Abhay ghiara's Blog (8)

"having never previously been to the bamboo grove, i don't think that any subsequent visit could rival the vision that remains burned in memory now that you've 'captured' the space, juxtaposing nature, memory, and madness!" -Jenny Bilfield Artistic & Executive Director Stanford Lively Arts Continue

Abhay: Edward we resolved the question of why we go to the tree after confronting each other midway in the bamboo alley. This video is now on ning in 2 parts. Essentially my character (man, animal, earth...) encounters during the battle the other character's knee, thigh, shoulders, his very humanness/animalness, something the other character (spirit) does not want to acknowledge and so remains connected to the flowers on our backs (flowers instead of arrows on our backs). Spirit flees towards r… Continue

We found a theme emerging,a motivation behind all the instructions and questions. Transplanting. We can ask people to do just about anything but why? Or how? Keeping the theme of transplanting, here are some questions that motivate an instructional form to our performance: What the hell is bamboo doing in an alley at Stanford? What are we (humans) doing to our trees? How long does it take to belong? How hard is the ache of longing and belonging? What has the bamboo and what have I left behi… Continue

1. Using sticks for the blind walk across blindfolded pick up rocks (larger than fists smaller than heads) walk back 2. Walk in a very straight line along a string stretched taut 3. Hang candy from bamboo 4. Rest on benches, sleep 5. Parallel performance. Group on concrete walkway mirrors the walk of group along bamboo alley 6. All groups get to tree. Tree is decorated, has sound-scape 7. Groups shoulder burdens (shoulder to shoulder) across alley 8. Shadows cast by powerful (and weak) f… Continue

3 Questions for Brenton and Edward (and two additional ideas to keep in mind) 1. What is the sound of water that walks, the look of water that talks? 2. If you were a bamboo-worm (I don't know if there is such a thing) what would you see, who would you visit? 3. What has the alley seen, what has the alley yet to see? Two additional ideas to keep in mind for all 3 questions: Whose side are you on? Simplex/complex with you in the middle. Continue

3 Questions: Structure I will ask 3 questions or make three statements You will answer with a movement for each (3 movement answers) Research sounds listen for sounds that answer the 3 questions (or statements). COLLECT them LOOK for colors and shapes ONE AGAINST THE OTHER as answers. Take digital photographs Ask family members and others you speak to the questions (or statements) and record any part of the answers that make you sit up or smile Continue

Your word Alley made me think of dark dingy unexpected functional parallel behind bottom narrow skinny and tall shadows alley cat and the sound of DROPS of water or blood leaking pipes and colors red and black your word Bamboo made me think of bridges elastic/spring eating hollow shoots House of Bamboo (Earl Grant singing) cutting down groves/forests foreign different land different culture exotic and commonplace bamboo in the Nepal of my childhood/fake bamboo at IKEA coolies carrying weighte… Continue

Shape and structure What shape do we want the structure to assume? is the question I want to start this discussion with. 10 minutes I was thinking about bamboo. So I think 10 performance nodes. You have 3 options: A. you could place the 10 performance nodes(each a minute long) in a line performing them sequentially. B. You could stack the 10 performance nodes like pancakes (each node lasting 10 minutes) performing them simultaneously. C. You could stagger them in some way so that some nod… Continue