice and the full extension of his favour for his
people” (Sire, 1997:25; Nash, 1992:35).
It would appear that God is seen by the members of ask to be true and ultimate reality
as he is mentioned frequently in interviews, newsletters, correspondence and even
discussion, whether directly related to the process or simply in general conversation.
Phillippa (interview with Phillippa, 23 May 2001, lines 499-500) refers to God as being
infinite, explaining, God is surrounding the whole thing; God is the foundation of all life.
The company also used Psalm 139 as the basis for one of their earlier works and this
biblical passage also refers to God’s infinity (‘ask past performances’, 2000,
http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html): 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, They would outnumber the grains of sand. The Welcome Pack (2001) (see Appendix I) provided for visitors to Hannah and
Steve’s church, Eternity Christian City Church, clearly outlines their belief in the triune
and personal nature of God. As Hannah and Steve attend Eternity Christian City
Church, where ask’s spiritual advisor Peter Hallett is also the pastor, it could be that
they share these beliefs, the opening statement of which is as follows: WHAT WE BELIEVE… 1. The One and Living God eternally existent in three persons in unity, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.
As mentioned in interviews with Hannah (24 May 2001, lines 39-42) and Steve (24 May
2001, lines 40-43), each of the members share Anglican backgrounds and it would
seem relevant to refer to the Apostles’ Creed from the Anglican Prayer Book which
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also reinforces the Christian theistic view of God as personal and triune, among many
other statements which align with the Christian worldview. It reads as follows: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
God is also referred to as being transcendent and immanent briefly in Eternity Christian
City Church’s Welcome Pack (2001) in the statement, God has placed eternity in every heart. This is where the divine reality of a loving God
touches human flesh. Similarly, Hannah (personal interview, 24 May 2001, lines 289-294) alluded to this
characteristic of God when she described her work, Train, and people’s responses to it: …people have gotten things as diverse…as…a feeling of God being with you in personal, isolated kind of journey.… And somebody got, out of having the train journey…that it’s all about how God helps us in the rat race.
As mentioned earlier in relation to God’s infinity, the company selected Psalm 139 as
the basis for an early work of the same name and this psalm also highlights their belief
in God as both omniscient (verses 1 to 4) and immanent (verses 5-10). 1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
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too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your right hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
God’s sovereignty can often be identified in the statements and language of ask
members, describing God as “Lord” and “in charge”, relating to their belief that God
rules over everything. Phillippa (in Harding, 2001:11) used the term, “judge”, to
describe her view of God’s sovereignty and his knowledge of all things (omniscience)
in the following statement: Remember, though, that God is the judge – what is right for one may not be right for another; we are made individuals and have individual callings.
Hannah (Cooper, 1998) alluded to God’s sovereignty and her view of his rulership over
the earth when she stated: A theological concept that is particularly important for Christian artists is that of Christ being Lord of all creation.
In a journal entry during the choreographic process of In Your Light, Phillippa (9 March
2001) referred to God’s sovereignty, acknowledging his reign over both light and
darkness: God allows us and is in charge of darkness and light. The light causes the shadows but without light – all in shadow.
During their rehearsal on 9 February 2001, their devotional reading for the day was
from the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verses 1-10, and the first few verses of this
passage seem to be focused again on the Christian theistic view of God as sovereign: After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you
granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
In his correspondence with the company members (see Appendix H), Peter Hallett also
related sovereignty to the son of God, Jesus Christ, ruling over all of creation and thus
being more powerful than even the most awesome element of nature: Don’t forget who is in the boat with you. Even asleep he is still creator of the world, the sustainer of all things. The disciples became preoccupied with the storm rather than with the one greater than the storm…More frightening than the storms of life is the
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awesome authority and power of our God. Even the winds and the waves obey… Fear God.
Further, Phillippa (personal interview, 23 May 2001, lines 16, 18, 20-25) related the
personal element of God’s sovereignty in the life of a Christian by recounting her own
experience of allowing God to be her “Lord”: So I remember at the age of 11 being given this little booklet…. And I went home and read the booklet and…at the end, there was a little prayer where…you offered your life and gave your life to Christ, that Christ would be the most important thing in your life and your Lord and your Saviour and the person that you followed. And, at the age of 11, I committed myself to that and, I guess, the thing I remember was that Jesus became the most important thing in my life and the reason that I lived my life the way I did.
Finally, God’s character is acknowledged by Hannah (observation notes, 15 February
2001) as good, when praying in response to her meditation on Romans 12:1-2 during a
devotional study at the beginning of a rehearsal: In particular, Hannah prayed about the “balance” between God’s will and His “working all things together for good”, referring to Romans, chapter 8, verse 28, which is a Scripture frequently quoted by Christians to explain the negative situations faced by humans in everyday life.
Hence, it would seem from their rhetoric that the members of ask see God as real and
infinite, triune and personal, transcendent and immanent, omniscient, sovereign and
good.
6.2 PROPOSITION 2: GOD AS CREATOR According to the Christian theistic worldview, the world can only be comprehended “in
light of God’s existence” (Noebel, 2001:147). The universe is not something that
simply occurred with no rhyme or reason but something that came into being due to the
verbal commands of a divine Creator. Created solely by God and with him as “the
source of all else”, the universe originated from nothing (ie. ex nihilo), not “out of
himself”; he “spoke it into existence”, with nothing existing “prior to Creation except
God” (Sire, 1997:26; Nash, 1992:35,36). Nash (1992:36) explains this as follows: Everything else that exists besides God depends totally upon God for its existence…The cosmos is not eternal, self-sufficient, or self-explanatory. It was freely created by God.
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God created the cosmos “with a uniformity of cause and effect”, and therefore it was to
be orderly and not chaotic (Sire, 1997:26). Nash (1992:36) highlights this view,
explaining that the Christian theist believes, …the world (is not) a purposeless machine. The world exists as the result of a free decision to create by a God who is eternal, transcendent, spiritual (that is, nonmaterial), omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, loving, and personal.
Finally, God is believed to have created this universe as an open system, meaning that
this world is not programmed and thus allows for free will and freedom of choice by
humans (Sire, 1997:27).
The creation of the world by God is mentioned only a few times by Peter Hallett in his
correspondence with ask (12 February 1999), also identifying that “faith” is required by
the Christian to believe this as true. Of significance is his mention of the biblical
passage, Hebrews 11, verse 3: 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible… When God purposed to create the world he spoke and it came into being…In fact he has ordered creation so that we are the visible expression of his word.
The concept of God as creator is certainly a focus for the early rehearsal sessions for
In Your Light, particularly in imagining God’s breath to “awaken” their bodies in a warm-
up capacity (observation notes, 8 February 2001). Phillippa discussed this briefly in
her journal (8 February 2001): Genesis 2:4-25. meditate/share/pray breath – awaken body parts This was motivated by their devotional reading at the beginning of the rehearsal which
involved the second chapter of the opening book of the Bible, Genesis, which related to
the creation of humans by God’s breath, specifically verses 4 to 7 and 20 to 22: 4 When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens – 5 and no shrub of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground – 7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being…
These examples of the rhetoric of ask suggest that they hold to the tenet that the world
was created by God out of nothing and that similarly humans were also created by God
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6.3 PROPOSITION 3: HUMAN BEINGS AS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD As for the nature of humanity, the Christian theistic worldview holds to the tenet that
each human being is “specially created in God’s image” and, as a result, possesses
qualities related to those of God including “personality, self-transcendence,
intelligence, morality, gregariousness and creativity” (Noebel, 2001:203; Sire, 1997:27;
Abraham in Nash, 1992:46). Thus, humans are perceived as being like God and are
also “dignified”, with Sire (1997:30) suggesting: …theists see themselves as a sort of midpoint – above the rest of creation…and below God…It is in failing to remain in that balance that our troubles arose, and the story of how that happened is very much part of Christian theism.
This final statement refers to the Christian view that humankind (and the world in
general) is in a different state now than it was when it was originally created. God
created humans to be in relationship with him, but with the freedom to respond to or
reject God (Abraham in Nash, 1992:46). However, humans “misused their freedom”
and although having been created good, they chose against God’s commands and
thus “fell from grace” and are in a state of rebellion, with the image of God within them
becoming “defaced, though not so much ruined as not to be capable of restoration”
(Abraham in Nash, 1992:46,47; Sire, 1997:32). Due to such “sin”, which is described
by Nash (1992:48, 50, 51) as “a deep-seated inward corruption”, humans are
considered by the Christian theist to be “apart from God” and thus each human being is
believed to be a “divided self”: The eternal factor that God has implanted within leaves all of us ultimately frustrated, unhappy, and restless until we finally enter into his rest.
From this point, God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life as a human and to
eventually be crucified so that he would be the sacrifice once and for all, in order for
God to “redeem” humanity. Through this, God “began the process of restoring people
to goodness, though any given person may choose to reject that redemption” (Sire,
1997:32. Thus, humanity has progressed through various stages, according to the
Christian theistic worldview, from creation, to Fall, to redemption and, eventually, to
glorification (Sire, 1997:32;Colson and Pearcey, 1999:xi)
God’s role as creator of humans is again reflected in Psalm 139, which ask used as
the stimulus and foundation for a work created in 1999 (‘ask past performances’, 2000,
http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html) as well as the stimulus for an
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improvisational activity early in the creative process for In Your Light (observation
notes, 8 February 2001): 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. This passage also alludes to the uniqueness of each human being, individually formed
through God’s creation. Similarly, Phillippa (personal interview, 23 May 2001, lines
278-287) discussed this quality as the basis for a work by Immanuel Schmidt, which
was included in their end-of-year season, entitled green spice: That whole section was improvised and then the conclusion was about bringing these four different women of God together and celebrating their uniqueness. And they taught each other parts of their phrase and I said, “We’ll do a bit of Nicola’s, and then a bit of Jane’s, then a bit of Jenny’s, and this is the order but you choose your timing and your floor patterns and your directions.” And it was just beautiful because you could see that they were all doing the same thing, as long as they kept basically not too separate, you know, far away, so that we could see that they were doing the same movements. And you could really see their differences but celebrate their unity.
According to Christian theism, human beings possess a gregarious quality causing
their desire to relate to other humans and also to God and this perspective is reflected
in a discussion with Hannah and Phillippa (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines
1163-1179) regarding the work, Pilgrimage: P: But the main thing was community. H: Yes, it was about community. P: The poem was about… H: …prayer… P: …prayer but it was- The reason we used it was to create the movement and to
get the underlying essence of our community… H: Yeah, that was God and communicating together with him… P: …with him. Yes… H: …rather than individually. It was the juxtaposition between being alone and
being together, wasn’t it? Creativity is obviously a major part of ask as a dance theatre company and Peter
Hallett (1999), in his correspondence with the company, discussed this element of
human beings as being derived from God, which aligns with the Christian theistic view: But now God involves us in his creativity. Now when he speaks he sees cooperating, responsive faith in the heart of those he created in his image. God can create/act/work/ save independently of us, but he loves most of all to do these things with us.
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While these aspects and quotes focus on human beings as created in the image of
God, Christian theism also acknowledges the “defacing” of human beings through their
rejection of God. Steve mentioned this perspective in a journal entry ( 9 March 2001)
in the simple statement: God is light, darkness is where I am. As discussed earlier, Steve and Hannah’s church, Eternity Christian City Church,
presents its fundamental beliefs clearly in a series of statements in their Welcome Pack
(2001) and the third statement also supports this view of the “fall” of humans: 3. The inherent corruptness of man through the fall; the necessity of repentance and
regeneration by grace and through faith alone, and the eternal separation from God of the finally impenitent…
However, their fifth statement (Eternity Christian City Church, 2001) highlights the
redemption that Christian theists believe can be found through the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s Son: 5. Justification and sanctification of the believer through the finished work of Christ.
This statement also alludes to the process of restoring people to goodness through
relationship with God. In relation to this, Phillippa used the biblical passage, Romans
12:1-2, as a devotional reading at the beginning of a number of rehearsals (especially
in Phase 1 of the creative process for In Your Light). It highlights the instruction for
followers of Christ to be involved in this restoration process, particularly in the second
verse: 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Steve (personal interview, 24 May 2001, lines 21-24); journal entry, 8 February 2001)
identified his own personal experience of this process: So, from there on, I actually did some more rebelling (laughs) so it was interesting that I was a very committed Christian but still had some aspects of me that really needed to be worked on.
Finally, in their “devotional studies” with Peter Hallett (5 February 1999), the company
members focused on this process of restoration, involving changing and growing in
order to become closer to God’s likeness: Creative art – dance, music, painting, sculpture, writing, poetry – is the process of taking the raw material of idea, desire, passion, vision, talent, people and crafting
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working, releasing, shaping – until you have something worthy of display, ready for performance, presentation. Something that brings alive your vision – sometimes growing and changing as it develops. You are embarking on a year of devoting yourselves to such a process in various forms – both together and individually, sometimes being crafted, sometimes the crafter. We all need to remember in life that as we engage in this process, God is in fact at work in the same way on our lives. God is preparing each of us to be on display, to be worthy, to be ready. A work in progress, as the saying goes…As you carefully craft your works this year, be aware of a greater hand, mind, heart not only guiding you in your work but working on you.
Through their rhetoric, the members of ask demonstrate the view that God is the
creator of humans, who are unique and individually formed by God, as well as being
gregarious and creative in nature like their Creator. Their language also identifies the
Christian theistic perspective that the original design of human beings has been
“defaced” due to their rejection of God but that redemption can be found through life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that restoration to goodness can occur
through any individual human’s decision to return to a relationship with God.
6.3 PROPOSITION 4: DEATH AS THE GATE TO ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD
The question of what happens after the point of death reveals stark contrasts between
worldviews. Physical death is not “the end of personal existence”, according to the
Christian theistic worldview (Nash, 1992:51). For the Christian, “death is either the
gate to life with God and his people or the gate to eternal separation” from God (Sire,
1997:34). This means that humans “continue in a transformed existence” in either
heaven or hell (Sire, 1997:35). In hell, humans will forever be separated from God,
and it could even be seen as “God’s tribute to the freedom he gave each of us to
choose whom we would serve” (Sire, 1997:35). On the other hand, heaven is to be a
“glorified existence” where people will be with God who is viewed as the only one who
will “ultimately fulfill human aspirations” (Sire, 1997:34).
Little is mentioned by the members of ask about this fundamental aspect of Christian
theism regarding what occurs to each human following this life here on earth.
However, as discussed previously, Eternity Christian City Church’s Welcome Pack
(2001), presents fundamental statements which espouse their beliefs; the third
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statement of belief also supports the Christian theistic view of death, that those who do
not return to God will live in eternal separation from God following life on this earth: 3. The inherent corruptness of man through the fall; the necessity of repentance and
regeneration by grace and through faith alone, and the eternal separation from God of the finally impenitent.
As can be seen by the statement, Christian theism holds to the tenet that a person
passes into eternal life after death in this physical realm. Similarly, the desire for all
people to be made aware of this is seen in a later explanation in the pack (2001): We acknowledge that no human plan or purpose can achieve eternal things, only the supernatural presence and power of God – freely available to all through Jesus Christ. It is in this reality we rest and with this reality we reach out to those around us that they too may find the rest of God’s love.
Such “eternity” and belief that there is a life beyond the present physical one on this
earth is highlighted in Peter Hallett’s correspondence with the company members
(1999): As you carefully craft your works this year, be aware of a greater hand, mind, heart not only guiding you in your work but working on you. In fact you are the greater project. Dances, songs will come and go – you are eternal.
Similarly, the devotional reading, as chosen by Phillippa for the rehearsal on 9
February 2001, related to the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verses 1-10, and the
discussion which followed seemed to be especially focused on verse 3. This scripture
again mentions the concept of eternal life, relating to the Christian worldview of what
follows death for those who know and follow Christ: 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, who you have sent.
It is also included in Hannah and Steve’s journal entries on 29 March 2001, as they
both recorded the biblical passage, 1 John 5:11-12, on which the warm-up activity was
based for that session: 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life.
This scripture could be seen as a summary of ask’s view of death: people who do not
choose to be in relationship with God will ultimately experience eternal separation from
him after their earthly lives comes to an end, while those who choose to turn to God
and be in relationship with him will live forever with him following life on earth.
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6.4 PROPOSITION 5: HUMAN KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE CAPACITY CREATED BY GOD
Similarly to the concept of death, the question of why it is possible for humans to know
anything at all elicits a variety of responses, but as is expected, the Christian theistic
view of this concept relates directly to God, with the “foundation of human knowledge
(being) the character of God as creator” (Sire, 1997:30). From a Christian perspective,
Sire (1997:30) asserts that humans can know both the world around them and God himself because God has built into them the capacity to do so and because he takes an active role in communicating with them.
This explanation is strongly supported by Nash (1992:39):
…human beings have these innate ideas, dispositions, and categories of thought by virtue of their creation by God…It is reasonable to assume that he created humans in such a way as to make them capable of attaining knowledge of his creation. To go even further, it is reasonable to believe that he endowed the human mind with the ability to attain knowledge of himself.
God does this, as mentioned previously, through both general revelation and special
revelation. Therefore, the Christian theist sees that knowledge is possible because, in
Sire’s (1997:30) words, there is something to be known (God and his creation) and someone to know (the omniscient God and human beings made in his image). The members of ask acknowledged that God actively communicates with humans in a variety of
ways. In a number of different situations, Hannah discussed her experience of God
actively communicating with her. The first of these (personal interview, 24 May 2001,
lines 14-19) was regarding her decision to study dance at a tertiary level at WIMA and
highlighted her sense of God’s clarity of direction: I probably did that when I chose to come to Wesley to study because I had an offer from the Centre for the Performing Arts in Adelaide which I really wanted to take up…I wasn’t even sure why I was auditioning for Wesley, but I did and then I had to make this decision and I made the hard decision, which was what I thought God was telling me to do…
Hannah (group interview, 14 February 2001, lines 1369-1373) also espoused her belief
that God directly communicates with his followers by discussing his further direction for
her to continue being involved in the company even when she felt that there were too
many difficulties to face: And, so…at the beginning of last year, when we were at Cooma, which is in the middle of all the previous big things – post-New Year problems…I felt very really (sic) that God said to me, “I want you to obey me and go back to the company, no matter what.” He said, “Don’t hold yourself back; just totally throw yourself back in there.”
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Thirdly, during an open-ended discussion with Hannah (8 February 2001), she
mentioned their desire, over the time the company has been operating, to include
others within the company. However, when searching for God’s guidance in the
matter, especially through prayer, they (Hannah, Phillippa and Steve) felt that they
were to remain the sole members of the company as such, while working on individual
projects with other artists, both Christian and non-Christian. Hannah also made an
interesting response in her journal (29 March 2001) regarding an improvisational
activity where she was required to respond with movement to the differences in light in
one of the rooms of Wynola. This response also has some relevance in discussing her
belief of God’s communication with humans: What do the confusing shafts of light and the movings (sic) with them mean? It’s like the gleans of understanding and truth that you experience in coming to Christ…
This suggests her view that, once a person chooses to be in relationship with Christ,
he/she gains understanding of God and the world through encounters with him, as
reflected by the concept of God being as ‘light’. In another instance of discussing
God’s communication with people, Phillippa (personal interview, 23 May 2001, lines
371-382) referred to God “convicting” her. This is a term used by Christ, as recorded in
John 16:8, to explain the role of the Holy Spirit in causing people to see what is right
and wrong in God’s sight. Then, last year, we had a bit more of a balance of works, like Hannah’s two works were a bit more about having the foundational beliefs about God in there as well as still maintaining an artistic level. And then this year, I think because of my own growth closer to God, through my time off over Christmas, I’ve just felt more and more convicted to allow the Gospel to be very present. And I think that has come, too, from the decision to focus on God and, so, naturally, because we have focused on Him and then taken an image of the light, there is, naturally, more of a focus in the work on God.
Finally, the view of God communicating with each of the company members throughout
their creative process is identified in a number of instances. During an interview with
Steve (24 May 2001, lines 161-166), he explained his view of God’s involvement in
their process: …while we’re not wanting to do pieces that are the Gospel or present it in a really clear manner, it’s also that we create our pieces with God influencing us and we hand them to God to do whatever he wants and we practise that. And we have a Christian worldview as we prepare the stuff so when it goes on stage, there’s something of God there that people see that might not be in other pieces, so that’s communicating.
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Further, Steve (‘ask past performances’, 2000, http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-
july99.html) showed his belief in God’s power to direct human creativity when relating a
performance which occurred at an informal church-related activity day. This
performance occurred at a training day for Christian performing arts groups who were
to perform as part of the festivities of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. As part of the
performance, the members of ask and fellow Christian artist, Heather Clark, presented
an improvisation which involved the audience’s participation in suggesting a theme for
the improvisation: Another performance that became a profound experience of God's creativity. If I had a portion of creative flair only half the size of His, I'd have something to impress the world with; but He chooses the smallest audiences and least significant moments to deliver the most outstanding expression of whatever is appropriate, affecting both audience and performer deeply… …as intrepid explorers in the adventure of improvisation, we invited Martin to suggest a theme for our an as-yet-unwritten piece. “Community” the feisty crowd hollered - “show us community”. And so, with a satchel of anticipation in hand and a quiver of ideas slung over shoulder, we (with our worthy companion Heather Clark) stepped forth. Forth, as it happened, into the waterfall of creativity sent from on high, sent to inspire and amaze us. On a high, and in receipt of some encouraging feedback, we left with a sense of awe, being sure that we had not only dispelled many preconceived ideas on “Christian Dance”, but had also been used fully by God in this performance opportunity.
A specific activity which exemplifies this view that God communicates with humans
occurred during the creative process of In Your Light (observation notes, 15 February
2001). Phillippa began the rehearsal session on February 15 with the Scripture
reading, Romans 12:1-2 and then directed the company members to choose a phrase
from this passage, to meditate on it and to then pray aloud according to it. This is a
passage that they had read at the beginning of each of the first four rehearsals, asking
God to show them something new to focus on each time. Again, this relates to the
Christian theist perspective that humans can know God through “special revelation”, in
this case, through his Holy Spirit guiding their thoughts when meditating on the same
words. It also shows their understanding that God actively communicates with his
followers, which is demonstrated in their expectation that he would draw their attention
to something new in the passage read. Hannah also stated in a discussion following
an early improvisational activity (observation notes, 8 February 2001) that she began
the task by crouching, praying that God would really be guiding her, not that she would
just imagine it (as Phillippa had originally instructed her), emphasizing the perspective
that God communicates through the human body as well. Perhaps most revealing,
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though, is Phillippa’s (journal entry, p11) view of God communicating with her
regarding her creative process, believing that the “choreographer is (the) receiver from
God”, further supporting her view that humans can know God through His
communication with them.
Such frequent mention of God’s active communication with the members of ask
suggests their agreement with this proposition. While they do not identify God’s use of
“general revelation” explicitly in their rhetoric, they do make mention of various
methods of “special revelation”. These include God’s communication through the
Bible, through the guidance of their thoughts especially during times of prayer, through
the Holy Spirit’s conviction of right and wrong and through his physical guidance when
they are involved in the creative process.
6.6 PROPOSITION 6: ETHICS AS TRANSCENDENT AND BASED ON THE CHARACTER OF GOD
In Christian theism, the basis of ethics is also “grounded in the character of God” as
“good (holy and loving)” in the Christian worldview (Noebel, 2001:107; Sire, 1997:35).
As previously mentioned, the Christian theist views human beings as carrying the
image of God and, thus, are “creatures capable of reasoning, love, and God-
consciousness” which “explains why we are moral creatures” (Nash, 1992:40). For the
Christian theist, ethics is “transcendent”, believing God to be not only the source of the
physical world but also the moral world (Sire, 1997:35; Nash, 1992:41). This means
that with regards to ethics, the Christian determines “what conforms to God’s character
and what does not” (Noebel, 2001:107). Further, Sire (1997:36) expounds that there is
“an absolute standard by which all moral judgments are measured”, based on God’s
character as being holy and loving. In the words of Nash (1992:42), Christian theism insists on the existence of universal moral laws. In other words, the laws must apply to all humans, regardless of when or where they have lived.
While little is mentioned explicitly by the company members of ask regarding ethics, it
would seem that the belief that ethics are based on the character of God permeates
their process, as they desire to maintain a “safe, nurturing environment” and
differences of opinion or conflicts relate back to their expectations that, as Christians,
their thoughts, words and actions should reflect God’s goodness, holiness and love.
They perceive God as “just”, which was reflected in Phillippa’s prayer at the beginning
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of their planning meeting for 2001(1 February), where she also gave God recognition
as the “one in charge and the one whose wisdom we seek”. Phillippa (Harding,
2001:11) also provided a reminder to Christian artists regarding the need to maintain
God’s character as the standard by which to determine right and wrong, reflecting the
Christian theistic view of ethics. Being an artist is highly rewarding and highly challenging. Without a commitment to growing in your relationship with God, it is easy to be consumed by the pursuit of art or led astray through the inevitable exploration of possibilities. It has only been the memory of God’s call on my life and the deep, deep desire to serve God in this way that has kept me on track. To those going into the secular community – it never pays to compromise. God will honour your obedience.
The repeated use of Romans 12:1-2 (particularly verse 2) by Phillippa for early
rehearsals in the creative process of In Your Light (observation notes, 8, 9, 15 and 16
February 2001) reinforces this concept of Christians living their lives based on God’s
principles rather than by the standards which the “world” sets: 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
In the devotional studies he prepared and coordinated for ask in their first year as a
company, Peter Hallett (19 February 2001) gave the company members some clear
guidelines by which to conduct themselves in order to stay aligned with God’s
character (see Appendix H), which clearly reflect Christian theism regarding ethics,
based on the biblical passage of 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24. This passage and some of
the points regarding this perspective are as follows: 12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16Be joyful always, 17 pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil. 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. …These verses highlight respect for those in authority, working hard, controlling tempers and moods, and not falling into idleness, impatience…The four C’s of ministry are Calling, Charisma, Content and Character. The last is clearly the most important. Avoid is an active word. Avoid evil. Be in the world, not of it. Be above reproach…
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The desire of the company members to maintain a “safe, nurturing environment” and
their frequent reference to the Bible in their rhetoric does seem to align with the
Christian theistic perspective that ethics relate to God’s goodness, holiness and love.
6.7 PROPOSITION 7: HUMAN HISTORY AS LINEAR Finally, the Christian theistic worldview holds that history is both linear and teleological
(Sire, 1997:36; Noebel, 2001:328). While it would seem otherwise from the events that
have occurred throughout human history, “the actions of people…are nonetheless part
of a meaningful sequence that has a beginning middle and an end” (Sire, 1997:36).
This is due to the Christian theistic belief that God has known the end since he first
created this world and “is aware of and sovereign over the actions of mankind” (Sire,
1997:36). History is also seen as “the divine purpose of God in concrete form”, with
time being “irreversible” and history being “localized in space” (Sire, 1997:37). Sire
(1997:38) concludes his discussion of the Christian theistic view regarding history by
defining it as the result of those choices which under the sovereignty of God, bring about God’s purposes for this world.
Unfortunately, this concept is not explicitly mentioned by the members of ask and is
therefore unable to be commented upon.
6.8 CONCLUSION According to Sire (1997:38), Christian theism can be summarized in the following
statement: Nothing is prior to God or equal to him. He is He Who Is. Thus theism has a basis for
metaphysics. Since He Who Is also has a worthy character and is thus The Worthy One, theism has a basis for ethics. Since He Who Is also is He Who Knows, theism has a basis for epistemology. In other words, theism is a complete worldview. (italics his)
Essentially, perspectives on prime reality, external reality, the nature of human beings,
death, knowledge, ethics and human history are all founded on God and his character
in the Christian theistic worldview. From the rhetoric of ask dance theatre, it would
seem that they share these perspectives and thus hold to the tenets of the Christian
worldview. Phillippa (‘ask newsletter 5’, 2000, http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-
july99.html) presented a summary of these views when the company identified their
goals in 2000:
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ask is foremost a Christian company and although it will be working in the world with a variety of people, its first allegiance is to Jesus Christ. This priority flows out of the personal relationships each member has with God but is enhanced, strengthened and deepened by their corporate relationship with God - the working of His Spirit, the enriching of His Word and the power of prayer.
It seems clear, then, that the rhetoric of ask dance theatre supports their identification
of themselves as Christians. However, whether this is reflected in their creative
process, through their activities and behaviours, remains to be seen.
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CHAPTER 7: THEIR CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS The discussion of Christian theistic propositions, especially those identified in the
rhetoric of the members of ask dance theatre, and the summary of the general
process involved in the creation of their dancework, In Your Light, make apparent
several themes which intertwine the company members’ Christian worldview and their
creative process. In analysing the creative process for this work, evidence of the
company members’ Christian worldview has been searched for in order to answer the
research question, “How does ask dance theatre reflect their Christian worldview
through their creative process?” Evidence relating to this question arose out of
improvisational tasks and activities, movement material created and their interactions
and reflections. Thus, their worldview was reflected in the process both through the
activities incorporated in the process as well as the ways in which the members of ask
perceive and act within the task. Through the triangulation of data from different
sources and different moments during the creative process, themes emerged. The
following discussion is limited to three interrelated themes which seem to pervade the
creative process of In Your Light, relating to the propositions of a Christian theistic
worldview, and which are substantially reflected in the data presented. These themes
are (1) demonstration of their communication with God and his active involvement in
communicating with them, (2) demonstration of their involvement in the “restorational
process”, and (3) demonstration of their alignment with the character of God by
maintaining a “safe, nurturing environment”. Within each of these themes, certain
activities and behaviours are presented which highlight the theme being discussed.
Their communication with God and his active involvement in communicating with him is
demonstrated through prayer and meditation on God, through Bible reading, through
experiences of his physical guidance and through circumstance. The restorational
process is evident in their discovery of and submission to God’s will, their use of
concept of the “breath of God” to “cleanse” and “nourish”, and their methods and
behaviours when dealing with tension and conflict in relationships. Finally, their desire
to align themselves with the character of God is particularly seen in their aim to
maintain a “safe, nurturing environment”, and evidenced through their use of
discussion to communicate perceptions and concerns and their use of discussion to
maintain open communication. (It is important to note that many of the examples
relating to each of the three themes occurred in Phase 1 of the creative process as this
was when there was a greater variety of activities being used to improvise and
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experiment with ideas for movement and music. In the latter phases, the activities
centred upon developing material and reworking and refining material which had been
developed. Activities were often repeated from rehearsal to rehearsal.
7.1 DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR COMMUNICATION WITH GOD AND HIS
ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUNICATING WITH THEM Christians believe that God communicates with them and that this occurs through
various means, all of which relate to two principal modes of revelation as expounded
by Sire (1997:31-32), “general revelation” and “special revelation”, which are discussed
in Chapter 2. General revelation relates to God’s revealing of Himself through the
“created order of the universe” (Sire, 1997:31). However, it is special revelation by
which God communicates more directly with humans and this mode of revelation refers
to “God’s disclosure of himself in extranatural ways”, including “appearing in
spectacular forms”, speaking to people in their own language and being incarnated in
the form of Jesus Christ, by whose life and words as the Son of God, “showed us what
God is like more fully than any other form of revelation” (Sire, 1997:31, 32). The Bible
provides the recording of countless instances of this special revelation, showing God’s
character, principles and directions for living, by writers who encountered God
throughout their lives, including those who followed Jesus Christ when he lived in
human form. Christians believe that God continues to communicate through his Holy
Spirit who was spoken of by Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 16,
17 and 26: 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you… 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Such communication by the Holy Spirit can occur through the guidance of one’s
thoughts (especially when praying), through reading the Bible, through guiding the
body physically and through circumstance, among other methods, according to the
Christian theist. It would seem through the data collected that communication between
God and the members of ask occurred through these methods of special revelation.
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7.1.1 Prayer and meditation on God One strategy that demonstrated this theme of two-way communication with God, was
the use of prayer. Prayer was included in the majority of rehearsals observed,
sometimes at the beginning, sometimes at the end and sometimes at both the
beginning and the end of the rehearsal. When used at the beginning, prayer was an
aspect of the warm-up activity and was one method in maintaining their focus on God.
In one particular rehearsal in Phase 2, on March 29th, the time of prayer at the
beginning of the rehearsal was used by Steve to “yield everything to God” and caused
Hannah to notice that the music Steve played as a result of this had “less of a sense of
notes (in the music) and more of a mood…(and his music was) of a deeper level”.
Phillippa also commented that she felt Steve’s music seemed to be “textured and
informed” by his response to the prayer time (observation notes, 29 March 2001). On
the other hand, when prayer occurred at the end of a rehearsal, it allowed for the
company members to bring the rehearsal to a close and was useful in summarising
their progress and present situations (both personally and creatively) in thanksgiving to
God for these.
Prayer was also used in conjunction with the reading of biblical passages, notably
Romans 12:1-2. Other Scriptures were used throughout the rehearsals for In Your
Light, but this passage from the book of Romans was used repeatedly throughout
many of the rehearsals I observed. For the first three rehearsals, they read this
passage at the beginning of each, asking God to show them something new to focus
on. For example, at the first rehearsal, February 8th, Phillippa discussed three aspects
of the passage. Firstly, she expounded that it is due to God’s mercy that humans can
be in relationship with him. Secondly, she identified that by the company members
“giving all” to God more emphasis would “be placed on preparation for
choreographing”. Thirdly, she explained that by their adherence to the phrase, “Do not
be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world”, they would not be “doing things
the way the ‘world’ teaches but spending more time with God, prior to workshopping”.
On February 15th, they again prayed according to this passage, but this time the focus
was particularly drawn by Hannah’s prayer, regarding the “balance” between God’s will
and His “working all things together for good”. This led to Phillippa’s direction to use
this as the stimulus for the warm-up activity. The next day (February 16th), after they
had prayed together, Phillippa’s attention was drawn to the phrase, “offer your bodies
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as living sacrifices”. This time she used this scripture to guide them in a warm-up
activity using the concept of the “breath of God” to “cleanse”, “relax” and “nourish” as
the focus, in order to adhere to the biblical direction she had noted. Use of Scripture in
this manner relates to the Christian theistic perspective that God can communicate with
humans and, in this case, it is through His Holy Spirit guiding their thoughts when
meditating on the same words for each rehearsal in Phase 1. This is demonstrated in
their expectation that He will draw their attention to something new in the passage
read, in line with the concept of special revelation regarding “God’s disclosure of
himself in extranatural ways” (Sire, 1997:31).
The concept of the “breath of God” was also used by Phillippa as the stimulus for
warm-up activities in their early rehearsals, understood by Christians to be the very act
used by God to create humans, according to the biblical book of Genesis, chapter 2,
where it is stated that: 7the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
It seemed appropriate to use this motivation as they began the creation of this new
‘form’ and in attempting to “give (their) all to Him” and placing greater emphasis on
preparation for choreographing by “not doing things the way the ‘world’ teaches but
spending more time with God, prior to workshopping” (Phillippa, observation notes, 8
February 2001). Phillippa directed them to focus on the breath of God as though it
moved over each body part, bringing the body to life. The stimulus eventually
motivated Phillippa’s directions to focus on inhaling as expanding and exhaling as
decreasing in size. The concept of the “breath of God” was used a number of times
and in different ways throughout the creative process as a focusing activity at the
beginning of rehearsal sessions. Perhaps this was to focus on God as sovereign and
immanent, being open to God’s guidance as their source of creativity. Certainly, while
many contemporary dance companies would no doubt use similar activities of
relaxation and meditation, the uniqueness of this Christian company can be found in its
use of biblical principles and passages as the focus and as a method for being open to
God’s active involvement in communicating with them through special revelation.
It is interesting to note that while almost every rehearsal began with prayer and/or meditation on
God, the rehearsal on March 30th did not begin in this way. Phillippa set an improvisational task
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which required them each to move through the three rooms of Wynola and to respond to each
room’s light, texture and sound. They were also to notice the elements to which they
responded. This warm up did not relate to prayer or meditation on God and Phillippa quickly
moved from this improvisational task into another one where she directed Hannah to respond to
the shadows in the Lounge’s archway while Phillippa shone a light from outside the windows;
Hannah was then to respond to Phillippa’s presence once she had entered the room. As they
proceeded to improvise, Hannah did not appear to be ready to participate in this activity,
seeming to have difficulty in creating movement in response to the task. She mentioned later in
a discussion with Phillippa that her body and mind were not quite prepared to “jump” straight
into this. Perhaps she had become accustomed to the use of prayer and/or meditation on God
for her preparation and needed these elements in order to focus her attention on God and thus
demonstrating her desire to be ready and open for God to communicate with her in guiding her
creation of movement, as had happened with all previous rehearsals. 7.1.2 Bible reading The reading of Scripture and even the use of song to focus on God, particularly during
the warm-up times, showed their desire to “connect” with and develop a greater
understanding and awareness of God. Hence, biblical passages (other than Romans
12:1-2) such as Genesis 2, Psalm 139, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, John 17:1-10 and 1
John 5:1-12, as well as numerous passages relating to the concept of “light” as
presented in the Bible, were used throughout the creative process of In Your Light. A
hymn entitled, “Immortal, Invisible”, which focuses on God’s eternal and holy nature
and thus is based on biblical principles, was also sung by the company members at the
beginning of the rehearsal on March 29th in Phase 2. These were used as stimuli
either for discussion, prayer and/or improvisations, allowing for God to communicate
with them through his principles and words as presented in the Bible and to impact
upon their process.
7.1.3 Physical guidance from God Some believe that God can communicate through the Holy Spirit’s guidance of the
physical body as well. This seemed apparent on a number of occasions but
particularly in the improvisational task initiated by Phillippa that used as its stimulus
Psalm 139, verses 5 to 10, which reads as follows: 5 You hem me in – behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
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too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there you hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
In her journal (8 February 2001), Phillippa identified that her focus from this passage
was based on her perception that “God is always there”, highlighting the Christian
theistic view of God as personal and immanent, especially by his Holy Spirit. Her
ensuing direction for the task was for Hannah and Steve to focus on “God maneuvering
movements”, imagining God’s hand moving over the whole body for Hannah or
hands/fingers for Steve. Phillippa further explained that they were to work separately
although, as she believed God would have a hand on each, she acknowledged that
there may be some coordination between their respective improvisations.
Hannah began crouching and, in the discussion which followed this activity, she shared
that she was praying that God would really be guiding her, not that she would just
imagine it, exemplifying her Christian theistic view of God as immanent and omniscient.
It also relates to the Christian concept of God’s Holy Spirit “liv(ing) with (her)
and…be(ing) in (her)”, as stated above in John 14:17. This is supported by Phillippa’s
discussion of this activity in her exegesis (2002:20) where she explained: God is all around and His mighty hand will hold, protect and guide our movement.
Steve began by kneeling in front of the keyboard, but it seemed to be for a similar
purpose – to focus on God as the guiding force behind his playing. Steve recorded this
improvisation in his journal (8 February 2001) as follows: Impro 4: God is in between us, with his hand(s) upon us, directing. H seemed (not to me, cos I wasn’t noticing) to be moved physically by God. I wasn’t sure whether he’d direct my thoughts or fingers. I think it was thoughts.
The next week, Hannah (video documentation, 15 February 2001) discussed her
experience of this: It’s like when I’m dancing and I feel like God’s touching me (she demonstrates by placing her hand on the back of her head, causing it to roll forward and over to the side) at different parts of my body to make my direction change. Sometimes He’s with me on the turn, sometimes He makes the turn happen, sometimes He both pushes me and supports me. Sometimes He’s a bit further away. Sometimes I can’t cope and I break, in the sense that I can’t continue it but God continues it. Sometimes I get really tired
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and I can’t do it ‘cause I’ve got no energy left and that’s when He pulls me in. And I’m hoping that, after twisting and turning and going all different ways, I’ll go into a big, smooth curve with no breaks…where eventually I’ll become part of a continuum with Him where I’ll stay forever.
Their attitudes towards this process seems to support the Christian theistic view that
God “takes an active role in communicating with them” as human beings, having
created in them the capacity to do so (Sire, 1997:30). Similarly, it relates to the
concept of special revelation where God reveals Himself by extranatural means.
Another example of God’s active communication through extranatural ways occurred in
only the second rehearsal session I observed (and documented on video), where
Hannah sensed God’s guidance of her, physically and mentally. Phillippa chose to use
an improvisation which focused on one of Hannah’s responses to a task which was set
the previous day. The task involved Hannah focusing on her limited awareness of her
back and the space behind her, which she had identified during an improvisation and
the ensuing discussion on the first day, while Steve was to encourage through music.
Phillippa reminded Hannah to give this feeling to God. (It is important for a detailed
description of this improvisation to be provided here due to the significance of the
improvisation as an example of God’s active communication as revealed in the
movement created. Hannah’s ensuing discussion of the experience can be more
clearly understood when framed by the context of her movement responses during the
improvisation.)
Hannah began in an upright standing position and Steve faced her, sitting at his
keyboard. After watching her for a moment, he began playing using three simple notes
which he later revealed were representative of the words, “Behind you!”, sung in a
child-like manner with its gentle and light sound. Hannah then began to move, turning
her head slightly to the right and leaning back a little, into a slight high release.
(Because of her upper body alignment, it looked to me as though someone was
holding the back of her neck, supporting her weight at this point, so that she could lean
backwards.)
As she proceeded into a balance, Steve played his motif again. Hannah initiated a half
turn, finishing suspended for a moment in a rise in parallel, with her upper body leaning
forward, with pressure seemingly continuing to be on the back of her neck. This
continued into three quick steps forward as she recovered from the impetus of the turn
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and the resulting suspended position. The connection from the upper back and neck
(shown by her focus being out and down) where the driving force seemed to be was
again maintained.
After executing a series of sustained movements, Hannah then sharply pulled herself
back to her haunches with her body curved forward. She gently began swinging her
body to the right and left, with the size of the movement gradually increasing each time
and her body ‘rolling up’ to a more upright position. Again, these movements seemed
to be initiated from the back as though being pushed from side to side.
Later, Hannah began to contract in her thoracic region, sinking downwards into a slight
plie in parallel and then pulled her arm back to a bent, relaxed position just below the
side of the ribcage, and transferred her weight to the left leg where she paused for a
moment. Hannah proceeded to swing her body to the right and left, increasing in the
use of force and stepping slightly forward each time to maintain her balance. This
increased use of energy suggested a struggle between Hannah and some other force.
The energy of Hannah’s swinging movements further increased causing her to
complete full circles of the upper body on the horizontal plane in a clockwise direction.
Her head was very relaxed with these movements, suggesting her relinquishing control
to the impetus of the movements. She then returned to small swinging movements
with her body to recover from the momentum and moved into a high release.
After a series of controlled, balancing movements, Hannah took four steps to turn
around. With each step, she seemed to circle the accompanying shoulder backwards
as though there was a force drawing her shoulders back and guiding her slight
changes of direction. Continuing the initiation of movement by the shoulders, Hannah
performed twisting movements of her torso from one side to the other. It was during
these actions that she began to move her arms the most obviously in this sequence.
Then she relaxed her left arm down and quickly traced it up behind the body, brushing
upwards over the back of the head as she reached upwards. This showed a moment
of relaxation that was a temporary contrast to the previous movement phrase.
She continued to use this same movement for each alternating arm, as she stepped
forward in almost a mime moonwalk-type action, although it was more percussive in
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quality. She repeated this action numerous times, alternating sides and increasing in
speed, and the movements appeared to be the result of some kind of internal conflict.
She then slowed down again to pause in a stationary position. Having brushed up the
back of the head, the right arm now held a relaxed, high diagonal position, with her
held tilted slightly towards the right as well. Slowly, Hannah lowered her arm down so
that both arms were by her side. She similarly sank slowly and gently into a demi plie
with inverted knees as her upper body curved slightly forward and she rested here,
appearing very relaxed, even peaceful, which was unusual considering the awkward
nature of the position. Finally, she traced her right hand up her left arm to the
shoulder, around the back of the head, which had tilted to the right, and came to an
upright position with legs slightly relaxed to conclude. Hannah’s eyes seemed to be
closed for almost the entirety of the improvisation, showing her focus on her back.
Perhaps it was also to assist her concentration on God, so that she could give it over to
God as Phillippa had instructed her to do.
Hannah’s (video documentation, 9 February 2001) discussion of this experience
provided an explanation of what she believed to be happening. She said, “I think
yesterday…I spent so much time presenting the problem, presenting the problem,
presenting the problem. Today there was a sense…”, and then she paused and
agreed with Phillippa who offered that God was taking away the problem of Hannah’s
limited awareness of her back and the space behind her. Hannah continued, “It
doesn’t mean that the problem’s not there, and bits more of it are going to come out.
So there (are) all these struggles but there’s a relief with it…So I felt like things would
keep coming up and then He’d take them away. Then there’d be some relief and
something else would come up.”
Hannah (video documentation, 9 February 2001) added, “And also there was a very
big balance between the sense of God being there, the sense of Steve supporting me,
the sense of my own journey.” She clarified that Steve’s music was supportive for her
as ”it felt like it kept reminding me of God and the submission of the problem.”
Hannah’s comments reflect the Christian theistic view of some of the characteristics of
God as personal, immanent and omniscient, believing that God was truly present with
her as an existent personal being, who is immanent in spirit form and the one who
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knows all things, including her feelings and difficulties. She seemed to be able to
“sense” God being with her and thus understood him to be guiding her movements.
Each of these examples highlight the view held by the company members that God is
active in communicating with humans through the form of special revelation, that is, in
extranatural ways. Both improvisational tasks were designed by Phillippa to allow God
to be involved in the creative process and are evidence of her belief that God can
communicate with his followers through guiding them physically. Similarly, Hannah’s
belief in the nature of God as personal, immanent and omniscient can be seen in both
of these instances through her physical responses to the improvisational tasks, which
were further clarified by her discussion of these experiences of God actively
communicating with her by guiding her movements. Such experiences seem to be
identified by the members of ask as God’s communication with them by extranatural
means.
7.1.4 Communication through circumstance God’s role in actively communicating through circumstance also appeared to occur
during a discussion that followed an improvisation on February 15th. The improvisation
had focused on the concept of God “working all things together for good” as found in
Romans 8:28, and Steve had demonstrated difficulty in participating in this
improvisation, spending much of the time in which Hannah improvised, lying on the
floor beside his piano. It seemed that Hannah and Steve’s difficult circumstances in
their personal lives (including their lack of a permanent place of residence and Steve’s
loss of one of his part-time jobs) had impacted upon their responses to the
improvisational activity. During the discussion which followed, however, Steve found a
page from his Bible which had fallen out. His eyes were drawn to a particular passage
on the page and he read this passage, 1 Peter 4:19, aloud to the others: So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
On finishing reading, Steve smiled broadly and chuckled confidently, as did Hannah,
nodding her head knowingly, and Pip gasped in amazement. Their responses seemed
to indicate their pleasure that God had been actively involved in communicating with
them through this circumstance of Steve’s locating this scripture which related to their
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difficult personal experiences at the time. Steve wrote in his journal (15 February
2001)and he described his thoughts on the Bible passage he had found as follows: The bit of Peter from H’s Bible that falls out was on top of the Bible, as it was open to Romans. I saw 1 Peter 4:18 and read it, didn’t feel much impact then read v19 and WOW… WOW! That’s exactly what I’ve been needing to see/hear!
This experience and the dialogue which occurred as a result reinforces their alignment
with the Christian theistic perspective that God actively communicates with human
beings, particularly those who are in relationship with him. By finding this Bible
passage in such a ‘coincidental’ manner, with its direct relevance to their experiences
and emotions at this time, the Christian theistic view that God reveals himself and his
ways to them through extranatural means is reinforced. Certainly, Steve, Hannah and
Phillippa considered this to be true by their responses to the unusual circumstances in
which they found some resolution to their difficulties at this time.
7.2 DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE “RESTORATIONAL PROCESS”
Christians see Jesus Christ as the only human who is completely perfect according
God’s principles (clearly seen in the Ten Commandments). The Christian theistic view
is that those who are followers of Jesus Christ are like any human being in that they
acknowledge that they are imperfect but are unique as they are involved in the process
of being restored to goodness through their desire to develop the characteristics of
Christ. This perspective was exhibited in a number of ways by the members of ask.
They showed a desire to discover “God’s will” and to submit to it, even if this is difficult
and requires changes in behaviour and/or attitudes. They acknowledged God as the
one who “cleanses” and “nourishes” in this restorational process, applying the concept
of the “breath of God” to participate in this act. As well, they demonstrated that this
restoration is continual and thus a process. This means that there will be situations
where “goodness” is not always exhibited, including tension and conflicts occurring
between them due to their natural imperfection as humans.
7.2.1 Discovery of and submission to God’s will The desire of the members of ask to know “God’s will” and to “submit” to it, in order to
be involved in the restorational process to goodness, was revealed most evidently in
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their response to the warm-up activity on February 15th, which I documented in my field
notes and on video. While beginning this rehearsal session with the Scripture reading,
Romans 12:1-2, Phillippa directed us all to choose a phrase from this passage, to
meditate on it and to pray aloud according to it. In particular, Hannah prayed about the
“balance” between God’s will and His “working all things together for good”, referring to
Romans, chapter 8, verse 28, which is a Scripture frequently quoted by Christians to
explain the negative situations faced by humans in everyday life.
The warm-up activity that followed was a result of Phillippa choosing to use Hannah’s
comment to guide Steve and Hannah’s improvisations with music and movement. This
was not the exercise that Phillippa had planned for this session and, by her allowing for
changes in direction and spontaneity, there was a greater possibility for God’s
guidance. Phillippa referred to this in her exegesis (2002:11), explaining their desire to
allow themselves to be “transformed by God’s Word (the Bible) and thereby to have
wisdom to perceive God’s will for the work…recognising that God will work powerfully
through humble servants.”
Hannah began this improvisation by taking her weight onto all fours and moving weight
randomly over these points of contact. She then walked her hands forward so that her
weight was transferred to the front of her pelvis, although she continued for a moment
to keep her body almost upright, still supported by her hands and straightened arms.
She gradually lowered her body to the floor and rolled onto her back in a very relaxed
manner, where she stayed for approximately 30 seconds. During this whole section
(approximately one minute), Steve sat at the keyboard (on Hannah’s left), staring
ahead, not focused on Hannah nor anything else in the room it would seem.
Hannah began to move again, performing a series of small, simple movements, as
Steve remained still, in a relaxed, almost slumped body position as he sat on his
keyboard seat. At this point, Phillippa intervened providing further guidance, “Try to
use the energy of the emotions to guide the movements and music.” After a few
seconds, Hannah began to move again, sitting on her haunches. She leaned to her
right, taking her weight on her right arm, her left leg released. She then rolled on her
bottom to finish in a straight leg sit on her side, which was followed by her bringing her
weight onto both feet in a wide parallel in crouch position, both hands also on the floor
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in front of her feet. Walking her hands over to where she faced, Hannah rolled up and
took a few steps backwards as she came to an upright position. All of these
movements seemed to be laborious, as though it was taking all of her energy to
execute such simple movements. This seemed to reflect her struggle to understand
the “balance” between God’s will and his “working all things together for good”, as she
had mentioned in the prayer time and discussion prior to this activity. Unlike Hannah,
Steve remained in the same position, having played nothing on his keyboard, although
it seemed as though he had changed his focus to observe Hannah.
From here, she walked backwards a few steps. With a slight suspension, Hannah
performed a collapsing movement where she lurched backwards. This continued into
another smooth, swinging action as she twisted her body to the right, left arm swinging
through the air at shoulder height and wrapping around the body, as she collapsed into
the floor to roll over onto her back. She sharply recovered from this, though, to a bent
leg sit to the side, where she suddenly focused towards downstage right with a serious,
almost angered expression. She then just as suddenly pushed herself away from this
direction again, rolling away and moving into a serious of physical (and even loud)
“thrown” movements (rolls and flinging her body forward into a push-up like positions)
in contrasting and constantly changing directions, causing a very frenetic appearance,
perhaps reflecting anger or frustration, as they were often “thrown” without restraint.
[Earlier in the day she had discussed with me some difficulties that she and Steve had
been facing, such as their lack of home and lost opportunities for work, and how they
had been relying on God but feeling as though they were not seeing answers to their
prayers. I wondered at this point whether these were the feelings she was reflecting
through her movement, as prior to this rehearsal, I had made the following observation
during their first rehearsal (8 February 2001): “Their art is affected by where they are
in their journey with God – what they think of God, how they perceive their relationship
with him, how they feel best to communicate with him.”]
As Hannah paused for a moment, Steve then moved to the left side of the piano, where
he proceeded to lie down, stretched out in a relaxed position on his back. Later, he
wrote the following entry in his journal (15 February 2001) about his inability to
improvise:
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Thought, when Rom 12 read – significant bit was God’s good, pleasing, perfect will. Prayed, God, I’m confused about how some good things aren’t in your will. Pip asked us each to play/dance while we continued to think about that… Couldn’t keep thinking about it @ piano – couldn’t get back into that thought process. Could only think re: playing piano. If I’d played anything, it would have been what I thought should be played, not a natural outcome of my thoughts. I didn’t want to just play something that sounded right. Wanted to literally do what Pip suggested. Didn’t feel focussed enough – like I was still caught up in what had happened before reh (sic), this morning.
The difficulties that Steve had been experiencing in his personal life and his
relationship with God outside of rehearsals seemed to have impacted upon his
response (or his inability to respond) in this improvisation.
Hannah continued to improvise with some simple actions. Pausing from her
percussive, collapsing movements, which seemed to be evidence of her struggle and
conflict, she gently rolled to finish in a bent leg sit to the side again. She gently rocked
her body, forwards and backwards over her right knee, increasing the size of the
movements minimally each time, eventually taking her weight forward onto her hands,
to push over into a relaxed sitting position with her legs extended forward.
Hannah then returned to her percussive, collapsed ‘thrown’ movements, which caused
her to not only show a great deal of force, but also to create loud noise as her body
(particularly the hands and legs) slammed the floor following each percussive action.
Her movements showed erratic changes of direction and had become of a low level,
just as all her movements had been previously. Hannah (video documentation, 15
February 2001) discussed the phrases of ’thrown’ and percussive movements following
the improvisation: the mounting and restrained anger was the second section (about) “uncertainty”… what’s right and…the justice (of) God’s laws. The uncertainty reduced the amount of, I’ve called it, “solid” tension. Because I was uncertain, I couldn’t get completely into anger… I was sort of passing through anger, sort of on the outskirts of it…because I was uncertain and angry. I wasn’t sure if I should be angry…
This final statement identifies a similar tension as demonstrated by Steve in this same
improvisation, that of the difficulty in maintaining the Christian worldview, rather than
reverting to her own individual way of dealing with difficulties which was being
manifested in feelings of anger and perhaps even doubt. Intermittently, though, she
would pause for a moment, seemingly ‘calmed’ but would soon resume these frenetic
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movements which had the appearance of being almost uncontrolled, perhaps relaying
her “uncertainty”. At the same time, the movements seemed to be initiated by her
centre, as though they were coming from within her body. Also, the paused moments
were often in a bent leg sit to the side or on her haunches, perhaps suggesting
moments of prayer. This was supported by Hannah’s (video documentation, 15
February 2001) comment following the improvisation when she mentioned that: there were elements now that I think of it, that included prayer, particularly in that section. Sort of presenting God with all I have…
Hannah eventually slowed down to a resting position, back on her haunches, where
she once again rocked her body gently forwards and backwards. She eventually rolled
onto her side and then onto her back, bringing her bent knees towards the ceiling. She
slowly lowered her feet onto the floor and slid them down to be in a long lying position,
hands relaxed on her chest. It seemed that her struggle had come to an end here,
having resolved her conflict, as she paused for a few seconds.
She then began to tap her right hand with a vibratory motion on her chest, increasing
this action in size with each repetition. It resembled a heartbeat beginning to race
uncontrollably. She then appeared to manipulate this action, using different body parts
(other arm, legs, pelvis, upper body, head) to perform it as she returned to
incorporating her ‘thrown’ actions with this motif. Again, Hannah’s (video
documentation, 15 February 2001) discussion of these movements following the
improvisation reinforces this interpretation: I then had a section of lying and breathing which meant I noticed my heartbeat. It was really strong and I could actually feel it in my chest. So, then, I went the next step on into more abstract (movement) and it just became more abstract, less emotional…and I was allowing the heartbeat to spread throughout the body.
For a number of movements she came to standing, but soon returned to the floor
where she continued these highly physical, percussive ‘thrown’ movements, returning
to the struggle. All of a sudden, she rolled onto her back in a long lying position, hands
resting on her chest. Again she appeared to have resolved the struggle but then
began exhaling deeply and loudly in a staccato manner which increased in intensity
and speed before she finally eased, concluding her improvisation.
As Steve and Hannah recovered from their positions on the floor, Hannah discovered
that she had cut her right arm, near the elbow, which occurred during her
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improvisation. Hannah (video documentation, 15 February 2001) broke the silence.
“Burns and dancing don’t work so well. (laughs) It’s weird, though…It sort of seems
appropriate that I’d be cut here.” She also repeated this statement later and she
seemed to be referring to the physical intensity with which she moved around the
space, that reflected her conflict with understanding God’s will in her difficult personal
circumstances. This battle of wills was of an intensity which would cause there to be
some kind of wound, relating to suffering, according to this initial comment by Hannah.
She reinforced this belief by stating, “I think my movement is…about the frustration and
the anger and the suffering that comes from trying to do God’s will.”
Both Hannah and Steve’s creative responses to and discussion of the concept of the
will of God and their difficulties in understanding and submitting to this reflect their
involvement in the process of restoration to goodness. Their individual struggles to
comprehend this concept in their life experiences reveal the fact that humans are
imperfect and thus conflict occurs when they are involved in this process, especially
due to the inability to understand the reason for negative experiences. Such frustration
and struggle is a normal part of the process of restoration to goodness, demonstrating
the tension between their desire to maintain their Christian worldview and the tendency
to operate from their individual perspective. In this improvisation these emotions and
this tension have impacted upon the creation of movement material.
7.2.2 Concept of the “breath of God” to “cleanse” and “nourish” The theme of Christians being involved the process of “restoration” was similarly
evident when Phillippa invited them to return to the concept of the “breath of God”
during the rehearsal of February 16th. This concept was used in the first few rehearsals
as a warm-up, awakening the body for movement and to focus on God. However, this
time the focus was to be on the “breath of God” as a “cleansing, relaxing force”,
allowing God to remove tension, insecurity and fear and then “nourish”. By their
choosing to be open to God’s influence in changing their attitudes and emotions
through this activity, they were involved in the process of restoration to goodness
through God’s redemption. This activity also shows that, as Christians, they are people
who have chosen to “respond (to God) by repentance for (their) wrong attitudes and
acts”, thus allowing God to “cleanse” them of ungodly attitudes and acts,
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“accept God’s provisions” by allowing God to “nourish” them, and “follow Christ as Lord
as well as Savior” (Sire, 1997:34).
As mentioned, such restoration is a dynamic and continual process and requires
continued allowance on the part of the Christian to submit to God’s work and healing in
every aspect of their life. Thus, Phillippa’s activity yet again returned to Romans 12:1-2
as well as to the “breath of God” to continue impacting them in their relationships with
God and in their desire to find the will of God for this work. Phillippa instructed them to
focus on the “breath of God” cleansing and nourishing the face, mind and head,
followed by moving through the spine and the rest of the body. A much longer time
was spent on the face, mind and head than the other parts of the body, though, and
perhaps this related to the phrase in Romans 12, verse 2, which reads: …be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Phillippa directed them to eventually cause movement to occur which would ultimately
bring them to stand and then walk, instructing them, “Walk as though God is moving
you,” again demonstrating the use of their knowledge of God as immanent and
omniscient and their relationships with Him to impact their creative process.
Following this improvisation, Hannah talked about how, once she had relaxed, she was
able to accept and experience God’s power. She identified this in her journal entry (16
February 2001) by writing: *Breathing warm up – breathing in nourishment and out tension, worry etc (face)
*walking – power and aliveness - feet gospel of peace – following God
Steve also identified the value of this activity in his journal (16 February 2001) by writing: Pip warmed us up
Breathing in God Great! Filth and foul out! Strength and grace in… Warm up of Pip getting us to put external things aside, taking in God’s breath!
In the remainder of the rehearsal session, this exercise seemed to assist everyone to
focus on the tasks and create material more effortlessly, but especially Steve who had
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demonstrated difficulties in focusing for the previous day’s rehearsals. His music
seemed to come more freely during this rehearsal.
7.2.3 Dealing with tension and conflict in relationships 7.2.3.1 Example 1 Even though Christians desire to be good (holy and loving) like God and for every
aspect of their lives to reflect this goodness, they, unlike Christ, are not perfect and do
not claim to be, constantly involved in the process of restoration to goodness. So,
while communication was mostly open and interaction was mostly functional among
the members of ask, there were a couple of critical moments where tension arose,
causing some conflict between them. The first of these occurred in Phase 2 on
Thursday, March 29th, during a discussion that followed the warm-up activity for the
beginning of rehearsal.
Phillippa discussed where the work was at this time, giving details about the use of
“light” as a metaphor for their explorations as well as details about how she envisaged
her role in the final product. As it had been a few weeks since I had observed a
rehearsal, I felt that this explanation was extremely helpful for me in my understanding
of their progress within the creative process. I was under the impression that it was for
my benefit; I didn’t realize that it was new information for Hannah and Steve, too. I
think it was especially a shock for them as, only about 15 minutes earlier, they had
happily talked with me of their new-found ability to collaborate and now they realized
these decisions regarding the final product had been made without their knowledge or
consent.
Hence, at this point, difficulties arose when Hannah and Steve felt that they knew
nothing of the structure of the work and felt that Philllippa had discussed little of her
thought processes as this was the first time they had heard this information. Phillippa
admitted that she tended to use the rehearsal time to work with and focus upon
Hannah and Steve, while thinking about her role during the week to follow, and she
had thought through some of this information since the previous Friday’s rehearsal
(Power, Stoddart and Wilkinson, 1989:50). Steve felt that they had been exploring
different concepts and stimuli and then, all of a sudden, it seemed that Phillippa had
found a meaning that they knew little about. Phillippa expressed her concern that she
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was constantly struggling with how to combine exploration with the final product and
that this had caused her to develop this new concept of how to do this. Hannah then
encouraged Phillippa not to worry about everything being symbolic as each audience
member would have their own interpretations and, providing Phillippa had a reason for
something, meaning would be evident. Such a discussion highlights one operative
organizational philosophy of collaboration, that of “autonomy, individual differences and
respect for differences” (Kraus, 1984:146). Even while expressing differences of
opinions, the members of ask showed a genuine respect for each other and their
differences, through their attentive listening and their responses being thoughtful yet
uncompromising.
What could have developed into a conflict seemed to have been resolved due to open
communication, the trust that resulted from this and the strong foundations of their
relationships together and with God. Once they each discussed their perspective, it
seemed that this miscommunication had been easily resolved. I wondered whether it
had been completely resolved, though, and whether it would return at some stage in
the future, as it didn’t seem that the underlying concerns were addressed. It also
seemed to refer to the fears Hannah and Steve expressed in an earlier discussion on
February 15th (see 7.3.1.1). Similarly, the disagreement highlighted the tension
between the three artists due to their desire for the work to be created with a more
collaborative process, and yet Phillippa’s strong directing role in the process seemed to
be in opposition to this. Perhaps Hannah and Steve’s reactions were in response to
this tension, but it may also have been due to the pressure caused by the process
becoming product-driven which was causing tension for all three members individually
as well as in their relationships with one another.
Nevertheless, their knowledge of the biblical basis for dealing with disagreements is
evident, particularly in regarding love, honesty, peace and forgiveness. They were
very honest in expressing their opinions, not becoming angry but explaining their
perspectives in a direct yet controlled manner and showing a desire to set things right
within the group rather than to “win” the argument. By Hannah’s encouragement of
Phillippa at the end, she seemed to have extended forgiveness to Phillippa for having
made decisions in which she and Steve felt they should have been involved. The
Christian theistic view of the manner in which conflict should be managed is explicated
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in many biblical passages. The apostle Paul’s letter (Colossians 3:8-10,12-14) to the
church in Colossia exemplifies this in the following verses: 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the image of its Creator… 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly love, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
I wonder whether their responses to this moment of conflict was impacted upon by the
fact that the rehearsal session began with worship of God through prayer and singing,
and concluded with prayer as well. Whatever the case, this situation seemed to show
their desire to continue to be open to the process of being restored to goodness.
7.2.3.2 Example 2 Regressions in the process of restoration of goodness are to be expected when
Christians are not perfect like Christ. Hence, there was another more significant
instance of conflict during my observations that occurred at lunchtime on Friday, May
25th in Phase 3, prior to the afternoon rehearsal. This conflict mainly occurred due to
differences between the company members’ original expectations regarding the
creative process, and the reality of what was occurring within the process as they
neared the final product. At the previous evening’s rehearsal, the company members
were involved in a “walk-through” of the dancework thus far and numerous people
observed this rehearsal.
At noon on Friday May 25th, I arrived at Phillippa’s house to find Hannah and Steve in
the kitchen making lunch following their morning activities. I joined them and was
initially surprised by the fact that they didn’t seem quite as open or animated, nor talked
to me as freely, as they usually did. I assumed they were simply very tired and,
understandably, a little low emotionally, but I questioned Hannah to see how she was
feeling. Hannah admitted she was tired as the rehearsal finished at 10.10pm the
previous night. Usually very talkative in this setting, Steve was unusually quiet too.
Phillippa arrived with Jane (a student from the Dance Department at WIMA) ten
minutes later, apologizing for being late. From this, she launched into an explanation
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regarding a problem with the school performance that ask had been booked to perform
in two weeks’ time. Phillippa seemed very concerned that they (ask) hadn’t had the
time to rehearse Disa pear for this performance due to their intensive work on her
major piece. However, she also recognized that if they were to do a different show
(Train, improvisation and Psalm 139), Phillippa would have had to write a new speech
to link them. This was a problem for her as she didn’t feel she had the time/energy to
do this but she wanted it to be “good”, as she felt it was important for it to be an
effective presentation for them as a company.
Until this point, Hannah and Steve had simply listened and remained silent, but it was
here that Hannah broke her silence, becoming quite angry. She raised her voice a little,
spoke more quickly and used a tone that was tense, as well as using very obvious,
forceful hand gestures, saying that she didn't understand why everything ask did had
to be excellent. She then revealed that she was quite angry about Thursday night's
rehearsal but more so that their discussion from February 15th (see 7.3.1.1), regarding
their expectations for the year and Phillippa's work, seemed to have meant nothing to
Phillippa. Hannah felt that her fear that the creative process would be forced into a
polished product in the last few weeks, was being realized with Phillippa focusing on
lighting and the overall product in the previous night's rehearsal.
It seemed that this issue had developed and had not been completely resolved from
the earlier discussion in Phase 2 on March 29th (as seen in 7.2.3.1). Steve expressed
similar concerns that he and Hannah needed more of Phillippa’s attention and that he
feared that they would lose it, although he expressed these feelings in a more calm
and controlled manner than Hannah. From this point, they discussed a number of
issues such as their differing expectations of the company and the work, the impact of
other people’s expectations on the company, and Hannah and Steve’s disappointment
and misunderstanding about what occurred in the previous night’s rehearsal. Through
techniques of reflective listening, non-blaming confrontation and admitting/asserting, as
well as through the effective use of attending skills, they eventually worked through
these issues. Steve then initiated apologies, followed by Phillippa and Hannah, and
they all hugged each other. Due to their openness and mutual trust and respect, these
issues were completely resolved and in a relatively short period of time.
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This critical moment demonstrates the impact the Christian theistic worldview of each
company member had upon them, even during conflict. They all presented their
opinions without attacking anyone personally, ensuring that they dealt with the issues,
not the people. Conflicts are to be expected even among Christians as they are not
(nor do they profess to be) perfect human beings but simply humans involved in the
restoration process, constantly aiming to be increasingly more like God. Certainly, this
instance demonstrates the imperfection of humans, especially in Hannah’s “explosion”,
when she showed anger through her strong words and raised voice. Such anger is in
opposition to what is expected behaviour for Christians, and is again evidence of the
struggle between a Christian’s individual perspective and their desire to maintain a
Christian worldview in their behaviour and actions.
However, through this conflict, it is also evident that certain biblical principles were
upheld by the members of ask. As applied in this critical moment by the company
members, the Bible discusses the principle of solving conflict by going directly to talk
with the person with whom one has a grievance without involving others. One example
given is in the words of Christ (Matthew 18:15): If a brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
They also demonstrated care and respect for each other, sharing their disappointments
honestly but without detracting from that underlying foundation of love which emanates
from the character of God. This principle is found in numerous biblical passages and
Paul’s letter to the Romans (12:10; 13:8,10) reflects just one instance: 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law… 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Further, they exhibited forgiveness towards each other for any wrongdoing in their
individual actions and/or words. Instructed in Ephesisans 4:29 to focus on speaking
words which are “helpful for building others up”, the company members may have felt
that their words earlier in the discussion (or in previous situations) did not align with this
principle. Thus, forgiveness was sought by each person, through verbal apologies and
by hugging each other. This integral element of Christianity is explicated in Ephesians
4:32:
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Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
Finally, their desire for resolution relates to the biblical concepts of unity and peace.
Continuing to discuss the problems clearly and relatively calmly until they found
resolution for all parties concerned, caused them to each find peace with each other in
this situation. The following two Scriptures particularly reinforce the godly principle of
unity among “believers”: 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ~ Ephesians 4:2-3 ~
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. ~ Colossians 3:14-15 ~
7.3 DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH THE CHARACTER OF
GOD BY MAINTAINING A “SAFE, NURTURING ENVIRONMENT” Christian theism supports the belief that God created humans “in his image” and thus
they possess many characteristics akin to God such as gregariousness, humour,
intelligence and morality. This theme can be seen in the frequent and regular use of
discussion by the company members in their creative process. It seemed that the
purpose of this strategy was to assist in the maintenance of their desired “safe,
nurturing environment”, which demonstrates their aligning with God’s principles and
character. Firstly, this relates to the idea that God is a “refuge” and a “shelter” as can
be discerned in the Scriptures and this links to their desire for a “safe” environment in
which to create an artwork through their consistent use of open discussion without
negative responses and interjections. Further, discussion allows all members to share
their ideas, feelings and perceptions, particularly regarding God and their relationships
with him. This provides the opportunity for encouragement to occur for the members to
grow as people and as artists, which relates to the “nurturing” aspect of their aim to
maintain a “safe, nurturing environment”.
7.3.1 Use of discussion
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The company members’ desire to align themselves to the character of God is evident
in their focus on care and concern for all participants and the resulting interpersonal
relationships, the desire for a “safe, nurturing environment”, to use their term. This
caused Phillippa to incorporate discussion as a major part of the creative process. She
(2002:17) explains this clearly in relation to the company’s mission statement: The director recognised the need to provide a foundation for healthy interpersonal relations for the work to reach its full potential. Previous collaboration between ask dance theatre members provided an understanding of preferences for the working process including interpersonal relating. Loving kindness, honesty, integrity and faithfulness were considered foundational attitudes. Open and regular communication to maintain healthy relations was necessary. A safe, nurturing place in which people could be invited to play was important.
Discussion occurred following every warm-up activity and every improvisational task
throughout the entire process, providing the opportunity for all participants to give
feedback to one another. They would sit together, facing each other as a close knit
group, to discuss their individual responses to these tasks, particularly outlining what
their thought processes were and what they each were experiencing. This occurred
very thoughtfully but openly, showing that they had developed excellent listening skills,
open lines of communication and a safe environment in which feelings and opinions
could be expressed without fear of intimidation or retribution. Within such discussions,
there were no interjections, as they would wait for some time after a person finished
speaking, to ensure that he/she had truly completed their part of the conversation and
to ponder what he/she had said. While they may or may not have responded to the
subject of the conversation, the following time of silence allowed for reflection. These
actions would suggest effective use of attending skills as expounded by Power,
Stoddart and Wilkinson (1989:48) as they sat at approximately arms’ length, they faced
each other in relaxed open positions, they maintained eye contact and they nodded to
show understanding. They also spoke with clearly audible voices and at average
speed, while responding quickly enough to demonstrate interest but allowing some
time for reflection. In addition, during both improvisations and group discussions,
humour and laughter was frequently used, which reflects another essential component
of collaborative organizations, that of the “capacity for joy and affective functioning”
(Kraus, 1984:125).
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7.3.1.1 Example of their use of discussion to communicate perceptions and concerns
One particularly significant example of the use of discussion occurred very early in the
process and I documented this both in my field notes and on video. Phillippa (2002:17)
described this activity in her exegesis: As part of open communication, individuals were encouraged to explore their expectations through physical drawing on paper, and then to share these with reference to the visual outcome. In Section One, three drawings were done by each person to represent: • expectations and preferences for the process and rehearsals, • expectations for the product, • current emotions about the project.
The first drawing certainly allowed for hopes and fears to be presented regarding the
creative process for this work. Hannah began the discussion by explaining that she
had used two pieces of paper to show two possibilities: the first being her fear of what
would happen, based on what she knew had happened in the rehearsal process of
their previous works, and the other representing what she hoped might happen for the
process of this work. Both drawings showed an area which represented a “nebulous
stage”, where they began the rehearsal process with no set ideas of the work. Her
drawing on the first page then moved into a new stage based on the pressure to create
material for a final product. From this, she felt it would quickly progress into their
rushing to find material due to the pressure of the looming performance. Her
preference for the creative process, however, was shown in her second diagram which
gradually moved from the “nebulous stage” into the process so that the work would
begin to take shape. From here, she hoped that the process would continue and the
work develop gradually and progressively into the final performance, after which the
company would simply return to the “nebulous stage” whereby the process would begin
again. These two drawings exhibited her desire to see their “safe, nurturing
environment” maintained from the very outset of the creative process, all the way
through to the performance of the final product, but she also feared that the pressure of
the final product might destroy this.
Steve’s expectations of the process related to the people he expected would come into
and out of the process, thus having an effect on the process. Steve shared his
concern that some people might be “waiting to destroy us”, evidently a fearful element
of the process for him, possibly as people could have a negative effect on the “safe,
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nurturing environment” which they had developed as a company. He also discussed
“nice people” who would impact on the process, whose input was necessary, a
category in which I was included as was Pip’s supervising lecturer, Kathy. We seemed
to be people who would not have a negative impact on their “safe, nurturing
environment”. In summarizing these concerns about the impact of the involvement of
“outsiders”, Steve concluded by reading this entry from his journal (15 February 2001): Feel really fragile. Need to withdraw and be very careful not to be overdrawn or engaged too fully in conversation or intense relating.
Phillippa also referred to the idea of their “safe, nurturing environment” in her first
drawing. She discussed her inclusion of numerous pink shapes that reflected her “safe
place”, that is, being with Hannah and Steve. She also mentioned that she was
uncomfortable with the knowledge that the process was very open and in stark contrast
to the way in which she usually creates. As Steve then noted, each had identified
some kind of fear regarding the creative process. Such expression of fears reinforces
their maintenance of a “safe environment” through their openness and vulnerability to
each other.
This vulnerability was similarly exhibited in Steve’s explanation of his second drawing,
which was a series of sketches, although it was his third and final sketch that showed
another fear of his. He was concerned that the final product would involve he and
Hannah being “told” a lot but not necessarily feeling as though they had been involved
in the making of the final product, and yet they would be required to “bare (their) souls”
before an audience. This highlights his contentment with being vulnerable within
rehearsal times but that he wanted to avoid this openness in the presentation of the
final product, which would no longer be within the confines of their “safe, nurturing
environment”, and that he wanted to be involved in the forming stage of the creative
process to ensure that this did not occur. Again, Steve’s expression of this fear
reinforced the openness and honesty of the group to communicate their feelings to
each other. Pip responded to Steve with encouraging, “nurturing” words, explaining
that she felt Steve’s fear was understandable because, in the creative processes they
had used for previous works, they had always had an idea of what the final product
would be like before they began creating the work. However, with this work, none of
them really had a concept of what the final product would ultimately be. While she was
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unable to provide a solution for Steve’s concern, she did acknowledge his fear as valid,
which would have been of some encouragement to Steve.
In Phillippa’s second and third drawings, she also shared her opinions of the final
product and her current feelings about the project, continuing to show her security with
Steve and Hannah to openly present her ideas and emotions. These drawings also
indicated her desire for their process and the final product to be aligned with the
character of God. Phillippa’s second drawing was very simple, including a large shape
surrounding pictures of Hannah and Steve and this shape represented God, according
to Phillippa. She explained further that her picture symbolized Hannah and Steve
taking a journey together, sometimes performing together, sometimes as individuals
and in solo work, and that God was involved in all of this, reinforcing her desire for their
process to be aligned with God’s will. In addition to this, Phillippa’s final drawing was
on lemon-coloured paper and she chose this paper because it was “a light colour and a
pretty colour, a soft and gentle colour” as this best reflected her feelings that this
represented the “underlying theme of God guiding us”. She explained this a little
further by saying that she believed God wanted to be there for them and that brought a
gentleness to the foundation of the project.
This activity and the related discussions allowed hopes to be presented and fears to be
revealed which was beneficial in their understanding of each other’s perspectives and
emotional states. In order to maintain their “safe, nurturing environment”, such
discussion was necessary to continue having “open communication”. It also provided
opportunity for participants to encourage each other in their attitude towards and
relationships with God, both individually and corporately, which is a key point in their
mission statement and in the foundation and philosophy of this work.
7.3.1.2 Example of their use of discussion to maintain open communication Another significant discussion that clearly demonstrated the desire for “open
communication”, discussed by Phillippa in her exegesis, occurred on Friday, February
16th. Phillippa began by explaining that she wanted to find the things that “spark
creativity for each” or “What things come most easily or are easiest for each of you to
respond to?” Phillippa wanted to find the challenges within the simple things, “within
the ease of the things”, rather than looking for complexities and complications to create
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challenges. Therefore, she explained that she would be focusing on Hannah because
that is easier for her as a dancer, and that she saw Steve, then, in the encouraging or
supporting role, “like Christ and His bride”. Steve didn’t seem to be in agreement with
this concept, explaining he would rather not be the resolution in the work, like the “God-
voice”, but would prefer to explore emotions that he was comfortable with and then
write songs to support Hannah in these emotions. This, he felt, would allow him to “say
his own ideas, emotions, thoughts” so that he could have the opportunity to “sort
through” some of these. He also proposed his desire for the rehearsal process to be
“full”, in that God he believed was (and would be) working through he and Hannah and
their life experiences and emotions, and that this would ultimately lead to the final
product. At this point, both Steve and Phillippa agreed that they would have to
overcome barriers for Steve to improvise according to emotions as, at this stage, he
had mainly explored words or ideas, or supported Hannah’s improvisations.
There seemed to be an openness to express opinions within the group which would
have assisted in the maintenance of their “safe, nurturing environment”. Steve is very
clear in stating his view here and, until this point, this was the most that Steve had
communicated during the rehearsals I had observed. It seemed to be something he
feels strongly about and his opinion would impact upon Phillippa’s perception of the
process and, ultimately, the final product. Phillippa clarified that at this stage they were
“exploring life experiences and God’s Word to come into play together”; she expressed
her plan to “sit with” the frustrations and work through them as a group. Again, this
openness to express their opinions and feelings verbally within the group shows their
focus on God and reinforces their desire to reflect God’s nature in their behaviour,
causing their rehearsals to be “safe” and “nurturing”.
7.4 CONCLUSION At the outset of this study, I had a number of intentions for the research process. Due
to the limited examples of literature which are available regarding Australian
professional contemporary dance companies and Christian dance, I had hoped that my
study would involve the research and documentation of a subject which encompassed
both of these areas. What has resulted is a detailed study of ask dance theatre, a
professional contemporary dance company which is both Australian and Christian.
Through the ethnographic methods of participant observation, interviewing and
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document analysis, data was collected relating to the daily activities, behaviours,
language, backgrounds and Christian worldview of the members of ask. I have also
been constantly involved in the hermeneutical circle, comparing these “parts” with the
“whole” (that is, the way in which ask members reflect their Christian worldview
through their creative process). This interpretative paradigm has been closely related
to the transformation of data collected through the phases of description, analysis and
interpretation, in order to provide a thorough discussion of a professional contemporary
dance company’s contexts and processes, as was one of the purposes for this study.
The historical context of ask dance theatre has been described, as developed from
interviews conducted and documents collected, and the company’s development as a
group has been analysed. I have also told the ’story’ of the company’s creative
process in the making of In Your Light, from my observations of rehearsals.
Another purpose for this study was to reveal a professional company of artists who
have interwoven their worldview with their creative process, in this case to provide an
example of how Christian artists create. This has occurred through the analysis of
ask dance theatre’s worldview as Christians as evidenced in their rhetoric in
interviews, discussions, meetings and the creative process itself. Taking this a step
further, interpretations have been proposed regarding the manner in which ask’s
worldview as Christians is reflected in their creative process by finding “connections”
between their Christian worldview as revealed in their rhetoric and their behaviours and
activities during the creative process of In Your Light. Therefore, in response to the
research question, How does ask dance theatre reflect their Christian worldview
through their creative process?, some ’answers’ have been revealed.
The company demonstrates their Christian worldview in their creative process by their
communication with God and his active involvement in communicating with them by
various extranatural means relating to special revelation. This occurs through activities
such as prayer and meditation of God, and through their reading of the Bible. It also
occurs through God’s guidance of Hannah’s body physically (and of both Steve and
Hannah mentally) and through circumstances.
Another way in which their Christian worldview is reflected in their creative process is
through the demonstration of their involvement in the “restorational process”. Their
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discovery of and submission to God’s will in improvisational tasks and in material
developed, show their understanding that they are imperfect humans, desiring to make
changes in their behaviour and responses, in order to allow God to be involved in the
creative process. Their Christian worldview regarding their being involved in the
“restorational process” was again evident in their use of the concept of the “breath of
God” to “cleanse” and “nourish” as an improvisational task in the creative process.
Even their methods for dealing with tension and conflict in relationships during the
creative process reflected biblical principles. Particularly in the latter, it is evident that
there is a constant struggle for the company members, as Christians, to operate from
within the Christian worldview, as opposed to acting and responding according to their
individual perspective. This causes tension for them individually as well as for them
relationally as a company, being “a group of Christian artists” who “seek to put God
first” (2000, http://web.1earth.net/~youth/ask-july99.html).
As stated, the members of ask demonstrate their desire to align themselves with the
character of God, particularly in relation to their maintenance of a “safe, nurturing
environment” through the use of discussion to encourage healthy relationships with
each other and with God. Discussion was used to provide opportunities for
perceptions and, perhaps more importantly, concerns to be communicated, allowing for
the company members to be vulnerable with each other and to continue to develop and
maintain their understanding of each other’s perspective. Similarly, the use of
discussion also demonstrated their desire to maintain open communication during the
creative process, even if this involved conflicts of ideas or perpectives.
It should be noted that their Christian worldview is evident not only in the tasks and
activities used within the creative process of In Your Light, but also in their perceptions,
behaviours and responses during this process. From this study, it is clear that the
members of ask have deliberately chosen to be influenced by their Christian worldview
in the creative process of this work, and this has occurred here more so than in any
previous works. Even during times of conflict in the making of In Your Light, they have
drawn on their Christian worldview to make choices regarding the creative process.
Thus, their Christian worldview has been reflected in their creative process through
activities and behaviours regarding their communication with God and his active
involvement in communicating with them, their involvement in the “restorational
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process”, and their alignment with the character of God by maintaining a “safe,
nurturing environment”.
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CHAPTER 8: POSTSCRIPT Every journey comes to an end once it reaches its destination and I have arrived at
mine, finding answers in response to my research question. Perhaps with more time
and further reflection the answers discussed in the themes of the previous chapter may
adjust slightly or even alter completely. However, the matter of ask dance theatre and
the impact their Christian worldview has upon them as they create artworks remains
certain.
So, what does one do at the end of a journey? I suppose the first thing that we
humans do when reaching the destination of such a significant journey is to recap its
highlights, recall the new experiences and generally reflect on what we have learnt
from our ‘travels’. From this study of ask, I have learnt a great deal about the how they
have intertwined their Christian worldview and their creative process. While this study
may have only focused on one of their artworks, I feel that this has been the best work
to study as it is their final work before taking a break as a company for an indefinite
period for each member to pursue other interests. Prior to In Your Light, they had
created numerous works during their “forming”, “storming” and “norming” stages as a
company, but it was In Your Light which was created in their “performing” stage as a
company. For this reason, I believe that this work was the most indicative of their
mission statement and their principles as a Christian company regarding their creative
process, and that the study of earlier works may not have provided such rich data to
analyse.
As mentioned in the early chapters of this dissertation, my reasons for studying ask
relate to my own interest in the ways in which my Christian worldview can impact upon
my own creative process as a choreographer. Most of my work as a choreographer
occurs within various sections of the Christian community (churches, evangelism,
education and pro-am theatre) and the research question is one which I often use to
evaluate my own artistic practice. This study has certainly provided me with the
opportunity to compare and contrast my own creative processes with those employed
by the members of ask, causing me to analyse how I allow my Christian worldview to
interrelate with my creative process as a choreographer and fashion my own thoughts
about how I can continue to achieve this more consistently. There have been aspects
of ask’s creative process for In Your Light that have been fresh and new for me, while I
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have also noted aspects which have been similar to my own inclinations when
choreographing. Nevertheless, without such a company which was not only
established with weighty goals in mind, but whose members were willing to have their
lives and their creative process observed and analysed, my study and thus the
development of my own understanding of the intertwining of Christian worldview and
the creative process could not have occurred.
Of course, this study is not only beneficial to my own creative process. I hope that it
will be of similar benefit to other Christian performing artists in their artistic practice,
particularly those working within both Christian and performing arts communities in
Australia. While there are many Christian performing arts companies of a professional
nature overseas, particularly in Europe and the United States, ask dance theatre is an
Australian company, thus creating works in an Australian environment for an Australian
audience. Although this aspect has not been the focus of my description and analysis
of ask, I hope that Christian performing artists and performing arts educators are
enlightened, encouraged and perhaps even inspired by the way in which this company
has worked over a three-year period to create in a manner which reveals their Christian
worldview. Further, it provides artists, educators and researchers in the general dance
community with a detailed analysis of a contemporary dance company’s context,
focusing on the ways in which worldview impacts upon and is reflected in the creative
process.
On reaching the destination of our journey, we humans then tend to look forward to
and anticipate the journey to come, pondering what might happen next. This study is
certainly only the beginning of research into this developing section of the dance world.
Obviously, other contemporary dance companies of this nature can be studied in the
future, providing the views of a broader cross-section and greater number of people
groups. It would also be interesting to evaluate the role of companies such as ask dance theatre within the communities of which it is a part, focusing on the
perspectives of audience members and the wider Christian and dance communities.
As for the members of ask, they continued through to the final stage of group
development, “adjourning” after the performance season of In Your Light to enjoy a
break from the intensity of their involvement in the company and to pursue other
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interests. Soon after their “adjournment”, Phillippa became pregnant and now has a
daughter Leila. She has also continued to lecture at Wesley Institute for much of the
time since June 2001. Hannah and Steve, on the other hand, chose to travel to the
United States soon after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Part of their time there
was spent working with some prominent Christian performing artists who work
professionally mainly within the Christian community. Probably more significantly for
Hannah and Steve, though, was the time they spent in New York amidst the
devastation caused by the terrorist attacks, where they used their music and dance, as
well as their knowledge of Jesus Christ to minister to and support those who had lost
loved ones in the strikes and the many gallant workers of the New York Police and Fire
Departments. Early in 2003, though, Phillippa, Hannah and Steve reunited as ask dance theatre for a one-off Christian dance concert in Sydney, although, at this stage,
they are not planning to re-establish the company in its original capacity. Regardless
of whether they eventually return to working as ask dance theatre or not, they will no
doubt continue to use their individual creativity to reflect their worldview as Christians
as they endeavoured to do prior to their establishment of ask dance theatre.
Likewise, I intend to continue to my journey as well. I hope to apply what I have
discovered from this study to my own artistic practice within the Christian community,
as an educator, choreographer and performer. I also hope to continue developing my
understanding of God and my worldview as a Christian through further study of the
Bible and the application of its principles. Ultimately, being involved in the
establishment of a professional dance company which aims to intertwine both of these
aspects of my life - Christian theism and choreographic process – is a goal I hope to
realize in the near future. Each of these aspects of my life has been, and will possibly
continue to be, impacted upon by what I have learnt from this journey of studying ask dance theatre.
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RESEARCH AGREEMENT
As a member of ask dance theatre, I understand that the following procedures will occur in relation to research conducted by Angela Pratt regarding the company:
a series(four to five weeks worth) of rehearsals and meetings will be observed by Angela Pratt between February and June 2001, and notes will be taken by her regarding these rehearsals and meetings
approximately three lots of interviews will be conducted - one involving all company members at one sitting and the others with individual company members by themselves (one of the latter interviews will be conducted via telephone in the month following the performance season)
four performances will be viewed by Angela Pratt and some notes may be taken regarding these
documents relating to the company will be collected and analysed
a service of the churches attended by each of the company members will be attended by Angela Pratt and these will be used to inform the data collected from rehearsals, meetings and document analyses
discussions involving company members and Angela Pratt may be used to further inform the research
the opportunity will be provided for all company members to read through interview transcripts, in order for them to provide feedback/criticism prior to the drafting process of the final dissertation
information presented in the final dissertation will identify company members (ie. names will be included)
I give my consent to the aforementioned procedures being conducted and am a willing participant in this research project.
Phillippa Oakden-Patch Hannah Cooper Steve Cooper
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OBSERVATION NOTES REGARDING REHEARSAL SESSIONS OF ask dance theatre February to June 2001
Descriptions Observations 1st session of improvisation: 8.2.01 • one aim of the company is to grow spiritually
and artistically SPIRITUALLY
relationships – learning how to collaborate/work as a team AND understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses
greater focus on God ARTISTICALLY
greater use of improvisation as a choreographic process
to create dance which both academics and “Joe Blow” can come to see
have been confirmed artistically through their works and productions
• not beginning this work with a theme, idea… working out HOW Phillippa choreographs
• journalling is used by all members to assist in
the choreographic process • SCRIPTURAL FOCUS: Romans 12:1-2
it is due to God’s mercy that we have relationship with Him
giving ALL to Him – more emphasis to be placed on preparation for choreographing
“Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world…” – “not doing things the way the ‘world’ teaches but spending more time with God, prior to workshopping”
Phillippa wants to create works that are of “quality” – both artistically and spiritually (i.e. have a powerful message).
• BIBLE STUDY: read Genesis 2 (and related
devotional reading from an edition of Everyday with Jesus)
this is then incorporated into the warm up activity – scripture talks of creation of humans
• They have mentioned the phrase, “safe,
nurturing environment”, a number of times since I’ve been with them. It must be an important value for them.
• I’m a little surprised that they mention this
second point, especially as I would have expected that it was such an integral part of their process that they wouldn’t need to mention it.
• This fourth point makes sense as I would expect that their Christian audiences would mostly be quite uneducated with regards to dance theatre.
• The dancework being choreographed is for Phillippa’s MA (Performance Studies) at University of Western Sydney
beginning from nothing (i.e. No set theme or idea)
Phillippa finds this quite “frustrating” but is aiming to keep focused on finding HER idiosyncratic way of choreographing. I would, too! It seems the “natural” way to choreograph for me as well. I understand completely.
• This is a well known scripture to me and is
very helpful in the Christian “walk” – learning to do things God’s way.
• Phillippa believes this will be more beneficial
and cause them to be more productive in the choreographic process.
• Compared to a secular, contemporary
performing arts company, this is a very unusual way to begin. However, it’s what I would expect from a company of Christians. Christians believed that the Bible gives principles on how to live as well as being a
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Warm Up • Phillippa’s instructions: “Focus on the breath
of God moving over each body part…relaxing each part of the face and head…shoulders… arms…back…pelvis…hips…legs…ankles… feet…Now develop this to making sounds with the parts of the face… Now focus on breathing in as expanding and breathing out as decreasing in size…”
responded verbally in group discussion to these activities (e.g. Hannah said that she enjoyed finding HUGE expansion of the body followed by minimal contraction)
• focus on moving around the space (walking)
identifying: objects sounds touch smell taste
Improvisations • Scriptural Reading = Psalm 139:13-14 • Phillippa explained that the improvisations
would have a number of sources but that following each rehearsal, they should all answer/think about the following questions:
“What did I like about today?” “What did I dislike about today?” “What did I learn today?”
way we can learn about the character of God and his purposes.
• NB. They are all reading January/February’s edition of Everyday with Jesus, which is focusing on the names of God and how these names reveal elements of His character. This involves journalling, responding whenever to whatever they wish and however they wish (e.g. writing thoughts, writing prayers, noting relevant parts of scripture, sketching, drawings with colour). I hope to see what they have done as it may provide insight into their perceptions of activities, readings, their responses, each other…
• Phillippa was very specific in her direction to
cover every aspect of the body thoroughly; the process was very methodical, almost pedantic.
• They all took this activity very seriously, shown by their complete focus and energy.
• They are obviously very comfortable with each other, as they were loud and uninhibited with the sounds they made, although Steve was a little more quiet than the others.
• Hannah seems readily able to give her response – perhaps even a little more spontaneous than the others. Steve responds deliberately and thoughtfully, and takes more time to do so.
• very relaxed Loud Big movements Uninihibited
• I’m a little surprised that Steve does this part of the warm-up, too, as it is dance-oriented and very physical but he seems to be comfortable with it. Perhaps this is how it is always done?
• This is one of my favourite psalms as it
demonstrates God’s role as creator. • Phillippa emphasised that she had “no
expectations…whatever happens, happens”. This seems to be a helpful reminder, alleviating any pressure, I would think. I would find it very difficult to have/provide such little guidance as the director but I guess that’s the point of using improvisation – something should emerge that perhaps would never have been thought of by the choreographer/performers.
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#1 Stimulus: “How do you feel right now?”(Phillippa) • first to be done separately by Hannah and
Steve – “a simple unaffected response to the scripture” (Phillippa) (Ps.139:13-14)
• then to be done as a “conversation” between them
#2 Stimulus: the wonder of the body as a creation of God • exploration from toes through to head for
Hannah • exploration from low keys to high keys for
Steve #3 Stimulus: same as previous with different focus • Steve to watch Hannah • Hannah not to WATCH body part being used
(look from WITHIN body) (Phillippa has the idea of eventually seeing Hannah and Steve working so closely ‘in tune’ with each other like the ‘mirroring game’, where each is the leader and follower as roles constantly change.) #4 Stimulus: Scripture reading = Psalm 139:5-10 • imagine God’s hand is moving over body (for
Hannah) or hands/fingers (for Steve) • work separately although God has a hand on
each (may be some coordination)
• Hannah moved first with Steve playing
keyboard. • Phillippa gave instruction to Hannah: “Keep it
simple to start with, Hannah…I know you like boundaries.” This is interesting; it shows the development/level of relationship between them. Hannah must like structure; again, this is understandable as many people like to know their “boundaries”.
• Steve moved to different sides of the
keyboard to explore. This was very interesting to watch as I have never seen a pianist be creative in their stance/positioning when improvising. I wonder if he’s been influenced by working with dancers?
• Hannah responded to Steve very obviously. It would be easier for Hannah to respond to Steve’s music as she can easily listen as she moves. Steve has to LOOK up from the keys to respond to Hannah’s movement.
(After each improvisation, they sit together and discuss their responses to what was occurring for each of them. I find myself having to really hold back to just observe and listen. I want to tell them what I observed and what I “got out of it” but I feel that this would be problematic for their process. Their discussions show that they have highly developed listening skills, pondering what each person says. They may not respond to what each person says but it is obvious that they reflect on what has been said.) • Steve felt he had framework (the length of the
keyboard as bottom to top of body), that he had boundaries – he seems to like having boundaries as they provide him with clear guidelines for him to follow which is similar to Hannah.
• It’s amazing to watch husband and wife collaborate – their connection/unity is so visible (e.g. frequent eye contact), and yet at the same time their uniqueness and individuality is evident.
• Hannah begins crouching. Later she shared
that she was praying that God would REALLY be guiding her, not that she would just IMAGINE it. This would relate to the Christian concept of God’s Holy Spirit “filling” her and “leading” her.
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#5 Stimulus: Scripture reading = 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 →Kathy Driscoll (Phillippa’s supervising lecturer for her MA) explained to Phillippa, “In our frustrations, we can go somewhere (artistically).” (i.e. Don’t disregard frustrations.) • Steve and Hannah to “communicate”
to find weakness/frustration from the session today
explore it – “find God’s hand”(Phillippa) confess it to God confess it to husband/wife
• “Recognition before God, receiving from God, blessing to each other.” (further guidance from Phillippa)
#6 Stimulus: encourage each other • look at each other as much as possible • can be light and short • a “rub of the shoulder” kind of encouragement
• Steve begins kneeling in front of piano – felt that God was placing IDEAS of how to play, not necessarily guiding him physically. This has been my experience of God/Holy Spirit when being inspired in my own choreography.
NB. It seems their art is affected by where they are in their journey with God – what they think of God, how they perceive their relationship with him, how they feel best to communicate with him. • This was so personal that I felt as though
Phillippa and I shouldn’t have been watching. • Hannah and Steve seemed very vulnerable to
God’s guidance and to each other • There seemed to be such power in husband
and wife collaborating with each other, guided by the Holy Spirit – perhaps it was the presence of the Divine?
• Steve and Hannah use humour a lot with each
other, both laughing easily – they seem to have a very close, loving, relaxed relationship. Such humour helps me to relax, too, as I find that humour eases tension.
NB. Hannah expresses herself thoughtfully yet extrovertedly and confidently. Steve is less extroverted in this environment (with discussion/verbal response in particular), yet seems to be quietly confident, and certainly contemplative (his responses are often thought-provoking). Both Hannah and Steve as well as Phillippa seem to have a deep knowledge of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and continue to be seeking to move on in the development of the relationships with Him. They talk about him easily and relate him to situations in which they find themselves. (It is more difficult to ascertain the way Phillippa responds at this stage as she is leading at present, not participating in the improvisations as such.)
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2nd session of improvisation: 9.2.01 Scripture reading: Romans 12:1-2 Warm up • beginning with breath of God (as used
yesterday) • to be used any way they want • Phillippa and Hannah with movement • Steve on piano Improvisations #7 Stimulus: a short “hello” to each other • make connection with each other • Hannah to then revisit yesterday’s experience
of “God moving” her as Steve encourages her in that exercise
• response to devotional reading for today
which relates to John 17:1-10 and especially verse 3 = discussion
#8 Stimulus: use of Hannah’s response to one of yesterday’s activities • Hannah to focus on her lack of awareness of
her back and the space behind her (as stated in discussions yesterday)
Phillippa reminded her to “give it over to God”
• Steve to continue to encourage her #9 Stimulus: to find something physical to explore • Hannah to use space (from end of the room to
the other) • Steve to use keyboard and focus on breath
(from one end of the keyboard to the other)
• There are no boundaries in this warm up in
comparison to yesterday’s warm up. • Phillippa and Hannah’s movement styles have
some similarities but are quite unique in relation to their different body types and strengths.
• There is a predominant use of focus on each
other to do this. • Hannah seemed more happy and relaxed
about this today. • Phillippa left the room during this
improvisation as she did in all of yesterday’s improvisations; she looked through the kitchen window of the hall, where the camcorder was situated to record the movement. Perhaps this also gave her a more removed, audience’s viewpoint of the movement?
• Steve stood to play the keyboard here,
although he didn’t physically support Hannah. • Hannah felt as though she was on a “journey”
with a balance between God supporting her, Steve supporting her and her own journey.
• She finished her movement facing/against the
wall; her movements showed thorough attention to detail.
• He began on his haunches and went to a cross-legged sit in the middle range of the keyboard. Again, it seemed unique to me to see a musician respond through positioning as well as through his music.
• Phillippa suggested that they both need more individual exploration in this exercise.
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#10 Stimulus: the breath and its effect on Steve’s playing of the keyboard • Steve to focus on “how to play gently by
thinking about how to breathe gently” (Steve) and including changes in tempo
• Hannah to focus on Steve’s work and changes in tempo, while still moving from one end of the space to the other
#11 Stimulus: vice-versa of the previous exercise • Hannah to “work with God moving you and
sense when he changes the tempo” (Phillippa)• Steve to continue with breath but responding
to Hannah’s change in tempo #12 Stimulus: repeat of previous exercise • no focus on breath for Steve – simply to follow
Hannah’s changes in tempo Discussion • They discussed how for the “Halfway
Showing” (to receive feedback from others about the work-in-progress) they need to provide those giving feedback with a context and framework in which to give feedback. Steve is concerned about people being destructive with their criticism and not constructive.
• Phillippa and Hannah tend to keep delving deeper and deeper into a concept and Steve will make a “completely light, irrelevant and
• Steve noted, “Playing gently doesn’t mean
playing slowly.” • Phillippa likes connections and the opposite,
juxtapositions, but likes there to be clarity in the use of either or both.
• There ended up being more of a fine tuning
and change of leader/initiator throughout. • Steve only played when breathing out (not in).
If Hannah changed tempo and Steve wasn’t breathing out, he waited to change his tempo until he was exhaling and therefore there was a momentary delay.
NB. • Phillippa has noticed that during
improvisation, it is impossible to play/move and be “connected” at ALL times but that this makes the moments of connection more exciting, like a journey (cycle) from disconnection to connection.
• She is also finding that while she used to be concerned about always needing to be in control, now she’s letting go a lot more and enjoying it so much that she stops herself at times, thinking, Perhaps I should plan a bit… This makes perfect sense to me as I find that I’m similar in wanting to be in control. However, a Christian’s response to God’s hand means that control is given to God for one’s life… I wonder if this has influenced Phillippa’s thinking and perception, too?
• I wonder if they’ve had negative experiences
in this regard before?? This might account for Steve’s caution.
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often humorous comment” (Phillippa) which brings them back out of it – they find that this HAS worked and CONTINUES to be of use to the group
• also discussed Disa pear first work, choreographed in 1999 had lots of “external agendas”, according
to Phillippa and Hannah movement was “virtuosic” to “prove
ourselves to the theatre director” for “Bodies” (he didn’t want danceworks if the movement used was movement he could perform himself)
Hannah hurt her ankles at the beginning, so Phillippa choreographed it all on herself and taught it to Hannah later
they were learning to work together for the first time so there were difficulties getting together (e.g. Steve was only able to initially be at rehearsals once a week) and lots of rehearsals were given to making large props
• the rest of this rehearsal time was given to rehearsal of repertoire – they watched video recording of Disa pear to recall it
Phillippa and Hannah commented on how their technique has changed (more “gentle” now) and how much more “technically demanding” the piece was compared to now
also commented that the choreographic process was different compared to now
3rd session of Improvisation: 15.2.01 Scripture reading: Romans 12:1-2 • Phillippa asked us all to choose a phrase, to
meditate on it and to pray aloud according to it• Hannah talked about the “balance” between
God’s will and his “working all things together for good”
Warm up • Phillippa used Hannah’s comment and asked
Steve and Hannah to use this to guide their movement/music
• further guidance by Phillippa: “Keep using the energy of the emotions to guide the movements.”
• They are very thoughtful to provide me with
the context of their “activities”; they’ve done this on a couple of occasions already.
• This doesn’t seem to be a collaborative
process – maybe it was too difficult with the setbacks and restricted number of rehearsals?
• In what way, I wonder? Perhaps it relates to
the limited (or lack of) use of collaboration? • They have read this scripture at the beginning
of each of the rehearsals thus far, asking God to show them something new to focus on.
• I was drawn to the phrases, “offer your bodies as living sacrifices” and “this is your spiritual act of worship”. Often as a Christian, I think about words or music as worshipping God, but it’s the daily giving him “the helm” of our lives which is worship. These phrases also support the use of the body (and, thus, dance) as an act of worship.
NB. This is not the exercise that Phillippa had planned for this session. She is following her earlier statement, “Whatever happens, happens,” being flexible and allowing for spontaneity. • Steve returned to lying down to regain his
focus and didn’t play at all. I wonder if he’s feeling a little low?
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NB. • Phillippa is exploring whether there needs to
be two separate instructions for dancer and musician OR whether the same idea/instruction can be used for both
• she is going with “what is the flow” what is happening at this moment and
exploring that direction begin each session by “meditating on
God’s word” and finding the improvisational exercise out of that
• Steve then noticed a page which had fallen
from his Bible and noticed the scripture 1 Peter 4:19: “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
• Hannah began moving according to emotions felt
her movements became quite frenetic perhaps reflecting anger, frustration…
I wonder whether such responses relate to difficult situations she and Steve are experiencing at present – no home, lost opportunities for work (Steve has had gigs cancelled), relying on God but not seeing answers to prayer. They had discussed these briefly in my presence, prior to the rehearsals.
• A longer time was taken for the journalling process than usual. Perhaps this is a way for them to “vent” and analyse their emotions at this time.
• Steve shared that he felt it was difficult for him to put aside the morning’s activities in order to stay focused on his thoughts and play out of that = felt he would have been playing what he thought SHOULD be played. Maybe this meant that he felt he wouldn’t be led by God and/or the stimulus?
• Hannah shared that she was feeling mounting, restrained anger, but within this there were elements of prayer, but also feelings of uncertainty. Again, her feelings of anger may relate to Steve’s recent disappointments, especially as he is her husband. It’s as though she is wanting to include God in this experience, but the human tendency to worry about such setbacks still surfaces.
• This seems very normal for a company of
Christian artists. It also appears that Phillippa wants to provide the opportunity for God to work through this process, to lead and guide them.
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Steve felt this was highly relevant at this time for he and Hannah
Hannah wants to continue believing God to be her “invisible means of support” (see Everyday with Jesus – early in the book)
Improvisation #13 Stimulus: 1 Peter 4:19 • Hannah to use the scripture to guide her
movement • Steve to use music to encourage Hannah in
this Activity • Phillippa discussed the fact that she has
talked about aspects of her major work and has improved:
her desires for the work practicalities of the major work (e.g.
rehearsal times, venues) • she explained that she now wanted all of them
(including herself) to use coloured paper and coloured pencils to express:
their expectations of the rehearsal process their perceptions of possibilities for the
end product how they feel about it right now
4th session of Improvisation:16.2.01 • began with prayer • Scripture reading: phrase from Romans
12:1-2 – “offer your bodies as living sacrifices” Warm up • return to the idea of the breath of God, this
time as though it is a cleansing and relaxing force – allowing God to cleanse of tension, insecurity and fear and then to allow Him to nourish
through the face, mind, head through the spine and the rest of the body to eventually cause movement and then
standing “Walk as though God is moving you.”
(Phillippa) Improvisations #14 Stimulus: Philippians 4:19 (and previous verses which encourage the reader to rejoice) • play like children according to words given by
NB. Phillippa: “(Hannah and Steve are) not really at the conversation stage yet.” • Steve didn’t feel he was ready or warmed up
enough to do this exercise, stating that he needed Phillippa to help him focus before playing. Phillippa decided that they would work on what she had planned instead.
• I found this activity very enlightening,
especially when they revealed their fears. It gave me some insight into their attitudes and even past experiences.
• A longer time was spent on the face, mind and
head than the other parts of the body – perhaps this relates to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” phrase from Romans 12:2?
• Hannah talked about how, once she had relaxed, she was able to accept and experience God’s power.
• These exercises seemed to assist everyone but especially Steve who had difficulties focusing for yesterday’s rehearsals. His music seemed to come more freely during this rehearsal.
• This improvisation seemed to be responded to
easily by both Hannah and Steve. Perhaps it was the fact that the words were more concrete (actions) and less abstract than trying to improvise based on concepts.
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Phillippa • no expectations except to breathe between
each word improvisation – “Take on God as you breathe.”(Phillippa)
• movement words – “plod”, “tip-toe”, “wriggle” • action words – “flop”, “search”,
“coerce/persuade”, “fight” • emotions – “hilarity”, “numbness”, “patience” • shape – “figure 8” Discussion: Question (Phillippa): “How did you respond to the ‘Breath of God’ used in the warm up? • Phillippa wants to see Steve explore being a
“free improvisationalist” just for his own sake (not that she will require him to do anything in performance that he’s not comfortable with)
• Phillippa really wants to use this work incorporating God in the work/process more than she has in her dance before
#15 Stimulus: to re-explore some of the words used before • both Steve and Hannah to explore
“numbness” again • Steve eventually to go into “figure 8” as
Hannah continues to explore “numbness” #16 • Hannah to show “numbness” moving into here
knees • Steve to intersperse “numbness” with “figure
8” Discussion: Question (Phillippa): “How did you feel about using each of the groups of words for improvisation?” #17 Stimulus: to explore the word, “patience” • both to do this to begin with • then move into including an emotion within the
“patience” (or the emotion behind the “patience”)
• Only Steve improvised with “patience” as
Hannah had a really interesting experience with “numbness” and so journalled about it afterwards.
• Steve responded very easily and enjoyed responding to “figure 8”.
• These two words/instructions were the most
‘successful’ for each of them. They each seemed to respond most easily and even dramatically to these words:
Steve: “figure 8” Hannah: “numbness” (mainly shown in the
body remaining still with movement in the arms and legs = Tharp/Cunningham-ish
• Steve found himself watching Hannah’s
response to “numbness” rather than playing.
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Discussion: • Phillippa wants to find the things which spark
creativity for each (i.e. “What things come most easily or are easiest for each of you to respond to?”). While they are working with words now, she will have them work with other senses later.
• Phillippa noted that Steve used life situations to explore “patience”
• Phillippa wants to find the challenges within the simple things, “within the ease of the things”, rather than looking for complexities and complications to create challenges
therefore, she will focus on Hannah because that is easier for her, and Steve will then be the ‘encourage’/supporting role (like Christ and His bride)
• Steve would rather not be the resolution in the work, like the “God-voice”
would rather explore emotions that he is comfortable with and then write songs to support Hannah in these emotions
to “say his own ideas, emotions, thoughts” so that he can have the opportunity to “sort through” some of these
• Steve wants the rehearsal process to be “full” in that God is working through he and Hannah and their life experiences and emotions, AND that that will lead to the product
they note that they will have to overcome barriers for Steve to improvise according to emotions
• Phillippa said that now they are exploring life experiences and God’s word to come into play together
• Phillippa wants to “sit with” the frustrations and work through them as a group
5th rehearsal: 29.3.01 (held at Wynola in the evening: 6.30-9.00pm – began in the Lounge) Discussion: RE: What has occurred in my absence • Hannah felt that this process was easier than
the processes employed for previous works as they work hard in rehearsal but it is not a strain nor is it force, and yet they are discovering so much that is useful for the work and that they are creating so much
• Phillippa became more involved in the research process
• Phillippa realised she needed to give Hannah and Steve more direct guidelines for improvising
• Phillippa noted that it is good to have this time
to “play” with no need for explorations to “go anywhere” – no expectations. Certainly I would think that it’s easier for Hannah and Steve to be more free to simply improvise with few expectations.
• Steve has used life situations to assist him in earlier improvisations (e.g. warm-up 15/2/01).
• Hannah, though, is finding the use of emotions as stimuli to be helpful/enjoyable but is aiming to express them in a less obvious/extreme way. She explained that she is looking for the subtleties in the emotions and therefore the movement (“the shades of grey” – Hannah).
• There seems to be an openness to express
opinions within the group. Steve is very clear in stating his view here. This is the most that Steve has communicated during the rehearsals I’ve observed thus far. It seems to be something he feels strongly about.
• It’s interesting to hear them discussing the
inclusion of God in what they do both as people/individuals and as artists.
• This sounds as though it will be helpful for the
group and, hopefully, productive, too. • It’s very nice of them to bring me ’up-to-date’
on ’where they’re at’ and what I’ve missed.
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Kathy Driscoll (MA supervising lecturer) helped her to see this, too
needed to work more on developing language to communicate with Steve, to provide him with the same depth of stimulus as Hannah
• now working together more collaboratively – the way they have always wanted ask to work (without the burden of expectations)
all participating in the process, including Phillippa
• working with the rooms in Wynola (St James Anglican Church’s offices and manse – was once the city manor of a country lord)
voice and movement according to space focus on LIGHT
Warm Up/Preparation Stimulus: 1 John 5:11-12 (“assurance of salvation/eternal life”) • sang hymn, Immortal, Invisible (Hannah
discovered it and felt it was relevant to their focus on light for the work)
many references to light prayer based on the reading, thanking
God for His provision of eternal life • Question (Phillippa): “How can you express
and explore the gift of eternal life?” meditate on that thought/concept and then
respond
• This sounds really positive, especially the lack
of “expectations”. • Apparently, I am visiting at a crucial time. I’m
really pleased; I’ve been concerned from the outset that I may miss important rehearsals/moments as I can only visit certain rehearsals at various intervals.
• Steve was unsure as to whether to move, play
the keyboard or sing/use his voice – Phillippa saw his role as playing the keyboard but left it to him to decide. (Steve lied down on his back for a while then played the keyboard.)
• There still appeared to be a strong focus on and use of the breath in Phillippa and Hannah’s movement which links to earlier improvisations.
• Steve was lying down to perhaps give/yield everything to God. He confirmed this in the discussion which followed.
• Hannah noticed “less of a sense of notes (in the music) and more of a mood”, “of a deeper level”.
• Phillippa noticed that the music seemed to be “textured and informed” by Steve’s response.
• Steve noticed, “I didn’t give myself (musical) ideas to work with”; “encourages me not to be concerned with musical stuff” (e.g. structure).
• I wonder, is there a connection between Steve’s ’yielding’ to God and the resulting music which was of a “deeper” (Hannah), “textured” (Phillippa) quality?
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Discussion: • Hannah has equated hard work with God but
has realised that a relationship with God “doesn’t have to be a hard slog” – things can be simple and small and therefore beautiful and sweet (“like breathing in sweet air”)
• Phillippa responded that God’s laws govern what we do but there is a lot we can do within those laws
• Steve talked about how he keeps his eyes closed when playing – doesn’t notice and doesn’t respond to the movement
• Phillippa discussed where the work was at this time
have been exploring each room and Phillippa has biblical verses which relate to each room
believes that they need to find “metaphor” for the whole work (whether each room is a metaphor or a progression of an overal metaphor)
believes that they need a character which walks in the light
begins in black unitard bathed in a red dress Ends in which unitard Sees that this is a small role and she
will play it • difficulties arose when Hannah and Steve felt
that they knew nothing of the structure of the work and heard little of Phillippa’s thought processes (this was the first time they had heard this information)
Phillippa said that she uses the rehearsal time to work with and focus on Hannah and Steve and she then thinks of her role during the week – she had thought through some of this information since the rehearsal last Friday
Steve felt that they have been exploring then all of a sudden Phillippa has found a meaning they know little about
Phillippa is constantly struggling with how to combine exploration with the final product
Hannah to Phillippa not to worry about everything being symbolic as each person will have their own interpretations and providing Phillippa has a sense/feeling/reason for something then meaning will be evident
• This was really helpful for me to have Phillippa
discuss this. I thought it was for my benefit; I didn’t realize that it was news to Hannah and Steve, too… A quick jump from about 15 minutes earlier when they had happily talked of their new-found ability to collaborate…
• It seems that this miscommunication has been
somewhat resolved. I wonder whether it will return, though, as I don’t feel as though it has been resolved completely. It also seems to refer to the fears Hannah and/or Steve expressed in the early drawing activity (15/2/01).
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Moved into “Ballroom”: • one section of the work • Hannah crawls towards the fireplace and
Steve sits on a lounge at the opposite end of the room to the fireplace, crushing ice in his mouth – both are focused on the painting over the fireplace
• different space to work in compared to the other rooms as it is a larger space than the other two rooms and has a wooden floor, not carpet
• Hannah and Steve’s roles – Steve keeps physically manipulating Hannah to keep him warm as Hannah is intent on trying to move towards the fire
• Steve is writing a song either for this room or for the entire work
chorus: “I’m afraid, I’m sick, I need…” Psalm 119:30 possibly to be used for the
Ballroom 2 Peter 1:19: word of the prophets for the
Parlour Psalm 119:105 for the Lounge
(Steve worked on the song for the remainder of the session, while Phillippa directed Hannah.) • Hannah’s character in the Ballroom is known
as “Sunday Christian” – this is performed in an open area adjacent to the Ballroom which has in it a tall lamp covered by fabric (Hannah moves to and around the lamp when she speaks then goes away to tables in an adjacent room which is unseen by the audience – her movements are only heard. She keeps returning to the light out of guilt.)
• there are a number of sub-sections within this section, reflecting different responses by the character
response: attends church because she has to reflected in phrases such as, “I like, I
revolve, I intimate…” response: friends
reflected in phrases such as, “I rejoice, I ring, I flabbergast…”
response: obligation/guilt reflected in phrases such as, “I rinse, I
can’t…” (only two phrases for this response)
response: stability and her week reflected in phrases such as, “I
slacken, I insult, I survive, I (pause) retaliate…”
• I’m finding it really interesting to see the work-
in-progress and to view movements/sections which have been developed in my absence. The use of humour as Steve appears to use Hannah almost as a blanket is clever, too.
• “Sunday Christian”, I assume, relates to the
concept that some people/Christians really only live out their beliefs on Sundays, i.e. when at church, but don’t have a consistently Christian lifestyle, such as praying and worshipping God and living out the principles given in the Bible, every day and every moment. It’s almost like living a lie or doing something out of obligations or based on what others expect, rather than out of a genuine desire to love and serve God.
Listen to audio recording for Phillippa’s directions and for a discussion of the final product and the logistics of it
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• each time these phrases will be different as this section will always be improvised
• Steve is to be included in this section, singing his song as he crunches on ice – they are going to experiment with this
• they experiment with this section with Phillippa in the Hallway (door ajar) to ascertain whether Hannah’s words and movements could be heard, as the audience moves from the Parlour to the Lounge
• they talked about Steve having a different kind of drink in each room for different fragrances (e.g coffee, tea)
Moved to Lounge (Hannah and Phillippa only) • Phillippa and Hannah decided that a
combination of light and sound will direct people to the next section
• they discussed the possible motivation for Phillippa’s character moving and therefore moving the light
• Phillippa discovered a ledge outside the windows and she took a lamp/light source outside – will probably begin outside (with the end window open) and then bring light inside and shine it behind the audience members and onto Hannah (shadows of the people watching will then move over Hannah who dances at the opposite end of the room to Phillippa and the light source, with the audience seated/standing between the two of them)
Moved to Ballroom • Steve discussed the process he used in
composing his song the song is “a cross between a hymn and
a ditty” he has been singing hymns lately and so
wanted to use some hymnal qualities • Hannah wanted to understand what Phillippa’s
relationship to Hannah and Steve’s characters would be and vice-versa
• Steve explained that he would like to do some research to provide monologues for his lyrics (e.g. a little boy eating black and white jelly beans and record why he likes white and how he hates the black ones)
• The freshness of this improvisation might add
to the emotion of the section. See audio tape discussion of Hannah’s directions as given by Phillippa (“That’s what you’re going to do there.” – pointed to Lounge)
See audio tape for discussion Lounge: • it has an archway at the end opposite to the
front of the house (Hannah dances at this end).
• High arch windows are at the front of the house (Phillippa will begin shining the light from outside these).
• The carpet is a soft, dull (greyish) colour. • It seems to be the coldest room in
temperature with the least light. • It has a fireplace opposite to the door. Archway Fireplace Door Windows • It’ll be interesting to see the effect of this use
of light. • Both Hannah and Phillippa seem to be equal
in their proposal and acceptance of ideas – a good example of collaboration.
See audio tape for explanation
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• Phillippa wants to think about what will help Steve in his journey and his final product
• rehearsal closed in prayer 6th rehearsal observed: 30.3.01 (12-2pm at Wynola) (Prior to the rehearsal, Phillippa discussed the basis of the work:
metaphors and how we relate to God someone at UWS mentioned light as a
metaphor, esp. God as light sometimes they find the metaphor first
and then work on developing it OR improvise and find the metaphor during the process)
• Phillippa still wants to begin each rehearsal with Scripture (sometimes about light), then the warm up will come from that and then they will continue to develop the work from there
• Prayer to begin based on the verse in Romans 12, “offer your bodies as living sacrifices”.
• Phillippa posed the question, “Is collaboration in creating or in the big picture?”
(This way of working, with Phillippa coming in and out – with the focus on coming out – allows her to direct the work more than she has done previously, she believes.) Warm up • they were to move through the three rooms
and respond to each room – to its light, texture, sound
• they were to notice what they respond to In Lounge (Steve to work on song in Ballroom) Improvisations #18 • Hannah to respond to the shadows in the
archway while Phillippa is shining light from outside the windows, and then respond when Phillippa is inside
• It seemed to me that Phillippa didn’t like this
idea or perhaps it clashed with her perception of the final product. She did well to not discourage Steve but to not accept the idea either. Perhaps this activity/direction for the song was irrelevant to the whole work in her mind or perhaps she is finding it much more difficult to guide Steve in composing the relevant sound than she is in collaborating with Hannah, regarding movement? This is understandable but seemingly difficult for both she and Steve.
• They are still using Scriptures – maintaining
their desire to be influenced/inspired by God? • Is their idea of collaboration really more of a
collective process, where all members contribute ideas to the process, but where one person ultimately shapes/forms the product?
• How does this activity relate to the plan of
having the warm-up come from the scripture, Romans 12:1?
• Hannah didn’t seem quite ready to do this yet;
she mentioned later that her body and mind were not quite prepared to “jump” straight into this.
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#19 • Phillippa changed tack by taking Hannah on a
journey (just walking) to see how she responded to the light and changes of light in each room – Hannah responded verbally in the form of a story of a person climbing out of a cave
• Hannah then repeated this process to recall
her story • Hannah then repeated the path with
improvised movement Phillippa instructed that Hannah should
never be too familiar with what comes next in her story/speech
• Hannah then recalled what she did with the “texture journey”
began to work on becoming comfortable with this new journey (response to light = “light journey”) by improvising movement which relates to the speech but without saying the speech (i.e. In silence)
Discussion: • Phillippa sees that the simplicity of what
Hannah says is good as the audience will find their own meaning in the story
• Hannah talked about the fact that if you immersing yourself in the subject matter, this means that it will “come out” in what is created – she linked this with faith
Moved from Parlour into Lounge • Hannah responded to the shadows made by
Phillippa’s light • they discussed the problem of where the
audience is (i.e. Behind Hannah as she is looking at the shadows on the archway)
• Hannah then added her story to the movement
she felt it didn’t work as her movement wasn’t distinct enough
she doesn’t want the movement to have anything to do with the story
she wants it to be more like the other story and movement
• The journey began at the Lounge door and
she walked to the left up the Hallway to the Ballroom doorway and then back down the Hallway to the Parlour, which she entered and walked across the room to the front window, ending with the word, “daylight”. Hannah seemed more at ease with this, fluently expressing her ‘experience’.
See audio recording for Hannah’s verbal response • Phillippa’s change of tack seems to have been
successful; care and concern for Hannah’s feelings and situation has assisted in drawing out Hannah’s creativity.
See audio recording for this discussion • I can see the parallel here. If a Christian
reads the Bible, develops communication with God through prayer and surrounds himself/herself with supportive Christians, then the result is usually someone who LIVES what they believe. It is hoped then that others will see this through the person’s attitudes, words and actions.
See video recording for this work
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the other story and movement was based on texture – so, Hannah will respond to differences in texture between the light and the darkness
• Hannah then followed these concepts (as directed by Phillippa):
from shadows to places that are illuminated to sources of light
• Phillippa directed Hannah to hold off on her response to the final concept (sources of light) as this makes here move faster – she needs to save this for the ending so that the section builds to the climax of “daylight” for the conclusion of her story
Moved to Ballroom • Steve discussed the development of his song
thus far with Phillippa it includes characters such as a homeless
boy and a woman with cancer • continued work on the “Sunday Christian”
section Phillippa talked about Steve’s character’s
dependence on ice – he walks towards the painting (over the fireplace) and the fire as he sings a verse and then moves back to the ice
Steve is now to turn and walk only a little and then sing Verse 2
Hannah’s character as “Sunday Christian” is included with Steve’s character’s journey
• FORM for the work thus far: door shut to Lounge – see Phillippa
through the windows walk to the Ballroom
Hannah crawls in Steve and Hannah in different
positions on couch “Sunday Christian”
walk to the Parlour Steve to play keyboard (and perhaps
talking to the audience) Hannah perhaps enters through the
front door or window, while the audience is already seated
Hannah then crawls out to the Lounge (door is closed) Phillippa is in the Lounge Room Hannah goes through the Ballroom
and comes in to the Lounge via the door adjacent to the archway
Phillippa shines the light through the window
• Do these concepts also relate to the Christian
view of the process which occurs when a person becomes a Christian (i.e. chooses to become a follower of Jesus Christ)? From “darkness” to “light”? The Bible refers to a world without God/Jesus as “darkness” and that God is “light”, relating to absolute truth and life.
See audio recording for this discussion between Steve and Phillippa -–includes direction from Phillippa See video recording of Steve’s workshopping the song and walking See video recording of this workshopping
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NB. • Steve is to focus on his creative journey in the
Parlour (eating something black and white as he talks about the keys on the keyboard) and on his spiritual journey in the Lounge and on both in the Ballroom.
• Hannah suggested that Phillippa’s character could just be wanting to look at different parts of the room with the light and that the light could be an extension of Phillippa and this then would lead to movement (perhaps that her character is fascinated with the light as Christians are)
Scriptures on “light” • 2 Samuel 22:29 • Job 38:19 • Psalms 4:6; 18:28; 19:8; 27:1; 36:9; 56:13;
76:4; 89:15; 104:2; 119:105; 119:130; 139:12 • Proverbs 4:18 • Isaiah 2:5; 9:2; 42:6; 45:7; 49:6; 53:11; 60:1;
60:19 • Ezekiel 1:27 • Micah 6:7 • Matthew 5:14; 6:22; 17:2 • Luke 8:16; 11:33-36 • John 1:4; 1:9; 3:19-20; 8:12; 12:36 • Romans 13:12 • 2 Corinthians 4:6; 6:14 • Ephesians 5:8 • 1Thessalonians 5:5 • 1 Timothy 6:16 • 2 Peter 1:19 • 1 John 1:5; 1:7; 2:9 • Revelation 21:23 Rehearsal: Thursday 24.5.01 (6.30-9.00pm) Numerous people observing with me: Dot (visual artist); Kathy Driscoll (Phillippa’s supervising lecturer for MA at UWS); Jacqui (Head of Dance, UWS = will perform Phillippa’s role for half of the season); Jane (dancer from WIMA, stand-in for Phillippa during rehearsals); Olivia (stage manager); Ian (lighting designer) [Phillippa talked to me yesterday about this rehearsal being a “walk-through”, working through what happens in each “box”, i.e. each phase of the work] • LOADS of preparation including the set-up of
the usual music gear (keyboard/amplifier), Steve starting the fire in the Ballroom, Phillippa and Jane setting up stage lighting (1 set – 2 lights – in hallway from Church office),
See video recording for further information • This links with my previous observation about
the relationship between Christians and their concept of light.
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and the set-up of 8 small tea light candles in arc around fireplace and some (five) on front ledge of fireplace (approx. 10cm above floor level)
• began with prayer by Phillippa • Phillippa asked us all to move around room
responding to differences in light: we began by just walking, then some included sound (Phillippa, Steve and Hannah), and then even further movement was involved as Phillippa asked us to “become aware of others and respond to them”
• the remainder of the rehearsal was devoted to the “walking through” of each section as it is at this stage.
Lunchtime prior to Friday rehearsal (25.5.01), 12noon • Hannah and Steve arrived at Phillippa’s to
make and eat lunch • Phillippa arrived with Jane at approx. 12.10pm
(Phillippa had to teach at WIMA) – she explained that there was a problem with the school performance that they have been booked to perform in two weeks. They (ask) haven’t the time to rehearse Disa pear, and if they were to do a different show (Train, improvisation and Psalm 139), Phillippa would have to write a new speech to link them and she doesn’t feel she has the time/energy to do this BUT she wants it to be good, as she feels it is important for them to do a good job
• Hannah became quite angry, saying that she didn’t understand why everything ask did HAD to be great
• Hannah was quite angry about last night’s rehearsal but more so that their discussion (in their very first rehearsals this year), re: their expectations for the year and Phillippa’s work, seemed to have meant nothing to Phillippa. Hannah felt that her fear that the creative process would be forced into a polished product in the last few weeks, was being realized with Phillippa focusing on lighting and the overall product in last night’s rehearsal. Steve felt similarly (i.e. that he and Hannah needed more of Phillippa’s attention and he was concerned that they would lose it) but he expressed it more calmly than Hannah.
• I found this an interesting and, obviously, a
necessary phase but I felt that I would have been quite intimidated by the number of people if I had been one of the performers, especially as the work was unfinished. I would have felt very vulnerable in such a situation.
• Hannah and Steve didn’t seem quite as open
and didn’t talk to me as easily as they usually do. I assumed they were very tired and, thus a little low, emotionally. Hannah said she was tired as the rehearsal finished at 10.10pm last night; Steve seemed unusually quiet, too.
• This was unresolved in an earlier discussion
(29/3/01) and I wondered then whether this would return. At this point, though, I just wished that the earth would swallow me up as I felt as though I was observing a “family conflict”, a very personal situation. However, they didn’t appear distracted, hampered or perturbed by my presence.
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• they discussed a number of issues (different expectations of the company and the work, the impact of other people’s expectations on the company, disappointment/ misunderstanding of what would occur in last night’s rehearsal) and eventually worked through them. Steve then initiated apologies, followed by Phillippa and Hannah (said it was the first time she had “exploded” with anyone other than her family) and, finally, they all hugged each other.
Rehearsal: 25.5.01 – 1.00-3.00pm Working on section in LOUNGE • Hannah and Steve on couch (Hannah focused
on heater in front; Steve focused on eating potato chips from a bowl)
• Phillippa gave a series of instructions (e.g. Hannah needs to appear afraid of the fire, Steve is to be thoroughly enjoying the fire, Steve is to be more still when Hannah is moving)
• Steve asked for his cue as to when to sing and Hannah asked for clarification of her role
• Phillippa likes Steve’s understated manner for
his character and is trying to work out how much more they need to do to really explore this “box”
• Phillippa asked Steve to look at the painting for a different focus but she liked his focusing on the “fire” (heater) better
• Hannah explained that she would like to stop looking at the fire for a moment “and then reconnect” – Phillippa agreed
• Steve hummed the song he sings a little later in the scene – Phillippa liked this
• after the second run through, Phillippa asked Steve to stop eating the chips when Hannah is standing – Phillippa likes Steve’s humming and wants him to develop his use of this
• they ran through the last part of this section and Phillippa discussed the focus during the singing (Steve to look at Hannah in the first line, Hannah to look at Steve in second line, and then look at each other when finished)
• Hannah is to then step off but Steve is to pull her back and then they are to swap places (Hannah and Steve explored this to find a way)
• Hannah then explored moving away from the
• Christian principles which seem to be evident: go directly to talk with the person with
whom you have a grievance grace forgiveness desire for resolution – peace-making
• I find it quite extraordinary that Hannah usually only “explodes” with her family. I guess this means that she classes Phillippa as family, too, which demonstrates their closeness and the level of trust which has developed.
NB. Steve has brought Hannah into the Lounge from Parlour where she has left the “light” as represented by Phillippa/Jacqui, as though he wants to be the one to help her and be her support. • The process is now focused on structuring the
product, with Phillippa giving feedback to hone what occurs.
• Less is being said, with it being more
experimentation within the “boxes” (Phillippa’s word for what she’s focusing on for experimentation).
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fire – Phillippa was very encouraging of Hannah in this, and then gave her specific instructions of HOW to do each movement, including motivation)
• Hannah moved up to stand on the arm of the chair – needed a way to be supported as she leans away, so Steve suggested that he bend forward to pick up the chips
• Phillippa used this idea and developed it – Hannah finished by coming around and lying backwards over Steve’s arm
• Phillippa wanted to see the second half again – she was happy with it
• Phillippa asked to see the full “box”/scene again – rehearsed it through to iron out the difficulties
• Hannah expressed her difficulty in walking naturally as Steve is singing the words, as she feels as though she is “acting out” Steve’s words – Phillippa told Steve to wait until Hannah has left the room to sing
Ballroom: next scene • scene begins with Phillippa/Jacqui lying on
floor in front of the fire, Steve sitting at the piano, and Hannah at the opposite end of the room from the fireplace, watching Phillippa/Jacqui)
• they discussed the motivations of the characters – Phillippa/Jacqui to hold candle just as when people first become Christians and want to show their “light” to everyone; she shows the candle to Hannah and she rejects it and walks away; Steve is not interested in the candle but, instead, responds to Hannah’s feelings through piano and song (he sees/looks at Hannah as she moves away; Hannah moves to the lamp as though she is going to an empty church building and here she speaks for the first time – “I…I…stop… I stop knowing” – and walks out the door at the opposite end from the fire)
Move to Parlour • Steve continues to work on the song for the
previous section on the piano in the Ballroom
• Again, Steve’s lighthearted nature and
approach is seen; he suggested a novel way to support Hannah and Phillippa liked it.
• Phillippa said that she was pleased with the
result. • The movements developed are simple yet
cleverly portray the differences between Hannah and Steve’s characters’ reactions/relationships towards the light source: Hannah’s character is fearful of it and is focused on escaping it, while Steve’s character is oblivious to any ‘power’ that might pertain to the light other than it being a physical source of heat to him. Interesting use of contact work and the couch to show interaction between the couple.
• The previous two sections seem to be quite
cohesive and all three performers seem happy with the results.
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• Phillippa and Hannah (and Jane) move here to work on Hannah’s “dream”, her journey “from the cave into the light” (Phillippa)
• Phillippa was very happy with it and Hannah is very relieved and grateful (journals/writes notes)
Move back to Ballroom • “Sunday Christian” scene • Hannah, Phillippa and Jane set up tables as
Steve continued to compose on the piano • Steve’s song includes the lyrics:
“Many feelings for you and the world around me, War with one another…and yet”
• Phillippa gave him feedback, saying that she
wants Steve to have “a note of certainty” from time to time – Steve recognizes that Phillippa doesn’t require it to always be complex
• Hannah and Phillippa began to work on creating a motif in relation to the fire, and they referred to some photocopied sheets of paper with poems on them, and some coloured paper with responses of company members
• Hannah began to improvise, looking for a quirky walk (according to Phillippa’s instructions - it is to look as though the feet are willing but the body from the hips upwards is not) and Hannah then journalled this information
• Hannah asked Phillippa for feedback on her improvisations: “What things are working?”
• Phillippa liked the movement of the arms • Hannah seeks further details regarding what
Phillippa is looking for, asking whether it was more the “little things” (i.e.little movements) that Phillippa is looking for, and Phillippa agreed, which caused Hannah to be relieved (“Oh, good!”)
• Hannah then improvised further – Phillippa’s feedback was that she wanted it to be less “blurry” (“Walk and move, walk and move, backward, forward…”)
• Hannah experimented again – Phillippa’s feedback was that she wants it to be a little more obvious for the audience
• Hannah experimented again – Phillippa eventually wants to play with the tempo and she commented about the use of the hand
• Hannah wrote in her journal • Phillippa discussed the possibility of
Phillippa/Jacqui and Hannah doing their motifs
see video footage • Steve is now using three poems written by
Ulrich Shaeffer, a Christian poet, as the lyrics for his songs.
• This “walk” section seems strangely akin to
the Christian’s life or to the person who is searching for God, likening a relationship with God to a journey or a “walk” with him. The concept here might be that God continually teaches his followers new things, so their “walk” with him continually changes and gradually becomes how he desires his followers to “walk” like him.
see video footage for further detail
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together (Phillippa/Jacqui’s walk is focused on breath) – Phillippa wants to do more work with Hannah on her use of breath, but this will be different to Phillippa/Jacqui’s use of breath
• Steve played his song and Phillippa likes it so far but wants Steve to work on the tempo of the first phrase
• This seemed to be a very productive rehearsal
– the discussion prior to rehearsal was apparently necessary and helpful, and, although they didn’t pray at the beginning of this session as they usually do, the discussion was ultimately good preparation as it clarified expectations and restored relationships.
168
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AGREEMENT Interview conducted on 14 February 2001
I have read the following transcript and am satisfied with its presentation of the
dialogue which occurred during the group interview conducted on 14 February 2001.
Signed (Phillippa Oakden-Patch)
170
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AGREEMENT
Interview conducted on 14 February 2001
I have read the following transcript and am satisfied with its presentation of the dialogue which occurred during the group interview conducted on 14 February 2001.
Signed (Hannah Horsley-Cooper)
170
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AGREEMENT Interview conducted on 14 February 2001
I have read the following transcript and am satisfied with its presentation of the dialogue which occurred during the group interview conducted on 14 February 2001.
Signed (Steve Cooper)
INTERVIEW WITH ASK DANCE THEATRE MEMBERS,14.2.01, 8pm (In Phillippa’s Living Room, St James Anglican Church Manse, Croydon, Sydney)
INTERVIEWER: Angela Pratt (A)
INTERVIEWEES: Phillippa Oakden-Patch, artistic director/performer (P); Hannah Cooper, performer/collaborator and wife of Steve (H); Steve Cooper,
musician/performer/collaborator and husband of Hannah (S) (NB. Recording of low quality causing a number of statements indiscernible.)
171
A: Okay, it’s the 14th of February, Valentines’ Day, and these guys have been kind 1
enough to give me some time. So, let’s begin with something that could be a 2
bit tricky - how would you define your genre of dance or style of dance? How 3
would you describe what you do? 4
5
H: The techniques we use or what we use them for? 6
7
A: What you use them for...although that would also include... 8
9
H: ...what we’re trying to do. 10
11
P: Well, certainly the style of dance that we are most comfortable with exploring, I 12
would say, what we’re getting to is, very much, movement and, as opposed to a 13
particular style. And probably the dance technique would be “release” ‘cause 14
that’s what I taught Hannah and that’s what we “clicked” on. 15
16
H: That’s what works best on our limited...on our limitations (laughs). 17
18
P: So it’s movement exploration and in terms of the reason why we chose to call it 19
“dance theatre” was because we enjoyed incorporating other elements of 20
theatre, including words, and expanding our boundaries beyond dance to 21
172
props and also the incorporation...I mean, obviously live music has been 22
included in these straight danceworks, but because collaboration was a 23
foundation, an area that we really wanted to work in. Now you can have 24
collaboration just within dancers, within a dance group... 25
26
H: ...which we do with everyone’s... 27
28
P: Yes. 29
30
H: ...input into everything, not...We’ve never had somebody walk in and say, 31
“These are the movements I made up before that you’re going to learn and do 32
now.” 33
34
P: Yes. 35
36
H: In our...I mean, we have in stuff that we’ve both danced in with other people... 37
38
P: Yes, but in terms of... 39
40
H: (unclear) 41
42
P: If it’s just us working, well, we don’t have to incorporate others where 43
sometimes the time is limited and they don’t have the same...they haven’t 44
grown with us. See, Hannah and I can understand each other very well, 45
173
obviously, because we’ve had a year of my teaching her and then two years of 46
working together. Plus, Hannah choreographed on me... 47
48
H: Yeah, that was big part in language development... 49
50
P: Yes...yes...and understanding...’Cause Hannah had heard a lot of where I was 51
coming from through teaching and I got to hear a lot of what she was interested 52
in... 53
54
H: We were feeding back all the time, weren’t we? Back and forth, back and 55
forth... 56
57
P: Yes...yes... So that partly the reason why we wanted to collaborate or why 58
I...kind of... I mean, Hannah was interested in it anyway, ‘cause she used live 59
musicians in her work... 60
61
H: …(unclear) collaboration with musicians... 62
63
P: ...at the same time... 64
65
H: ...at the same time as different musicians and with Steve (unclear)... 66
67
P: ...and also very interested in breaking out of the choreographer/dancer mould, 68
and then allowing for the fortes of other people and allowing them to input. 69
174
‘Cause even in the work I choreographed on the third years, they all created 70
lots of little parts of it. 71
72
H: Yes, that was another part of it. 73
74
P: Yes, very important. 75
76
H: But then there’s also what...probably another thing that we were interested in at 77
different times, and I know it’s not as much at the moment, but starting with... 78
memory, body memory, as the beginning for movements so that...like, I’d 79
often...this is especially in third year but then some of my other works as well, 80
I’d get Pip, say, to remember something that had happened that was right for 81
the work at that time and then study her body and watch where it moved and 82
then we’d analyse it in Laban - we used Laban a lot, the language - and then 83
create movement that was bigger (unclear)...like, that meant that it was bigger 84
(unclear) than... 85
86
P: Use those as initiators for bigger movements...yes. 87
88
H: Yeah. 89
90
P: We use a lot of body initiation. For example, when Hannah choreographed 91
Train, we looked at different emotions. We tend to come from some sort of 92
thematic or emotion base but then interpret it in movement. 93
94
175
H: And you lose...almost lose the base... 95
96
P: Yes... 97
98
H: ...by the time you get to actually performing it. That’s more the process we’re 99
trying...at this stage, that’s what we’re doing. (unclear) 100
101
P: So, my emotions associated with the journey like, ah, waiting or...or these 102
conditions - waiting, anticipation, frustration, tiredness and then actually 103
arriving... 104
105
H: Yeah, arriving... 106
107
P: So they’re thematic or emotions. And then, we talked about what sorts of 108
movement terms. If I was just walking around and moving, in terms of being 109
frustrated, what sort of movement terms... And obviously, frustration was flick, 110
throw, tense. And so then we developed it. 111
112
H: But we’d let go of the emotion and just started playing and improvising with the 113
movement. 114
115
P: And, with Storm, it was... I used a lot of images, so we became the leaf in the 116
storm, that we were very limp and it was as if the wind had a finger and had 117
touched different parts of our bodies to initiate movement. So it was an outer 118
176
thing...yeah...so... Oh, we- the reason why we chose “dance theatre” - ‘cause 119
everyone has different ideas as to what “dance theatre” is… 120
121
A: That’s something that I want to find out: what your definition is. It’s sort of a 122
word you’ve used before (unclear). 123
124
P: Yes, I think it was because, mainly, a term we use to try and help... 125
126
H: ...even non-dance audiences... 127
128
P: ...non-dancers see that we weren’t just dance; we weren’t going to do a pretty 129
picture for them and make them feel good and give them entertainment. The 130
theatre part was really... Most people understand theatre as being like a play 131
which generally says something and explores something, so that’s why, really, 132
we use the term, “theatre”, more than... Like, somebody doing an MA... 133
134
H: It meant that we could incorporate other forms... 135
136
P: Theatrical meanings...yes... The signs are important - I mean, sure, in dance 137
performances they are, too, and there are many danceworks with props but it’s 138
like the dance isn’t the most important thing. That’s the other thing... 139
140
H: Necessarily...yeah... 141
142
177
P: Yes, necessarily. Well, that’s what we wanted to allow for the possibility. In 143
collaborating, there might be times where the music became the most important 144
or the artwork or whatever. We haven’t actually reached that stage. Really, it’s 145
dance that is quite theatrical because I come from a musical theatre 146
background. 147
148
H: And you and I create that way as we’re both from dance backgrounds... 149
150
P: Yes, we’re the main creators so it does appear (unclear) quite dance-based. 151
‘Cause that’s...like even as we’re noticing now as I’m directing these two, I still 152
have a lot more to say to Hannah ‘cause that’s what I understand, even though 153
I am a singer ...yeah... So, with- as I was saying, there’s a woman studying 154
“dance theatre”, and it’s...hers is... 155
156
H: She’s got an extreme view about “dance theatre”. 157
158
P: Yes. 159
160
H: Her Masters is on, “What is ‘Dance Theatre’?” 161
162
P: And so we don’t fall under that because we do allow the dance to be virtuosic or 163
“dance for dance’s sake” whereas she combines props and acting and 164
movement... 165
166
H: Totally different... 167
178
168
P: ...to create, it’s more...for me, movement theatre, what I see her doing. 169
170
H: Right. 171
172
P: But she calls it “dance theatre”, whereas we still allow ourselves to have real 173
dance as well as we do, like, movement as well. It depends on what we’re 174
doing. 175
176
A: Okay... 177
178
H: That’s a pretty full-on answer! 179
180
A: That was excellent - thanks! Now, you’ve started your major work but I don’t 181
have an idea... I have got an idea but don’t know what you’re doing exactly with 182
it. 183
184
P: Right. 185
186
A: Can you explain even... I realise you’re not starting with - just from what you’ve 187
said - that you’re not starting with a particular theme or idea like you have 188
before, but where are you...what are you beginning with and where do you 189
hope to go from here? 190
191
179
P: Yes... The interesting thing for me is my Masters is all about my learning and, in 192
the past, I’ve incorporated lots of things - outer things - that gave me the 193
challenge that I wanted. So I’ve incorporated numbers of people, live music, 194
voiceovers, Powerpoint presentations, props, and that’s what’s given me the 195
challenge. And it’s been, ah, putting all of those things together and balancing 196
them all and working out what’s prominent at different times and how they 197
combine and what that means and all that sort of thing. So... and I’ve usually 198
had some sort of expectation because I’d be working in a limited time. See, 199
even with the last one, I didn’t really know what was going to come out of it at 200
all and there was a lot of playing. There has always been that limited time at 201
the end where as a... ‘Cause I am a very organised person and I can coordinate 202
and bring things together and manage - I’m a very good manager - so I can 203
manage them and work it all out and make it work. So what I’ve had to do, 204
what I’ve chosen to do, is to strip all of that out and to actually not have any 205
expectations. What I’m doing- it’s all about my learning and I think the way I 206
can best learn is to put myself in a place of insecurity and start totally with 207
improvisation, which I’m interested in because... Because I am a manager, I’ve 208
managed everything and had very little improv in the performance. And haven’t 209
necessarily always had people that I can work with who are used to doing that, 210
whereas last year I did, so I did have quite a bit of improv. (Brief conversation 211
with Hannah – unclear.) So, what I’m doing is starting off... I’ve chosen two 212
things: for me, it’s to stop having too many things - that’s my aim, that’s what 213
I’m headed for, and therefore I don’t have much to tell you about what it’s 214
about... 215
216
180
H: But we are heading for some sort of site-based performance? 217
218
P: Yes, that’s right. 219
220
A: And you’ve got the idea of doing it at- is it “Wynola”? 221
222
P: Yes, Wynola, just next door here. So it will be in a site, but not site-specific. It’s 223
not about the site but it’s how the site will influence, about being in the site, but 224
of course, all I’m allowing myself to do is play and to see and to make decisions 225
later on rather than earlier and to allow myself to sit with that frustration and see 226
what happens. So it’s... what I initially wanted to do, what I wrote in my little 227
proposal and then having talked to Kathy I’ve gotten rid of... I had ideas long 228
ago of doing something based on Creation. Then I stripped it all down to- Oh, 229
Creation and the Fall and our lack of taking responsibility. I’ve stripped back to 230
having a horticulturalist, an artist, and a poet, and a couple of dancers and a 231
couple of musicians which was going to be massive once again. It was going to 232
be in the hall, and the horticulturalist would design the space; it was going to be 233
massive. And at the end of last year, having done this piece, with- in six or 234
probably seven rehearsals - I found I had four dancers whom I had never 235
worked with - in fact, I’d never worked with any one of these people. Four 236
dancers of all different ages, two musicians - and the last one was only there in 237
the last two rehearsals. I taught myself how to do a Powerpoint presentation 238
and we had scrims and lighting and... you know...(H laughs) I can manage 239
things... 240
241
181
H: It was great! 242
243
P: And it worked, it worked. (next comment unclear) The speaking and the 244
Powerpoint presentation could have done with more work but it worked for the 245
time. And what we found was that both the artistic people and the non-dance 246
people got something from it as the words gave them a hook in through voice 247
which the collaboration depended upon (unclear). So I’m not allowed to take 248
anything from the outside too much. Every time I think of doing something 249
based on the outside, I try and come back to (um, ah) work the inner learner, I 250
guess. Not that you don’t learn from that but it’s a different way of learning. 251
But, personally, one thing I’ve held onto for a while since doing my Masters is 252
that I wanted to see Hannah and Steve grow in their ability to communicate as 253
a dancer and a musician ‘cause I’ve seen them over the last few years trying 254
different things but never having enough time and getting frustrated ‘cause 255
Hannah doesn’t have music training and Steve doesn’t have dance training. 256
And so that’s been an underlying thing but, of course, that’s an outward thing, 257
an outward challenge and, quite frankly, I don’t know what my inward 258
challenges are, apart from recognizing, and continuing to recognize, my 259
strengths and weaknesses and what I like and dislike and trying to work out 260
why and perhaps find something different. And for me, I’m an interactive 261
learner. Like, Hannah will go away, think it through, write, paint, draw, 262
whatever, and come and have this beautiful, thought-through thing to give. 263
Whereas, I sit and talk and work it out as I go and I find it more difficult to have 264
time on my own but that’s another thing I have to learn to do. Like, when 265
everything’s in front of me... But the thing- that’s the thing - I used to go away 266
182
and choreograph it all but I’ve allowed myself over the last two years to come in 267
and be less structured more and more and more, and not have a set idea of 268
where I’m going so that I... Well, I mean, I love surprises and I love mistakes - 269
that’s what I’ve learnt, I love surprises and I love mistakes and, in fact, if I 270
showed you the list for my report last year... I had to write four creative pieces, 271
not write on what I’d learnt, but four creative pieces. And one was...(unclear) 272
and one was a report for a magazine or whatever, one was a prayer and one 273
was list of reminders to myself and one of them was that I love surprises and 274
that was something totally that I wasn’t expecting and so often forget/wrote 275
(unclear) those things. So that’s what I’m wanting from this that I just try 276
different things and we find where it goes and what the mistakes and the little 277
surprises are and that I can learn to articulate my learning because that- I’m so 278
outward-focused, people-focused. Even though- oh, in some ways I’m not and 279
in some ways I am - I do love the challenges to come from out there so I’m 280
learning what it is to allow the challenges to come from within. I don’t know 281
what it is quite yet... 282
283
A: Oh right, so that’s it... 284
285
P: (laughs) 286
287
A: No, that’s great! Hannah, you said... 288
289
H: Oh yeah, I was just going to say that a lot of our process in creating movement 290
comes from - and this is something that I learnt a lot from my time at 291
183
college…about boundaries producing freedom. So we do a lot of improvising 292
and lots of the work - almost all the work...(unclear) We come in and improvise 293
with some- we’ve actually got a theme or some sort of perameters, even if 294
they’re just big/general (unclear) perameters, like with just words or anything. 295
But that’s something that we’ve been working on a lot, working out what 296
denotes a theme. Especially for me – I don’t show meaning, hardly at all. I just 297
try to communicate in my movement the general feel of the mover, that the 298
movement can move, like, move the way I need to move. 299
300
P: Yes, which is very good in that it has worked very well which is… 301
302
H: It gives us all sort of great, individual, like totally unique ways of moving. 303
(laughs) 304
305
P: (laughs) I should say, too, that what I wrote in my paper were two things – it 306
was a really short paper which I kind of put aside because it kind of… They still 307
underline it but I keep having to not go back to old ways of working because I’m 308
still trying to find a new way of working just to see what happens which is fine. 309
It’s quite scary – it’s very scary – but the thing about our group is that I’m in a 310
safe place to be able to do that. So, I said to Hannah I feel, at the moment, 311
incredibly weak, incredibly undisciplined, incredibly, totally different to where 312
I’ve ever been before and that’s the whole point of it, kind of. But, what my 313
heart wants to do is… One of the foundational aims of ask is to encourage 314
people involved to grow artistically and spiritually. And while I feel – and this is 315
what I’ve said to you before – while I feel like we’ve grown personally, in 316
184
interpersonal awareness and more godly in the way we work together, we need 317
to be really focused on God, so that’s where that comes from. I’ve used that 318
foundational theme to help us to grow spiritually because no matter what I learn 319
about myself, I wasn’t happy with just that. I still had to have and keep the 320
focus on God. And then, in order to grow artistically, I see improvisation as 321
something that I have only done bits of and haven’t ever really explored so I’m 322
taking the opportunity and I also see it as the perfect way for these two to grow. 323
They’re learning with each other and communicating. So… 324
325
H: There are a few big perameters set there… 326
327
P: Yes, so there is that underlying… But I’m required to understand my own 328
learning – that’s what I’m doing in order to do something to find out how I’m 329
working. Improvisation… 330
331
H: It’s very complicated because there are so many…(unclear) 332
333
P: That’s right, yes. Yes… 334
335
A: That leads to two of my questions actually which are kind of related. You were 336
talking just a moment ago about relationships and how they have changed and 337
how you’ve grown as a group or a company. What is- now this could be 338
personal so you can choose what you would like to share and what you don’t 339
want to share… Well, actually, I’ll leave those two questions for maybe the 340
whole company. Is Steve around? 341
185
342
H: I can get him. Just stop the… 343
344
(Brief pause as Hannah goes to find Steve to ask him to join the group. He has been 345
out of the room for the first part of the interview, resting, as he has been unwell.) 346
347
P: …ask us a few questions about relationships… 348
349
S: Mmm… 350
351
A: Steve has joined us, which is great. The first question: what are some of the 352
issues that you’ve- obviously you’ve already spoken about a few – what are 353
some of the issues that you’ve faced or dealt with in order to be able to 354
collaborate effectively? And it might be lots of things – just anything that you 355
think of. Like I said before, if anything’s too personal and you don’t want to 356
share that, that’s fine. Just share generally, generally without being too 357
specific. 358
359
P: We’ve actually done a lot of discussing and a lot of work with Sue (unclear) so 360
we actually are kind of at a point where we accept our differences and it- that is 361
what we’ve had to work through is, the differences in our attitude to what ask is 362
for us, the differences in preferred ways of working… 363
364
H: (unclear) …what we’ve experienced before, what we want to bring in… 365
366
186
P: That’s right… 367
368
H: …different personalities… 369
370
P: …what we’ve experienced in life but also, even more so in the ways we’ve 371
worked artistically before. ‘Cause I’d come straight out of musical theatre, had 372
a year teaching and started the company, and I’d done four years of musical 373
theatre and prior to that been at QUT, where you’re just told what to do, you 374
shut up and do it and you work hard and it’s just life! 375
376
H: And then there’s personality issues…yeah, issues, different things. 377
378
P: Yes… 379
380
H: So…(unclear) 381
382
A: So, how do your personalities…how do you find… 383
384
H: We’ll give you a simplified version… 385
386
A: Yeah, why not! 387
388
P: …and examples… 389
390
H: Yes, because we’ve been talking around and around… 391
187
392
P: Because we’ve talked this… 393
394
H: …all through. 395
396
(P asks S if he wants to move in closer to join in for this discussion) 397
398
H: And a lot of this stuff comes out of our first year of working together ‘cause we 399
just got straight in and it all happened and we’ve adjusted a lot of things but, 400
basically, when we all came into the company – where we were at, at this stage 401
– Steve was coming into the company because he just wanted to work with 402
Phillippa and Hannah and he was into collaboration and really, really, like it was 403
the thing he was learning the most from at that period of his life or whatever. 404
What else? (to S) You’d learnt a lot through your life about relating to people 405
well, you’d picked up through camps and all that sort of thing and that was… 406
So he wanted to work with us – sort of thing… 407
408
P: Us as people… 409
410
H: People –yeah! And others, of course…yeah, people. I came into the company 411
just having been at Wesley for three years, I think really fascinated by certain 412
elements of collaboration and stuff, but – and really, really keen to work with 413
these two as well – but had been focusing really intently on process and had… 414
And being at uni, and having a lot of time – you know, lots- that kind of luxury of 415
time to work on things, when I was the choreographer. Yeah, that was the 416
188
perameter of my project which I was given. And this was a large amount 417
(unclear), to some extent…yeah… And then Pip came in, like she said before, 418
with that sort of background that, just get in and get it done and… 419
420
P: …and the real ‘administration head’ and- and knowing…or having to balance, 421
really, being the director who – and the administrator who – on the one hand, is 422
booking all the gigs, as well as then working out how to get it done… But 423
suddenly I had these different personalities and, because we were working 424
collaboratively… Had I been just director… 425
426
H: We would have said, “Yes!” or “We quit!” (laughs) 427
428
P: (laughs) Yes, that’s right, that’s right. 429
430
H: Yeah. 431
432
P: Yeah. But, yeah, that was a really difficult thing to do because I tended to be 433
like this (demonstrates), blinkered, and I saw my goal and I’d go for it. And I’d 434
just work ‘til I made it. (laughs) 435
436
H: (agrees) And then, this other thing, like Pip’s saying, we all work hard, really 437
hard, and all really keen to take opportunities, but when we get tired, or when 438
other things come up in our lives, or when things don’t work in the collaborative 439
process or… I don’t think we’ve had a performance that got bad reviews… 440
441
189
P: No, in fact, people have said how well we have worked together, and how… 442
443
H: Yes, and heaps of people… 444
445
P and H: (talk at the same time about this – unclear) 446
447
S: (to H) Finish your sentence, finish your sentence. 448
449
H: Yeah… (struggles to recall train of thought) 450
451
P: (reminding H) When we’re under pressure… 452
453
H: Oh, yeah, we all deal with it totally differently. 454
455
P: Yes! 456
457
H: And- 458
459
P: I buckle down and just keep going! (laughs) 460
461
S: I dig my feet in and say, “Hang on a sec, I’m not okay and I don’t think you guys 462
are,” and… 463
464
H: …we’ve got to stop everything until we sort it out. 465
466
190
S: …and that’s a priority. Yeah… 467
468
H: Yeah, and then, to do with personality issues, I’ll go on and on and on doing 469
things but just get really silent and won’t talk about it, so… 470
471
P: And I’m not used to having to talk about it; you just shut up and got on with it. 472
473
H: Yeah. 474
475
P: And while we all treated each other well, those underlying things just… 476
477
H: …started to get us down… 478
479
P: Yeah. Like there was consideration… 480
481
H: Of course. 482
483
P: …and there was collaboration and there was all these things, but the thing was, 484
we were friends as well – we were friends first – and then working together 485
and… 486
487
H: And we had this thing in the company that we were always a Christian company 488
but how- what does that mean to the collaboration process? Does that mean 489
we do things differently or… And we had all these questions but we didn’t have 490
anybody to ask, did we? (laughs) 491
191
492
P: No… 493
494
H: We just had to work it out ourselves. (unclear) 495
496
P: …and what were the- oh, that’s right. So we kind of worked out that I was 497
primarily - this is a big generalisation – product-focused, Hannah was process-498
focused and Steve was relational-focused and so in actual fact we had this 499
fantastic, perfect trio that we’d all- and so what we learnt to do is to go and 500
listen to Steve when he was talking about relational stuff, and learn from 501
Hannah about process stuff and I just made sure we actually got there 502
(laughs). 503
504
S: Sure. Pip’s… 505
506
H: Also, we learnt that… 507
508
S: Pip’s thing was- was the most adhered to in the first year, wasn’t it? So, it was 509
the biggest lesson for us to figure out how we could give- give process a go, 510
alongside productive…you know, we give relationships a go alongside that. 511
So, in our discussions and so on, it was mostly frustration from my point of view 512
and from Hannah’s point of view about Pip’s way of working but in the… 513
514
H: And vice-versa. Pip’s frustration with us for not… 515
516
192
P: (unclear) 517
518
S: …of us not towing the line. And so, in resolving it, that’s the way we’ve come to 519
it, isn’t it? ‘Cause it could easily have been that under my direction, everyone 520
was okay but we were getting nothing done or, you know, something- 521
something else. Like we would have had to work at it from a different 522
perspective, wouldn’t we? 523
524
P: Right… 525
526
H: Or we would have had one fantastic work a year from me that was six minutes 527
long! (laughs) 528
529
P: (laughs) 530
531
H: I mean, it’s all generalizing. It’s because we’re each strongest in this. If we 532
were in another group, I might be the administrator/product person or- or even 533
Steve might be. 534
535
P: Mmm…mmm… 536
537
H: It just depended on the combination of people per piece. 538
539
S: Yeah, and that was one thing, too, because it was a- a project that we 540
embarked on that was going to be enjoyment so because Pip seemed to have 541
193
the most scope time-wise and linked in with your…was it with your studies at 542
the time or…? 543
544
H: Yeah, that’s what it was. 545
546
S: Yeah, and facilities ‘cause you had, you know, the most access to a computer 547
and administration stuff and so you took on that kind of view. And so we were 548
both happy to go, “Alright, we’ll both enjoy ourselves while you do the admin 549
(laughs), didn’t we? And so that had a bearing on how things went, too, 550
because that meant… 551
552
H: That’s right. 553
554
P: But also, you see, Hannah was straight out of uni and coping with all sorts of 555
things and Steve was in and out of houses, you know, moving around quite a 556
bit, and so… 557
558
H: Okay, yes, now this was the thing I wanted to talk about next – our life 559
situations… 560
561
P: Yes… 562
563
H: …were very different… 564
565
P: …yes… 566
194
567
H: …and there’s also been the issue of Steve and I getting married. 568
569
P: …in first year… 570
571
H: So you get thick…so you then… 572
573
P: So, first… 574
575
H: …you get practical life issues coming in. 576
577
P: Yes, see, ‘cause I also have a husband as well who supports me which has 578
actually been a bit of a bone of contention over the years ‘cause I decided to do 579
ask without consulting him, not realizing how much time it would take. 580
581
H: None of us realized how much time it would take. 582
583
P: No, no… So, my dad’s an unrealistic optimist and my mum’s a pessimistic 584
realist and I sit somewhere in between but I can have this optimistic thing. I’m 585
much more like my dad. Yeah… 586
587
H: We’ve all had to become more realistic. That’s one thing… 588
589
S: Mmm… 590
591
195
H: …that I- I’m just realizing that we are all fairly idealistic, to some degree… 592
593
P: Yes… 594
595
H: …all of us, which is the very reason we started the thing. 596
597
P: Well, that’s right, exactly… 598
599
H: (laughs) 600
601
P: …we wouldn’t have done it. Well, yes, our life situation did mean that I did 602
have more time plus I had access to a computer and printer, as Hannah pointed 603
out. 604
605
H: And it worked in with Pip’s study… 606
607
P: And we didn’t have your computer the first year. 608
609
H: No…yeah, that was part of… 610
611
P: And, yes, I was at work most days so… Plus I took on the Artistic Director role. 612
And then, of course, what happened was that I’d organize whatever we were 613
going to do and had it all organized but Hannah and Steve were involved in the 614
creation and they’d go, “We can’t get this done,” and I’m going, “This is- I’ve 615
done- i’ve done, not just this but all of this…” 616
196
617
H: Yeah… 618
619
P: …and it made it very hard for me to pull out at times when I probably should 620
have. 621
622
H: Yeah… 623
624
S: And also because of your industry experience, pulling out partway through isn’t 625
something that you do; you see a project through. 626
627
P: No way… 628
629
S: Whereas to me, I was thinking, well, hang on a second, this is… 630
631
H: I’m doing this ‘cause I want to… 632
633
S: …I’m doing it ‘cause I want to and anything I’m doing for anyone is a favour like 634
performing for Anglicare or whatever and, ah, it’s an experiment so surely you 635
can pull out of anything; you pull out of experiments… 636
637
P: Mmm… 638
639
S: …and so, you have expect- and also because it was Pip that had the most 640
scope to do the admin and the planning and direct, it was Pip’s point of view 641
197
about the way we would market ourselves, and the amount of activity we would 642
do and the level at which we would operate was all conceived. And I would 643
have been a lot happier with less of that, even though it mostly fell on Pip’s 644
shoulders and I didn’t have to worry about it. I would have coped better if Pip 645
hadn’t had to do that much, too. And so, at times, Hannah and I felt pressure 646
because Pip was carrying the brunt of the weight and… 647
648
H: And we felt guilty about that… 649
650
S: …and we’re feeling guilty for that, whether or not you intended us to, you 651
know… 652
653
P: Mmm… 654
655
S: …but sometimes you were - I think you were thinking - hang on a sec, Steve 656
and Hannah, you’re not pulling your weight and that sometimes you were happy 657
to do it and you let us know that, but it certainly affected. 658
659
P: Mmm… 660
661
H: Can you read the question ‘cause I know you’ve done a whole assignment on 662
what… (rest of question unclear) 663
664
A: No, that was it – the issues that you’ve faced in order to be able to collaborate 665
successfully…(elaboration unclear but unnecesary) 666
198
667
H: There’s more specific issues to do with actual rehearsals than this… 668
669
P: Yes… 670
671
H: …like the actual process covered in rehearsals…(unclear) This relates to us 672
actually being ask…(unclear) 673
674
P: Yes, let’s talk about the first year, in terms of… Like, in Doors, was an amazing 675
experience- like when we did Disa pear, our first work, we actually all got along 676
so well and, you know, “honeymoon phase” and we were best of friends and… 677
678
S: We’d hang out afterwards at each other’s place and stuff… 679
680
P: Yeah, all the time and go out and stuff to a movie or whatever because we were 681
all equals then, too; we were all individuals, I should say. And then we did 682
Steve’s piece which was- it actually had to be done in a very short amount of 683
time and this was where I kind of say this… 684
685
H: (unclear) 686
687
P: Yes… 688
689
H: …and then a whole stack of rehearsals were given to just learning it…(unclear) 690
691
199
P: Now, the other issue was that we started off with Steve only with us one day a 692
week and Hannah and I were doing three rehearsals and Steve was only doing 693
this one day a week and we pulled him in, I think, for two eventually for Disa 694
pear to get that done. And so, the balance between the collaborators was 695
never quite equal. Mind you, we always needed a bit of time to work on the 696
dance and in Disa pear certainly- Oh, always the music was created mostly 697
side-by-side but certainly, initially, there was dance and I wanted, like, Disa 698
pear in counts so I asked for a 7/8(rhythm)…least I knew something about 699
music. I’d asked for a 3/4 just to get a kind of big sort of thing going (snaps 700
fingers to demonstrate rhythm) and Steve came up with this great something- 701
You know when I ask for something, it always sounds totally different to what I 702
expect; it’s so much better (laughs). It’s great ‘cause, you know, you can think 703
of much more interesting things. But that kind of felt like a good collaboration 704
because we were getting on well and-and I was able to get from Steve stuff that 705
worked with the piece. And then we did the second piece where we threw 706
Steve in the “deep end”- oh, that’s what I was going to say… 707
708
H: He became a director of the work… 709
710
P: I kind of chuckled because Hannah was quite keen on Steve and everything 711
had to be, you know, “Give Steve,” and I’m thinking, I don’t know whether it’ll 712
work but if Hannah thinks so, I won’t say anything (laughs). 713
714
H: Yeah, yeah. But then, well, you were thinking it had to be product-oriented 715
rather than us all to be collaborating as a company… 716
200
717
(all talk over each other) 718
719
S: So it would have been fine if I’d just had the opportunity to try stuff and not feel 720
the pressure of… 721
722
P: …of the product! 723
724
S: …of the product…yeah… 725
726
H: Yeah… 727
728
P: Yes, that’s right, yes. And it ended up being a really short – like, six weeks – 729
and we did a ten-minute piece and the music was great! 730
731
H: How many musicians? 732
733
P: Six musicians and… 734
735
S: Seven… 736
737
P: We had five and then seven dancers and a lot of the non-dance people and 738
Christians thought it was great, like Peter Stacey… 739
740
H: And the music was fantastic! 741
201
742
P: Yeah, and all different styles and stuff, but theatrically, for people who are really 743
into form and journey through a piece, it only said things; it didn’t deal with 744
anything. So it was an interesting spectacle. We did it for “Prom Praise” and 745
they wanted a spectacle – it was in the Entertainment Centre. It had to be big 746
and when we performed it in our season- there was only one person who said 747
anything and she then choreographed on us the next year but she’s really into 748
post-modern stuff and it was just far too sixties for her because of the style of 749
movement that we did. Like… We tried something; it was a big experiment. 750
And a lot of it (was) bringing the people together and the music and the way the 751
dancers saw us working together, they all said… 752
753
H: And the collaboration between Mike and Steve… 754
755
P: Yes… 756
757
H: …was open and… 758
759
P: So a lot of the collaborative stuff was excellent… 760
761
H: Yeah… 762
763
P: … There’s things we change in the… 764
765
202
H: …the artistic side – the dance…(unclear)…But then, you know, also these guys 766
had a vision for the music which was basically the form of AND the content of 767
Matthew. 768
769
S: Oh, no, we didn’t… 770
771
H: Well, certain chapters of it… 772
773
S: No, we just started off and we ended up realizing that we could only do justice 774
to it if we did the whole Bible. (laughs) 775
776
P & H: (laugh) 777
778
P: And the other thing was, of course, that they looked at two chapters but then I 779
said, “But, Steve, it has to be ten minutes.” And so he fitted the same two 780
chapters into ten minutes. 781
782
S: No, it was four chapters. 783
784
P: Four chapters, right. 785
786
H: Yeah, four chapters. 787
788
S: Yeah… 789
790
203
P: But we never finished it, did we? 791
792
S: No… 793
794
P: So there was one chapter or something that was missed out. 795
796
S: Oh yeah… So we experimented then with the form of the piece and the pattern 797
we saw in the text so we just followed the text through, only taking specific 798
types of text. You know, for “this” and “then”, we had qualifications for what we 799
would use. Or this text is developed (unclear) in this order and the quantity in 800
the Bible then that would go out on stage (unclear). So we tried that here but 801
agreed that that was quite complicated (unclear). 802
803
P: ‘Cause the other thing was, too, because of the time limit, these guys wrote the 804
music, we kind of worked out a basic underlying thing we wanted to do for each 805
section then fitted it to the music and the music often was quite short for each 806
section and we’re so used to developing things that it, kind of… 807
808
H: Mmm…yeah…but then there was… 809
810
S: Yeah, we tried lots of new stuff… 811
812
H & P: Yeah… 813
814
S: …we just came up with a product that was kind of… 815
204
816
H: …interesting (laughs). 817
818
S: …not really fully developed. 819
820
P: Yeah, as I say, Peter Stacey just thought it was amazing and he put the whole 821
thing on at “Prom Praise” because it was the most focused on Christ and 822
proclaiming the Gospel. So…(laughs) 823
824
H: That’s true, so…yeah… 825
826
P: ‘Cause Steve sang the words of Christ and we were- we were the emotions and 827
the reactions of the people to Christ and the other musicians were also then the 828
emotions and the reactions – quite an interesting piece in many ways. A very 829
interesting experiment… 830
831
H: Actually, if we had… With time and effort and really sitting down and planning it 832
out, well, it’s got the potential to be… 833
834
P: Oh, absolutely. 835
836
H: We’d probably do it totally differently but anyway there’s all these things now 837
that are sort of sitting on the back-burner and that’s the weird thing when we 838
say that ask is for two and a half years, because now we come to the next thing 839
205
we did which is Doors, my next work, which is something I haven’t really let go 840
of, like it’s something that’s still in the back of my mind. 841
842
P: Props were really amazing… 843
844
H: Again, props galore! 845
846
P: Yes, and we did spend a number of rehearsals doing props. 847
848
H: Yeah… 849
850
S: A very nice set of shelves… 851
852
P: Yes… 853
854
H: And it was based around our testimonies which we shared with each other. 855
856
P: (whispers something – unclear) (laughs) 857
858
H: Yeah (laughs). And the similarities that we found in them. And so instead of 859
having the whole story, we picked… Like, I chose the things that I thought 860
linked up in the testimonies, like… So then we started working on it and the way 861
I was going and the ideas I had and stuff… The best way to start off with it 862
seemed to work from an acting base. And then after I’d worked without an 863
206
acting base and I’d put all this movement in and music and blah-blah-blah, it of 864
course became a year long project (laughs). 865
866
P: We also thought it would be the major work for the year. Disa pear would be 867
little and Steve’s would be little and Hannah would do the 25-minute work, 868
thank you very much. 869
870
H: Which of course, it did end up being 25 minutes but it was a lot of acting 871
because we never had time to get through to the actual dance so and we… 872
873
P: …sang… 874
875
H: And we also did lots of stuff with… So, some parts of it worked really well and 876
some parts of it worked not at all. (laughs) 877
878
P: Mmm… 879
880
H: And it was kind of… 881
882
P: But, again, we performed it prior to it being ready and we got really burnt. With 883
Steve’s, we performed it and I got sick and couldn’t even perform, so they had 884
to do it with four instead of five. Like, I just burnt myself into the ground; I was 885
sick for ten day and couldn’t even move. I was so sick; I lost so much weight. 886
And I didn’t see it coming (laughs). 887
888
207
H: And so that was collaboration but from an acting base but not acting… 889
890
P: Yeah, with the acting after that was done. 891
892
H: Yeah, it ended up okay but what we performed was a work-in-progress… 893
(unclear) 894
895
P: And we were going to. The beginning of last year, we were going to, but Steve 896
was sick, so we went, “Oh well, that was the whole…” 897
898
H: Mmm… So going into 2000, the thing that became the top priority in 2000, was 899
relational stuff because that was the thing that we needed. 900
901
P: And we DID de-brief at the beginning of the year. We did a little at the end of 902
the year, but we got to Cooma and there were still a lot of issues and, like, 903
Steve just did not want to do Disa pear, the best one for us to show as a 904
company and, of course, being a promotional person, I’m pushing all the way. 905
And we got ourselves through it but it was really hard for Steve. ‘Cause I just 906
didn’t understand; I just did not understand. I had only known one way and I 907
just kept going. But, the thing is I’ve always done project work; you can do that 908
in project work. But, if it’s going to be a company… See, I’ve never worked in a 909
long-term company… 910
911
H: Project work is more like what we do – it’s like from one project to the next. 912
913
208
P: Yes, yeah, and that’s all I’d ever done before so I was used to just pushing, 914
getting it done and moving on to the next one, with the next group of people. 915
So I didn’t know any of this. 916
917
H: So, yes, then we did our first pure dancework in which we would be 918
collaborating with the choreographer… 919
920
P: …who wasn’t a Christian… 921
922
H: …who wasn’t a Christian. 923
924
P: I met her the year before when I was doing a choreography subject and we 925
clicked. So, towards the end of the year, we started talking about getting 926
Isabelle in at some stage. But when did we decide to get her to do it instead of 927
Doors… Or were we going to do Isabelle’s and then Doors… 928
929
H: No, we were going to do Isabelle’s first to relieve the pressure off Steve… 930
(unclear) 931
932
P: With Steve – oh, yes! 933
934
H: Oh, this is a big issue to cover actually. In comes Isabelle, says, “Good. It’s a 935
dance company,” and didn’t realise that everyone had to… (unclear) 936
937
209
P: She’d been to see our season and Steve was in everything. He was written up 938
as director, along with us. 939
940
S: Actually, she said she wanted to use me, but… 941
942
H: …she was going to tell him what to do… 943
944
S: In any way that I tried to get direction from her in terms of what to do, how to 945
write, what to write, she would keep referring to these pieces that she had on 946
CD that she liked the sound of. She’d say, “No, no, more like running water like 947
this piano piece that I’ve got.” 948
949
P: And she has no musical training… 950
951
S: And she’d say, “No, no, do your right hand up here and get fast, and then have 952
your left hand get slower,” without realising I’m either going to write something 953
that satisfies her, which is exactly the same as the CD, or not bother write and 954
say… 955
956
H: …”Use the CD.” 957
958
S: That made more sense. 959
960
H: And he was so sick. 961
962
210
P: And he wasn’t getting better, so in the end, we… 963
964
H: So, it ended up being collaborative dance with a collaborative process (unclear) 965
not… 966
967
P: Because we’re also interested in growing artistically by incorporating people, or 968
by doing workshops, or whatever professional development. So, it was a 969
fantastic time for Hannah and I professionally. But then Hannah was going 970
through … 971
972
H: Wasn’t it blood pressure? 973
974
P: …blood pressure. But, this work, she could deal with because it was all… 975
976
H: (unclear – she laughs in the middle though – something to do with the 977
movement style of the work) 978
979
P: Total- very much, body awareness and nurturing – very nurturing of the body. 980
But very challenging because she took us into release – beyond release – that 981
she was watching ME and helping ME through. ‘Cause I hadn’t had somebody 982
choreograph on me for a while from outside, so I had to learn to…(unclear) And 983
she’s been looking into developing her own movement practices. 984
985
211
H: Then we did Doors which was a collaboration between you and I, and I ended 986
up doing Train. And Steve, who had written the work really wanted to have 987
(speaks quietly as though to herself)… 988
989
P: Incorporate… See, that was a supportive thing. We tried as much as possible 990
to do things to support Steve in keeping him as part of the company. And that 991
was an interesting dynamic – I haven’t actually told these guys but sometimes I 992
used to feel like Steve was billed as an equal director but he definitely wasn’t 993
doing…(laughs) And sometimes I found that hard, only in the administration 994
side, you know. 995
996
H: Mmm…when it was equal before… 997
998
P: But…(finishing Hannah’s statement) when he was sick, which was fine, you 999
know, because we used to go over to their place and have meetings and things. 1000
And sometimes – you see, I was far too busy last year – and sometimes I 1001
resented that, which again I haven’t told you guys. But, at the same time, I 1002
chose not to say anything because that’s what I saw as the better thing to do. It 1003
was only a selfish… 1004
1005
H: Mmm… It’s very hard when you do look at someone who’s as sick as a dog and 1006
go, “I resent...” (laughs) 1007
1008
P: That’s right but the whole idea… 1009
1010
212
H: But it’s just that you shouldn’t feel like that… 1011
1012
P: But it was, you know, when I was feeling selfish and when I was feeling run 1013
down that I felt that way; it wasn’t when I was thinking clearly, you know. 1014
1015
H: (agreeing) Yeah, yeah… 1016
1017
P: So that’s a relational thing; it has been really interesting. Now here’s another 1018
thing that Hannah and I had to work through – I came into Hannah’s dance 1019
ministry class and Evelyn and I – the head of the department – had been talking 1020
already about the possibility about having a company but I let it go for six 1021
months. And then at the end of that six months – it must have been June or 1022
July sometime, can’t remember; yes, June – Mary invited me to come in and 1023
listen to… They’d all written down visions and things – I can’t remember – they 1024
had and Stephanie had one basically with musicians and dancers and Hannah 1025
had one with musicians and actors- no, dancers and actors and… 1026
1027
H: …musicians. 1028
1029
P: Yeah, but basically both of them collaborative and I had just written a paper 1030
which had been … 1031
1032
(H and P talk quietly with each other) 1033
1034
P: I’d written a paper based on a pretend company … 1035
213
1036
H: I’d already read that. 1037
1038
1039
P: No, but it was redeveloped (unclear)…where it was just for a term and we’d 1040
take the paper – I think I was telling you – the paper and I was writing 1041
about…Something and the Bible… ”Creativity and the Bible”….no, “Emotion 1042
and the Bible” and we’d portray it through the arts and we’d tour to these 1043
different places, blah-blah, and we’d start here and, you know, I had to do a 1044
presentation on this stuff. So then, having thought through a lot of those things 1045
and the possibility of funding and that sort of thing, I then re-wrote the paper 1046
and Hannah read through it and stuff because it… But when I came in that 1047
time, I said to them, “I have a two-year version of what you’re talking about. I 1048
know that they are ten-year versions, but let me help you start a two-year 1049
version,” and that’s what Hannah heard. “Let me help you start…you start a 1050
two-year version and then it will be yours.” Whereas, I had behind, you know- I 1051
mean, I didn’t even know what was going to happen after that and all that sort 1052
of thing. And then I started talking about – even in our first year, you know, I 1053
was so under the weather from all this work. I’m thinking, Oh, these young kids 1054
can go on and do it, kind of thing (laughs). And I was saying, “I’m going to 1055
have a baby when I finish my Masters, and that sort of thing, and then you can 1056
take it over. And I got to the end of the first year, and THEY kind of crashed 1057
and I was still on a high ‘cause I wasn’t the one getting married and under all 1058
this pressure. And I thought, Oh, I really enjoy doing this. No, this is my 1059
company. And we had to deal with all of that, ‘cause Hannah’s going, “But you 1060
214
always said that it would be my company,” and then, of course, she’s thinking, I 1061
can’t keep working with Pip like this. I’m going to die if I keep doing this. 1062
1063
H: (laughs in agreement) 1064
1065
P: You know, so we had to deal with all of that as well. Whereas, now, it’s kind of 1066
like, oh, we work so well together that … and we’ve got no expectations for the 1067
future and we’ll just let that happen, whatever. I mean, I’m quite doing it 1068
(laughs). 1069
1070
H: But that’s all where we were at then. Now it’s no expectations and we like 1071
working together…(unclear) 1072
1073
P: I’d love to work… 1074
1075
H: (continuing) So then we did…so that was Train? 1076
1077
P: Train. 1078
1079
H: So it was collaborative… 1080
1081
P: And that was… 1082
1083
H: …working together in the actual… 1084
1085
215
P: That was more two dancers but utilizing… 1086
1087
H: And then, the journey of the song being portrayed by the singer…(unclear) 1088
1089
P: But the interesting thing was, we actually did – apart from Hannah’s second 1090
work – it was less the way we worked in our first year because we didn’t have 1091
Steve. It became very much dancers collaborating and incorporating other 1092
things ‘cause we literally had just Hannah and I and the CD’s for the first work 1093
and then it’s… 1094
1095
H: (adds to the explanation – unclear) 1096
1097
P: Yeah… But that was a healing time for both of us… 1098
1099
H: And it was a successful work. 1100
1101
P: Because… Yes, and Hannah needed that because of Doors…She’d felt that 1102
that was a- well, hadn’t worked… 1103
1104
H: Yeah. 1105
1106
P: But, you know, I still say we’ve got to…(unclear) 1107
1108
H: Let’s talk about Pilgrimage, that being our most collaborative work so far… 1109
(unclear) 1110
216
1111
P: Yes, yes, that’s right. 1112
1113
H: Did you want to talk about that Steve? (pause) About Pilgrimage at all? 1114
1115
S: The relationships? 1116
1117
H: To do with collaboration, because we used two musicians, two dancers… 1118
1119
S: What do you mean? 1120
1121
H: How it worked. 1122
1123
P: We’ll come back to issues, but the process… 1124
1125
H: What you went through to create… 1126
1127
(quiet discussion between H and S) 1128
1129
H: Alright, I’ll do it (laughs). 1130
1131
S: Yeah. 1132
1133
217
H: We all worked from a poem. I had certain ideas about what it would be about 1134
and then we all went away, and worked at expressing it in any other way. We 1135
expressed in our artwork what we’d taken from the poem; we had… 1136
1137
S: (adds something to explanation – unclear) 1138
1139
H: Yeah… I’ll just say that we each had a phrase or a motif that we’d made to work 1140
on. 1141
1142
S: And then, under Hannah’s direction, we kept that initial phrase and put them 1143
together, ‘cause each phrase had a stimulus for each of us to reflect part of the 1144
poem (unclear)… So, we thought, What happens if you put this one and this 1145
one together? Does that reflect putting those two important parts of the poem 1146
together? And does the meaning come out? And, we had tried… 1147
1148
H: (adds something to explanation – unclear) 1149
1150
S: Yeah, we tried matching them together and they all really worked together well 1151
with some musical bits, some dance bits… Oh, we didn’t actually do the two 1152
dance bits… 1153
1154
H: Or different combinations. 1155
1156
P: No, we never interacted the two dance bits. 1157
1158
218
S: …each dance bit with each music bit and…and so then Hannah had ideas of- 1159
of where to go from there once we’d done a bit. And then we’d do a bit more 1160
and then she’d go, “Oh, these work here…” 1161
1162
H: And that was the end and we’d have the middle and so, we worked it all out that 1163
way. 1164
1165
P: But the main thing was community. 1166
1167
H: Yes, it was about community. 1168
1169
P: The poem was about… 1170
1171
H: …prayer… 1172
1173
P: …prayer but it was- The reason we used it was to create the movement and to 1174
get the underlying essence of our community but the whole thing was… 1175
1176
H: Yeah, that was God and communicating together with him… 1177
1178
P: …with him. Yes… 1179
1180
H: …rather than individually. It was the juxtaposition between being alone and 1181
being together, wasn’t it? ‘Cause sometimes… 1182
1183
219
P: Yes… 1184
1185
H: …it would start off being more fragmented then more together… 1186
1187
P: We learnt to be together, in a sense; we kind of grew together. 1188
1189
H: But all through our art with no words. The costumes… 1190
1191
P: Yes… 1192
1193
H: I can’t believe my mother who did…(laughs) the costumes which were each 1194
symbolic with the sense of prayer. And we each had pictures in our heads and 1195
each of the costumes kept with what was in our minds and were symbolic of 1196
that. So there’d be some integral cue in also an abstract way of what we were 1197
on about. (unclear) But totally abstract and different ideas to get across… And 1198
this kind of fascination of if there’s an idea there, that some essence of that will 1199
come out in an abstract work…(unclear) 1200
1201
(quiet discussion between the three about H’s final statement) 1202
1203
S: Yeah, they really did. There was an aspect of the work that was similar to our 1204
other piece, If You are Willing…(unclear). It was obvious that we could a more 1205
cohesive work out of it, but the way it was, there was certainly a journey 1206
through the work and they related to what was going on. They understood that 1207
220
we were relating in different ways and there was joy and there was helping 1208
each other…things like that. 1209
1210
P: We just wanted more- Train, as my lecturer said, Train has arrived and the 1211
other one hasn’t quite arrived yet. (unclear) 1212
1213
(all laugh) 1214
1215
(checking of tape by A) 1216
1217
P: (in response) Yes, I’ve been watching it for you, too. 1218
1219
H: And also with that work, I think I was really pleased with it in the sense that the 1220
dance is really full and so’s the music… 1221
1222
P: Yes… 1223
1224
H: …like, with each allowed to really- like, neither copycats (unclear) too much 1225
with the other… 1226
1227
P: Yes, that’s right, yes…which we hadn’t really had before because even in 1228
Doors, Steve didn’t really get to fully explore… 1229
1230
H: We were all acting way too much; we needed to be expressing our own art 1231
forms. 1232
221
1233
(They all agree.) 1234
1235
H: So that’s one of our struggles, about how to collaborate and how can the 1236
ordinary individual…(unclear) 1237
1238
S: So you’ve really found a good way of initiating dance and songs. 1239
1240
(a number of comments unclear) 1241
1242
H: It’s always with some other art. We start with something else and… (unclear) 1243
1244
S: But we’ve talked about that all the time, haven’t we? And then it really occurs 1245
to you, the fact that we had a painting and said, “What if we created a work 1246
from this painting?” 1247
1248
P & H: Yes… 1249
1250
S: We’re all affected by the painting in some way… 1251
1252
A: You talked the other day about how to communicate best – what language to 1253
use best so that you’re communicating the same idea to what you’re looking for 1254
in the dance and improvisations, to be able to give Steve something along a 1255
similar line but using a language… Is that something which you are 1256
exploring… 1257
222
1258
P: Yes, we’ve basically… 1259
1260
A: …because of where you are now? 1261
1262
P: Yes. We all along tried to… Like, in Doors, Steve had to become much more- 1263
like, he was moving and singing and playing the flute and all sorts of things, too, 1264
and all along we’ve been kind of educating Steve, I guess, as to how to move 1265
and how to incorporate inner monologues and that sort of thing, because we’d 1266
done that… 1267
1268
S: How to be theatrical. 1269
1270
P: Yeah, the theatrical… 1271
1272
H: Yeah… 1273
1274
P: …and we’d been trying to, like, understand… We’ve said – well, especially this 1275
goes for the last few years – that had we- if we did this again, we’d spend a 1276
whole year just working all of that out before we even thought about going out 1277
and performing anything. Yes, so that’s why we’re almost doing that now by 1278
having this time of improvisation with these two, that we’re actually kind of filling 1279
in the gaps. But, like… 1280
1281
223
S: And that’s why this is going to be healing for us, not counting on the pressure 1282
we’ve had in the past…(unclear) 1283
1284
P: Yes…But it’s- ‘cause we already have… 1285
1286
H: …a work (unclear) in your journey that you need to do and blah-blah, will be 1287
actually very positive for the company, for ask… 1288
1289
P: Yes. 1290
1291
H: …a perfect thing for a work… 1292
1293
P: Yes…and I’m in a safe place in order to do that which, you know… Oh, what 1294
was I going to say? So, in terms of communicating – ‘cause at least I 1295
understood roughly time signatures and I’m a real counter, whereas Hannah 1296
feels the music… 1297
1298
H: It’s funny because we’re both musical; we both dance well to… 1299
1300
P: …to music. Yeah, that’s why I’d never picked up that she wasn’t a counter! 1301
1302
H: (laughs, recalling) “I don’t know – where is this bit?” 1303
1304
(H and P laugh as they recall) 1305
1306
224
P: Yes … But, also, see I think actually Steve’s done a huge amount of learning, 1307
in terms… 1308
1309
H: Huge! 1310
1311
P: Because both of the directors speak dance language and whatever instigation 1312
we were coming from, we then said, “Well, this is what we’re doing. Can you 1313
translate that into some sort of meaning for yourself to be able to come up with 1314
stuff?” 1315
1316
H: (laughs) 1317
1318
S: I was just telling Mike today that at the beginning I really found when we 1319
started, the dancers were moving about and stuff, and I thought, What if I just 1320
move about and forget about music? So I found some things that my fingers 1321
wanted to do on the keyboard instead…(unclear) 1322
1323
P: Yes. 1324
1325
S: So, it was good; it was a release ‘cause I really feel guilty about my slackness 1326
at practising. You know, I rarely do my scales and improvising and so on, but I 1327
can ‘dance’ on the keyboard quite easily and find things that don’t sound bad 1328
together but have some rhyme or reason…(next phrase unclear) So, it’s a bit of 1329
a cop-out, you know; it’s not pure, in line with free improvisations – it’s not what 1330
I expect at all when I hear other people saying it… 1331
225
1332
P: (laughs) 1333
1334
S: …but, you know, I’m not actually… In fact, when I was communicating with 1335
Mike when we wrote together, I communicated…(unclear) 1336
1337
P: ‘Cause we’ve worked with Michael twice now. He was the one in Pilgrim, 1338
wasn’t he, as well as in…If You are Willing? 1339
1340
H: And Steve’s worked with him… 1341
1342
(discussion between H and S) 1343
1344
S: But Mike is much more of a seasoned jazz musician than I am. While we’ve 1345
both had a lot of experience, he ended up saying…(END OF SIDE A OF TAPE) 1346
1347
P: It’s funny about that ‘cause I actually did start to feel the pressure of it being 1348
too… 1349
1350
(CHANGE OF NOTE-TAKER BATTERIES) 1351
1352
H: And that was helpful in the first time…(unclear) 1353
1354
(DIFFICULTIES WITH NOTE-TAKER – A FEW STATEMENTS FRAGMENTED) 1355
1356
226
(discussion regarding note-taker – unimportant and hence not recorded here) 1357
1358
H: Okay, there’ve been other issues which is we’re (Steve and Hannah) both part 1359
of the company, therefore we both don’t earn much money. 1360
1361
P: Yes, that’s been a massive issue. And that’s… 1362
1363
H: Especially when Steve was sick, ‘cause there were no gigs, there were no two 1364
days a week… 1365
1366
S: …and that’s compounded the issue between Pip doing most of the admin work 1367
and us not because Pip had the freedom to do it because she’s not needing to 1368
earn money for the family and…(unclear) 1369
1370
P: That’s right. 1371
1372
H: And so, at the beginning of last year, when we were at Cooma, which is in the 1373
middle of all the previous big things – post-New Year problems…(unclear). I 1374
felt very really that God said to me, “I want you to obey me and go back to the 1375
company, no matter what.” He said, “Don’t hold yourself back; just totally throw 1376
yourself back in there.” And so, over the year, when I felt like I should stop 1377
something; I thought I should quit my job (unclear) and blah-blah-blah. 1378
Although the hours cut down never actually stopped… We might have been 1379
having two… 1380
1381
227
P: No, we were rehearsing Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and after Isabelle’s work, 1382
we cut back to only Thursday, Friday, because I was struggling, too. ‘Cause I 1383
was doing a subject and… 1384
1385
H: So the company… Because God had said that to me, the company, being Pip 1386
and I, at that point, continued on. 1387
1388
P: But, of course, because Hannah wasn’t feeling well with the blood pressure 1389
and she was getting more and more tired looking after Steve, we had Desiree 1390
Pearce Rensberg who was a third-year student in her second last semester 1391
who’d been very injured and then doing choreography but a trained secretary… 1392
1393
H: Yeah, yeah… 1394
1395
P: …and so, she came in and helped us put the schools’ tour together. She was 1396
supposed to do all these sorts of things and actually get us out to schools’ tours 1397
and collect all the information and ring and she did do all the stuff for Bodies for 1398
us – did all of the organising and the … 1399
1400
S: …liaising… 1401
1402
P: …liaising. Thanks, Steve. Yeah… 1403
1404
H: And also we did…Remember…(name unclear) 1405
1406
228
P: Oh, yes, she was going to choreograph a work on us, so she did about three or 1407
four rehearsals? 1408
1409
H: Yeah, which was a good thing. 1410
1411
(discussion between H and P – unclear) 1412
1413
P: But she- I mean, I really feel that that was God’s provision for me ‘cause I’m 1414
sitting at college, thinking, My company’s totally falling apart… OUR company! 1415
(laughs) I’m the only one here; it must be mine! So there were issues there, 1416
too, and that kind of brought up the whole issue, too, of, is it my company? Is it 1417
Hannah’s company? Whose company is this? 1418
1419
H: And I can remember feeling really angry because I kept thinking, I am KILLING 1420
myself… 1421
1422
P: …killing myself… 1423
1424
H: …to get through two rehearsals a week… 1425
1426
P: …that’s right… She was just… 1427
1428
H: So, yeah, that was… But they weren’t huge issues because we able mainly to 1429
talk about them… 1430
1431
229
P: Well, what we- Hannah wrote me a letter… 1432
1433
H: That’s right… 1434
1435
P: …and left it on my bed once and said, “I’ve got to talk to you, Pip. I’m feeling 1436
really upset about dah-da-dah-da-dah,” and we talked and, from then, I’ve just 1437
cleared it all up. So that was very good… 1438
1439
H: And then, second semester, we had Nicola. 1440
1441
P: Oh yes, and so she bolstered our morale because we were able to support her 1442
and she was just there to support us. All sorts of things, she ran around and 1443
did, and helped Hannah with setting up the season and made it all beautiful 1444
and… 1445
1446
H: (unclear) 1447
1448
P: Yes, yes, and took them meals when they were sick… 1449
1450
H: …and became our friend as well and so really kept us- regained our feeling that 1451
we were good friends. Or, kind of emphasized that? 1452
1453
P: Yes. 1454
1455
230
H: She was so amazed by this friendship that we were offering her and we 1456
thought, Oh yeah, it IS pretty good, isn’t it? 1457
1458
P: Yeah… 1459
1460
H: It sort of started things… 1461
1462
P: ‘Cause we kind of had that conversation when? During working with Isabelle? 1463
1464
S: No… 1465
1466
P: It was quite close to the beginning of the year… 1467
1468
S: Yeah… 1469
1470
P: And then we did Train together and we just felt like we loved each other again, 1471
like when we first started. 1472
1473
(discussion between P and H – unclear) 1474
1475
P: Yeah…Steve and I still had stuff to work out, though… 1476
1477
H: That’s right. Remember at the end of Bodies, you guys…Steve approached 1478
you one night and said that you’ve got to talk about… 1479
1480
231
P: Yes, yes, that’s right. And then we did. We got together at some stage and 1481
chatted… 1482
1483
S: (unclear) 1484
1485
H: But you did. You definitely had, like… 1486
1487
P: Yeah, so we did the same thing… 1488
1489
H: That was interesting ‘cause, prior to that, we always tried to sort things out 1490
individually without talking it out… 1491
1492
S: Yeah, right… 1493
1494
H: (unclear) 1495
1496
P: Yeah… 1497
1498
S: It was each taking responsibilities for our issues, wasn’t it? 1499
1500
H: Yeah. 1501
1502
P: Yes. 1503
1504
S: It occurs to me- 1505
232
1506
P: But that’s why- Sorry, Steve… 1507
1508
S: It occurs to me that, in terms of whose the company is, it really is yours, Pip, 1509
because… 1510
1511
H: Mmm… 1512
1513
S: …you’ve conceived how it runs and, although we all sat down and worked out 1514
what the objectives are, there’s a whole lot of objectives that you haven’t put 1515
down on paper or talked about, that you assume- and I’m not saying this to 1516
have a go at you… 1517
1518
P: Yes. 1519
1520
S: …I’m saying, this is just how it happened. And so, you’ve set up this really, ah, 1521
successful format of a company – you know, successful in some ways – that at 1522
the end of that two and a half years, once we’ve worked through the glitches, is 1523
a good model but it’s not what Hannah wants to do with a company… 1524
1525
P: Mmm… 1526
1527
S: …at the moment, which is why you’ve had the frustrations of everybody… 1528
1529
H: I don’t think I wanted a company… 1530
233
1531
S: Yeah, right – exactly! 1532
1533
H: …at this point in time and that came up too. 1534
1535
P: Yes! 1536
1537
S: (to P) Did she tell you? 1538
1539
P: Mmm… 1540
1541
S: Okay. (to H) Is that your point? And, so, in terms of this company keeping on 1542
running and it being Hannah’s rather than Pip’s, it… 1543
1544
H: …it’s not an issue… 1545
1546
S: …doesn’t equate. So, we either keep going with the company and Pip’s the 1547
director and we’re doing it this particular way… 1548
1549
H: …which is influenced by us, too, totally… 1550
1551
P: Yes. 1552
1553
S: Yeah…or, we stop doing the company, and Hannah takes some opportunities 1554
to do the thing that she’s wanted to do which might be just to get together with 1555
234
some people and do experiments and stuff. Or, you know, with the three of us, 1556
or…I’m not sure what I’m trying to get at… My point is that, I would have been 1557
quite happy to do the same as what we’ve been doing for the last two and a half 1558
years without the structure of the company. Just being a couple of people 1559
trying… 1560
1561
P: Yes, yes… 1562
1563
S: …stuff. I think that’s what I came in under the expectation… 1564
1565
P: Mmm… 1566
1567
S: …which is why I was very careful in the first year not to take on administration 1568
stuff and left that to you guys, not to take on as much time-involvement, and 1569
that’s why it was a bit baffling when I kind of felt pressured into taking up- 1570
keeping up the two days. And when I wasn’t doing- and once it- It got to two 1571
days a week for me very quickly, which was fine, but then, you guys started 1572
saying – or, Pip, you started saying – you know, because I’m not there on a 1573
Tuesday, you guys had done more work together, and so I’ll have to catch up 1574
and so I can do that on a Wednesday. 1575
1576
P: Right – yeah, yeah… 1577
1578
S: And then I was thinking, Hang on a sec, how did that work? 1579
1580
235
H: We’ve had a bit of that all the way through… 1581
1582
P: Yes… 1583
1584
S: How did that work? You know, I’ve got, yeah, I’ve got these boundaries…Now, 1585
someone’s assuming that they’re not the right boundaries… And so…I don’t 1586
quite remember how that went… And I kind of felt like I had to give in because 1587
that was just the way I had to keep the peace but it didn’t sit right. And so, it’s 1588
what has happened…(unclear) 1589
1590
P: Yes, ‘cause what happened was, that as we started off- like, we’d just done 1591
Hannah’s piece where the musician kind of came in a bit and we created some 1592
live music. And we started off with, you know, Steve said, “Well, I can come in 1593
on Fridays,” and we thought, We are so lucky to have a musician. That’s great. 1594
Sure, just Fridays – that’s fine! You know, no problems! And then we started 1595
talking about equal collaboration and that was the foundation of our company. 1596
Well, of course, that can’t be unless equal time. And so, our… 1597
1598
H: Unless somebody was fitter (unclear) than the others… 1599
1600
S: No, depending on what the time is, ‘cause if some of the time is administration, 1601
that’s not collaborating, you know. 1602
1603
H: Yeah… 1604
1605
236
P: But we were rehearsing three times- 1606
1607
S: You can have one person running the company and eight people collaborating, 1608
and have the one person do an extra day a week of just running stuff – things 1609
that have to be run – and then the other eight people just turn up for 1610
collaborating, if it was, say, Selah… 1611
1612
P: Yes, yes, oh yes, I understand what you mean. But then we went- because we 1613
all took on director’s roles, and because… 1614
1615
H: Part of how we were trying to get equal collaboration thing happening… 1616
1617
P: That’s right. Therefore, it kept feeling like- where it started off with Pip directing 1618
and Hannah and Steve being involved- but they kind of came up to this level 1619
but it wasn’t that level on everything. 1620
1621
S: Mmm… 1622
1623
P: Where… Where was this thing? Where were they? 1624
1625
S: Ah, right. 1626
1627
H: Which is when Jenny tried to help up us work out some of our…pictures of what 1628
are we – a company…? 1629
1630
237
P: Yes, you see, I also wanted to talk about the pressure from Wesley… 1631
1632
S: Can I just tie up on what you said then before you? I think… I don’t know how 1633
I thought at the time but, in retrospect, I don’t feel like it was- I don’t feel like it’s 1634
what I want to have that equal directorship if it means coming up to your (to P) 1635
level… 1636
1637
P: Mmm… 1638
1639
S: …I’d prefer it if you came down to my level. 1640
1641
P: (understanding) Mmm-hmm… 1642
1643
S: And so, you’ve kind of made some distinctions along those lines, in that you’re 1644
still the overall Artistic Director or whatever it is. And maybe because I was in 1645
this situation of, this is how the company is running and this is where I am, then 1646
that’s what my thought processes were based on and so I’m thinking, Okay, 1647
yeah, how can we make this work? Clearly, this is ideal and this is ideal but, in 1648
practice, I still just wanted it to be only a couple of people experimenting with 1649
stuff and spending time together doing things. 1650
1651
P: Yeah, yeah… 1652
1653
S: And so I’ve never really felt comfortable with the amount of- with the amount 1654
of… 1655
238
1656
H: Ensembles… 1657
1658
P: Yes, we talked about our difference between an ensemble where we’d get 1659
together… 1660
1661
S: Yeah… 1662
1663
P: …and plan and that sort of thing, as opposed to a company. And so with… 1664
1665
S: And all of Pip’s stuff is really necessary for a financially viable company… 1666
1667
P: Yes… 1668
1669
S: …and for a company that’s going to end up doing schools’ tours to make a 1670
living… 1671
1672
H: …gets a name for itself… 1673
1674
S: …gets a name for itself, has an audience-base, because they’ll be able to 1675
support it… 1676
1677
P: I went totally into the marketing side. 1678
1679
S: Yeah…yeah… 1680
239
1681
H: But we didn’t have anything to market. 1682
1683
S: Yeah. 1684
1685
P: Yes, that’s right. 1686
1687
S: Because that wasn’t part of… 1688
1689
P: But we could whip that up in no time, Hannah. You know, just discipline 1690
yourself and get it done and, you know, we’d have a product which… 1691
1692
S: But you’ve expressed, Hannah, at times, that that’s – not in these words – but 1693
that that’s not what you were expecting for another twenty years time. 1694
1695
H: Or ten or whatever…yeah. 1696
1697
S: Fifteen or whatever, yeah. 1698
1699
P: Mmm… 1700
1701
S: And, ah… 1702
1703
(silence for a moment) 1704
1705
240
P: We did have Jenny Dennis – in fact, I’ll show you her report, and I think you’d 1706
find it really interesting. She did it as part of her (statement unclear but relates 1707
to her tertiary course at WIMA)… 1708
1709
(brief discussion between P and H) 1710
1711
P: ‘Cause she got it done just at the time, at the beginning of all of our issues and 1712
troubles where we just didn’t think about ask dance theatre for a couple of 1713
months after they got married and so I really hoped for better… Although, she 1714
came in and gave us the foundation of us… 1715
1716
H: We got an idea of criteria… 1717
1718
P: So we- you know, we were really fortunate she was there (unclear)… But the 1719
whole issue… Jenny’s personality’s like mine, so she’s saying, “What are you? 1720
You just, you know, having a good time together or are you actually a 1721
company? What do you want to be? A company produces works and gets 1722
them out there; that’s what a company does.” And because all of my 1723
experience is in that area… I mean, you just don’t have TIME to create the 1724
thing (laughs)… 1725
1726
H: Except that you never had to do the marketing and all that, either. 1727
1728
P: No. Well, you see, that’s the other main issue, is that I had to be Artistic 1729
Director, Administrator, Choreographer and Performer, I think. And she put 1730
241
that down as one of the biggest issues that was always going to hold us back, 1731
as long as I was… 1732
1733
H: And the administration is the main problem. 1734
1735
P: Yes. 1736
1737
S: And part of it is because- is not because you’re the only one who CAN do it… 1738
1739
P: No… 1740
1741
S: …but because you’re the one who sees the importance of it, whereas I would 1742
see that… 1743
1744
P: …and has more time. 1745
1746
S: Yeah…I don’t see that as important to put out a newsletter or to, like I’ve said 1747
before, write the letters to the musicians, ah, in a formal way, or that kind of 1748
stuff. And so, I’d say, “Nah, let’s not do it because the other stuff’s, you know, 1749
not important.” 1750
1751
H: And I fall right in the middle and do right-in-the-middle-of-both work. 1752
1753
P: Yes, between the two of us. 1754
1755
242
H: Mmm-hmm. 1756
1757
P: Because, you know, I’m thinking, Okay, we need to develop an audience, and 1758
so, of course, you have your newsletter and you get people involved. And you 1759
have your membership and you set all that- I mean, it’s all the marketing side; I 1760
don’t know where I get that from, but… (laughs) Of actually having an audience 1761
because, I think, for so long, I had seen how difficult it was, and I knew that we 1762
wouldn’t- 1763
1764
H: (unclear) 1765
1766
P: …we wouldn’t…Yeah! Well, I mean, we’ve had full houses and stuff, as a 1767
result. And the other thing was, the reason why I did extra administration work, 1768
was because I had to get on and dance. So if I didn’t hand over the 1769
responsibility to everybody involved by writing a letter with all the details they 1770
needed and then, “That’s your responsibility…” 1771
1772
H: You wouldn’t be able to let it go. 1773
1774
P: No, I couldn’t let it go…and things like that. And, I was saying to everybody 1775
else, for me, it’s the whole- it’s the personal management was what I was in to. 1776
How do you get people enthused about the company so they’ll come and 1777
watch? How do we make sure that people feel like they’ve been well looked 1778
after when they come and work with us? 1779
1780
243
H: Yeah. 1781
1782
P: To me, part of that is – this is what I like – is to be fully informed. So, I did all of 1783
that and because I know from experience that when I’m in the situation, I can’t 1784
remember everything so I write it all down and hand it to them… (laughs) 1785
1786
H: Mmm… 1787
1788
P: …’cause I just can’t… 1789
1790
H: The funny thing is that you start to collaborate with people numerous times 1791
where that’s fine…(unclear) I now know Mike doesn’t really care. He doesn’t 1792
really want to know about the entire thing; he wants to know about what’s he 1793
doing, when, why…that’s it! Just his role… 1794
1795
P & S: Mmm… 1796
1797
H: …so I just ring him up and say, “Blah-blah-blah…Is it written down in your 1798
diary? Yes? Okay.” 1799
1800
S: (laughs) 1801
1802
P: But, of course, I had 20 people… 1803
1804
244
H: But…that’s right, and we’d collaborated with none of them, so we didn’t know 1805
what they wanted, what they expected…blah-blah-blah… So… 1806
1807
S: (unclear) 1808
1809
H: …and sensing… 1810
1811
P: ‘Cause I don’t deal well with people being late or not being there. 1812
1813
H: Whereas- and that’s where musicians… 1814
1815
P: It throws my- 1816
1817
H: …figure – it’s more acceptable- Lateness is acceptable – more acceptable – 1818
amongst musicians. 1819
1820
P & H: (unclear) 1821
1822
H: Just talking about that – say, for a newsletter – which is something I was very 1823
keen on doing at the beginning, because of things I’d thought about during my 1824
degree, and because my father is, ah, a financial director but his main 1825
experience has been with non-for-profit organisations, so- especially mission 1826
work, sort of thing. So, he said, “What you have to do is get a newsletter out to 1827
all of your supporters, telling them what you’re doing and stuff so that they feel 1828
245
like they’re part of what you’re doing so they’ll give money. So that you don’t 1829
need to worry.” 1830
1831
P: Mmm… 1832
1833
H: And we did get quite a lot of financial support in that first year. So I said, “Let’s 1834
do a newsletter,” and Pip said, “Okay,” and did the first one. And then we’ve 1835
had to keep up that same type of formal newsletter every (word unclear) ‘cause 1836
that’s what people expect. But, actually, it’s too big, and too full-on for us to do 1837
without an administrator…(unclear). But I was looking at (name unclear)’s 1838
newsletter… 1839
1840
P: Oh, right… 1841
1842
H: …which is two sides of an A4 page. How much easier would that be for us to 1843
do…so… But we can’t change to that all of a sudden because we’re only doing 1844
two and a half years so we may as well…keep the pattern of what we are 1845
doing, and all that sort of stuff. 1846
1847
P: ‘Cause I’ve also been involved in Ballet d’Action which is a youth dance 1848
company and we started off with a two-page newsletter and ended up with a 1849
glossy magazine. And I was newsletter editor for a year or two, or something 1850
or other, and I took it up to being printed and with photos and things and they 1851
took it up to glossy after I left. So, I had that background as well and having 1852
246
done that and being involved in a non-profit organisation on the committee and 1853
all the… 1854
1855
H: The funny thing is, it would have been so much better if we’d- It would have 1856
been so much better if we’d done less on the newsletter and put heaps more 1857
effort into, say, the webpage. 1858
1859
P: Yeah! 1860
1861
H: Like, we- Some would say they (unclear) didn’t think clearly about their 1862
strategies. Of course, we didn’t – we had no…model (laughs). Besides, we 1863
wanted to do it our own way, ‘cause we’re all…(unclear) (laughs) 1864
1865
P: (laughs) 1866
1867
H: But there’s all that. We’ve learnt so much, haven’t we? 1868
1869
P: Yes, I think that’s been the thing, more than anything. Personally, I’ve learnt so 1870
much about myself (laughs). 1871
1872
H: Ourself, each other… 1873
1874
P: …and working with people and… Like I found, when I got to “Collaborative 1875
Studies 1”, which is the one I did at the end…end of our… 1876
1877
247
H: Oh, it’s all blurry now… 1878
1879
P: We’ve done two years…and I did “Collaborative Studies 2”… 1880
1881
H: End of first year, was it? 1882
1883
P: Must’ve been end of first year, after I’d… Isn’t that weird? ‘Cause we were 1884
going through all this stuff. The thing that I focused on so that it finally started 1885
to click was not- I started off looking at HOW to collaborate in terms of 1886
physically and communication and that sort of thing, and the whole thing ended 1887
up being interpersonal, all about the interpersonal stuff of collaborating, ‘cause 1888
that’s exactly what we were going through.1889
248
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AGREEMENT Interview conducted on 23 May 2001
I have read the following transcript and am satisfied with its presentation of the dialogue which occurred during the interview conducted on 23 May 2001.
Signed (Phillippa Oakden-Patch)
INTERVIEW WITH PHILLIPPA OAKDEN-PATCH, 23.5.01 (In Phillippa’s Living Room)
INTERVIEWER: Angela Pratt (A) INTERVIEWEE: Phillippa Oakden-Patch (P)
249
A: Okay, this is an interview on Wednesday the 23rd of May, 2001, with Phillippa, 1
and the first question I want to ask you is simply for you to be able to explain 2
your testimony – how you came to know the Lord and how that has changed 3
your life or the way you see things. 4
5
P: Yep…I was fortunate to grow up in a home where my parents both became 6
very committed to following God soon after they were married. They had both 7
gone to church but really didn’t understand, ah, the need for Jesus to be the 8
most important thing in their lives until just after they were married but that was 9
before I was born. And they were involved in a church by the time I was born 10
and remained in that church for many years, probably almost thirty years, and I 11
grew up in that church. So I had both parents who were quite outspoken in the 12
home about what Christianity was and why it was important in our lives and how 13
it, ah, influenced the way and the reason they made decisions, and then I went 14
to Sunday School and learnt from being involved there and learnt stories from 15
the Bible. So I remember at the age of 11 being given this little booklet – I can’t 16
remember what the situation was at Sunday School but something really clicked 17
for me. And I went home and read the booklet and it was a basic outline of the 18
Gospel and who Jesus was and why he’d come and God’s purpose in the world 19
and in creating the world. And, at the end, there was a little prayer where you 20
offered your life and gave your life to Christ, that Christ would be the most 21
important thing in your life and your Lord and your Saviour and the person that 22
you followed. And, at the age of 11, I committed myself to that and I guess the 23
thing I remember was that Jesus became the most important thing in my life 24
and the reason that I lived my life the way I did. 25
250
And then, from that young age, I just kept growing over the years and was quite 26
strong in- I kind of lived it out because that’s all I knew for many years and fairly 27
overt at school that I was a Christian, ah, and certainly it influenced the way I 28
chose to treat people but also…I guess influenced…It became less and less of 29
an influence as I began to find it difficult to be a “good girl”. And so, I then went 30
through a time in my late teens and early twenties of trying to JUGGLE it, 31
because I’d always grown up with believing it and being taught WHAT to 32
believe so I had all the knowledge – like head-knowledge – of what it was I was 33
supposed to be believing, but had never been encouraged to question it and 34
find the foundational reality of it in my life, apart from the fact that I really hadn’t 35
known anything different. So I went through a few experiences that showed me 36
something a little different because I chose to not to follow it and I felt the 37
emptiness of that and I felt the darkness of that, I guess, and I felt the 38
repercussions of that. And so, as a result, had to really question and, I guess, 39
come back to God and work through those things and got to a point where I 40
thought, No, I really have to. ‘Cause by that stage I’d been convinced that I 41
was to be a light in the industry when I decided to go into dance and that very 42
much resonated with me. But I realized that if I didn’t know how my faith 43
affected my life, how it had changed my life – having not had a “life-changing” 44
conversion – then I wasn’t really going to be able to offer people anything. So I 45
went through a time of questioning each of the things that I thought were 46
foundational and have still been doing that over the last number of years to 47
really come to a fuller understanding of why I believe what I believe, not just 48
believe it because, well, I think it’s right (laughs). Yeah. 49
50
251
A: Good. Thanks. Okay, moving on from that, all of the members of your 51
company – Hannah, Steve and yourself – are committed Christians. Would that 52
be fair statement? Okay…do you find that there a differences in the way you 53
perceive your relationship with God or with different ideas on Christianity and 54
how that relates to your life, when you’re working together in the collaborative 55
process? 56
57
P: Right…Yeah, no, I think that’s why we work together so well. While we’re at 58
different stages of working through different issues with God, foundationally, 59
we’ve come across very few things that are different in our understanding of 60
God. And I think that’s why it’s so easy; we can be so free to talk about God 61
‘cause the other people believe in the same God and believe in God in the 62
same way. Yeah. 63
64
A: Good. Okay… Still in relation to Christianity, have any of the company 65
members or- No, not the company members. Has the company itself – so, as, 66
you know, a combination of the three of you, as well as anybody you’ve worked 67
with – have you found that you’ve had any difficulties due to your Christianity, 68
whether that be with other Christians and the way they perceive your work and 69
what you do, or whether it be with people who aren’t Christians? 70
71
P: (pause) No, actually (laughs). 72
73
A: Okay. 74
75
252
P: Ah, in the first year, we incorporated some musos and some dancers. The 76
dancers were students from Wesley and the musos were all from a band called 77
“Selah” and they’re all committed Christians who do a similar thing to us, but in 78
the music industry and they play jazz. Now they were asked to come in and 79
play a piece that had been written by Michael Kenny and Steve. And so, while 80
we prayed together and the whole of the thing was founded on the Gospel, or 81
certain chapters of Matthew, I guess, there wasn’t a huge opportunity to delve 82
deeply into our beliefs, but certainly there was no issue with praying together 83
and sharing together. There was one person, one of the band, who wasn’t a 84
Christian. Actually he’d been brought in as the drummer, I think, yeah, and he 85
wasn’t a Christian – he just worked with these guys and he wasn’t actually in 86
“Selah” – but he, too, actually really enjoyed being involved. He didn’t seem to 87
have an issue with us praying and I think he had some understanding from the 88
past of what Christianity was about but had chosen not to follow it over the last 89
few years. So that was fine. And with the dancers, they were all students from 90
Wesley and we had all worked with them before. And, we did have an issue 91
with one of the dancers, but it wasn’t Christianity-based; it was more 92
personality-based. And that was difficult, but it was very personality-based. In 93
the second year, we invited Isabelle to choreograph on us. We, actually, at that 94
time, I think, unfortunately- Hannah and I prayed together sometimes before 95
rehearsal. I would have loved to have seen how Isabelle- ‘Cause I don’t think 96
she would have had a problem if we’d at the beginning of rehearsal when she 97
was there. So I feel- we were at a difficult point because Steve was ill and 98
there were issues there and it was a- We were a crippled company for a few 99
months there. But the support, the new growth, we got from working with 100
Isabelle in our understanding of our physicality and our enjoyment of the piece 101
253
was uplifting to us. And our support of her and our being so open to her 102
enabled her to choreograph, having had some time out from having kids. So, 103
we still felt like we welcomed her into this caring community, which is certainly 104
what we’re about. So, I guess- Mind you, I had shared a bit of my faith with 105
Isabelle just in going to her house and talking about it and that sort of thing. 106
And then, incorporating Anca into the end of year piece with Nicola last year. 107
She’s worked at Wesley for so long that she’s quite aware of our beliefs and, 108
while she didn’t feel comfortable praying- I remember the very first rehearsal; 109
we forgot to tell Nicola she wasn’t a Christian. So, she said, “Let’s go round the 110
circle and pray.” But by the time the three of us had prayed, she said, just 111
gently said- And I had said to her beforehand, “Only if you’re comfortable with it, 112
Anca.” And, by the time we’d all prayed, she said, “I think you’ve covered 113
everything and that will be fine.” But, again, there weren’t negative issues 114
there. Yeah… And we’ve had one other non-Christian work out – she was a 115
friend of one of the dancers who came in and helped out backstage – and she 116
was a great help. She didn’t necessarily join in very much with the praying 117
beforehand but, even when we’ve been at “Bodies”, and been surrounded by 118
non-Christians, none of them have had a negative reaction to us praying. In 119
fact, it’s been very positive. Paul Tiggles has said, “It’s actually wonderful to 120
have you around praying before the show. It gives a different feel to the place.” 121
122
A: (laughs) Well, that’s great. That’s answered another question that I had which 123
was to talk about the… Well, actually, no, I probably can still ask it. One of the 124
questions I had was how is it different working with non-Christians – people 125
who aren’t Christians like Isabelle. I suppose, the choreographic process- I 126
254
remember you explaining to me the choreographic process was different in that 127
she tended to come in- well, was an “external” choreographer… 128
129
P: Yes. 130
131
A: …in a sense, that she brought in what she wanted you to do. Is that right or 132
no? 133
134
P: She came in with the foundation of what she wanted to explore… 135
136
A: Right. 137
138
P: …and that was that we were individuals in the space, really being in the 139
moment, not having to meet or greet, and she was interested in that sort of 140
play. Obviously, she was very interested in a movement that is totally released. 141
If I stood on my leg and it was slightly pulled up, I had to let it go, things like that 142
– really finding gravity and the weight of the body and enjoying the body being 143
very natural and released and that was just beautiful. And breath – the breath 144
just initiated everything. So that was what she wanted to explore so all of the- 145
Oh no, I guess once she was in the rehearsal space, often she choreographed 146
the moves to a degree. Sometimes she showed us a phrase and then she 147
developed more once she’d seen us do it or she used two phrases and put 148
them together and, you know, moulded them and manipulated them, yeah. 149
150
A: So improvisation was still a big part of what you were doing? 151
152
255
P: Yes… 153
154
A: Yep. 155
156
P: …and in the end, bits of it were improvised and the timing was totally 157
improvised. 158
159
A: So, that probably leads in nicely to something else that- You said that you’ve 160
always used improvisation, to an extent, but that you’re using it more so with 161
this piece… 162
163
P: Yes. 164
165
A: …and I’ve certainly seen that you’ve used improvisation a great deal… 166
167
P: Yes. 168
169
A: …through it and that seems to have guided the process more so? 170
171
P: Yes. 172
173
A: So, how would you see that things have changed, say, with your early works 174
in comparison to now? How did you use improvisation then? How is it different 175
now? 176
177
256
P: Yeah, I think it’s grown because we have, and particularly I have, developed an 178
interest in using improv as well as become more confident in using improv. So, 179
our very first piece, Disa pear, was all choreographed and the reason I did that, 180
I guess, was that’s what I was used to and also in the very first few rehearsals, 181
Hannah had sore feet. And so, actually, the movement of the first section was 182
choreographed on me and then translated onto Hannah’s body and changed 183
where needed because there were- we each had individual phrases of 184
movement and then sometimes we joined together to do them and sometimes 185
we did them separately. And because we’d- Oh, though, the very first thing we 186
did was put props out in the space ‘cause it was “disappear”. And I had a group 187
of people come in who just wanted to improvise with us and we just played with 188
different sounds and in and out, and over and under all the different props. And 189
then I looked at that and decided what entrances and exits I found interesting 190
and then choreographed how to get from one spot to another with movement. 191
So that actually did start with some impro as well which was a lot of fun and 192
certainly brought out- You know, there’s so much in impro that you find out that 193
you can’t imagine in your mind, unless you just impro something and see what 194
happens. And certainly in a piece I did later on that year, I impro-ed in front of 195
the camera. This was for- Ah, it was actually draft-titled, The Marriage Solo; I 196
can’t remember what we ended up calling it. And I did that- I was doing a 197
subject for my Masters with Isabelle but it became a piece that ask showed for 198
“Dance on the Edge” and Steve played and I danced it and Hannah helped me 199
form it. But I started off the process by allowing my weight- just playing with 200
letting my body go and fall through space and found some interesting 201
movement and then used that but, in the end, choreographed it by changing 202
directions and heights and energies and floor patterns through the dance, but 203
257
basically it was founded on one phrase, from one phrase. So, Disa pear then, 204
to create our duo section, we again played in front of the camera ‘cause we 205
didn’t have an outside eye and then I looked at that and reshaped it and 206
remoulded it. But, in the end, it all became quite set, apart from, like, when 207
Hannah puts her hand through the door with the curtains in it; she played with 208
different ways of picking up the chess pieces. That was always improvised and 209
how I read the paper and stuck my hands- you know, simple movement things 210
were left. 211
212
A: Yeah. 213
214
P: In Steve’s piece, he created the music, and we developed little ideas for the 215
movement apart from that, and then when we heard how long the movement- 216
music was, we set the movement to the music. I felt, choreographically, that’s 217
been the weakest piece because of that. We didn’t have any time to develop 218
any of the ideas and that was probably the most frustrating dance-wise, but 219
very – what’s the word – freeing for Steve and successful for Steve and Mike in 220
terms of their collaboration on the music. So, that was more successful, that 221
side of it. Then, with Hannah’s work at the end of the year, we only got it to a 222
stage where it was mostly improvised, a lot of improvised movement. Mmm, it 223
became a bit set but it was very undeveloped work by the time we showed it. It 224
was very much in first draft form, and that had issues within itself, of performing 225
a work that we were only just feeling comfortable with, and it was pushing us 226
out of our comfort zones, ‘cause we were using words as well and talking about 227
ourselves which is the hardest thing to do. We all learnt a lot but got burnt a bit 228
through that work and, unfortunately, Hannah’s rehearsal time kept being eaten 229
258
away and eaten away through various things and, so, that’s why that happened. 230
but, we did, I guess, have to impro certain parts of that, which was good. 231
Yeah… So, Isabelle’s work had a lot of choreography. As I said, the time was 232
totally improvised – the timing – with little bits of impro within it. And then we 233
did Hannah’s work, Train, which was totally set but started off with lots of 234
movement improvisation so the movement vocabulary in that is more 235
developed in terms of it not being dance movement. It’s very much stuff that 236
came out of my body based on emotional, situational things like the situation of 237
waiting, the emotion of frustration, the sense of home-coming, that sort of thing. 238
So… Her second work – the music was fairly set, and I had one section that is 239
improvised but based on a theme, but most of the rest is fairly set. But again, 240
came out of a phrase in the poem that we then all created our own motif, and 241
the whole work is based on those four motifs – two dance, two music – and the 242
6½ minutes is variations on those things all put together. So then when I got to 243
this year- It was actually through doing my work for my end-of-year Masters 244
subject last year, where I first started looking at improvisation. ‘Cause in talking 245
to the musicians that I was able to get to work with- two people I hadn’t worked 246
with at all…but one fellow, Immanuel Schmidt, was the main fellow that I 247
worked with, and he was very interested in how movement and music, in 248
particular, music, can – now what was it (laughs) – speak its own language, 249
kind of thing. And very much interested in how two different types of, ah, art 250
can speak to each other. And so, he wanted to improvise with movement and 251
music. And, what happened in the process was that he could only be there- I 252
only had six rehearsals for two hours each on a Thursday night and he could 253
only be there for one hour of that. So, of course, I began to develop stuff with 254
the dancers which became more and more set, based again on a theme that I 255
259
developed with each one about themselves, so they each had a phrase, quite a 256
long phrase and then I manipulated that in the first section. But what was 257
happening is that that was becoming more and more set and Immanuel was 258
feeling like, well, where’s the improvisation, the talking between the two? So, I 259
went, “Oh…woh… whoops…okay.” Too much work for him to set the music – 260
not his area of interest – so, let’s get them improvising together. Let’s work 261
through ideas of how they can talk to each other. Is it something particular 262
they’re saying to each other? Are they trying to develop a conversation on a 263
topic? Or is it just how they feel at the moment? And each of them was totally 264
different as to how they approached that – the dancers – totally different. And 265
Immanuel responded to each according to the different ways we ended up 266
working with each dancer. Jenny’s was actually quite set but improvised. It 267
had a floor pattern and an idea that she was definitely trying to say. Then I had 268
Elisse who was almost telling her story and then Immanuel interjected with his 269
music some questions about and judgement on what she was doing and she 270
responded to that. Jane had a very short, positive something and Immanuel 271
responded to that. And then, Nicola played with the music and hers was the 272
longest one and then Jane and she played together. So we started- That whole 273
section was improvised and then the conclusion was about bringing these four 274
different women of God together and celebrating their uniqueness. And they 275
taught each other parts of their phrase and I said, “We’ll do a bit of Nicola’s, and 276
then a bit of Jane’s, then a bit of Jenny’s, and this is the order but you choose 277
your timing and your floor patterns and your directions.” And it was just 278
beautiful because you could see that they were all doing the same thing, as 279
long as they kept basically not too separate, you know, far away, so that we 280
could see that they were doing the same movements. And you could really see 281
260
their differences but celebrate their unity. And so, having done that, I went, 282
“Oh…Oh, this is the beauty of this way of working!” Yeah, and so, that’s why in 283
this work, I thought, Right, that’s something that I really would like to explore 284
more, and so chose it as a foundation for this year. Also, it does mean you 285
don’t have to spend a lot of time setting things; you just keep giving the depth of 286
the foundation, and you can actually create quite a lot of work without having to 287
spend hours setting it and finding what exactly it is. ‘Cause I actually feel that 288
the form of the work gives the sense of the work, more than the actual 289
movements. People tend to- It’s the flavour of the movements that touches 290
people, not the exact movements themselves – that’s where I’m up to at the 291
moment. So I’m not so interested in exactly what Hannah does, as long as the 292
flavour says this. Yeah… 293
294
A: Okay… I’m just trying to think of where I will go next. 295
296
P: Yeah, sure. 297
298
A: That sort of leads in, again, to something else that I’m interested in, and how 299
you see the role of communication for the company – dance as 300
communication, or the arts that you use as communication. And that’s one 301
way, obviously, that you see that the form of a dancework, in particular, 302
communicates to an audience more so than the individual movements. Is that 303
correct? 304
305
P: Mmm. 306
307
261
A: When you’re looking at the work as a whole, including, say, things like spoken 308
word, music and so forth, how do you see the function of communication for the 309
company? I’m not making sense – let me try and rephrase it. 310
311
P: Ah, well, see- Yeah, no, you try again. 312
313
A: Is one of the main reasons for your creation of works to communicate 314
something to an audience, as opposed to… 315
316
P: It’s… 317
318
A: …sorry… 319
320
P: …developed over time. 321
322
A: Okay. 323
324
P: Yeah? So when we first started, while we always keep our audience in mind, 325
foundational to ask is us growing and becoming more efficient, more, em, adept 326
to create works that are accepted as being artistically strong. So, again, as I 327
say, while we are quite aware of our audience and never want to eject them, we 328
have at the same time allowed ourselves licence to allow ourselves to try things 329
artistically. And we’ve been very fortunate, say, with that first season, of being 330
able to say to our audience, “We’ve been on a journey this year. Would you 331
like to come and see what we’ve learnt?” And so, the other thing with our 332
audience, the big difficulty for us, is that our audience is so vast in its 333
262
understanding of contemporary dance and contemporary art. And so, we 334
cannot satisfy everybody. I think, last year, we did fulfil that to a satisfying level, 335
particularly in- I’ll just talk about the ask works ‘cause we had the other works 336
as well. And Kathy Driscoll confirmed that artistically we were working at a 337
level that was satisfying to her as a, you know, a lecturer in a university, 338
certainly still as people who are learning, certainly not, you know, 339
accomplished. But, at the same time, incorporating a song in Train and 340
incorporating speaking and visuals in Surge, and incorporating an actor 341
speaking in Storm, all helped towards enabling those who understand words 342
better than movement and music, in terms of it communicating anything or 343
taking on a journey and being able to realize that, then that really helped, too. 344
And that is one of the reasons why I wanted to start working collaboratively in 345
the beginning was I felt that dance on its own is so inaccessible for the average 346
Christian, that if I incorporate other things for their- you know, that they are 347
hooks for them to hold on to and to have in relationship to the dance, it brings 348
more understanding. So that’s why we started doing that. And I think- Again, 349
you see, when we did Disa pear, that was for the dance world, and we tried all 350
sorts of things. It was like my typical “want to have absolutely everything in it to 351
show that I can do all these amazing things”, which was- I mean, it ended up, 352
after the whole year’s work of changing it and changing it and changing it, being 353
a piece that is quite unusual and quite interesting but I guess that was more 354
about, “What can we do? What can the three of us do? Let’s just try this, and 355
let’s just try this, and let’s just try this.” And then, by the second year, with 356
Hannah’s works, it was more about, “Oh, we have a better understanding of 357
what we can do. Let’s do a little thing to the best of our ability and that’s where 358
Train and Pilgrimage came and, therefore, were quite successful works. And, 359
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again, I think Hannah was thinking- We became more and more- Apart from 360
Steve’s work, the first year we didn’t want to be really overt in our message 361
because we wanted to say, “How can we have a biblical worldview through our 362
works without-“ We wanted to say we were Christians but not preach the 363
Gospel and that sort of thing. And we didn’t really know how to be artistic and 364
make the Word of God clear. So, it was more of an artistic endeavour the first 365
year. Then, last year, we had a bit more of a balance of works, like Hannah’s 366
two works were a bit more about having the foundational beliefs about God in 367
there as well as still maintaining an artistic level. And then this year, I think 368
because of my own growth closer to God, through my time off over Christmas, 369
I’ve just felt more and more convicted to allow the Gospel to be very present. 370
And I think that has come, too, from the decision to focus on God and, so, 371
naturally, because we have focused on Him and then taken an image of the 372
light, there is, naturally, more of a focus in the work on God. So, this time, it is 373
very much I have a real heart to communicate with my audience, but at the 374
same time, maintaining my quest for artistic excellence. We’re about 375
supporting Christian artists first and allowing and inviting people to come on the 376
journey with us. Yeah… 377
378
A: Okay… You’ve answered a number of questions there that I don’t need to ask 379
now. You mentioned before about your first year, and particularly with Disa 380
pear, using as many different things as you could and trying to almost, you 381
know, challenge yourself with so many things and trying to be good at 382
everything. One of the things you said earlier this year, that I picked up on, was 383
that, I think, either Hannah or yourself mentioned that your movement style is 384
“much more gentle” now than it was in Disa pear. 385
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386
P: Mmm… 387
388
A: What do you mean by that? So, how has it changed? You don’t have to go 389
through all the works but, you know, say if we just look at Disa pear and now, 390
what sort of has happened to cause that “gentleness” to come about? And, 391
also, how was it different? 392
393
P: Yep. In Disa pear, we wanted to say, “Look, we can really dance,” so we threw 394
ourselves around the stage. And also, it’s come through a greater awareness 395
of ‘release technique’ - which increased with working with Isabelle – a greater 396
body awareness and a greater confidence to be ourselves and to have our own 397
movement vocabulary. And, because Hannah and I have been working 398
together for three years, and working beside each other, we had developed our 399
own ways of enjoying moving, which is very much about release and breathing 400
and natural movement. But, the other thing, we did become very gentle was 401
Hannah then explored in Train, how can we still be dynamic, as well as 402
maintain those things. So it was more- It’s also a case of “I’m getting older” and 403
I’m not doing as many classes and because both of us aren’t doing as many 404
classes, we- It’s partly that we work within what we can do but, at the same 405
time, it’s just, I think, a growth in- (END OF SIDE A OF TAPE) 406
407
P: So, I’ll just repeat that section again… 408
409
A: Yeah, that’d be good. 410
411
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P: …that partly because we’re limited in how many classes we can do ourselves 412
but also- and so we’re not- Whenever we do classes, it’s not ballet or Graham 413
and muscle-based ways of moving; we are focused on the ‘release technique’. 414
And it does enable us to move in quite a dynamic way, without having to have 415
the power that, say, I used to have. Then, also, it’s much more intuitive 416
movement; it allows us to say a lot more. ‘Cause I actually don’t think steps 417
can say much; it says, “Here is a step.” Whereas with this type of movement, it 418
allows- We feel it allows us to express a whole range of things and relate to 419
people because they’re seeing natural movement. And it’s not about steps that 420
they can’t do – I mean, certainly it’s still athletic and dynamic and they probably 421
couldn’t do it - but because it’s naturalistic, I feel like people can relate to it 422
more in a kinaesthetic way. So we prefer to use that and we find it interesting 423
and the timing nuances are much more interesting than the beautiful steps. So 424
it’s because of that. 425
426
A: With regards to ‘release technique’, were you trained in that? Or how did you 427
come about it? You mentioned Isabelle but had you done it before then? 428
429
P: Yeah… 430
431
A: Had you been involved in using it? 432
433
P: A combination of Jean Tally at QUT – she- and I think a little bit, Tiina Ali-434
haapala, a little bit, but Jean… I didn’t get to do many classes with Jean but I 435
really loved what she was doing and she started me off rolling on the floor and 436
really relaxing into the floor. Then when I went to Tasdance, Wendy Morrow 437
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was teaching some classes, and I went and had a private session with her. 438
And some of the dancers from Tasdance were just really focused very, I guess, 439
intuitively, very consciously on releasing different parts of the body. And when I 440
came back, the contemporary dancers confirmed that I’d found something. 441
Then I also did some work with Janice Claxton and she’d done Hawkins work 442
and, of course, Hawkins talks about it’s not one shape or another that’s 443
interesting or important, but MOVING from one to the other and releasing the 444
body or the flow of the body from one to another. And then, I did contact 445
improvisation with Helen Clappen, which is all released. So a combination of all 446
of those things and then at Wesley for the last three years I’ve been developing 447
my ideas on it. And then I got to do Brian Carby’s classes most recently and 448
his work is very breath- and gravity-based. Yeah… 449
450
A: Okay…good. One last question, with regards to, again, movement – you 451
mentioned that often the movement that you use can come out of or has in the 452
past come out of “body initiation” and “body memory”. Are those two things 453
basically the same or are they two separate things? And can you explain them 454
- a little bit about either or both? 455
456
P: Right…Yes, okay, yes – no, they’re different. “Body memory” is something that 457
Hannah was exploring at the end of ’98 in her major work at Wesley. And she 458
asked us to remember a situation that we had been in and allow ourselves to sit 459
in that memory and allow the body to respond. And so she would see a tensing 460
up of the right shoulder or a contracting of the stomach. And then she’d start 461
off, like from a grading of 1 to 10, just allow the movement to be at Level 1, so 462
very minute. And then the next day it might be, “Try and see if you can move 463
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that movement. So make it a little larger; make it Number 3 or Number 5.” And 464
some things remained for the performance at Number 1, and some things were 465
then- we’d let go of the memory and tensed the right shoulder, or lifted the right 466
shoulder, pulled back the right hip and it made us move and we created 467
movement from that. So then it became- From the muscle memory, we used 468
that movement to initiate a larger movement. In Storm, we went totally from 469
movement initiation – different parts of the body initiating – where the wind 470
pushed the right shoulder back and where did you end up? Then, it lifted up 471
the inside of your right hip; where does that move you to, etc? So it became 472
the wind, the soft initiation of one part of the body to instigate movement. And 473
we do enjoy moving in that way. Yeah, and like, the improvised part in 474
Pilgrimage, I’m thinking about the very top of my head searching and looking, 475
so I’m actually looking out through the top of my head and through the base of 476
my feet. And that’s kind of what that little improv part is about. I just repeat that 477
a few times and there are a few directions or , ah, kind of movements that are 478
set, that I have to get to as part of that improv, and then I move through the 479
improv again and then find this next movement to carry on. 480
481
A: All right. Thank you very much. With regards to a diagram that Jenny Dennis 482
had worked out for you, I think, that you used at the start of this year… 483
484
P: Ah, Steve actually… 485
486
A: Oh, Steve? 487
488
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P: …well, the three of us, actually, worked it out. But Steve typed it up, or 489
something like that; he wrote it out. He kind of finalised it. Yeah… 490
491
A: Right…okay. This is more of a clarification. Is it fair to say that from the 492
diagram that God impacts the company which then impacts “other cultures”? Is 493
that how you see it? 494
495
P: Mmm… Well, this process- Yeah, I mean, obviously, God’s impacting the 496
“other cultures” in his own- in other ways, as well, but, yes. Oh, and I guess, 497
God goes WITH the company to impact. Like, God is surrounding the whole 498
thing; God is the foundation of all life. But, yes, hopefully we are instruments to 499
be used in impacting- that God uses us. 500
501
A: And by “other cultures”? How do you see that? 502
503
P: I guess the cultures in which we intermingle. 504
505
A: Such as…? 506
507
P: So, the culture… Primarily, the- well, the contemporary dance culture that we 508
interact with. But when you consider that even the fashions of Newtown that 509
were there ten years ago have now filtered into the commercial streams, and 510
that even the way things were created in Newtown ten years ago, are now seen 511
on the screen… You know, Newtown is a place where new things are started 512
and, apparently, there are scouts that go in and see what’s happening in 513
269
Newtown and relay that to the more commercial avenues. That’s what I’ve 514
heard. So, yeah, if we’re involved in that culture… 515
516
A: And that’s where the performances are? 517
518
P: Yes, all of our performances are Newtown- The Edge Theatre, a Newtown 519
theatre. If we’re having an impact on the “edge” of culture, in the experimental, 520
then hopefully as people see us and they’re affected by us and the way we 521
work and what we present – you know, little bit by little bit. It’s just our, you 522
know, couple of grains of salt or sugar worth that it may filter down through in 523
whatever way, which is very hard to see or you could never follow that 524
necessarily but that’s what we pray and hope for. 525
526
A: Great – thanks.527
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INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AGREEMENT Interview conducted on 24 May 2001
I have read the following transcript and am satisfied with its presentation of the dialogue which occurred during the interview conducted on 24 May 2001.
Signed (Steve Cooper)
INTERVIEW WITH STEVE COOPER - THURSDAY 24.5.01, 5.10pm In Phillippa’s Living Room (2 Highbury St, Croydon)
INTERVIEWER: Angela Pratt (A) INTERVIEWEE: Steve Cooper (S)
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A: It is Thursday the 24th of May and the time is 5.10pm and I’m interviewing 1
Steve. We’ll start with a very simple question because it relates personally to 2
you. I was just wondering if you could explain how you became a Christian or 3
why, perhaps, that you became a Christian? 4
5
S: Yeah, okay. My dad’s a minister and my mum is highly trained as well as 6
committed to the church in some aspects. So they, as well as being strong 7
leaders of the church that they were in when I was growing up, they were also 8
spiritual leaders of our family. So, I grew up with Christian principles and 9
teaching and stuff. And when it got to the point where I wanted to get away 10
from that, it didn’t mean, you know, I hugely rebelled because of what it would 11
have done to them. By the time- But at the same time, I was going to some 12
Christian camps, and that’s where it became a bit more real to me, with the 13
Christian community that was set up there and the way people treated me, 14
which was fairly different from school. And so, I got a lot of support and so 15
from mid-high school through to, say, the end of my first year at uni, I was in 16
the throes of figuring out for myself whether I really wanted to take on the faith. 17
And about the end of the first year of uni, I got to the point where I could say, 18
“Yes, I’m definitely, whole-heartedly committed to Jesus.” But I sat on the 19
fence for quite a while, not because I thought there was a better life to be had, 20
but because of doubt, because I had a very analytical mind. So, from there on, 21
I actually did some more rebelling (laughs) so it was interesting that I was a 22
very committed Christian but still had some aspects of me that really needed to 23
be worked on. And found that, in the same way, that it wasn’t a specific 24
moment of commitment, from being not a Christian to being a Christian. There25
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were other moments – every year or every couple of years when I’d get to a 26
new level of, “Oh, yeah, I’m at a deeper commitment now.” And some of them 27
would be at official moments like an alter call or, you know, a certain type of 28
teaching or whatever. And so because of that, I even hesitate to say it was at 29
that particular moment in first year – but then it wasn’t really a moment – when I 30
became a Christian. So, it was very gradual. 31
32
A: Okay… With regards to working together with the other members of ask – 33
Hannah, being your wife, and obviously, Phillippa – are there any times where 34
you find that … Actually, I’ll step back a little bit. Do you find that your beliefs 35
or your ideas on Christianity tend to be fairly similar? Or do you find that there 36
have been times where you’ve disagreed on certain things in your working 37
together as a company? 38
39
S: I don’t think we really talk much about core beliefs and we partly assume that 40
they’re the same because Pip and I have both been strongly involved in the 41
Anglican church and because Hannah has, too, in the past and that going to 42
her church now I see that it’s very similar. I suppose, when Hannah and I were 43
courting, we talked about a lot of issues and came to the point where we 44
realised we were at a similar stage spiritually and our beliefs were at similar 45
points. But the stuff that’s been an issue sometimes, only on a fairly slight, 46
personal level, is ways that we like to pray together or ways that we like to 47
worship. And, so, you know, Phillippa likes to… She had a bit of a barrier one 48
day, when I- Every time we’d get together and pray at the beginning of 49
rehearsal, I’d initiate holding hands with the three of us ‘cause that’s always 50
been a strong symbol to me of unity and a thing that a group does when it 51
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prays. And she pulled away one day and said, “No! I want to strut around and I 52
want to be able to pray to God with my body as well.” So she started doing that 53
and that was good for her to say that and so that kind of tore down the 54
expectation a little bit that we should pray in a certain way. And so, it’s just 55
habitual things like that, that sometimes come up. 56
57
A: Okay… Alright, have you found that the company has experienced any 58
difficulties, outside of the company, due to its Christianity, whether it be from 59
people who are Christians or people who aren’t Christians? 60
61
S: There’s been one or two people involved in our performances, like people who 62
want us to come and perform, who’ve said that they don’t think dancing is a 63
Christian thing – you know, that issue. I don’t think it’s come up much, though. 64
(pause) Can’t really think of any hindrance from non-Christians either because 65
we’re never too-too abrasive about being Christian. And the people that we 66
work amongst, professionally, are generally fairly accepting of different beliefs, 67
and so, they’re just as keen to tell us about theirs as well as to hear about ours. 68
69
A: Mmm, good. Okay, one of the things that I’ve been looking at is the diagram 70
that you all came up with, with regards to, I suppose, ask’s vision or the way 71
that you see the company, and you were talking about it earlier this year in your 72
planning meeting. 73
74
S: The structure with the boxes? 75
76
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A: Yes, yeah. Would it be fair to say – and please correct me if I’m wrong – that 77
God impacts ask as a company and then it’s ask that then impacts the other 78
cultures that you mentioned there? Or, how would you see it? 79
80
S: Yeah, I suppose. (pause) So, God impacts the other cultures through ask, 81
which is what you said. It’s probably also almost as much that God impacts the 82
other cultures and we’re there. You know, if God impacts somebody and they 83
don’t quite know what’s going on, but a Christian’s there that’s able to explain it, 84
that’s something that we’re there for as well. 85
86
A: Okay…Alright, with regards to that same diagram, you mention “other cultures”. 87
What do you see as being the “other cultures” that you influence or that you 88
have something to do with? 89
90
S: Church culture - which includes churches that have us come and perform, 91
churches who support us, other Christian groups like Christian Dance 92
Fellowship, like the Cooma music seminar or arts seminars – and then 93
contemporary dance culture - which is mainly “Bodies”, Newtown Theatre, The 94
Edge Theatre, people who come to our seasons –and the broader arts as well, 95
which is- that’s kind of worked its way into that picture by us just getting more 96
involved with different kinds of artists and having different kinds of works. I 97
think that’s about it… Oh, and Christian artists, too, because those other 98
Christian artists, regardless of whether they’re part of the Church or part of the 99
secular arts community, work with us or near us as part of our background, too, 100
providing us with a nurturing base and also by encouraging us in what we’re 101
doing. 102
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103
A: Good. Okay, you have had Peter Hallett over the last couple of years as your 104
spiritual advisor. What has been his role as spiritual advisor and has that 105
changed since you first began? 106
107
S: Yeah, it’s changed. When we started, the role established itself really well 108
mainly because Peter is very…I don’t know…disciplined but… I was going to 109
say disciplined about listening to God and following his lead but I don’t know 110
whether he’s quite disciplined. He’s very honed; his skills are honed at doing 111
that with our church, as well as with this spiritual advisorship. And so, he would 112
come along and say, “I’m not really sure what you’re wanting but this is what 113
God’s been teaching me this week and how I think he wants to impact you.” 114
So, we’d have an hour session and, you know, he’d introduce different ways of 115
having us reflect on what’s been going on and learn and share and worship. 116
And, so for the whole first year, it’s pretty stable, in that he helped set up an 117
expectation of how he would advise us spiritually and how he’d impact us. And 118
so then the next – the second – year while I was sick and we were doing less – 119
we’d cut down on things – he was involved less often and we tried to get other 120
people to come in and do a bit of it as well. Sometimes it was hard for him to 121
be involved with other commitments. I think maybe only once or twice we had 122
somebody else come in and had a session which involved spiritual input, but we 123
were wanting to do more than that. And then, this year, once I’m- now that I’m 124
better again, we’ve been cutting down on the amount of time that we’re 125
spending on stuff, and in other things we’re doing. And so, time with Peter has 126
kind of been covered in a way. Although we all agree that it’s an important 127
thing, it’s been hard to actually make it more important than rehearsing or 128
276
planning or whatever. So, we’ve often had month-long phone-tag sessions with 129
Peter, trying to get him to come and him trying to find out when we want him to 130
come… 131
132
A: And has what he did in the first year, in particular – because he was more 133
heavily involved at that time – did that affect the creative process? Or was it 134
mainly that it influenced you each personally and, perhaps, in your relationships 135
with each other? 136
137
S: It’s kind of a balancing effect on the company and how we related because 138
whatever had been happening in our rehearsing and so on, or in our own, you 139
know, outside lives that we- stuff that we brought in as baggage, Peter helped 140
us know how to deal with it and how to cope together. So, I think he probably 141
helped smooth over a lot of stuff, you know, and smooth over the process of 142
developing as a group. 143
144
A: Okay, moving on to a slightly different area… Do you see that one of the roles, 145
or one of the reasons that the company functions, is to communicate with 146
others? 147
148
S: What do you mean by “others”? 149
150
A: Well, with other “cultures”, in particular, coming back to the diagram? Yeah, is 151
communication one of the functions of the company? 152
153
S: Yeah… 154
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155
A: For example…oh, sorry… 156
157
S: Yeah, one of the evangelistic ideas of the company is to present the Gospel, so 158
that’s communicating. And, so, backstage, after the show and talking to people 159
is one way of communicating the Gospel. Having aspects of it in our pieces – 160
while we’re not wanting to do pieces that are the Gospel or present it in a really 161
clear manner, it’s also that we create our pieces with God influencing us and we 162
hand them to God to do whatever he wants and we practise that. And we have 163
a Christian worldview as we prepare the stuff so when it goes on stage, there’s 164
something of God there that people see that might not be in other pieces, so 165
that’s communicating. One of our objectives has been to help the Christian 166
culture understand how dance can be effective as a method of communication, 167
rather than as just something that fits into the category of “too raunchy” or, you 168
know, dangerous ground for Christians. We want to communicate care for the 169
people that we’re around who aren’t Christians, like Graham and Jepke, who’ve 170
had struggles with funding for their theatre, and Mark, who’s got the same 171
struggles at the moment with “Bodies”. And, even just people who are involved 172
as other performers, say, in “Bodies”, who are maybe loners or in whatever kind 173
of situation, maybe presenting a piece that shows their hurt, you know. One of 174
the ways that we want to be like Jesus is to interact with those people and get 175
to know them and show them that we care about them. And …yeah. 176
177
A: And, what role do you see that audience plays in your creative process? For 178
you as a musician and the others as dancers? 179
180
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S: (pause) It’s been a fairly new way of performing for me, since doing some 181
kind of dance-theatre-ish sort of stuff with Phillippa for a year before ask and 182
then more so during ask. So I’ve been discovering how to perform in this way 183
and so when we did- when we made Disa pear, we were pretty serious in how 184
we were creating it and what we wanted to be. And then, when we first showed 185
it, there were lots of kids in the audience and they laughed and that really 186
shocked us because we weren’t expecting that. We hadn’t thought about 187
audience reaction. So that changed how we performed and it changed how I 188
played. I was less serious about making sure that it was a very, very slick 189
marriage between music and the dance. I was less concerned about being a 190
very sincere looking performer. You know, I realised that there was room for 191
being a bit more relaxed. We took the piece to some schools and so that 192
helped us to know more skills about how we could perform. And, the secular 193
arts audiences have been a pressure on us because Phillippa, particularly, but 194
also Hannah, are aware that it’s a very serious, artsy kind of culture and you 195
can’t just go and present something stupid there. You need to be well thought 196
through, you need to have a reputation and you need to prepare well and 197
execute it well. And so, there’s been times when there’s been some tension 198
either because I’ve been less serious about our process of putting stuff together 199
or actually performing it, and they’ve said, “No, look, we’ve actually got to do a 200
really slick performance here,” or whatever it might be. On the other hand, 201
there’s been a- With our audiences at The Edge, where you generally present - 202
there’s more licence to present avant-garde or unfinished works. And so, I think 203
we’ve always had a- Except for what I said about Disa pear and kids, we’ve 204
generally had a fairly strong idea of what our audience is expecting. Like, if you 205
go to this place, they’re expecting a very finished, polished work; if you go to 206
279
this place, they’re expecting something very fresh and it doesn’t matter if it’s not 207
polished. And so, we find we work to those, or always have those, ideas and 208
those boundaries in our heads as to what we can present and what stage we 209
need to be at when we do it. 210
211
A: Okay, how have you found working with artists who aren’t Christians? I mean, 212
you’ve worked with… I think Phillippa mentioned her… 213
214
S: Isabelle? 215
216
A: Yeah, Isabelle, and for you as a musician you’ve worked with… Was there one 217
other musician who wasn’t a Christian? From Selah? 218
219
S: No… 220
221
A: Okay. Well, if we just focus on Isabelle, how did you find working with her and 222
was it… 223
224
(small discussion unclear) 225
226
S: It didn’t feel as safe coming into that experience, at the start, because at the 227
time we were a bit vulnerable and over-worked. And, it felt like we needed to 228
be safe with just Christians or with just our cell group, you know. But, because 229
we were caring and we were open, she was too, and because there’s three of 230
us and one of her, it was easy for us to set up the group dynamics and give her 231
an expectation of how we wanted to work and what we expected of her. And, 232
280
she’s a very gentle lady, you know, so it was easy for that to be a positive 233
process and I think, again, because she wasn’t a Christian (unclear). Let me 234
think of other people. (pause) Sometimes, we have to be guarded a little bit – I 235
think Pip feels it a little bit more than I do, and maybe Hannah as well – when 236
we’re in rehearsal and we normally pray, or we’d normally have a study, or 237
whatever it might be, we need to consider how is this going to affect this non-238
Christian person? Will they be freaked out or…? (short pause) And then, at 239
“Bodies”, the first time I did it, I was very unaware of what kind of scene or what 240
kind of people there were, so I just took it at face-value. Whereas Phillippa and 241
Hannah had a lot of preconceived ideas about how these people would relate to 242
them, how they’d relate, and what their ideas would be of them as Christians. 243
And so, I wasn’t so guarded about making Christian comments or that kind of 244
thing. And I think that that shocked them at first because they wouldn’t have 245
been so candid, and so it was kind of good that I didn’t have the same 246
preconceived ideas of how these artists would see Christians 247
because…(unclear). But, yeah, there’s been no other non-Christians apart from 248
Isabelle. 249
250
A: Okay… 251
252
S: Mmm… 253
254
A: I think I’ve just got one more question. How have you found the use of 255
improvisation in the creative process? Has that changed over time, like the way 256
you as a musician use it and the others as dancers use it? 257
258
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S: I’ve learnt new things about improvising musically because, instead of just 259
having a musical frame of reference, I now have a dance frame of reference, 260
and also a kind of a theatre frame of reference as well. So, I’m able to 261
consider, you know, even with Disa pear right at the start, I was able to free 262
myself of musical boundaries and even of jazz improvisation boundaries, and 263
just let my hands do something. I figured, if the dancers are just doing 264
something with their body, why can’t I do the same and see what sounds come 265
out? And so, I was able to let myself do things on the piano that I hadn’t done 266
before – just play shapes, which ended up being harmonies that sounded good 267
but weren’t conventional, because I was trying to make sure that I was writing 268
stuff that was comparable with the dance. So, it had to be kind of movement 269
oriented. And, as time’s gone on, I’ve been able to explore different aspects of 270
playing and of writing. And, in fact, when we wrote the major jazz piece that we 271
did, If You are Willing – I wrote that with my trumpet player who’s a more 272
seasoned jazz musician than I am and a more experienced writer – he would 273
come up with some ideas and I’d actually have the guts to kind of mutilate his 274
ideas to come up with something that sounded darker or more uncertain as a 275
prelude to a bit that he’d written, you know. And he’d look at me and say, “Man, 276
you’re bad!” (laughs) And, so that was kind of fun because he was kind of more 277
free of conventional jazz boundaries than I was, having experimented more, but 278
I’d actually experimented without considering jazz boundaries at all. And so he 279
helped me to find… The two of us together were able to come up with 280
something again more experimental and that was fun. And, recently, it’s been 281
very free-ing because, under Hannah’s direction for the last piece, we really just 282
came up with very fresh sounds and ideas, and put them together in very fresh 283
ways because it was as if they were bits of choreography that Hannah was 284
282
helping us to develop and all she did was piece them together. So I found 285
myself being more skilled through ask as a kind of free improvisationalist 286
without actually using all the tools that I was taught in uni that I hadn’t really 287
practised, you know. You feel like a bit of a cheat because I’m coming up with 288
really good stuff, but haven’t put in the hard yards of learning how to really use 289
jazz theory properly. So that’s been one way, I guess, that it’s happened. And, 290
also, I’ve been more- I’ve become more sensitive, through working with the 291
dancers, to how my music’s interacting with other performance, ‘cause it’s a 292
very clear interaction when you’re playing and there’s a dancer and the two of 293
you are interacting. So that when, say, Spike on the saxophone will join us for 294
an improvisation, I’d have new ears on how to hear the saxophone, and how it’s 295
interacting with me, and what the possibilities of one of us stopping and the 296
other one keep going, and things like that. 297
298
A: Mmm, that’s all I wanted to ask you, Steve. Thanks very much. 299
300
S: Great!301
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INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AGREEMENT Interview conducted on 24 May 2001
I have read the following transcript and am satisfied with its presentation of the dialogue which occurred during the interview conducted on 24 May 2001.
Signed (Hannah Horsley-Cooper)
INTERVIEW WITH HANNAH COOPER, THURSDAY 24.5.01, 5.40pm At Phillippa’s house (beginning in the living room and moving to upstairs
bedroom) INTERVIEWER: Angela Pratt (A)
INTERVIEWEE: Hannah Cooper (H)
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A: Right, it’s still Thursday the 24th of May and it is now 5.40 and I’m interviewing 1
Hannah. Okay, I’ll start with an easy question, just as I started with all of the 2
others, if you could explain how and why you became a Christian. 3
4
H: (laughs) No wonder it’s so long (laughs)! I grew up in a Christian home. I had 5
really significant experiences as a Christian as a child. I was definitely a 6
Christian as a child, and in my own, you know, personal way. And, as I got 7
older, I guess as I got into sort of the end of high school, I started to, I mean… 8
Not so much, I think, consciously question what was going on ‘cause I used to 9
always go to church and everything, but I was kind of questioning…I guess, 10
because of lifestyle – things like I had a non-Christian boyfriend who I was 11
sleeping with and things. I had lifestyle things that were challenging what I 12
thought and what I thought I believed and things. I guess it was coming into an 13
adult phase. I probably did that when I chose to come to Wesley to study 14
because I had an offer from the Centre for the Performing Arts in Adelaide 15
which I really wanted to take up. And I had- I mean, there was another audition 16
for Wesley. I wasn’t even sure why I was auditioning for wesley, but I did and 17
then I had to make this decision and I made the hard decision, which was what I 18
thought God was telling me to do and I think that was the first time I made- 19
yeah, I made the hard decision and that, yeah, which wasn’t the easy one. So, 20
I think that would be- I mean, it’s hard to- It’s a process for me, not a… Yeah… 21
22
A: Sure. So it was because you then came to the Wesley? You made the 23
decision to accept the Wesley’s… 24
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25
H: Yeah, yeah, and I guess that was making the decision to say, “I need to get my 26
life straightened out. Even though I don’t want to go there, I’ll obey you, God, 27
and go there.” All that sort of stuff, instead of just being a Christian when it was 28
easy and not when it wasn’t or whatever. Yeah. 29
30
A: Sure. Okay… When working together as a company, have you found that there 31
have been any things that have arisen because of maybe differences in beliefs 32
or differences in understanding of your Christianity? 33
34
H: Mmm…I know that we’ve consciously quite often discussed things…and I think 35
probably our times with Peter have been a time where we’ve been able to 36
discuss- I mean, especially in the first year, ‘cause we were coming from some- 37
we knew we had some similarity in our background. We all had, you know, 38
some Anglican background, particularly; that was probably our biggest common 39
denominator and Steve, at the time, was from an Anglican church and so was 40
Pip, but I wasn’t but I had that in my background. And I guess it as through- ah, 41
when Peter came – and he’s from a sort of charismatic background – he would- 42
he’d sort of be trying to suss out what we wanted out of the times and we were, 43
I guess, trying to suss out what- Like, for example, if we were going to worship 44
together, what we want to do, what kind of songs would we want to sing? 45
Would we want to pray? You know, what style was that whole thing? And that, 46
I guess, was a way of opening up discussion. So, you know, Pip would say 47
things like it’s really good for her ‘cause she often doesn’t have a chance to 48
have free worship in her church or… I guess also we were meeting at Wesley 49
and Pip and I both have Wesley experience so we were probably both 50
286
operating from that – what the college is like anyway, which is sort of, you 51
know, a real conglomeration of lots of different backgrounds and stuff. I’m 52
trying to think if there have actually been any problems… I guess there’s been- 53
Early on – I was just thinking about this today – early on, there was- I think, 54
Steve and I were coming like – we’ve discussed this with Pip – that we had 55
problems when we wouldn’t discuss… If something went wrong, we would just 56
push it down; we wouldn’t discuss it. I think we’ve told you that before. And, it 57
came out after a while that Pip was saying, most of her experience – like, her 58
church experience was church experience and her professional experience was 59
professional experience. They weren’t really mixed up too much and you just 60
shut up and get on with it, and the, you know, professional experience. 61
Whereas, Steve and I had been doing more art stuff in Christian settings and 62
so, perhaps that affected the way- our expectations of what- how things would 63
be dealt with or…or whatever. Yeah. 64
65
A: Okay, you mentioned about Peter Hallett… 66
67
H: Yeah. 68
69
A: …being your spiritual advisor… 70
71
H: Yeah. 72
73
A: …and you talked about what it was like in first year and the impact that he had 74
on you and the role he played. Has the role changed? 75
76
287
H: Mmm, absolutely. It’s like- he came almost every week in the first year. And 77
second year, where everything sort of- kind of- what would you say? (laughs) 78
I don’t want to say “degenerated”, or whatever it is. When Steve got sick, and 79
we didn’t have so much time with ask anymore, he came very rarely, ‘cause we 80
just basically would meet together for rehearsals and that was it. And then into 81
the second half of the year, I think he came a couple of times. But we’d often- 82
He would often- We’d go to him, ah, yeah, we’d go to him if there were 83
difficulties. Like, when we were trying to decide about whether or not Desiree 84
would come in and be part of the company, ‘cause she’s Christadelphian, we 85
had a lot of discussions with him. So it sort of went into more an advisory role, 86
rather than meeting with us regularly and mentoring. A lot more it became just 87
facilitating. So we started praying more just together without him there, and it 88
was less structured but everything became less structured. And then it’s 89
become somewhere in between the two in this year. We’ve seen him a little bit 90
more often and so it’s still more of an advisory role. 91
92
A: And has the way that he has been involved, has that affected the creative 93
process or had an impact on the creative process? Or has it mainly been 94
personally…? 95
96
H: Mmm, more personally, and then feeding in to, but not directly into the creative 97
process. 98
99
A: Alright. Has the company itself experienced any difficulties due to the fact that 100
you are three Christians involved as a professional company, whether it’s 101
through difficulties with Christians or people who aren’t Christians? 102
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103
H: I know that people, say, at “Bodies” notice that we’re Christians and I 104
sometimes wonder whether they wonder why you’re working just with 105
Christians, although we try to explain that in our explanations of the group and 106
stuff. I know that one of the people who teaches, like, who takes Steve for 107
Pilates, she said, when she found out that we were sponsored by the company, 108
and she knows that Ingrid – you know, who heads up the Pilates – is also a 109
Christian, she suddenly went, “Clunk!” That clicked in and she went, “Ah, 110
you’re all from the same religion, aren’t you?” Like…(laughs) So, it was- So I 111
think sometimes people- I wonder whether they think it’s a bit cliquey or a bit 112
“in-clubby”. But nothing’s ever really been said; it’s been more positive than- 113
more positive feedback about it than there has been negative feedback. From 114
Christians? (pauses to think) Nah, it’s just more misunderstanding of what we’re 115
doing rather than any questioning of where and what we should doing. I think 116
it’s really positive. People tend to say- People tend to maybe accept us more 117
easily because we’re working as Christians together than if we were just out 118
there doing our own thing, you know. 119
120
A: And have there been any differences when you have worked with non-121
Christians like Isabelle? 122
123
H: From our perspective or…? 124
125
A: (nods) 126
127
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H: Yeah, like we haven’t discussed things quite as much sometimes; we might not 128
be so open about just suddenly praying in the middle of a rehearsal or… 129
Especially with Isabelle, because she was leading us. And also, I mean, my 130
other main experience with having another non-Christian directly involved, up 131
until Jacqui’s just come into this process, was with Anca when we were dancing 132
for Nicola Baartse. And it was just Anca and me and Nicola, and because Anca 133
is by far the most experienced of the three dancers – she’s sort of, maybe, 50, 134
and she’s been in mega professional dance and whatever else – it had less of 135
an impact than Isabelle but still… I think, generally, once we feel that they’re- 136
once you sort of sense them out- And obviously, we wouldn’t even ask them if 137
they were “anti”. Once you sense out- Like, if you pray with them- Like, for 138
example, once we were praying and Anca was there and Nicola didn’t know 139
Anca wasn’t a Christian and just prayed this great big prayer and then I prayed 140
and then Anca just said, “I agree with everything you’ve said,” and that’s like 141
the true meaning of “Amen”, you know, and so, after that we felt really relaxed 142
about it. Yeah, so I think once you realize that they’re okay with what you are 143
doing and that’s part of why they’re there, perhaps, even… Yeah. 144
145
A: Yeah, sure. Okay… I’ve been looking at the diagram that you came up with as 146
to the company’s structure or its aims… 147
148
H: The boxes? 149
150
A: Yeah, that’s the one. And this is my perception of it but I’d like to know what 151
your perception is, because that’s really what I’m trying to find out: that God 152
influences ask, which, in turn, influences “other cultures”. 153
290
154
H: Yes, so you’re wondering…? 155
156
A: Okay, so is that the way you see it? 157
158
H: (pauses to think) I think that’s one aspect of what happens. I guess that’s a bit 159
simplified, because obviously God also influences other cultures and prepares 160
them for whatever they might get out of our works and we pray like that quite a 161
lot. But, I’d say- Rather than influencing other cultures, I’d say I’d really like to 162
see ask as part of that, part of the wider culture, instead of being part of the- I’d 163
rather see us a little bit more allied to the wider culture, than we are to the 164
Christian sub-culture. Or, perhaps, you know, supported by the Christian sub-165
culture but actively involved more in the wider culture, meaning- I mean, in our 166
own field and kind of that stuff. And so, as a result, just being there, there’s a 167
change because- We’re just one more thing that’s in the mix, I guess, but 168
before, there was no Christian thing. So if we’re there and then if our works 169
become more- You know, as we become more experienced, and our work 170
becomes more accepted, as we become stronger in God and more able to be 171
effective in our witness personally, all that sort of stuff, then that’ll change the 172
surrounds of where we are. It’s helpful, though, that we’re a group. So that’s in 173
a sense changing the other groups or changing the other people. 174
175
A: I see. 176
177
H: Yeah. 178
179
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A: So, by the terms, “Christian sub-culture” – I just need a bit of clarification – 180
“Christian sub-culture” and the “wider cultures”, what do you see as the 181
definitions for those? 182
183
H: Yeah, yeah… Ah, “Christian sub-culture”, I guess… I guess it’s like, say, with 184
novels. You have novels that are definitely aimed towards Christians and then 185
you have novels written by Christians that just get published by general 186
publishers and go out into general bookshops, and you don’t have to buy them 187
at Koorong. (laughs) So, I guess that’s- I’d rather be Christians writing stuff that 188
gets published by “Bodies”, I guess, or gets produced by “Bodies”, rather than 189
constantly only doing things like “Abundance” or Christian Dance Fellowship 190
conferences or that sort of thing. 191
192
A: And what would you define as the “wider cultures” then? 193
194
H: Well, obviously you have- I think it’s sort of like a ripple effect or whatever 195
‘cause I think obviously the first people it would perhaps affect would be 196
“Bodies” crew, dancers and the audience who come, which is- Even if they’re 197
not dancers, they’re still part of the dance community ‘cause they’re people who 198
generally go, although “Bodies” is getting a wider audience than a general 199
dance audience, a little bit, you know. And then, I guess, other artists who 200
come, dancers and other artists who come. So that’s the first- Like, if we go, 201
“Plop!” in there, then that perhaps changes some of their perceptions, perhaps 202
encourages other Christians or whatever, and that may then affect the wider 203
arts – so it’ll affect other musicians, or whatever, or it may affect audience 204
members from totally different fields. And then it goes outwards because, I 205
292
guess, it comes from the way I see experimental art which is that it’s sort of like 206
the forest floor where all the stuff happens. And then the people in the big 207
funded companies and the people in commerce and the people in science and 208
research and whatever else who are really successful are the ones who are 209
kind of benefitting from all that stuff that goes on at the bottom. Yeah…so that’s 210
sort of- I think Peter’s influenced the way we think about that, actually… 211
212
A: Okay… 213
214
H: …because he and I have had a lot of discussions about that sort of thing and 215
we’ve discussed it in ask and he talked about how you can see what happens 216
in the inner-city arts and general culture, particularly Newtown, the university 217
areas, is then- you can directly trace it that in three to five years it’s happening 218
in the western suburbs of Sydney and it moves outwards from there. And I 219
guess each city would be somewhat like that. 220
221
A: Mmm…okay. 222
223
H: Yeah… So that’s what he was saying. But then, there are other influences 224
from overseas and all that sort of stuff, too, so I don’t know how that all fits 225
together. (laughs) If I was a sociologist then…(laughs) Yeah, anyway. 226
227
A:` Okay, so you were just talking a little bit a moment ago about the audience. 228
What role does the audience have in your creative process? 229
230
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H: We create works- Ah, that’s interesting. We create works with two audiences 231
in mind, not all works but we will usually make a decision…mmm… We have 232
often made a decision before we create a work who it’s being made for. And 233
then… Or perhaps it’ll just be influenced by where we know it’ll be shown first 234
or where we hope to show it. So, my best example to give you is Train. I 235
deliberately tried to create that so it would be a crossover work for both of our 236
audiences – for our Christian audience and our, you know, general audience. 237
And that’s because, I think, although, as I said before, I’d rather be creating for 238
the wider community, I think it’s very important for us to help educate and be a 239
bit gentle with the Christians who want to support us because they really are 240
our support-base – they’re our prayer-base, they’re our- they’re a good amount 241
of the audiences that come our seasons, they’re really excited and keen about 242
our vision. And so, they’re wider-ask, I guess. And, I don’t want to only make 243
works that will alienate them. I want to make works that we can take to our 244
church, for example, and show and they can get something out of it, and then 245
with explanation can get more out of it. I want them to have some keys in. And 246
I guess it’s not only that; I don’t want to only be creating for- I mean, this is 247
where it gets complicated because I don’t want to be creating only for artsy-248
fartsy people either. I want to have some stuff- You know, whereas I don’t want 249
to – whatever you say, like- I don’t want to only cater to simple things but I also 250
don’t want to be alienating in what I do. And this is- Now I’m starting to talk just 251
from more what I want to create, but that’s a third of what goes on (laughs), I 252
guess. So, with Train, I- you know, had full-on contemporary movement, quite, 253
quite bizarre and quirky in some ways. And then the train soundtrack which is 254
very familiar, totally familiar to anybody who catches a train in Sydney, which is 255
most people at some time or other. And you often have all sorts of- It sort of 256
294
evokes all sorts of things like going to school, or going to work, or whatever. Or 257
even if you hear it from somewhere else, you remember a Sydney holiday, you 258
know, it’s like- And then there’s this song, so there’s words, and it’s in a gospel-259
ish style so it’s fairly accessible and although it’s sung a capella, there are 260
some words to hang on to as a Christian, but the words aren’t so overt that 261
they’re alienating for a non-Christian to hear. So, anyway, I’m not sure; I 262
haven’t showed this yet to a strictly secular audience, which- That’ll happen 263
next week, so it’s very interesting to see what will happen. But then, so there 264
you go – you’ve got the movement that’s interesting enough to satisfy the, you 265
know, the dancers, the artists, and then the other things. And, hopefully, the 266
layers together create something that’s cohesive and yet, different people have 267
got keys in. 268
269
A: You said before – I can’t remember your exact words but that – oh, that you 270
wanted your audience to get something- that they were able to get something 271
out of it. 272
273
H: Mmm…yeah. 274
275
A: Does that relate to communication? Is that, ah, one of the functions of the 276
company? 277
278
H: Yes, yes. It’s partly communicating an idea that I have, or an experience that I 279
have, or an experience that we have, but it’s also partly…let me think… It’s also 280
partly trusting that if you put a whole stack of things, which have come from an 281
idea, in front of people that they’ll work it out for themselves. So it’s 282
295
communication in a sort of post-moderny sense, you know, ah, and I guess with 283
prayer as well, that people won’t interpret- that they’ll interpret it as it should be 284
interpreted or in one of a variety of- Like, it could have- I’ve heard, sort of, five 285
valid meanings for Train and it’s a fairly short simple work in a lot of ways. So, 286
you know, people have gotten things as diverse, out of this one work with 287
words, as, sort of, a feeling of God being with you in personal, isolated kind of 288
journey. And then, from that to being- I mean, there are certain lines of the 289
song that talk about real estate. And somebody got, out of having the train 290
journey, like the sound and the words, that it’s all about how God helps us in 291
the rat race. (laughs) So, it’s quite different things but they’re all valid and 292
they’re all- like, none of them are sort of, ah, heretical or anything like that, you 293
know what I mean. ‘Cause communicating…it’s more like helping…I don’t 294
know… yeah. 295
296
(pause in recording as interview moves from lounge room to upstairs room) 297
298
A: In one of the rehearsals earlier this year, you, and I think Phillippa as well, 299
described your movement style as “much more gentle” now. How is it- than 300
when you did Disa pear which was your first work? How has it changed and 301
maybe even the reasons why it has changed? 302
303
H: It’s… I guess it’s been partially another two years worth of really investigating 304
‘release technique’ and that’s been through… I mean, I personally have an 305
interest in ‘release technique’ from the perspective that, although it’s bizarre in 306
some ways, I feel like in some ways it has an affinity with Christian things, in the 307
sense that I’ve had injuries and difficulties, and I’ve seen so many difficulties in 308
296
other people, in techniques that force people to do things. And I think of it more 309
as an allowing technique. I think that it’s more- Yeah, it’s more letting the body 310
do what it can do and I feel like that’s what God’s like with us, rather than 311
forcing us into unnatural sort of positions, or whatever. I mean, I don’t think I’ve 312
ever voiced this before exactly; this is something I’ve sort of thought about. 313
And also like how it’s- It’s almost going back to the way things should be in a lot 314
of ways. Like, you’re sort of trying to undo unhealthy tension-holding patterns 315
and all that sort of stuff. So… That’s really funny – I’ve never actually said that 316
before but I think that’s part of the reason that’s my choice of techniques. We 317
worked with Isabelle deliberately because she’s a lot further down the path and 318
she’s more extreme and she- it was really, really good for us. We went miles 319
just from doing that one work with her. So that’s been a big influence, partly by 320
choice, but then again, we got more out of it than we were even bargaining for 321
and … So I guess it’s getting better at doing that stuff on our own bodies. But 322
then, when I started working in the middle of last year on Train, I started 323
thinking- ‘Cause the work before that – Isabelle’s work – had been really quite 324
gentle and quite low key, and I started thinking, Yeah, that’s okay but can you 325
keep this style and keep these laws and rules, and yet still be athletic in what 326
you’re doing? And so that’s when I started to try to create Train with Pip, and I 327
think we got another step along with that. So, gentle and yet still want to be 328
able to do things that are, you know, you want to keep expanding the 329
boundaries but keeping the laws. And… 330
331
A: So what are some of the laws of release technique? 332
333
297
H: Oh, things like pure instigation. So, if you decide a set movement is honestly 334
going to be instigated by a particular part of the body, you let that happen; you 335
don’t cheat another part to actually do what you are wanting to do. So that’s 336
one sort of thing. Using things like “creasing”, “dropping”, “folding” and stuff to 337
do what you can do. So you use gravity and allowing your body to do those 338
things, to do things you would otherwise do with effort and muscular work. Stuff 339
like that…it’s hard to put it into words ‘cause you listen to your body. But that’s 340
some of the sort of examples of it. 341
342
A: When did you start using release technique or when did you start training in it? 343
344
H: I was in third year of college, so it was with Pip. 345
346
A: Okay. 347
348
H: Yeah, and then… Yeah, now I go to other classes and stuff, so… Yeah, before 349
that it was other styles and I guess they’re influencing as well. Obviously, Pip’s 350
got heaps of jazz background and I’ve got a lot of more Graham background, 351
and that sort of thing, and she’s got like Cunningham…yeah, all that sort of 352
stuff. 353
354
A: Okay, another couple of terms that you used in the previous interview earlier 355
this year were “body initiation” and “body memory”. Are those two things the 356
same or are they different? 357
358
H: Different. You can have memories of initiations… 359
298
360
A: Can you define both of those terms? 361
362
H: I probably just defined “instigation” as best as I could before. (laughs) So you 363
know, like, one part makes the effort or does the action and the rest follows 364
and it follows in a way that is- I guess it follows in a way that is trained, in a lot 365
of ways, so you keep your posture a certain way and that sort of stuff. So there 366
is training with it but you try to make it as pure as you can. “Body 367
memory”…(pauses) Now that comes into play a lot in improvisation, doesn’t it? 368
(more to herself than the interviewer) (laughs) I would like to s- Like, we try not 369
to let our body memory be a memory of chains of steps or ways of doing things. 370
We try and have as ways of doing things rather than- You know, in ballet, you 371
would have a certain chain of steps and that, you know, you do glissade, pas 372
de bouree, for example, and it just goes like that. But, instead, it’s like you try 373
to take away connections and just know ways of moving. And so, if an 374
improvisation…(sigh) Now I’m getting a bit off track…The body remembers how 375
it should be – how it feels when it’s in the right place, you know, and it’s just like 376
taking that further, I guess. So knowing if you take yourself off-balance, how do 377
you catch yourself? You know? And how do you do that in a safe way or in a 378
way that’s going to… Oh, well… 379
380
(Phillippa enters room looking for something she needs for the rehearsal to follow. 381
Discussion occurs between her and Hannah regarding this, which is irrelevant to this 382
interview.) 383
384
H: Pip might be able to explain it better than me. 385
299
386
A: I think I’ve only got one more question. How has the use of improvisation in the 387
creation of the present work different from how you’ve used it in the past? Or is 388
it different? 389
390
H: Yes, it’s quite different. 391
392
A: You don’t have to go through every piece or work you’ve choreographed. 393
394
H: Yeah…no. I could just say that generally in the past we’ve improvised and then 395
another person’s watched the improvisation, worked out- Like, parameters are 396
worked out, then the improvisation happens. It can be as simple as we’re going 397
to use these two kind of verbs or something. And then, you’d improvise around 398
that and they see and they feed back to you what you’re doing and then they 399
help you to create something that’s set from that improvisation. Whereas in this 400
work, it’s totally different. Like, you have a beginning, some set boundaries for 401
the improvisation – they’re often similar, like they could be just words or 402
whatever they happen to be. And then, you improvise, or then I improvise and 403
Phillippa watches me. And then, she gives me more and more feedback, and 404
more and more things to work on in the improvisation – more and more tasks, I 405
guess – until she hones it down to what she wants. Instead of setting it to find 406
what she wants, she keeps me improvising but kind of tweaks it. 407
408
A: So she hasn’t got a set idea of what she’s looking for? 409
410
H: No. 411
300
412
A: It just ends up being there bit by bit? 413
414
H: Yeah…yep. 415
416
A: Okay. 417
418
H: Bit by bit…Well, after she’s seen my first improvisation, she might have more of 419
an idea of what she wants to get out of that improvisation. But I might do 420
something different and then she’ll like it and forget her idea. 421
422
A: Okay. 423
424
H: And then, after all that’s done, the setting comes in where the improvisations 425
go. So there’s still setting. 426
427
A: Right. 428
429
H: Of course (laughs). You have to… Well, some people don’t (laughs). 430
431
A: I think that’s it, Hannah. Thank you very much. 432
433
H: That’s alright. That was easy. 434
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APPENDIX D: TRANSCRIPT CHECKLIST AND PARTICIPANT CHECK REGISTER
TRANSCRIPT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT CHECK
COMMENT
Group Interview 14.2.01
Phillippa Oakden- Patch
yes authenticated with no change
Hannah Cooper yes two minor corrections: 1. line 604 (changed to
“Pip’s study” from “my study”)
2. line 1318 (changed to “Mike” from “Todd”)
Steve Cooper yes authenticated with no change
Individual Interview 23.5.01
Phillippa Oakden-Patch
yes authenticated with no change
Individual Interview 24.5.01
Steve Cooper yes authenticated with no change
Individual Interview 24.5.01
Hannah Cooper yes authenticated with no change
Observation notes (sent to participants on 7.6.02)
Phillippa Oakden-Patch
yes authenticated with no change
Hannah Cooper
yes authenticated with no change
Steve Cooper
yes authenticated with no change
302
APPENDIX E DIAGRAM OF COMPANY’S FOCUS FROM 2000, AS DESIGNED BY STEVE COOPER GOD
Safe nurturing place Relate to each other in a healthy manner (core), and with collaborators, contemporaries and audience
∗ Professional development ∗ Company Evolution ∗ Experimenting ∗ Spiritual development
Create works Balancing product with
process
OTHERS CULTURE
303
APPENDIX F: ROOMS OF ‘WYNOLA’ FLOOR PLAN (not drawn to scale)
Ballroom
Hallway Parlour
Lounge
(Front Door)
Verandah
BALLROOM LOUNGE
fireplace
couch
piano
lamp
firep
lace
couc
h
archway
windows
304
APPENDIX G POEMS BY ULRICH SHAEFFER AS USED IN IN YOUR LIGHT
305
306
APPENDIX H CORRESPONDENCE FROM PETER HALLETT, SPIRITUAL ADVISOR (INCLUDING DEVOTIONAL STUDIES USED IN HIS MEETINGS WITH ask dance theatre) [NB. This is a compilation of some of the documents kept by ask dance theatre in their files at WIMA as a record of their involvement with Peter Hallett. I have retyped them here for greater clarity and so that they can be viewed in chronological order. The “devotional studies” are written materials which were brought to Peter’s meetings with the members of ask.] Aims For The Year (1999 - handwritten notes) Grow artistically by playing, watching, performing, learning, sharing, getting feedback, push the boundaries Grow spiritually – through Peter’s input, through each other, through accountability, through private times with God and in his word, by listening to God in everything, by seeing answered prayer, by trusting in Him, by study for performance pieces Building relationships – classes, performances – non-Christians, rehearsals, performances – Christians and each other Notate and evaluate process and development of ask DT Establish supportive and godly working practices and opportunities to grow Work out the collaborative thing Establish financial, prayer and interest support groups Create a range of works that are of a high standard artistically while being interesting or challenging theatrically Devotional Studies: ask 1 (5/2/99) Creative art – dance, music, painting, sculpture, writing, poetry – is the process of taking the raw material of idea, desire, passion, vision, talent, people and crafting, working, releasing, shaping – until you have something worthy of display, ready for performance, presentation. Something that brings alive your vision – sometimes growing and changing as it develops. You are embarking on a year of devoting yourselves to such a process in various forms – both together and individually, sometimes being crafted, sometimes the crafter. We all need to remember in life that as we engage in this process, God is in fact at work in the same way on our lives. God is preparing each of us to be on display, to be worthy, to be ready. A work in progress, as the saying goes.
307
Let’s look at some Scriptures that highlight this: Jeremiah 1:4-9; 18:1-6 Ephesians 3:10-13 Colossians 1:28 Philippians 2:12,13 2 Corinthians 3:18 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24 As you carefully craft your works this year, be aware of a greater hand, mind, heart not only guiding you in your work but working on you. In fact you are the greater project. Dances, songs will come and go – you are eternal. No one knows the dance David did before the Lord – but they know he danced… Dance well, play well, write well, but not at the cost of living poorly. Dance well and live high! ASK: In the light of these Scriptures, how is your spiritual journey as a Christian similar to the work you do as dancer/musician/choreographer? DO: Use one of the mediums offered – drawing, cutting, sculpting, dancing to show how you see yourself at this pivotal moment. How does the past seem, where are you today, how does tomorrow appear. Draw shapes or a picture to describe this OR design the cover of a novel of your life with a title, sub-title, brief description. Cut out shapes, designs or make a structure out of colours to show answer. Paste layers, etc. Mould shapes, characters, etc. Choreograph a dance or movement. EXPLAIN: Then we will spend a few moments sharing about our creation. SING: Potter’s Hand and then pray into and out of what we have learned/experienced, etc. ask 2 (12/2/99) Hebrews 11:1-3,6 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible… 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. When God purposed to create the world he spoke and it came into being. But now God involves us in his creativity. Now when he speaks he sees cooperating, responsive faith in the heart of those he created in his image. God can create/act/work/save independently of us, but he loves most of all to do these things with us.
308
In fact he has ordered creation so that we are the visible expression of his word. Faith is vital catalyst for this to happen. Jesus is our example in this as he came as the visible expression of his word in all its fullness (John 1:1). Today we are the visible (incarnate) expression of God’s word as we hear it, respond to it in faith and act in the power of His Spirit. In Hebrews 11 we see a history of this truth at work in the world. As we read we see people who heard God’s word, responded in faith and expressed their faith in action. This is the process of faith repeated countless times through history: God’s word Responsive faith Faithful action ASK: How does the process of faith relate to ask dance company? ASK: Does God just speak and then leave us alone with the faith and action parts? (Consider Ephesians 2:8-10) ASK: How is the process of faith similar to the process of creativity? ASK: List all the actions (verbs) you can find that describe what these people of faith did because of God’s word and faith. (vs 4-39) Finally let us heed the advice of Hebrews 12:1,2: 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. WORSHIP: “Have Faith in God” (Steve) ask 3 (19/2/99) 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 12Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16Be joyful always, 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil. 23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
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10 DYNAMIC (DANCE) STEPS FOR ASK DT IN 99 1. BE PROFESSIONAL (12-14) As a company of Christians moving in a professional world, it is vital to maintain a commitment to excellence in work, relationships, attitudes and behaviour. These verses highlight respect for those in authority, working hard, controlling tempers and moods, and not falling into idleness, impatience. Nor allowing timidity to restrain. Think spot – how does this apply to ask. Any other areas of “being professional” or diligent to be considered? 2. BE PERSONAL (14,15) Take time to care for one another. Do not be so task-oriented that personal needs are completely overlooked. Not only among yourselves but as you relate to theatre managers, helpers, organisers, etc, etc. Being “personal, intimate, caring” is a great place of transference for your faith. Think spot – other suggestions 3. BE POSITIVE (16,18) We need to demonstrate a positive attitude. It is important to model faith, not just talk about it. Take the time to share testimonies of breakthrough, praise, thanks and give God the glory before all comers! We must remain always in grace and not drift into law. You have started free, finish free. Think spot – How else can we present a positive image? 4. BE PRAYERFUL (17) Protect these times together each week – participate! Be sensitive to “prayer points” in the day. 1 moment when you hear God say, “Stop everything and renew your prayer covering/spiritual atmosphere.” Have a prayer lifestyle. 5. BE PROPHETIC (19-20) Ask God to give you a prophetic edge to your dance, music, prayer, etc. Expect people to be touched supernaturally through your work and words. Look for prophetic insight as you create and develop movement and music. Testimonies of this already? 6. BE PERCEPTIVE (21) Not every idea is a good idea. Not every good idea is God’s idea. Think it through, stay accountable. Get feedback. Open your eyes and listen with your heart. Manage yourself with your head and others with your heart. Beware the influence of the world – we are sent to influence, not be influenced. Think spot – how can do we do this without being critical, fearful, paranoid, defensive? 7. BE IMPECCABLE (22) The four C’s of ministry are Calling, Charisma, Content and Character. The last is clearly the most important. Avoid is an active word. Avoid evil. Be in the world, not of it. Be above reproach. As your profile grows, so will the temptations to subtle evil. How can we help each other in this regard? 8. CHALLENGE An exciting year spreads before us. There will be plenty of hard work. But there are also plenty of great opportunities. Take these steps to ensure God’s opportunities are fully explored.
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Email from Peter Hallett, 25.2.99 Hi Phillippa, Unfortunately I can’t make 1pm or the middle of the day on Friday. I wasn’t sure last week but it turns out I have family commitments right through the day (I mentioned this to Hannah on the phone last night when she rang about something else). I move my “day off” around each week depending on my schedule and this week I’m spending Friday going to my kids swimming carnivals, etc. I would have got to the 4pm timeslot but not any earlier. So, perhaps we just give it a miss this week and as discussed with Hannah, you two have prayer time together. Hope that’s okay… I have been reading the simple story about Jesus and the disciples hopping in the boat, the storm coming up, and the disciples thinking they were going to drown. It seems to be a timely story for lots of people. 1. The disciples followed Jesus into the boat. That’s the key for going anywhere in life. 2. Jesus was tired and a furious storm came up. Storms seem to arrive when we are tired and stretched. The devil knows when to attack… 3. Even though we are in the right boat with God himself, waves, can crash over us. Trials, testing, challenges are still part of the deal in following Jesus. 4. Don’t forget who is in the boat with you. Even asleep he is still creator of the world, the sustainer of all things. The disciples became preoccupied with the storm rather than with the one greater than the storm. 5. More frightening than the storms of life is the awesome authority and power of our God. Even the winds and the waves obey… Fear God. 6. The calm returned. Trust God God bless and keep up the great work. Peter Email From Peter Hallett, 9.11.99 Hi Phillippa, Hope you survived your performance schedule with Wesley over the weekend. Have enjoyed our last couple of sessions but unfortunately will be out of Sydney this Friday so will have to make my apologies. Should be okay the following week. When will our last meeting be? Are you still wanting my involvement for next year? I thought I’d ask in case it is more a 12 month “appointment”. I have enjoyed this year but have found it a stretch time-wise. I might need to suggest a fortnightly or three per month sort of pattern for next year. I remain committed to the vision and supporting ask, of course. Anyway, a few questions to think about. God bless, Peter.
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APPENDIX I WELCOME PACK, ETERNITY CHRISTIAN CITY CHURCH
312
313
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