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
KEYWORDS
Christian arts, Christian dance, Christian worldview, Christianity, choreography, collaboration, contemporary dance, dance companies, creative process, ethnography, group dynamics, hermeneutics, worldview
i 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.
ii 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
iii 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
iv 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
v 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
vi 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
vii 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:
viii 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.
ix 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
1 “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
2 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
3 (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
4 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
5 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.
6
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.
7 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,
8 “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
9 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).
10 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…
11 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)
12 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
13 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
14 (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
15 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
16 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
17 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
18 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
19 “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
20 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):
21 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:
22 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).
23 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
24 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.
25 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
26 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.
27 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
28 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
29 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,
30 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
31 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
32 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
33 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.
34
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
35 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
36 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
37 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,
38 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
39 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.
40 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
41 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.
42 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.”
43 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.
44 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.
45 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
46 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.
47
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.
48 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.
49 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
50 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
51 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
52 (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
53 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
54 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).
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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
56 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
57 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
58 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)
59 (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
60 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).
61 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.
62 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
63 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
64 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
67 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
68 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
69 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.
70 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
71 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
72 “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
73 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
74 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.
75 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.
76 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.
77 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.
78 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”
79 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
80 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
81 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
82 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…
83 [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.
84 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.
85 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
86 (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
87 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
88 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
89 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,
90 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
91 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.
92 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
93 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
94 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.
95
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
96 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
97 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.
98 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.”
99
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.
100 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,
101 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
102 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…
103 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:
104 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.
105 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
106 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.
107 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
108 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
109 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,
110 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
111 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
112 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
113 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
114 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
115 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
116 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
117 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:
118 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
119 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
120 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,
121 “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
122 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
123 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
124 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
125 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.
126 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:
127 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
128 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).
129 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,
130 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
131 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
132 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
133 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
134 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
135 process”, and their alignment with the character of God by maintaining a “safe, nurturing environment”.
136 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
137 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
138 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.
139
APPENDIX A: RESEARCH AGREEMENT
140 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
141
APPENDIX B: OBSERVATION NOTES FEBRUARY-JUNE 2001
142 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 • They have mentioned the phrase, “safe, and artistically nurturing environment”, a number of times 9 SPIRITUALLY since I’ve been with them. It must be an ¾ relationships – learning how to important value for them. collaborate/work as a team AND understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses ¾ greater focus on God • I’m a little surprised that they mention this 9 ARTISTICALLY second point, especially as I would have ¾ greater use of improvisation as a expected that it was such an integral part of choreographic process their process that they wouldn’t need to ¾ to create dance which both academics mention it. and “Joe Blow” can come to see • This fourth point makes sense as I would ¾ have been confirmed artistically expect that their Christian audiences would through their works and productions mostly be quite uneducated with regards to • not beginning this work with a theme, idea… dance theatre. 9 working out HOW Phillippa choreographs • The dancework being choreographed is for Phillippa’s MA (Performance Studies) at University of Western Sydney 9 beginning from nothing (i.e. No set theme or idea) 9 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 • journalling is used by all members to assist in choreograph for me as well. I understand the choreographic process completely.
• SCRIPTURAL FOCUS: Romans 12:1-2 • This is a well known scripture to me and is 9 it is due to God’s mercy that we have very helpful in the Christian “walk” – learning relationship with Him to do things God’s way. 9 giving ALL to Him – more emphasis to be placed on preparation for choreographing 9 “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world…” – “not doing things • Phillippa believes this will be more beneficial the way the ‘world’ teaches but spending and cause them to be more productive in the more time with God, prior to choreographic process. workshopping” 9 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 • Compared to a secular, contemporary devotional reading from an edition of performing arts company, this is a very Everyday with Jesus) unusual way to begin. However, it’s what I 9 this is then incorporated into the warm up would expect from a company of Christians. activity – scripture talks of creation of Christians believed that the Bible gives humans principles on how to live as well as being a
143 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… Warm Up • Phillippa’s instructions: “Focus on the breath • Phillippa was very specific in her direction to of God moving over each body part…relaxing cover every aspect of the body thoroughly; the each part of the face and head…shoulders… process was very methodical, almost arms…back…pelvis…hips…legs…ankles… pedantic. feet…Now develop this to making sounds with • They all took this activity very seriously, the parts of the face… Now focus on shown by their complete focus and energy. breathing in as expanding and breathing out • They are obviously very comfortable with each as decreasing in size…” other, as they were loud and uninhibited with 9 responded verbally in group discussion to the sounds they made, although Steve was a these activities (e.g. Hannah said that she little more quiet than the others. enjoyed finding HUGE expansion of the • Hannah seems readily able to give her body followed by minimal contraction) response – perhaps even a little more spontaneous than the others. Steve responds deliberately and thoughtfully, and takes more time to do so. • focus on moving around the space (walking) • very relaxed 9 identifying: 9 Loud ¾ objects 9 Big movements ¾ sounds 9 Uninihibited ¾ touch • I’m a little surprised that Steve does this part ¾ smell of the warm-up, too, as it is dance-oriented ¾ taste and very physical but he seems to be comfortable with it. Perhaps this is how it is always done?
Improvisations • This is one of my favourite psalms as it • Scriptural Reading = Psalm 139:13-14 demonstrates God’s role as creator. • Phillippa explained that the improvisations • Phillippa emphasised that she had “no would have a number of sources but that expectations…whatever happens, happens”. following each rehearsal, they should all This seems to be a helpful reminder, answer/think about the following questions: alleviating any pressure, I would think. I 9 “What did I like about today?” would find it very difficult to have/provide such 9 “What did I dislike about today?” little guidance as the director but I guess that’s 9 “What did I learn today?” the point of using improvisation – something should emerge that perhaps would never have been thought of by the choreographer/performers.
144 #1 Stimulus: “How do you feel right now?”(Phillippa) • Hannah moved first with Steve playing • first to be done separately by Hannah and keyboard. Steve – “a simple unaffected response to the • Phillippa gave instruction to Hannah: “Keep it scripture” (Phillippa) (Ps.139:13-14) simple to start with, Hannah…I know you like • then to be done as a “conversation” between boundaries.” This is interesting; it shows the them development/level of relationship between them. Hannah must like structure; again, this is understandable as many people like to know their “boundaries”.
#2 Stimulus: the wonder of the body as a creation of • Steve moved to different sides of the God keyboard to explore. This was very • exploration from toes through to head for interesting to watch as I have never seen a Hannah pianist be creative in their stance/positioning • exploration from low keys to high keys for when improvising. I wonder if he’s been Steve 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.) #3 Stimulus: same as previous with different focus • Steve felt he had framework (the length of the • Steve to watch Hannah keyboard as bottom to top of body), that he • Hannah not to WATCH body part being used had boundaries – he seems to like having (look from WITHIN body) boundaries as they provide him with clear guidelines for him to follow which is similar to (Phillippa has the idea of eventually seeing Hannah. Hannah and Steve working so closely ‘in tune’ • It’s amazing to watch husband and wife with each other like the ‘mirroring game’, where collaborate – their connection/unity is so each is the leader and follower as roles constantly visible (e.g. frequent eye contact), and yet at change.) the same time their uniqueness and individuality is evident. #4 Stimulus: Scripture reading = Psalm 139:5-10 • Hannah begins crouching. Later she shared • imagine God’s hand is moving over body (for that she was praying that God would REALLY Hannah) or hands/fingers (for Steve) be guiding her, not that she would just • work separately although God has a hand on IMAGINE it. This would relate to the Christian each (may be some coordination) concept of God’s Holy Spirit “filling” her and “leading” her.
145 • 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.
#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” 9 to find weakness/frustration from the • This was so personal that I felt as though session today Phillippa and I shouldn’t have been watching. 9 explore it – “find God’s hand”(Phillippa) • Hannah and Steve seemed very vulnerable to 9 confess it to God God’s guidance and to each other 9 confess it to husband/wife • There seemed to be such power in husband • “Recognition before God, receiving from God, and wife collaborating with each other, guided blessing to each other.” (further guidance from by the Holy Spirit – perhaps it was the Phillippa) presence of the Divine?
#6 Stimulus: encourage each other • look at each other as much as possible • Steve and Hannah use humour a lot with each • can be light and short other, both laughing easily – they seem to • a “rub of the shoulder” kind of encouragement 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.)
146 2nd session of improvisation: 9.2.01 Scripture reading: Romans 12:1-2 Warm up • beginning with breath of God (as used • There are no boundaries in this warm up in yesterday) comparison to yesterday’s warm up. • to be used any way they want • Phillippa and Hannah’s movement styles have • Phillippa and Hannah with movement some similarities but are quite unique in • Steve on piano relation to their different body types and strengths.
Improvisations #7 Stimulus: a short “hello” to each other • make connection with each other • There is a predominant use of focus on each • Hannah to then revisit yesterday’s experience other to do this. of “God moving” her as Steve encourages her • Hannah seemed more happy and relaxed in that exercise 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? • 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 • Steve stood to play the keyboard here, her back and the space behind her (as stated although he didn’t physically support Hannah. in discussions yesterday) • Hannah felt as though she was on a “journey” 9 Phillippa reminded her to “give it over to with a balance between God supporting her, God” Steve supporting her and her own journey. • Steve to continue to encourage her
#9 Stimulus: to find something physical to explore • Hannah to use space (from end of the room to • She finished her movement facing/against the the other) wall; her movements showed thorough attention to detail. • Steve to use keyboard and focus on breath • He began on his haunches and went to a (from one end of the keyboard to the other) 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.
147 #10 Stimulus: the breath and its effect on Steve’s playing of the keyboard • Steve to focus on “how to play gently by • Steve noted, “Playing gently doesn’t mean thinking about how to breathe gently” (Steve) playing slowly.” and including changes in tempo • Phillippa likes connections and the opposite, • Hannah to focus on Steve’s work and juxtapositions, but likes there to be clarity in changes in tempo, while still moving from one the use of either or both. end of the space to the other
#11 Stimulus: vice-versa of the previous exercise • Hannah to “work with God moving you and • There ended up being more of a fine tuning sense when he changes the tempo” (Phillippa) and change of leader/initiator throughout. • Steve to continue with breath but responding • Steve only played when breathing out (not in). to Hannah’s change in tempo 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. #12 Stimulus: repeat of previous exercise • no focus on breath for Steve – simply to follow Hannah’s changes in tempo 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? 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 • I wonder if they’ve had negative experiences destructive with their criticism and not in this regard before?? This might account for constructive. Steve’s caution. • Phillippa and Hannah tend to keep delving deeper and deeper into a concept and Steve will make a “completely light, irrelevant and
148 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 9 first work, choreographed in 1999 • They are very thoughtful to provide me with 9 had lots of “external agendas”, according the context of their “activities”; they’ve done to Phillippa and Hannah this on a couple of occasions already. 9 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) 9 Hannah hurt her ankles at the beginning, • This doesn’t seem to be a collaborative so Phillippa choreographed it all on herself process – maybe it was too difficult with the and taught it to Hannah later setbacks and restricted number of rehearsals? 9 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 9 Phillippa and Hannah commented on how their technique has changed (more “gentle” now) and how much more “technically demanding” the piece was • In what way, I wonder? Perhaps it relates to compared to now the limited (or lack of) use of collaboration? 9 also commented that the choreographic process was different compared to now
3rd session of Improvisation: 15.2.01 Scripture reading: Romans 12:1-2 • They have read this scripture at the beginning • Phillippa asked us all to choose a phrase, to of each of the rehearsals thus far, asking God meditate on it and to pray aloud according to it to show them something new to focus on. • Hannah talked about the “balance” between • I was drawn to the phrases, “offer your bodies God’s will and his “working all things together as living sacrifices” and “this is your spiritual for good” 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.
Warm up NB. This is not the exercise that Phillippa had • Phillippa used Hannah’s comment and asked planned for this session. She is following her Steve and Hannah to use this to guide their earlier statement, “Whatever happens, happens,” movement/music being flexible and allowing for spontaneity. • further guidance by Phillippa: “Keep using the energy of the emotions to guide the • Steve returned to lying down to regain his movements.” focus and didn’t play at all. I wonder if he’s feeling a little low? 149 • Hannah began moving according to emotions felt 9 her movements became quite frenetic perhaps reflecting anger, frustration… 9 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.
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” 9 what is happening at this moment and exploring that direction • This seems very normal for a company of 9 begin each session by “meditating on Christian artists. It also appears that Phillippa God’s word” and finding the wants to provide the opportunity for God to improvisational exercise out of that work through this process, to lead and guide them.
• 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.”
150 9 Steve felt this was highly relevant at this time for he and Hannah 9 Hannah wants to continue believing God to be her “invisible means of support” (see Everyday with Jesus – early in the book) NB. Phillippa: “(Hannah and Steve are) not really at the conversation stage yet.” Improvisation #13 • Steve didn’t feel he was ready or warmed up Stimulus: 1 Peter 4:19 enough to do this exercise, stating that he • Hannah to use the scripture to guide her needed Phillippa to help him focus before movement playing. Phillippa decided that they would • Steve to use music to encourage Hannah in work on what she had planned instead. this
Activity • Phillippa discussed the fact that she has talked about aspects of her major work and has improved: 9 her desires for the work 9 practicalities of the major work (e.g. rehearsal times, venues) • she explained that she now wanted all of them • I found this activity very enlightening, (including herself) to use coloured paper and especially when they revealed their fears. It coloured pencils to express: gave me some insight into their attitudes and 9 their expectations of the rehearsal process even past experiences. 9 their perceptions of possibilities for the end product 9 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 • A longer time was spent on the face, mind and time as though it is a cleansing and relaxing head than the other parts of the body – force – allowing God to cleanse of tension, perhaps this relates to “be transformed by the insecurity and fear and then to allow Him to renewing of your mind” phrase from Romans nourish 12:2? 9 through the face, mind, head • Hannah talked about how, once she had 9 through the spine and the rest of the body relaxed, she was able to accept and 9 to eventually cause movement and then experience God’s power. standing • These exercises seemed to assist everyone 9 “Walk as though God is moving you.” but especially Steve who had difficulties (Phillippa) focusing for yesterday’s rehearsals. His music seemed to come more freely during this rehearsal.
Improvisations #14 • This improvisation seemed to be responded to Stimulus: Philippians 4:19 (and previous verses easily by both Hannah and Steve. Perhaps it which encourage the reader to rejoice) was the fact that the words were more • play like children according to words given by concrete (actions) and less abstract than trying to improvise based on concepts. 151 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” • Only Steve improvised with “patience” as • shape – “figure 8” Hannah had a really interesting experience with “numbness” and so journalled about it afterwards. • Steve responded very easily and enjoyed responding to “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 • These two words/instructions were the most • Steve eventually to go into “figure 8” as ‘successful’ for each of them. They each Hannah continues to explore “numbness” seemed to respond most easily and even dramatically to these words: 9 Steve: “figure 8” 9 Hannah: “numbness” (mainly shown in the body remaining still with movement in the #16 arms and legs = Tharp/Cunningham-ish • Hannah to show “numbness” moving into here knees • Steve found himself watching Hannah’s • Steve to intersperse “numbness” with “figure response to “numbness” rather than playing. 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”)
152 Discussion: • Phillippa wants to find the things which spark creativity for each (i.e. “What things come • Phillippa noted that it is good to have this time most easily or are easiest for each of you to to “play” with no need for explorations to “go respond to?”). While they are working with anywhere” – no expectations. Certainly I words now, she will have them work with other would think that it’s easier for Hannah and senses later. Steve to be more free to simply improvise with • Phillippa noted that Steve used life situations few expectations. to explore “patience” • Steve has used life situations to assist him in • Phillippa wants to find the challenges within earlier improvisations (e.g. warm-up 15/2/01). the simple things, “within the ease of the • Hannah, though, is finding the use of things”, rather than looking for complexities emotions as stimuli to be helpful/enjoyable but and complications to create challenges is aiming to express them in a less 9 therefore, she will focus on Hannah obvious/extreme way. She explained that she because that is easier for her, and Steve is looking for the subtleties in the emotions will then be the ‘encourage’/supporting and therefore the movement (“the shades of role (like Christ and His bride) grey” – Hannah). • Steve would rather not be the resolution in the work, like the “God-voice” • There seems to be an openness to express 9 would rather explore emotions that he is opinions within the group. Steve is very clear comfortable with and then write songs to in stating his view here. This is the most that support Hannah in these emotions Steve has communicated during the 9 to “say his own ideas, emotions, thoughts” rehearsals I’ve observed thus far. It seems to so that he can have the opportunity to be something he feels strongly about. “sort through” some of these • Steve wants the rehearsal process to be “full” in that God is working through he and Hannah • It’s interesting to hear them discussing the and their life experiences and emotions, AND inclusion of God in what they do both as that that will lead to the product people/individuals and as artists. 9 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 • This sounds as though it will be helpful for the together group and, hopefully, productive, too. • 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 • It’s very nice of them to bring me ’up-to-date’ the processes employed for previous works as on ’where they’re at’ and what I’ve missed. 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
153 9 Kathy Driscoll (MA supervising lecturer) helped her to see this, too 9 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 • This sounds really positive, especially the lack (without the burden of expectations) of “expectations”. 9 all participating in the process, including Phillippa • working with the rooms in Wynola (St James Anglican Church’s offices and manse – was • Apparently, I am visiting at a crucial time. I’m once the city manor of a country lord) really pleased; I’ve been concerned from the 9 voice and movement according to space outset that I may miss important 9 focus on LIGHT rehearsals/moments as I can only visit certain rehearsals at various intervals. 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) 9 many references to light 9 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?” 9 meditate on that thought/concept and then • Steve was unsure as to whether to move, play respond 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?
154 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 • This was really helpful for me to have Phillippa 9 have been exploring each room and discuss this. I thought it was for my benefit; I Phillippa has biblical verses which relate didn’t realize that it was news to Hannah and to each room Steve, too… A quick jump from about 15 9 believes that they need to find “metaphor” minutes earlier when they had happily talked for the whole work (whether each room is of their new-found ability to collaborate… a metaphor or a progression of an overal metaphor) 9 believes that they need a character which walks in the light ¾ begins in black unitard ¾ bathed in a red dress ¾ Ends in which unitard ¾ 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) 9 Phillippa said that she uses the rehearsal time to work with and focus on Hannah • It seems that this miscommunication has been and Steve and she then thinks of her role somewhat resolved. I wonder whether it will during the week – she had thought return, though, as I don’t feel as though it has through some of this information since the been resolved completely. It also seems to rehearsal last Friday refer to the fears Hannah and/or Steve 9 Steve felt that they have been exploring expressed in the early drawing activity then all of a sudden Phillippa has found a (15/2/01). meaning they know little about 9 Phillippa is constantly struggling with how to combine exploration with the final product 9 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
155 Moved into “Ballroom”: • one section of the work • Hannah crawls towards the fireplace and • I’m finding it really interesting to see the work- Steve sits on a lounge at the opposite end of in-progress and to view movements/sections the room to the fireplace, crushing ice in his which have been developed in my absence. mouth – both are focused on the painting over The use of humour as Steve appears to use the fireplace Hannah almost as a blanket is clever, too. • 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 9 chorus: “I’m afraid, I’m sick, I need…” 9 Psalm 119:30 possibly to be used for the Ballroom 9 2 Peter 1:19: word of the prophets for the Parlour 9 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 • “Sunday Christian”, I assume, relates to the open area adjacent to the Ballroom which has concept that some people/Christians really in it a tall lamp covered by fabric (Hannah only live out their beliefs on Sundays, i.e. moves to and around the lamp when she when at church, but don’t have a consistently speaks then goes away to tables in an Christian lifestyle, such as praying and adjacent room which is unseen by the worshipping God and living out the principles audience – her movements are only heard. given in the Bible, every day and every She keeps returning to the light out of guilt.) moment. It’s almost like living a lie or doing • there are a number of sub-sections within this something out of obligations or based on what section, reflecting different responses by the others expect, rather than out of a genuine character desire to love and serve God. 9 response: attends church because she has to Listen to audio recording for Phillippa’s directions ¾ reflected in phrases such as, “I like, I and for a discussion of the final product and the revolve, I intimate…” logistics of it 9 response: friends ¾ reflected in phrases such as, “I rejoice, I ring, I flabbergast…” 9 response: obligation/guilt ¾ reflected in phrases such as, “I rinse, I can’t…” (only two phrases for this response) 9 response: stability and her week ¾ reflected in phrases such as, “I slacken, I insult, I survive, I (pause) retaliate…”
156 • each time these phrases will be different as this section will always be improvised • The freshness of this improvisation might add • Steve is to be included in this section, singing to the emotion of the section. 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 See audio tape discussion of Hannah’s directions Hannah’s words and movements could be as given by Phillippa (“That’s what you’re going to heard, as the audience moves from the do there.” – pointed to Lounge) Parlour to the Lounge • they talked about Steve having a different kind of drink in each room for different fragrances (e.g coffee, tea) See audio tape for discussion Moved to Lounge (Hannah and Phillippa only) • Phillippa and Hannah decided that a combination of light and sound will direct Lounge: people to the next section • it has an archway at the end opposite to the • they discussed the possible motivation for front of the house (Hannah dances at this Phillippa’s character moving and therefore end). moving the light • High arch windows are at the front of the • Phillippa discovered a ledge outside the house (Phillippa will begin shining the light windows and she took a lamp/light source from outside these). outside – will probably begin outside (with the • The carpet is a soft, dull (greyish) colour. end window open) and then bring light inside • It seems to be the coldest room in and shine it behind the audience members temperature with the least light. and onto Hannah (shadows of the people watching will then move over Hannah who • It has a fireplace opposite to the door. dances at the opposite end of the room to Archway Phillippa and the light source, with the audience seated/standing between the two of Fireplace Door them) 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. Moved to Ballroom • Steve discussed the process he used in composing his song 9 the song is “a cross between a hymn and See audio tape for explanation a ditty” 9 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)
157 • Phillippa wants to think about what will help Steve in his journey and his final product • It seemed to me that Phillippa didn’t like this • rehearsal closed in prayer 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. 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 • They are still using Scriptures – maintaining the warm up will come from that and then they their desire to be influenced/inspired by God? 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?” • Is their idea of collaboration really more of a (This way of working, with Phillippa coming in and collective process, where all members out – with the focus on coming out – allows her to contribute ideas to the process, but where one direct the work more than she has done person ultimately shapes/forms the product? previously, she believes.) Warm up • they were to move through the three rooms and respond to each room – to its light, • How does this activity relate to the plan of texture, sound having the warm-up come from the scripture, • they were to notice what they respond to Romans 12:1?
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 • Hannah didn’t seem quite ready to do this yet; outside the windows, and then respond when she mentioned later that her body and mind Phillippa is inside were not quite prepared to “jump” straight into this.
158
#19 • Phillippa changed tack by taking Hannah on a journey (just walking) to see how she • The journey began at the Lounge door and responded to the light and changes of light in she walked to the left up the Hallway to the each room – Hannah responded verbally in Ballroom doorway and then back down the the form of a story of a person climbing out of Hallway to the Parlour, which she entered and a cave walked across the room to the front window, ending with the word, “daylight”. Hannah seemed more at ease with this, fluently expressing her ‘experience’.
• Hannah then repeated this process to recall her story See audio recording for Hannah’s verbal • Hannah then repeated the path with response improvised movement 9 Phillippa instructed that Hannah should • Phillippa’s change of tack seems to have been never be too familiar with what comes successful; care and concern for Hannah’s next in her story/speech feelings and situation has assisted in drawing • Hannah then recalled what she did with the out Hannah’s creativity. “texture journey” 9 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 See audio recording for this discussion immersing yourself in the subject matter, this means that it will “come out” in what is created • I can see the parallel here. If a Christian – she linked this with faith 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 Moved from Parlour into Lounge will see this through the person’s attitudes, • Hannah responded to the shadows made by words and actions. Phillippa’s light • they discussed the problem of where the audience is (i.e. Behind Hannah as she is See video recording for this work looking at the shadows on the archway) • Hannah then added her story to the movement 9 she felt it didn’t work as her movement wasn’t distinct enough 9 she doesn’t want the movement to have anything to do with the story 9 she wants it to be more like the other story and movement
159 9 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): 9 from shadows 9 to places that are illuminated 9 to sources of light • Do these concepts also relate to the Christian • Phillippa directed Hannah to hold off on her view of the process which occurs when a response to the final concept (sources of light) person becomes a Christian (i.e. chooses to as this makes here move faster – she needs become a follower of Jesus Christ)? From to save this for the ending so that the section “darkness” to “light”? The Bible refers to a builds to the climax of “daylight” for the world without God/Jesus as “darkness” and conclusion of her story that God is “light”, relating to absolute truth Moved to Ballroom and life. • Steve discussed the development of his song thus far with Phillippa 9 it includes characters such as a homeless boy and a woman with cancer • continued work on the “Sunday Christian” section 9 Phillippa talked about Steve’s character’s See audio recording for this discussion between dependence on ice – he walks towards Steve and Phillippa -–includes direction from the painting (over the fireplace) and the Phillippa fire as he sings a verse and then moves back to the ice 9 Steve is now to turn and walk only a little and then sing Verse 2 See video recording of Steve’s workshopping the 9 Hannah’s character as “Sunday Christian” song and walking is included with Steve’s character’s journey • FORM for the work thus far: 9 door shut to Lounge – see Phillippa See video recording of this workshopping through the windows 9 walk to the Ballroom ¾ Hannah crawls in ¾ Steve and Hannah in different positions on couch ¾ “Sunday Christian” 9 walk to the Parlour ¾ Steve to play keyboard (and perhaps talking to the audience) ¾ Hannah perhaps enters through the front door or window, while the audience is already seated 9 Hannah then crawls out to the Lounge (door is closed) ¾ Phillippa is in the Lounge Room ¾ Hannah goes through the Ballroom and comes in to the Lounge via the door adjacent to the archway ¾ Phillippa shines the light through the window 160 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 See video recording for further information both in the Ballroom. • Hannah suggested that Phillippa’s character • This links with my previous observation about could just be wanting to look at different parts the relationship between Christians and their of the room with the light and that the light concept of 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), 161 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 • I found this an interesting and, obviously, a the “walking through” of each section as it is at necessary phase but I felt that I would have this stage. 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.
Lunchtime prior to Friday rehearsal (25.5.01), 12noon • Hannah and Steve arrived at Phillippa’s to • Hannah and Steve didn’t seem quite as open make and eat lunch and didn’t talk to me as easily as they usually • Phillippa arrived with Jane at approx. 12.10pm do. I assumed they were very tired and, thus (Phillippa had to teach at WIMA) – she a little low, emotionally. Hannah said she was explained that there was a problem with the tired as the rehearsal finished at 10.10pm last school performance that they have been night; Steve seemed unusually quiet, too. 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, • This was unresolved in an earlier discussion seemed to have meant nothing to Phillippa. (29/3/01) and I wondered then whether this Hannah felt that her fear that the creative would return. At this point, though, I just process would be forced into a polished wished that the earth would swallow me up as product in the last few weeks, was being I felt as though I was observing a “family realized with Phillippa focusing on lighting and conflict”, a very personal situation. However, the overall product in last night’s rehearsal. they didn’t appear distracted, hampered or Steve felt similarly (i.e. that he and Hannah perturbed by my presence. needed more of Phillippa’s attention and he was concerned that they would lose it) but he expressed it more calmly than Hannah.
162 • they discussed a number of issues (different • Christian principles which seem to be evident: expectations of the company and the work, 9 go directly to talk with the person with the impact of other people’s expectations on whom you have a grievance the company, disappointment/ 9 grace misunderstanding of what would occur in last 9 forgiveness night’s rehearsal) and eventually worked 9 desire for resolution – peace-making through them. Steve then initiated apologies, • I find it quite extraordinary that Hannah followed by Phillippa and Hannah (said it was usually only “explodes” with her family. I the first time she had “exploded” with anyone guess this means that she classes Phillippa other than her family) and, finally, they all as family, too, which demonstrates their hugged each other. closeness and the level of trust which has developed.
Rehearsal: 25.5.01 – 1.00-3.00pm Working on section in LOUNGE NB. Steve has brought Hannah into the Lounge • Hannah and Steve on couch (Hannah focused from Parlour where she has left the “light” as on heater in front; Steve focused on eating represented by Phillippa/Jacqui, as though he potato chips from a bowl) wants to be the one to help her and be her • Phillippa gave a series of instructions (e.g. support. Hannah needs to appear afraid of the fire, • The process is now focused on structuring the Steve is to be thoroughly enjoying the fire, product, with Phillippa giving feedback to hone Steve is to be more still when Hannah is what occurs. moving) • Steve asked for his cue as to when to sing • Less is being said, with it being more and Hannah asked for clarification of her role experimentation within the “boxes” (Phillippa’s word for what she’s focusing on for experimentation). • 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
163 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 • Again, Steve’s lighthearted nature and chair – needed a way to be supported as she approach is seen; he suggested a novel way leans away, so Steve suggested that he bend to support Hannah and Phillippa liked it. forward to pick up the chips • Phillippa used this idea and developed it – • Phillippa said that she was pleased with the Hannah finished by coming around and lying result. 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 • The movements developed are simple yet naturally as Steve is singing the words, as she cleverly portray the differences between feels as though she is “acting out” Steve’s Hannah and Steve’s characters’ words – Phillippa told Steve to wait until reactions/relationships towards the light Hannah has left the room to sing 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.
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 • The previous two sections seem to be quite previous section on the piano in the Ballroom cohesive and all three performers seem happy with the results. 164 • Phillippa and Hannah (and Jane) move here to work on Hannah’s “dream”, her journey see video footage “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: • Steve is now using three poems written by “Many feelings for you and the world around Ulrich Shaeffer, a Christian poet, as the lyrics me, for his songs. 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 • This “walk” section seems strangely akin to instructions - it is to look as though the feet the Christian’s life or to the person who is are willing but the body from the hips upwards searching for God, likening a relationship with is not) and Hannah then journalled this God to a journey or a “walk” with him. The information concept here might be that God continually • Hannah asked Phillippa for feedback on her teaches his followers new things, so their improvisations: “What things are working?” “walk” with him continually changes and gradually becomes how he desires his • Phillippa liked the movement of the arms followers to “walk” like him. • 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 see video footage for further detail 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 165 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.
166
APPENDIX C: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS
167 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)
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 (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)
170 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.)
1 A: Okay, it’s the 14th of February, Valentines’ Day, and these guys have been kind
2 enough to give me some time. So, let’s begin with something that could be a
3 bit tricky - how would you define your genre of dance or style of dance? How
4 would you describe what you do?
5
6 H: The techniques we use or what we use them for?
7
8 A: What you use them for...although that would also include...
9
10 H: ...what we’re trying to do.
11
12 P: Well, certainly the style of dance that we are most comfortable with exploring, I
13 would say, what we’re getting to is, very much, movement and, as opposed to a
14 particular style. And probably the dance technique would be “release” ‘cause
15 that’s what I taught Hannah and that’s what we “clicked” on.
16
17 H: That’s what works best on our limited...on our limitations (laughs).
18
19 P: So it’s movement exploration and in terms of the reason why we chose to call it
20 “dance theatre” was because we enjoyed incorporating other elements of
21 theatre, including words, and expanding our boundaries beyond dance to
171
22 props and also the incorporation...I mean, obviously live music has been
23 included in these straight danceworks, but because collaboration was a
24 foundation, an area that we really wanted to work in. Now you can have
25 collaboration just within dancers, within a dance group...
26
27 H: ...which we do with everyone’s...
28
29 P: Yes.
30
31 H: ...input into everything, not...We’ve never had somebody walk in and say,
32 “These are the movements I made up before that you’re going to learn and do
33 now.”
34
35 P: Yes.
36
37 H: In our...I mean, we have in stuff that we’ve both danced in with other people...
38
39 P: Yes, but in terms of...
40
41 H: (unclear)
42
43 P: If it’s just us working, well, we don’t have to incorporate others where
44 sometimes the time is limited and they don’t have the same...they haven’t
45 grown with us. See, Hannah and I can understand each other very well,
172
46 obviously, because we’ve had a year of my teaching her and then two years of
47 working together. Plus, Hannah choreographed on me...
48
49 H: Yeah, that was big part in language development...
50
51 P: Yes...yes...and understanding...’Cause Hannah had heard a lot of where I was
52 coming from through teaching and I got to hear a lot of what she was interested
53 in...
54
55 H: We were feeding back all the time, weren’t we? Back and forth, back and
56 forth...
57
58 P: Yes...yes... So that partly the reason why we wanted to collaborate or why
59 I...kind of... I mean, Hannah was interested in it anyway, ‘cause she used live
60 musicians in her work...
61
62 H: …(unclear) collaboration with musicians...
63
64 P: ...at the same time...
65
66 H: ...at the same time as different musicians and with Steve (unclear)...
67
68 P: ...and also very interested in breaking out of the choreographer/dancer mould,
69 and then allowing for the fortes of other people and allowing them to input.
173
70 ‘Cause even in the work I choreographed on the third years, they all created
71 lots of little parts of it.
72
73 H: Yes, that was another part of it.
74
75 P: Yes, very important.
76
77 H: But then there’s also what...probably another thing that we were interested in at
78 different times, and I know it’s not as much at the moment, but starting with...
79 memory, body memory, as the beginning for movements so that...like, I’d
80 often...this is especially in third year but then some of my other works as well,
81 I’d get Pip, say, to remember something that had happened that was right for
82 the work at that time and then study her body and watch where it moved and
83 then we’d analyse it in Laban - we used Laban a lot, the language - and then
84 create movement that was bigger (unclear)...like, that meant that it was bigger
85 (unclear) than...
86
87 P: Use those as initiators for bigger movements...yes.
88
89 H: Yeah.
90
91 P: We use a lot of body initiation. For example, when Hannah choreographed
92 Train, we looked at different emotions. We tend to come from some sort of
93 thematic or emotion base but then interpret it in movement.
94
174
95 H: And you lose...almost lose the base...
96
97 P: Yes...
98
99 H: ...by the time you get to actually performing it. That’s more the process we’re
100 trying...at this stage, that’s what we’re doing. (unclear)
101
102 P: So, my emotions associated with the journey like, ah, waiting or...or these
103 conditions - waiting, anticipation, frustration, tiredness and then actually
104 arriving...
105
106 H: Yeah, arriving...
107
108 P: So they’re thematic or emotions. And then, we talked about what sorts of
109 movement terms. If I was just walking around and moving, in terms of being
110 frustrated, what sort of movement terms... And obviously, frustration was flick,
111 throw, tense. And so then we developed it.
112
113 H: But we’d let go of the emotion and just started playing and improvising with the
114 movement.
115
116 P: And, with Storm, it was... I used a lot of images, so we became the leaf in the
117 storm, that we were very limp and it was as if the wind had a finger and had
118 touched different parts of our bodies to initiate movement. So it was an outer
175
119 thing...yeah...so... Oh, we- the reason why we chose “dance theatre” - ‘cause
120 everyone has different ideas as to what “dance theatre” is…
121
122 A: That’s something that I want to find out: what your definition is. It’s sort of a
123 word you’ve used before (unclear).
124
125 P: Yes, I think it was because, mainly, a term we use to try and help...
126
127 H: ...even non-dance audiences...
128
129 P: ...non-dancers see that we weren’t just dance; we weren’t going to do a pretty
130 picture for them and make them feel good and give them entertainment. The
131 theatre part was really... Most people understand theatre as being like a play
132 which generally says something and explores something, so that’s why, really,
133 we use the term, “theatre”, more than... Like, somebody doing an MA...
134
135 H: It meant that we could incorporate other forms...
136
137 P: Theatrical meanings...yes... The signs are important - I mean, sure, in dance
138 performances they are, too, and there are many danceworks with props but it’s
139 like the dance isn’t the most important thing. That’s the other thing...
140
141 H: Necessarily...yeah...
142
176
143 P: Yes, necessarily. Well, that’s what we wanted to allow for the possibility. In
144 collaborating, there might be times where the music became the most important
145 or the artwork or whatever. We haven’t actually reached that stage. Really, it’s
146 dance that is quite theatrical because I come from a musical theatre
147 background.
148
149 H: And you and I create that way as we’re both from dance backgrounds...
150
151 P: Yes, we’re the main creators so it does appear (unclear) quite dance-based.
152 ‘Cause that’s...like even as we’re noticing now as I’m directing these two, I still
153 have a lot more to say to Hannah ‘cause that’s what I understand, even though
154 I am a singer ...yeah... So, with- as I was saying, there’s a woman studying
155 “dance theatre”, and it’s...hers is...
156
157 H: She’s got an extreme view about “dance theatre”.
158
159 P: Yes.
160
161 H: Her Masters is on, “What is ‘Dance Theatre’?”
162
163 P: And so we don’t fall under that because we do allow the dance to be virtuosic or
164 “dance for dance’s sake” whereas she combines props and acting and
165 movement...
166
167 H: Totally different...
177
168
169 P: ...to create, it’s more...for me, movement theatre, what I see her doing.
170
171 H: Right.
172
173 P: But she calls it “dance theatre”, whereas we still allow ourselves to have real
174 dance as well as we do, like, movement as well. It depends on what we’re
175 doing.
176
177 A: Okay...
178
179 H: That’s a pretty full-on answer!
180
181 A: That was excellent - thanks! Now, you’ve started your major work but I don’t
182 have an idea... I have got an idea but don’t know what you’re doing exactly with
183 it.
184
185 P: Right.
186
187 A: Can you explain even... I realise you’re not starting with - just from what you’ve
188 said - that you’re not starting with a particular theme or idea like you have
189 before, but where are you...what are you beginning with and where do you
190 hope to go from here?
191
178
192 P: Yes... The interesting thing for me is my Masters is all about my learning and, in
193 the past, I’ve incorporated lots of things - outer things - that gave me the
194 challenge that I wanted. So I’ve incorporated numbers of people, live music,
195 voiceovers, Powerpoint presentations, props, and that’s what’s given me the
196 challenge. And it’s been, ah, putting all of those things together and balancing
197 them all and working out what’s prominent at different times and how they
198 combine and what that means and all that sort of thing. So... and I’ve usually
199 had some sort of expectation because I’d be working in a limited time. See,
200 even with the last one, I didn’t really know what was going to come out of it at
201 all and there was a lot of playing. There has always been that limited time at
202 the end where as a... ‘Cause I am a very organised person and I can coordinate
203 and bring things together and manage - I’m a very good manager - so I can
204 manage them and work it all out and make it work. So what I’ve had to do,
205 what I’ve chosen to do, is to strip all of that out and to actually not have any
206 expectations. What I’m doing- it’s all about my learning and I think the way I
207 can best learn is to put myself in a place of insecurity and start totally with
208 improvisation, which I’m interested in because... Because I am a manager, I’ve
209 managed everything and had very little improv in the performance. And haven’t
210 necessarily always had people that I can work with who are used to doing that,
211 whereas last year I did, so I did have quite a bit of improv. (Brief conversation
212 with Hannah – unclear.) So, what I’m doing is starting off... I’ve chosen two
213 things: for me, it’s to stop having too many things - that’s my aim, that’s what
214 I’m headed for, and therefore I don’t have much to tell you about what it’s
215 about...
216
179
217 H: But we are heading for some sort of site-based performance?
218
219 P: Yes, that’s right.
220
221 A: And you’ve got the idea of doing it at- is it “Wynola”?
222
223 P: Yes, Wynola, just next door here. So it will be in a site, but not site-specific. It’s
224 not about the site but it’s how the site will influence, about being in the site, but
225 of course, all I’m allowing myself to do is play and to see and to make decisions
226 later on rather than earlier and to allow myself to sit with that frustration and see
227 what happens. So it’s... what I initially wanted to do, what I wrote in my little
228 proposal and then having talked to Kathy I’ve gotten rid of... I had ideas long
229 ago of doing something based on Creation. Then I stripped it all down to- Oh,
230 Creation and the Fall and our lack of taking responsibility. I’ve stripped back to
231 having a horticulturalist, an artist, and a poet, and a couple of dancers and a
232 couple of musicians which was going to be massive once again. It was going to
233 be in the hall, and the horticulturalist would design the space; it was going to be
234 massive. And at the end of last year, having done this piece, with- in six or
235 probably seven rehearsals - I found I had four dancers whom I had never
236 worked with - in fact, I’d never worked with any one of these people. Four
237 dancers of all different ages, two musicians - and the last one was only there in
238 the last two rehearsals. I taught myself how to do a Powerpoint presentation
239 and we had scrims and lighting and... you know...(H laughs) I can manage
240 things...
241
180
242 H: It was great!
243
244 P: And it worked, it worked. (next comment unclear) The speaking and the
245 Powerpoint presentation could have done with more work but it worked for the
246 time. And what we found was that both the artistic people and the non-dance
247 people got something from it as the words gave them a hook in through voice
248 which the collaboration depended upon (unclear). So I’m not allowed to take
249 anything from the outside too much. Every time I think of doing something
250 based on the outside, I try and come back to (um, ah) work the inner learner, I
251 guess. Not that you don’t learn from that but it’s a different way of learning.
252 But, personally, one thing I’ve held onto for a while since doing my Masters is
253 that I wanted to see Hannah and Steve grow in their ability to communicate as
254 a dancer and a musician ‘cause I’ve seen them over the last few years trying
255 different things but never having enough time and getting frustrated ‘cause
256 Hannah doesn’t have music training and Steve doesn’t have dance training.
257 And so that’s been an underlying thing but, of course, that’s an outward thing,
258 an outward challenge and, quite frankly, I don’t know what my inward
259 challenges are, apart from recognizing, and continuing to recognize, my
260 strengths and weaknesses and what I like and dislike and trying to work out
261 why and perhaps find something different. And for me, I’m an interactive
262 learner. Like, Hannah will go away, think it through, write, paint, draw,
263 whatever, and come and have this beautiful, thought-through thing to give.
264 Whereas, I sit and talk and work it out as I go and I find it more difficult to have
265 time on my own but that’s another thing I have to learn to do. Like, when
266 everything’s in front of me... But the thing- that’s the thing - I used to go away
181
267 and choreograph it all but I’ve allowed myself over the last two years to come in
268 and be less structured more and more and more, and not have a set idea of
269 where I’m going so that I... Well, I mean, I love surprises and I love mistakes -
270 that’s what I’ve learnt, I love surprises and I love mistakes and, in fact, if I
271 showed you the list for my report last year... I had to write four creative pieces,
272 not write on what I’d learnt, but four creative pieces. And one was...(unclear)
273 and one was a report for a magazine or whatever, one was a prayer and one
274 was list of reminders to myself and one of them was that I love surprises and
275 that was something totally that I wasn’t expecting and so often forget/wrote
276 (unclear) those things. So that’s what I’m wanting from this that I just try
277 different things and we find where it goes and what the mistakes and the little
278 surprises are and that I can learn to articulate my learning because that- I’m so
279 outward-focused, people-focused. Even though- oh, in some ways I’m not and
280 in some ways I am - I do love the challenges to come from out there so I’m
281 learning what it is to allow the challenges to come from within. I don’t know
282 what it is quite yet...
283
284 A: Oh right, so that’s it...
285
286 P: (laughs)
287
288 A: No, that’s great! Hannah, you said...
289
290 H: Oh yeah, I was just going to say that a lot of our process in creating movement
291 comes from - and this is something that I learnt a lot from my time at
182
292 college…about boundaries producing freedom. So we do a lot of improvising
293 and lots of the work - almost all the work...(unclear) We come in and improvise
294 with some- we’ve actually got a theme or some sort of perameters, even if
295 they’re just big/general (unclear) perameters, like with just words or anything.
296 But that’s something that we’ve been working on a lot, working out what
297 denotes a theme. Especially for me – I don’t show meaning, hardly at all. I just
298 try to communicate in my movement the general feel of the mover, that the
299 movement can move, like, move the way I need to move.
300
301 P: Yes, which is very good in that it has worked very well which is…
302
303 H: It gives us all sort of great, individual, like totally unique ways of moving.
304 (laughs)
305
306 P: (laughs) I should say, too, that what I wrote in my paper were two things – it
307 was a really short paper which I kind of put aside because it kind of… They still
308 underline it but I keep having to not go back to old ways of working because I’m
309 still trying to find a new way of working just to see what happens which is fine.
310 It’s quite scary – it’s very scary – but the thing about our group is that I’m in a
311 safe place to be able to do that. So, I said to Hannah I feel, at the moment,
312 incredibly weak, incredibly undisciplined, incredibly, totally different to where
313 I’ve ever been before and that’s the whole point of it, kind of. But, what my
314 heart wants to do is… One of the foundational aims of ask is to encourage
315 people involved to grow artistically and spiritually. And while I feel – and this is
316 what I’ve said to you before – while I feel like we’ve grown personally, in
183
317 interpersonal awareness and more godly in the way we work together, we need
318 to be really focused on God, so that’s where that comes from. I’ve used that
319 foundational theme to help us to grow spiritually because no matter what I learn
320 about myself, I wasn’t happy with just that. I still had to have and keep the
321 focus on God. And then, in order to grow artistically, I see improvisation as
322 something that I have only done bits of and haven’t ever really explored so I’m
323 taking the opportunity and I also see it as the perfect way for these two to grow.
324 They’re learning with each other and communicating. So…
325
326 H: There are a few big perameters set there…
327
328 P: Yes, so there is that underlying… But I’m required to understand my own
329 learning – that’s what I’m doing in order to do something to find out how I’m
330 working. Improvisation…
331
332 H: It’s very complicated because there are so many…(unclear)
333
334 P: That’s right, yes. Yes…
335
336 A: That leads to two of my questions actually which are kind of related. You were
337 talking just a moment ago about relationships and how they have changed and
338 how you’ve grown as a group or a company. What is- now this could be
339 personal so you can choose what you would like to share and what you don’t
340 want to share… Well, actually, I’ll leave those two questions for maybe the
341 whole company. Is Steve around?
184
342
343 H: I can get him. Just stop the…
344
345 (Brief pause as Hannah goes to find Steve to ask him to join the group. He has been
346 out of the room for the first part of the interview, resting, as he has been unwell.)
347
348 P: …ask us a few questions about relationships…
349
350 S: Mmm…
351
352 A: Steve has joined us, which is great. The first question: what are some of the
353 issues that you’ve- obviously you’ve already spoken about a few – what are
354 some of the issues that you’ve faced or dealt with in order to be able to
355 collaborate effectively? And it might be lots of things – just anything that you
356 think of. Like I said before, if anything’s too personal and you don’t want to
357 share that, that’s fine. Just share generally, generally without being too
358 specific.
359
360 P: We’ve actually done a lot of discussing and a lot of work with Sue (unclear) so
361 we actually are kind of at a point where we accept our differences and it- that is
362 what we’ve had to work through is, the differences in our attitude to what ask is
363 for us, the differences in preferred ways of working…
364
365 H: (unclear) …what we’ve experienced before, what we want to bring in…
366
185
367 P: That’s right…
368
369 H: …different personalities…
370
371 P: …what we’ve experienced in life but also, even more so in the ways we’ve
372 worked artistically before. ‘Cause I’d come straight out of musical theatre, had
373 a year teaching and started the company, and I’d done four years of musical
374 theatre and prior to that been at QUT, where you’re just told what to do, you
375 shut up and do it and you work hard and it’s just life!
376
377 H: And then there’s personality issues…yeah, issues, different things.
378
379 P: Yes…
380
381 H: So…(unclear)
382
383 A: So, how do your personalities…how do you find…
384
385 H: We’ll give you a simplified version…
386
387 A: Yeah, why not!
388
389 P: …and examples…
390
391 H: Yes, because we’ve been talking around and around…
186
392
393 P: Because we’ve talked this…
394
395 H: …all through.
396
397 (P asks S if he wants to move in closer to join in for this discussion)
398
399 H: And a lot of this stuff comes out of our first year of working together ‘cause we
400 just got straight in and it all happened and we’ve adjusted a lot of things but,
401 basically, when we all came into the company – where we were at, at this stage
402 – Steve was coming into the company because he just wanted to work with
403 Phillippa and Hannah and he was into collaboration and really, really, like it was
404 the thing he was learning the most from at that period of his life or whatever.
405 What else? (to S) You’d learnt a lot through your life about relating to people
406 well, you’d picked up through camps and all that sort of thing and that was…
407 So he wanted to work with us – sort of thing…
408
409 P: Us as people…
410
411 H: People –yeah! And others, of course…yeah, people. I came into the company
412 just having been at Wesley for three years, I think really fascinated by certain
413 elements of collaboration and stuff, but – and really, really keen to work with
414 these two as well – but had been focusing really intently on process and had…
415 And being at uni, and having a lot of time – you know, lots- that kind of luxury of
416 time to work on things, when I was the choreographer. Yeah, that was the
187
417 perameter of my project which I was given. And this was a large amount
418 (unclear), to some extent…yeah… And then Pip came in, like she said before,
419 with that sort of background that, just get in and get it done and…
420
421 P: …and the real ‘administration head’ and- and knowing…or having to balance,
422 really, being the director who – and the administrator who – on the one hand, is
423 booking all the gigs, as well as then working out how to get it done… But
424 suddenly I had these different personalities and, because we were working
425 collaboratively… Had I been just director…
426
427 H: We would have said, “Yes!” or “We quit!” (laughs)
428
429 P: (laughs) Yes, that’s right, that’s right.
430
431 H: Yeah.
432
433 P: Yeah. But, yeah, that was a really difficult thing to do because I tended to be
434 like this (demonstrates), blinkered, and I saw my goal and I’d go for it. And I’d
435 just work ‘til I made it. (laughs)
436
437 H: (agrees) And then, this other thing, like Pip’s saying, we all work hard, really
438 hard, and all really keen to take opportunities, but when we get tired, or when
439 other things come up in our lives, or when things don’t work in the collaborative
440 process or… I don’t think we’ve had a performance that got bad reviews…
441
188
442 P: No, in fact, people have said how well we have worked together, and how…
443
444 H: Yes, and heaps of people…
445
446 P and H: (talk at the same time about this – unclear)
447
448 S: (to H) Finish your sentence, finish your sentence.
449
450 H: Yeah… (struggles to recall train of thought)
451
452 P: (reminding H) When we’re under pressure…
453
454 H: Oh, yeah, we all deal with it totally differently.
455
456 P: Yes!
457
458 H: And-
459
460 P: I buckle down and just keep going! (laughs)
461
462 S: I dig my feet in and say, “Hang on a sec, I’m not okay and I don’t think you guys
463 are,” and…
464
465 H: …we’ve got to stop everything until we sort it out.
466
189
467 S: …and that’s a priority. Yeah…
468
469 H: Yeah, and then, to do with personality issues, I’ll go on and on and on doing
470 things but just get really silent and won’t talk about it, so…
471
472 P: And I’m not used to having to talk about it; you just shut up and got on with it.
473
474 H: Yeah.
475
476 P: And while we all treated each other well, those underlying things just…
477
478 H: …started to get us down…
479
480 P: Yeah. Like there was consideration…
481
482 H: Of course.
483
484 P: …and there was collaboration and there was all these things, but the thing was,
485 we were friends as well – we were friends first – and then working together
486 and…
487
488 H: And we had this thing in the company that we were always a Christian company
489 but how- what does that mean to the collaboration process? Does that mean
490 we do things differently or… And we had all these questions but we didn’t have
491 anybody to ask, did we? (laughs)
190
492
493 P: No…
494
495 H: We just had to work it out ourselves. (unclear)
496
497 P: …and what were the- oh, that’s right. So we kind of worked out that I was
498 primarily - this is a big generalisation – product-focused, Hannah was process-
499 focused and Steve was relational-focused and so in actual fact we had this
500 fantastic, perfect trio that we’d all- and so what we learnt to do is to go and
501 listen to Steve when he was talking about relational stuff, and learn from
502 Hannah about process stuff and I just made sure we actually got there
503 (laughs).
504
505 S: Sure. Pip’s…
506
507 H: Also, we learnt that…
508
509 S: Pip’s thing was- was the most adhered to in the first year, wasn’t it? So, it was
510 the biggest lesson for us to figure out how we could give- give process a go,
511 alongside productive…you know, we give relationships a go alongside that.
512 So, in our discussions and so on, it was mostly frustration from my point of view
513 and from Hannah’s point of view about Pip’s way of working but in the…
514
515 H: And vice-versa. Pip’s frustration with us for not…
516
191
517 P: (unclear)
518
519 S: …of us not towing the line. And so, in resolving it, that’s the way we’ve come to
520 it, isn’t it? ‘Cause it could easily have been that under my direction, everyone
521 was okay but we were getting nothing done or, you know, something-
522 something else. Like we would have had to work at it from a different
523 perspective, wouldn’t we?
524
525 P: Right…
526
527 H: Or we would have had one fantastic work a year from me that was six minutes
528 long! (laughs)
529
530 P: (laughs)
531
532 H: I mean, it’s all generalizing. It’s because we’re each strongest in this. If we
533 were in another group, I might be the administrator/product person or- or even
534 Steve might be.
535
536 P: Mmm…mmm…
537
538 H: It just depended on the combination of people per piece.
539
540 S: Yeah, and that was one thing, too, because it was a- a project that we
541 embarked on that was going to be enjoyment so because Pip seemed to have
192
542 the most scope time-wise and linked in with your…was it with your studies at
543 the time or…?
544
545 H: Yeah, that’s what it was.
546
547 S: Yeah, and facilities ‘cause you had, you know, the most access to a computer
548 and administration stuff and so you took on that kind of view. And so we were
549 both happy to go, “Alright, we’ll both enjoy ourselves while you do the admin
550 (laughs), didn’t we? And so that had a bearing on how things went, too,
551 because that meant…
552
553 H: That’s right.
554
555 P: But also, you see, Hannah was straight out of uni and coping with all sorts of
556 things and Steve was in and out of houses, you know, moving around quite a
557 bit, and so…
558
559 H: Okay, yes, now this was the thing I wanted to talk about next – our life
560 situations…
561
562 P: Yes…
563
564 H: …were very different…
565
566 P: …yes…
193
567
568 H: …and there’s also been the issue of Steve and I getting married.
569
570 P: …in first year…
571
572 H: So you get thick…so you then…
573
574 P: So, first…
575
576 H: …you get practical life issues coming in.
577
578 P: Yes, see, ‘cause I also have a husband as well who supports me which has
579 actually been a bit of a bone of contention over the years ‘cause I decided to do
580 ask without consulting him, not realizing how much time it would take.
581
582 H: None of us realized how much time it would take.
583
584 P: No, no… So, my dad’s an unrealistic optimist and my mum’s a pessimistic
585 realist and I sit somewhere in between but I can have this optimistic thing. I’m
586 much more like my dad. Yeah…
587
588 H: We’ve all had to become more realistic. That’s one thing…
589
590 S: Mmm…
591
194
592 H: …that I- I’m just realizing that we are all fairly idealistic, to some degree…
593
594 P: Yes…
595
596 H: …all of us, which is the very reason we started the thing.
597
598 P: Well, that’s right, exactly…
599
600 H: (laughs)
601
602 P: …we wouldn’t have done it. Well, yes, our life situation did mean that I did
603 have more time plus I had access to a computer and printer, as Hannah pointed
604 out.
605
606 H: And it worked in with Pip’s study…
607
608 P: And we didn’t have your computer the first year.
609
610 H: No…yeah, that was part of…
611
612 P: And, yes, I was at work most days so… Plus I took on the Artistic Director role.
613 And then, of course, what happened was that I’d organize whatever we were
614 going to do and had it all organized but Hannah and Steve were involved in the
615 creation and they’d go, “We can’t get this done,” and I’m going, “This is- I’ve
616 done- i’ve done, not just this but all of this…”
195
617
618 H: Yeah…
619
620 P: …and it made it very hard for me to pull out at times when I probably should
621 have.
622
623 H: Yeah…
624
625 S: And also because of your industry experience, pulling out partway through isn’t
626 something that you do; you see a project through.
627
628 P: No way…
629
630 S: Whereas to me, I was thinking, well, hang on a second, this is…
631
632 H: I’m doing this ‘cause I want to…
633
634 S: …I’m doing it ‘cause I want to and anything I’m doing for anyone is a favour like
635 performing for Anglicare or whatever and, ah, it’s an experiment so surely you
636 can pull out of anything; you pull out of experiments…
637
638 P: Mmm…
639
640 S: …and so, you have expect- and also because it was Pip that had the most
641 scope to do the admin and the planning and direct, it was Pip’s point of view
196
642 about the way we would market ourselves, and the amount of activity we would
643 do and the level at which we would operate was all conceived. And I would
644 have been a lot happier with less of that, even though it mostly fell on Pip’s
645 shoulders and I didn’t have to worry about it. I would have coped better if Pip
646 hadn’t had to do that much, too. And so, at times, Hannah and I felt pressure
647 because Pip was carrying the brunt of the weight and…
648
649 H: And we felt guilty about that…
650
651 S: …and we’re feeling guilty for that, whether or not you intended us to, you
652 know…
653
654 P: Mmm…
655
656 S: …but sometimes you were - I think you were thinking - hang on a sec, Steve
657 and Hannah, you’re not pulling your weight and that sometimes you were happy
658 to do it and you let us know that, but it certainly affected.
659
660 P: Mmm…
661
662 H: Can you read the question ‘cause I know you’ve done a whole assignment on
663 what… (rest of question unclear)
664
665 A: No, that was it – the issues that you’ve faced in order to be able to collaborate
666 successfully…(elaboration unclear but unnecesary)
197
667
668 H: There’s more specific issues to do with actual rehearsals than this…
669
670 P: Yes…
671
672 H: …like the actual process covered in rehearsals…(unclear) This relates to us
673 actually being ask…(unclear)
674
675 P: Yes, let’s talk about the first year, in terms of… Like, in Doors, was an amazing
676 experience- like when we did Disa pear, our first work, we actually all got along
677 so well and, you know, “honeymoon phase” and we were best of friends and…
678
679 S: We’d hang out afterwards at each other’s place and stuff…
680
681 P: Yeah, all the time and go out and stuff to a movie or whatever because we were
682 all equals then, too; we were all individuals, I should say. And then we did
683 Steve’s piece which was- it actually had to be done in a very short amount of
684 time and this was where I kind of say this…
685
686 H: (unclear)
687
688 P: Yes…
689
690 H: …and then a whole stack of rehearsals were given to just learning it…(unclear)
691
198
692 P: Now, the other issue was that we started off with Steve only with us one day a
693 week and Hannah and I were doing three rehearsals and Steve was only doing
694 this one day a week and we pulled him in, I think, for two eventually for Disa
695 pear to get that done. And so, the balance between the collaborators was
696 never quite equal. Mind you, we always needed a bit of time to work on the
697 dance and in Disa pear certainly- Oh, always the music was created mostly
698 side-by-side but certainly, initially, there was dance and I wanted, like, Disa
699 pear in counts so I asked for a 7/8(rhythm)…least I knew something about
700 music. I’d asked for a 3/4 just to get a kind of big sort of thing going (snaps
701 fingers to demonstrate rhythm) and Steve came up with this great something-
702 You know when I ask for something, it always sounds totally different to what I
703 expect; it’s so much better (laughs). It’s great ‘cause, you know, you can think
704 of much more interesting things. But that kind of felt like a good collaboration
705 because we were getting on well and-and I was able to get from Steve stuff that
706 worked with the piece. And then we did the second piece where we threw
707 Steve in the “deep end”- oh, that’s what I was going to say…
708
709 H: He became a director of the work…
710
711 P: I kind of chuckled because Hannah was quite keen on Steve and everything
712 had to be, you know, “Give Steve,” and I’m thinking, I don’t know whether it’ll
713 work but if Hannah thinks so, I won’t say anything (laughs).
714
715 H: Yeah, yeah. But then, well, you were thinking it had to be product-oriented
716 rather than us all to be collaborating as a company…
199
717
718 (all talk over each other)
719
720 S: So it would have been fine if I’d just had the opportunity to try stuff and not feel
721 the pressure of…
722
723 P: …of the product!
724
725 S: …of the product…yeah…
726
727 H: Yeah…
728
729 P: Yes, that’s right, yes. And it ended up being a really short – like, six weeks –
730 and we did a ten-minute piece and the music was great!
731
732 H: How many musicians?
733
734 P: Six musicians and…
735
736 S: Seven…
737
738 P: We had five and then seven dancers and a lot of the non-dance people and
739 Christians thought it was great, like Peter Stacey…
740
741 H: And the music was fantastic!
200
742
743 P: Yeah, and all different styles and stuff, but theatrically, for people who are really
744 into form and journey through a piece, it only said things; it didn’t deal with
745 anything. So it was an interesting spectacle. We did it for “Prom Praise” and
746 they wanted a spectacle – it was in the Entertainment Centre. It had to be big
747 and when we performed it in our season- there was only one person who said
748 anything and she then choreographed on us the next year but she’s really into
749 post-modern stuff and it was just far too sixties for her because of the style of
750 movement that we did. Like… We tried something; it was a big experiment.
751 And a lot of it (was) bringing the people together and the music and the way the
752 dancers saw us working together, they all said…
753
754 H: And the collaboration between Mike and Steve…
755
756 P: Yes…
757
758 H: …was open and…
759
760 P: So a lot of the collaborative stuff was excellent…
761
762 H: Yeah…
763
764 P: … There’s things we change in the…
765
201
766 H: …the artistic side – the dance…(unclear)…But then, you know, also these guys
767 had a vision for the music which was basically the form of AND the content of
768 Matthew.
769
770 S: Oh, no, we didn’t…
771
772 H: Well, certain chapters of it…
773
774 S: No, we just started off and we ended up realizing that we could only do justice
775 to it if we did the whole Bible. (laughs)
776
777 P & H: (laugh)
778
779 P: And the other thing was, of course, that they looked at two chapters but then I
780 said, “But, Steve, it has to be ten minutes.” And so he fitted the same two
781 chapters into ten minutes.
782
783 S: No, it was four chapters.
784
785 P: Four chapters, right.
786
787 H: Yeah, four chapters.
788
789 S: Yeah…
790
202
791 P: But we never finished it, did we?
792
793 S: No…
794
795 P: So there was one chapter or something that was missed out.
796
797 S: Oh yeah… So we experimented then with the form of the piece and the pattern
798 we saw in the text so we just followed the text through, only taking specific
799 types of text. You know, for “this” and “then”, we had qualifications for what we
800 would use. Or this text is developed (unclear) in this order and the quantity in
801 the Bible then that would go out on stage (unclear). So we tried that here but
802 agreed that that was quite complicated (unclear).
803
804 P: ‘Cause the other thing was, too, because of the time limit, these guys wrote the
805 music, we kind of worked out a basic underlying thing we wanted to do for each
806 section then fitted it to the music and the music often was quite short for each
807 section and we’re so used to developing things that it, kind of…
808
809 H: Mmm…yeah…but then there was…
810
811 S: Yeah, we tried lots of new stuff…
812
813 H & P: Yeah…
814
815 S: …we just came up with a product that was kind of…
203
816
817 H: …interesting (laughs).
818
819 S: …not really fully developed.
820
821 P: Yeah, as I say, Peter Stacey just thought it was amazing and he put the whole
822 thing on at “Prom Praise” because it was the most focused on Christ and
823 proclaiming the Gospel. So…(laughs)
824
825 H: That’s true, so…yeah…
826
827 P: ‘Cause Steve sang the words of Christ and we were- we were the emotions and
828 the reactions of the people to Christ and the other musicians were also then the
829 emotions and the reactions – quite an interesting piece in many ways. A very
830 interesting experiment…
831
832 H: Actually, if we had… With time and effort and really sitting down and planning it
833 out, well, it’s got the potential to be…
834
835 P: Oh, absolutely.
836
837 H: We’d probably do it totally differently but anyway there’s all these things now
838 that are sort of sitting on the back-burner and that’s the weird thing when we
839 say that ask is for two and a half years, because now we come to the next thing
204
840 we did which is Doors, my next work, which is something I haven’t really let go
841 of, like it’s something that’s still in the back of my mind.
842
843 P: Props were really amazing…
844
845 H: Again, props galore!
846
847 P: Yes, and we did spend a number of rehearsals doing props.
848
849 H: Yeah…
850
851 S: A very nice set of shelves…
852
853 P: Yes…
854
855 H: And it was based around our testimonies which we shared with each other.
856
857 P: (whispers something – unclear) (laughs)
858
859 H: Yeah (laughs). And the similarities that we found in them. And so instead of
860 having the whole story, we picked… Like, I chose the things that I thought
861 linked up in the testimonies, like… So then we started working on it and the way
862 I was going and the ideas I had and stuff… The best way to start off with it
863 seemed to work from an acting base. And then after I’d worked without an
205
864 acting base and I’d put all this movement in and music and blah-blah-blah, it of
865 course became a year long project (laughs).
866
867 P: We also thought it would be the major work for the year. Disa pear would be
868 little and Steve’s would be little and Hannah would do the 25-minute work,
869 thank you very much.
870
871 H: Which of course, it did end up being 25 minutes but it was a lot of acting
872 because we never had time to get through to the actual dance so and we…
873
874 P: …sang…
875
876 H: And we also did lots of stuff with… So, some parts of it worked really well and
877 some parts of it worked not at all. (laughs)
878
879 P: Mmm…
880
881 H: And it was kind of…
882
883 P: But, again, we performed it prior to it being ready and we got really burnt. With
884 Steve’s, we performed it and I got sick and couldn’t even perform, so they had
885 to do it with four instead of five. Like, I just burnt myself into the ground; I was
886 sick for ten day and couldn’t even move. I was so sick; I lost so much weight.
887 And I didn’t see it coming (laughs).
888
206
889 H: And so that was collaboration but from an acting base but not acting…
890
891 P: Yeah, with the acting after that was done.
892
893 H: Yeah, it ended up okay but what we performed was a work-in-progress…
894 (unclear)
895
896 P: And we were going to. The beginning of last year, we were going to, but Steve
897 was sick, so we went, “Oh well, that was the whole…”
898
899 H: Mmm… So going into 2000, the thing that became the top priority in 2000, was
900 relational stuff because that was the thing that we needed.
901
902 P: And we DID de-brief at the beginning of the year. We did a little at the end of
903 the year, but we got to Cooma and there were still a lot of issues and, like,
904 Steve just did not want to do Disa pear, the best one for us to show as a
905 company and, of course, being a promotional person, I’m pushing all the way.
906 And we got ourselves through it but it was really hard for Steve. ‘Cause I just
907 didn’t understand; I just did not understand. I had only known one way and I
908 just kept going. But, the thing is I’ve always done project work; you can do that
909 in project work. But, if it’s going to be a company… See, I’ve never worked in a
910 long-term company…
911
912 H: Project work is more like what we do – it’s like from one project to the next.
913
207
914 P: Yes, yeah, and that’s all I’d ever done before so I was used to just pushing,
915 getting it done and moving on to the next one, with the next group of people.
916 So I didn’t know any of this.
917
918 H: So, yes, then we did our first pure dancework in which we would be
919 collaborating with the choreographer…
920
921 P: …who wasn’t a Christian…
922
923 H: …who wasn’t a Christian.
924
925 P: I met her the year before when I was doing a choreography subject and we
926 clicked. So, towards the end of the year, we started talking about getting
927 Isabelle in at some stage. But when did we decide to get her to do it instead of
928 Doors… Or were we going to do Isabelle’s and then Doors…
929
930 H: No, we were going to do Isabelle’s first to relieve the pressure off Steve…
931 (unclear)
932
933 P: With Steve – oh, yes!
934
935 H: Oh, this is a big issue to cover actually. In comes Isabelle, says, “Good. It’s a
936 dance company,” and didn’t realise that everyone had to… (unclear)
937
208
938 P: She’d been to see our season and Steve was in everything. He was written up
939 as director, along with us.
940
941 S: Actually, she said she wanted to use me, but…
942
943 H: …she was going to tell him what to do…
944
945 S: In any way that I tried to get direction from her in terms of what to do, how to
946 write, what to write, she would keep referring to these pieces that she had on
947 CD that she liked the sound of. She’d say, “No, no, more like running water like
948 this piano piece that I’ve got.”
949
950 P: And she has no musical training…
951
952 S: And she’d say, “No, no, do your right hand up here and get fast, and then have
953 your left hand get slower,” without realising I’m either going to write something
954 that satisfies her, which is exactly the same as the CD, or not bother write and
955 say…
956
957 H: …”Use the CD.”
958
959 S: That made more sense.
960
961 H: And he was so sick.
962
209
963 P: And he wasn’t getting better, so in the end, we…
964
965 H: So, it ended up being collaborative dance with a collaborative process (unclear)
966 not…
967
968 P: Because we’re also interested in growing artistically by incorporating people, or
969 by doing workshops, or whatever professional development. So, it was a
970 fantastic time for Hannah and I professionally. But then Hannah was going
971 through …
972
973 H: Wasn’t it blood pressure?
974
975 P: …blood pressure. But, this work, she could deal with because it was all…
976
977 H: (unclear – she laughs in the middle though – something to do with the
978 movement style of the work)
979
980 P: Total- very much, body awareness and nurturing – very nurturing of the body.
981 But very challenging because she took us into release – beyond release – that
982 she was watching ME and helping ME through. ‘Cause I hadn’t had somebody
983 choreograph on me for a while from outside, so I had to learn to…(unclear) And
984 she’s been looking into developing her own movement practices.
985
210
986 H: Then we did Doors which was a collaboration between you and I, and I ended
987 up doing Train. And Steve, who had written the work really wanted to have
988 (speaks quietly as though to herself)…
989
990 P: Incorporate… See, that was a supportive thing. We tried as much as possible
991 to do things to support Steve in keeping him as part of the company. And that
992 was an interesting dynamic – I haven’t actually told these guys but sometimes I
993 used to feel like Steve was billed as an equal director but he definitely wasn’t
994 doing…(laughs) And sometimes I found that hard, only in the administration
995 side, you know.
996
997 H: Mmm…when it was equal before…
998
999 P: But…(finishing Hannah’s statement) when he was sick, which was fine, you
1000 know, because we used to go over to their place and have meetings and things.
1001 And sometimes – you see, I was far too busy last year – and sometimes I
1002 resented that, which again I haven’t told you guys. But, at the same time, I
1003 chose not to say anything because that’s what I saw as the better thing to do. It
1004 was only a selfish…
1005
1006 H: Mmm… It’s very hard when you do look at someone who’s as sick as a dog and
1007 go, “I resent...” (laughs)
1008
1009 P: That’s right but the whole idea…
1010
211
1011 H: But it’s just that you shouldn’t feel like that…
1012
1013 P: But it was, you know, when I was feeling selfish and when I was feeling run
1014 down that I felt that way; it wasn’t when I was thinking clearly, you know.
1015
1016 H: (agreeing) Yeah, yeah…
1017
1018 P: So that’s a relational thing; it has been really interesting. Now here’s another
1019 thing that Hannah and I had to work through – I came into Hannah’s dance
1020 ministry class and Evelyn and I – the head of the department – had been talking
1021 already about the possibility about having a company but I let it go for six
1022 months. And then at the end of that six months – it must have been June or
1023 July sometime, can’t remember; yes, June – Mary invited me to come in and
1024 listen to… They’d all written down visions and things – I can’t remember – they
1025 had and Stephanie had one basically with musicians and dancers and Hannah
1026 had one with musicians and actors- no, dancers and actors and…
1027
1028 H: …musicians.
1029
1030 P: Yeah, but basically both of them collaborative and I had just written a paper
1031 which had been …
1032
1033 (H and P talk quietly with each other)
1034
1035 P: I’d written a paper based on a pretend company …
212
1036
1037 H: I’d already read that.
1038
1039
1040 P: No, but it was redeveloped (unclear)…where it was just for a term and we’d
1041 take the paper – I think I was telling you – the paper and I was writing
1042 about…Something and the Bible… ”Creativity and the Bible”….no, “Emotion
1043 and the Bible” and we’d portray it through the arts and we’d tour to these
1044 different places, blah-blah, and we’d start here and, you know, I had to do a
1045 presentation on this stuff. So then, having thought through a lot of those things
1046 and the possibility of funding and that sort of thing, I then re-wrote the paper
1047 and Hannah read through it and stuff because it… But when I came in that
1048 time, I said to them, “I have a two-year version of what you’re talking about. I
1049 know that they are ten-year versions, but let me help you start a two-year
1050 version,” and that’s what Hannah heard. “Let me help you start…you start a
1051 two-year version and then it will be yours.” Whereas, I had behind, you know- I
1052 mean, I didn’t even know what was going to happen after that and all that sort
1053 of thing. And then I started talking about – even in our first year, you know, I
1054 was so under the weather from all this work. I’m thinking, Oh, these young kids
1055 can go on and do it, kind of thing (laughs). And I was saying, “I’m going to
1056 have a baby when I finish my Masters, and that sort of thing, and then you can
1057 take it over. And I got to the end of the first year, and THEY kind of crashed
1058 and I was still on a high ‘cause I wasn’t the one getting married and under all
1059 this pressure. And I thought, Oh, I really enjoy doing this. No, this is my
1060 company. And we had to deal with all of that, ‘cause Hannah’s going, “But you
213
1061 always said that it would be my company,” and then, of course, she’s thinking, I
1062 can’t keep working with Pip like this. I’m going to die if I keep doing this.
1063
1064 H: (laughs in agreement)
1065
1066 P: You know, so we had to deal with all of that as well. Whereas, now, it’s kind of
1067 like, oh, we work so well together that … and we’ve got no expectations for the
1068 future and we’ll just let that happen, whatever. I mean, I’m quite doing it
1069 (laughs).
1070
1071 H: But that’s all where we were at then. Now it’s no expectations and we like
1072 working together…(unclear)
1073
1074 P: I’d love to work…
1075
1076 H: (continuing) So then we did…so that was Train?
1077
1078 P: Train.
1079
1080 H: So it was collaborative…
1081
1082 P: And that was…
1083
1084 H: …working together in the actual…
1085
214
1086 P: That was more two dancers but utilizing…
1087
1088 H: And then, the journey of the song being portrayed by the singer…(unclear)
1089
1090 P: But the interesting thing was, we actually did – apart from Hannah’s second
1091 work – it was less the way we worked in our first year because we didn’t have
1092 Steve. It became very much dancers collaborating and incorporating other
1093 things ‘cause we literally had just Hannah and I and the CD’s for the first work
1094 and then it’s…
1095
1096 H: (adds to the explanation – unclear)
1097
1098 P: Yeah… But that was a healing time for both of us…
1099
1100 H: And it was a successful work.
1101
1102 P: Because… Yes, and Hannah needed that because of Doors…She’d felt that
1103 that was a- well, hadn’t worked…
1104
1105 H: Yeah.
1106
1107 P: But, you know, I still say we’ve got to…(unclear)
1108
1109 H: Let’s talk about Pilgrimage, that being our most collaborative work so far…
1110 (unclear)
215
1111
1112 P: Yes, yes, that’s right.
1113
1114 H: Did you want to talk about that Steve? (pause) About Pilgrimage at all?
1115
1116 S: The relationships?
1117
1118 H: To do with collaboration, because we used two musicians, two dancers…
1119
1120 S: What do you mean?
1121
1122 H: How it worked.
1123
1124 P: We’ll come back to issues, but the process…
1125
1126 H: What you went through to create…
1127
1128 (quiet discussion between H and S)
1129
1130 H: Alright, I’ll do it (laughs).
1131
1132 S: Yeah.
1133
216
1134 H: We all worked from a poem. I had certain ideas about what it would be about
1135 and then we all went away, and worked at expressing it in any other way. We
1136 expressed in our artwork what we’d taken from the poem; we had…
1137
1138 S: (adds something to explanation – unclear)
1139
1140 H: Yeah… I’ll just say that we each had a phrase or a motif that we’d made to work
1141 on.
1142
1143 S: And then, under Hannah’s direction, we kept that initial phrase and put them
1144 together, ‘cause each phrase had a stimulus for each of us to reflect part of the
1145 poem (unclear)… So, we thought, What happens if you put this one and this
1146 one together? Does that reflect putting those two important parts of the poem
1147 together? And does the meaning come out? And, we had tried…
1148
1149 H: (adds something to explanation – unclear)
1150
1151 S: Yeah, we tried matching them together and they all really worked together well
1152 with some musical bits, some dance bits… Oh, we didn’t actually do the two
1153 dance bits…
1154
1155 H: Or different combinations.
1156
1157 P: No, we never interacted the two dance bits.
1158
217
1159 S: …each dance bit with each music bit and…and so then Hannah had ideas of-
1160 of where to go from there once we’d done a bit. And then we’d do a bit more
1161 and then she’d go, “Oh, these work here…”
1162
1163 H: And that was the end and we’d have the middle and so, we worked it all out that
1164 way.
1165
1166 P: But the main thing was community.
1167
1168 H: Yes, it was about community.
1169
1170 P: The poem was about…
1171
1172 H: …prayer…
1173
1174 P: …prayer but it was- The reason we used it was to create the movement and to
1175 get the underlying essence of our community but the whole thing was…
1176
1177 H: Yeah, that was God and communicating together with him…
1178
1179 P: …with him. Yes…
1180
1181 H: …rather than individually. It was the juxtaposition between being alone and
1182 being together, wasn’t it? ‘Cause sometimes…
1183
218
1184 P: Yes…
1185
1186 H: …it would start off being more fragmented then more together…
1187
1188 P: We learnt to be together, in a sense; we kind of grew together.
1189
1190 H: But all through our art with no words. The costumes…
1191
1192 P: Yes…
1193
1194 H: I can’t believe my mother who did…(laughs) the costumes which were each
1195 symbolic with the sense of prayer. And we each had pictures in our heads and
1196 each of the costumes kept with what was in our minds and were symbolic of
1197 that. So there’d be some integral cue in also an abstract way of what we were
1198 on about. (unclear) But totally abstract and different ideas to get across… And
1199 this kind of fascination of if there’s an idea there, that some essence of that will
1200 come out in an abstract work…(unclear)
1201
1202 (quiet discussion between the three about H’s final statement)
1203
1204 S: Yeah, they really did. There was an aspect of the work that was similar to our
1205 other piece, If You are Willing…(unclear). It was obvious that we could a more
1206 cohesive work out of it, but the way it was, there was certainly a journey
1207 through the work and they related to what was going on. They understood that
219
1208 we were relating in different ways and there was joy and there was helping
1209 each other…things like that.
1210
1211 P: We just wanted more- Train, as my lecturer said, Train has arrived and the
1212 other one hasn’t quite arrived yet. (unclear)
1213
1214 (all laugh)
1215
1216 (checking of tape by A)
1217
1218 P: (in response) Yes, I’ve been watching it for you, too.
1219
1220 H: And also with that work, I think I was really pleased with it in the sense that the
1221 dance is really full and so’s the music…
1222
1223 P: Yes…
1224
1225 H: …like, with each allowed to really- like, neither copycats (unclear) too much
1226 with the other…
1227
1228 P: Yes, that’s right, yes…which we hadn’t really had before because even in
1229 Doors, Steve didn’t really get to fully explore…
1230
1231 H: We were all acting way too much; we needed to be expressing our own art
1232 forms.
220
1233
1234 (They all agree.)
1235
1236 H: So that’s one of our struggles, about how to collaborate and how can the
1237 ordinary individual…(unclear)
1238
1239 S: So you’ve really found a good way of initiating dance and songs.
1240
1241 (a number of comments unclear)
1242
1243 H: It’s always with some other art. We start with something else and… (unclear)
1244
1245 S: But we’ve talked about that all the time, haven’t we? And then it really occurs
1246 to you, the fact that we had a painting and said, “What if we created a work
1247 from this painting?”
1248
1249 P & H: Yes…
1250
1251 S: We’re all affected by the painting in some way…
1252
1253 A: You talked the other day about how to communicate best – what language to
1254 use best so that you’re communicating the same idea to what you’re looking for
1255 in the dance and improvisations, to be able to give Steve something along a
1256 similar line but using a language… Is that something which you are
1257 exploring…
221
1258
1259 P: Yes, we’ve basically…
1260
1261 A: …because of where you are now?
1262
1263 P: Yes. We all along tried to… Like, in Doors, Steve had to become much more-
1264 like, he was moving and singing and playing the flute and all sorts of things, too,
1265 and all along we’ve been kind of educating Steve, I guess, as to how to move
1266 and how to incorporate inner monologues and that sort of thing, because we’d
1267 done that…
1268
1269 S: How to be theatrical.
1270
1271 P: Yeah, the theatrical…
1272
1273 H: Yeah…
1274
1275 P: …and we’d been trying to, like, understand… We’ve said – well, especially this
1276 goes for the last few years – that had we- if we did this again, we’d spend a
1277 whole year just working all of that out before we even thought about going out
1278 and performing anything. Yes, so that’s why we’re almost doing that now by
1279 having this time of improvisation with these two, that we’re actually kind of filling
1280 in the gaps. But, like…
1281
222
1282 S: And that’s why this is going to be healing for us, not counting on the pressure
1283 we’ve had in the past…(unclear)
1284
1285 P: Yes…But it’s- ‘cause we already have…
1286
1287 H: …a work (unclear) in your journey that you need to do and blah-blah, will be
1288 actually very positive for the company, for ask…
1289
1290 P: Yes.
1291
1292 H: …a perfect thing for a work…
1293
1294 P: Yes…and I’m in a safe place in order to do that which, you know… Oh, what
1295 was I going to say? So, in terms of communicating – ‘cause at least I
1296 understood roughly time signatures and I’m a real counter, whereas Hannah
1297 feels the music…
1298
1299 H: It’s funny because we’re both musical; we both dance well to…
1300
1301 P: …to music. Yeah, that’s why I’d never picked up that she wasn’t a counter!
1302
1303 H: (laughs, recalling) “I don’t know – where is this bit?”
1304
1305 (H and P laugh as they recall)
1306
223
1307 P: Yes … But, also, see I think actually Steve’s done a huge amount of learning,
1308 in terms…
1309
1310 H: Huge!
1311
1312 P: Because both of the directors speak dance language and whatever instigation
1313 we were coming from, we then said, “Well, this is what we’re doing. Can you
1314 translate that into some sort of meaning for yourself to be able to come up with
1315 stuff?”
1316
1317 H: (laughs)
1318
1319 S: I was just telling Mike today that at the beginning I really found when we
1320 started, the dancers were moving about and stuff, and I thought, What if I just
1321 move about and forget about music? So I found some things that my fingers
1322 wanted to do on the keyboard instead…(unclear)
1323
1324 P: Yes.
1325
1326 S: So, it was good; it was a release ‘cause I really feel guilty about my slackness
1327 at practising. You know, I rarely do my scales and improvising and so on, but I
1328 can ‘dance’ on the keyboard quite easily and find things that don’t sound bad
1329 together but have some rhyme or reason…(next phrase unclear) So, it’s a bit of
1330 a cop-out, you know; it’s not pure, in line with free improvisations – it’s not what
1331 I expect at all when I hear other people saying it…
224
1332
1333 P: (laughs)
1334
1335 S: …but, you know, I’m not actually… In fact, when I was communicating with
1336 Mike when we wrote together, I communicated…(unclear)
1337
1338 P: ‘Cause we’ve worked with Michael twice now. He was the one in Pilgrim,
1339 wasn’t he, as well as in…If You are Willing?
1340
1341 H: And Steve’s worked with him…
1342
1343 (discussion between H and S)
1344
1345 S: But Mike is much more of a seasoned jazz musician than I am. While we’ve
1346 both had a lot of experience, he ended up saying…(END OF SIDE A OF TAPE)
1347
1348 P: It’s funny about that ‘cause I actually did start to feel the pressure of it being
1349 too…
1350
1351 (CHANGE OF NOTE-TAKER BATTERIES)
1352
1353 H: And that was helpful in the first time…(unclear)
1354
1355 (DIFFICULTIES WITH NOTE-TAKER – A FEW STATEMENTS FRAGMENTED)
1356
225
1357 (discussion regarding note-taker – unimportant and hence not recorded here)
1358
1359 H: Okay, there’ve been other issues which is we’re (Steve and Hannah) both part
1360 of the company, therefore we both don’t earn much money.
1361
1362 P: Yes, that’s been a massive issue. And that’s…
1363
1364 H: Especially when Steve was sick, ‘cause there were no gigs, there were no two
1365 days a week…
1366
1367 S: …and that’s compounded the issue between Pip doing most of the admin work
1368 and us not because Pip had the freedom to do it because she’s not needing to
1369 earn money for the family and…(unclear)
1370
1371 P: That’s right.
1372
1373 H: And so, at the beginning of last year, when we were at Cooma, which is in the
1374 middle of all the previous big things – post-New Year problems…(unclear). I
1375 felt very really that God said to me, “I want you to obey me and go back to the
1376 company, no matter what.” He said, “Don’t hold yourself back; just totally throw
1377 yourself back in there.” And so, over the year, when I felt like I should stop
1378 something; I thought I should quit my job (unclear) and blah-blah-blah.
1379 Although the hours cut down never actually stopped… We might have been
1380 having two…
1381
226
1382 P: No, we were rehearsing Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and after Isabelle’s work,
1383 we cut back to only Thursday, Friday, because I was struggling, too. ‘Cause I
1384 was doing a subject and…
1385
1386 H: So the company… Because God had said that to me, the company, being Pip
1387 and I, at that point, continued on.
1388
1389 P: But, of course, because Hannah wasn’t feeling well with the blood pressure
1390 and she was getting more and more tired looking after Steve, we had Desiree
1391 Pearce Rensberg who was a third-year student in her second last semester
1392 who’d been very injured and then doing choreography but a trained secretary…
1393
1394 H: Yeah, yeah…
1395
1396 P: …and so, she came in and helped us put the schools’ tour together. She was
1397 supposed to do all these sorts of things and actually get us out to schools’ tours
1398 and collect all the information and ring and she did do all the stuff for Bodies for
1399 us – did all of the organising and the …
1400
1401 S: …liaising…
1402
1403 P: …liaising. Thanks, Steve. Yeah…
1404
1405 H: And also we did…Remember…(name unclear)
1406
227
1407 P: Oh, yes, she was going to choreograph a work on us, so she did about three or
1408 four rehearsals?
1409
1410 H: Yeah, which was a good thing.
1411
1412 (discussion between H and P – unclear)
1413
1414 P: But she- I mean, I really feel that that was God’s provision for me ‘cause I’m
1415 sitting at college, thinking, My company’s totally falling apart… OUR company!
1416 (laughs) I’m the only one here; it must be mine! So there were issues there,
1417 too, and that kind of brought up the whole issue, too, of, is it my company? Is it
1418 Hannah’s company? Whose company is this?
1419
1420 H: And I can remember feeling really angry because I kept thinking, I am KILLING
1421 myself…
1422
1423 P: …killing myself…
1424
1425 H: …to get through two rehearsals a week…
1426
1427 P: …that’s right… She was just…
1428
1429 H: So, yeah, that was… But they weren’t huge issues because we able mainly to
1430 talk about them…
1431
228
1432 P: Well, what we- Hannah wrote me a letter…
1433
1434 H: That’s right…
1435
1436 P: …and left it on my bed once and said, “I’ve got to talk to you, Pip. I’m feeling
1437 really upset about dah-da-dah-da-dah,” and we talked and, from then, I’ve just
1438 cleared it all up. So that was very good…
1439
1440 H: And then, second semester, we had Nicola.
1441
1442 P: Oh yes, and so she bolstered our morale because we were able to support her
1443 and she was just there to support us. All sorts of things, she ran around and
1444 did, and helped Hannah with setting up the season and made it all beautiful
1445 and…
1446
1447 H: (unclear)
1448
1449 P: Yes, yes, and took them meals when they were sick…
1450
1451 H: …and became our friend as well and so really kept us- regained our feeling that
1452 we were good friends. Or, kind of emphasized that?
1453
1454 P: Yes.
1455
229
1456 H: She was so amazed by this friendship that we were offering her and we
1457 thought, Oh yeah, it IS pretty good, isn’t it?
1458
1459 P: Yeah…
1460
1461 H: It sort of started things…
1462
1463 P: ‘Cause we kind of had that conversation when? During working with Isabelle?
1464
1465 S: No…
1466
1467 P: It was quite close to the beginning of the year…
1468
1469 S: Yeah…
1470
1471 P: And then we did Train together and we just felt like we loved each other again,
1472 like when we first started.
1473
1474 (discussion between P and H – unclear)
1475
1476 P: Yeah…Steve and I still had stuff to work out, though…
1477
1478 H: That’s right. Remember at the end of Bodies, you guys…Steve approached
1479 you one night and said that you’ve got to talk about…
1480
230
1481 P: Yes, yes, that’s right. And then we did. We got together at some stage and
1482 chatted…
1483
1484 S: (unclear)
1485
1486 H: But you did. You definitely had, like…
1487
1488 P: Yeah, so we did the same thing…
1489
1490 H: That was interesting ‘cause, prior to that, we always tried to sort things out
1491 individually without talking it out…
1492
1493 S: Yeah, right…
1494
1495 H: (unclear)
1496
1497 P: Yeah…
1498
1499 S: It was each taking responsibilities for our issues, wasn’t it?
1500
1501 H: Yeah.
1502
1503 P: Yes.
1504
1505 S: It occurs to me-
231
1506
1507 P: But that’s why- Sorry, Steve…
1508
1509 S: It occurs to me that, in terms of whose the company is, it really is yours, Pip,
1510 because…
1511
1512 H: Mmm…
1513
1514 S: …you’ve conceived how it runs and, although we all sat down and worked out
1515 what the objectives are, there’s a whole lot of objectives that you haven’t put
1516 down on paper or talked about, that you assume- and I’m not saying this to
1517 have a go at you…
1518
1519 P: Yes.
1520
1521 S: …I’m saying, this is just how it happened. And so, you’ve set up this really, ah,
1522 successful format of a company – you know, successful in some ways – that at
1523 the end of that two and a half years, once we’ve worked through the glitches, is
1524 a good model but it’s not what Hannah wants to do with a company…
1525
1526 P: Mmm…
1527
1528 S: …at the moment, which is why you’ve had the frustrations of everybody…
1529
1530 H: I don’t think I wanted a company…
232
1531
1532 S: Yeah, right – exactly!
1533
1534 H: …at this point in time and that came up too.
1535
1536 P: Yes!
1537
1538 S: (to P) Did she tell you?
1539
1540 P: Mmm…
1541
1542 S: Okay. (to H) Is that your point? And, so, in terms of this company keeping on
1543 running and it being Hannah’s rather than Pip’s, it…
1544
1545 H: …it’s not an issue…
1546
1547 S: …doesn’t equate. So, we either keep going with the company and Pip’s the
1548 director and we’re doing it this particular way…
1549
1550 H: …which is influenced by us, too, totally…
1551
1552 P: Yes.
1553
1554 S: Yeah…or, we stop doing the company, and Hannah takes some opportunities
1555 to do the thing that she’s wanted to do which might be just to get together with
233
1556 some people and do experiments and stuff. Or, you know, with the three of us,
1557 or…I’m not sure what I’m trying to get at… My point is that, I would have been
1558 quite happy to do the same as what we’ve been doing for the last two and a half
1559 years without the structure of the company. Just being a couple of people
1560 trying…
1561
1562 P: Yes, yes…
1563
1564 S: …stuff. I think that’s what I came in under the expectation…
1565
1566 P: Mmm…
1567
1568 S: …which is why I was very careful in the first year not to take on administration
1569 stuff and left that to you guys, not to take on as much time-involvement, and
1570 that’s why it was a bit baffling when I kind of felt pressured into taking up-
1571 keeping up the two days. And when I wasn’t doing- and once it- It got to two
1572 days a week for me very quickly, which was fine, but then, you guys started
1573 saying – or, Pip, you started saying – you know, because I’m not there on a
1574 Tuesday, you guys had done more work together, and so I’ll have to catch up
1575 and so I can do that on a Wednesday.
1576
1577 P: Right – yeah, yeah…
1578
1579 S: And then I was thinking, Hang on a sec, how did that work?
1580
234
1581 H: We’ve had a bit of that all the way through…
1582
1583 P: Yes…
1584
1585 S: How did that work? You know, I’ve got, yeah, I’ve got these boundaries…Now,
1586 someone’s assuming that they’re not the right boundaries… And so…I don’t
1587 quite remember how that went… And I kind of felt like I had to give in because
1588 that was just the way I had to keep the peace but it didn’t sit right. And so, it’s
1589 what has happened…(unclear)
1590
1591 P: Yes, ‘cause what happened was, that as we started off- like, we’d just done
1592 Hannah’s piece where the musician kind of came in a bit and we created some
1593 live music. And we started off with, you know, Steve said, “Well, I can come in
1594 on Fridays,” and we thought, We are so lucky to have a musician. That’s great.
1595 Sure, just Fridays – that’s fine! You know, no problems! And then we started
1596 talking about equal collaboration and that was the foundation of our company.
1597 Well, of course, that can’t be unless equal time. And so, our…
1598
1599 H: Unless somebody was fitter (unclear) than the others…
1600
1601 S: No, depending on what the time is, ‘cause if some of the time is administration,
1602 that’s not collaborating, you know.
1603
1604 H: Yeah…
1605
235
1606 P: But we were rehearsing three times-
1607
1608 S: You can have one person running the company and eight people collaborating,
1609 and have the one person do an extra day a week of just running stuff – things
1610 that have to be run – and then the other eight people just turn up for
1611 collaborating, if it was, say, Selah…
1612
1613 P: Yes, yes, oh yes, I understand what you mean. But then we went- because we
1614 all took on director’s roles, and because…
1615
1616 H: Part of how we were trying to get equal collaboration thing happening…
1617
1618 P: That’s right. Therefore, it kept feeling like- where it started off with Pip directing
1619 and Hannah and Steve being involved- but they kind of came up to this level
1620 but it wasn’t that level on everything.
1621
1622 S: Mmm…
1623
1624 P: Where… Where was this thing? Where were they?
1625
1626 S: Ah, right.
1627
1628 H: Which is when Jenny tried to help up us work out some of our…pictures of what
1629 are we – a company…?
1630
236
1631 P: Yes, you see, I also wanted to talk about the pressure from Wesley…
1632
1633 S: Can I just tie up on what you said then before you? I think… I don’t know how
1634 I thought at the time but, in retrospect, I don’t feel like it was- I don’t feel like it’s
1635 what I want to have that equal directorship if it means coming up to your (to P)
1636 level…
1637
1638 P: Mmm…
1639
1640 S: …I’d prefer it if you came down to my level.
1641
1642 P: (understanding) Mmm-hmm…
1643
1644 S: And so, you’ve kind of made some distinctions along those lines, in that you’re
1645 still the overall Artistic Director or whatever it is. And maybe because I was in
1646 this situation of, this is how the company is running and this is where I am, then
1647 that’s what my thought processes were based on and so I’m thinking, Okay,
1648 yeah, how can we make this work? Clearly, this is ideal and this is ideal but, in
1649 practice, I still just wanted it to be only a couple of people experimenting with
1650 stuff and spending time together doing things.
1651
1652 P: Yeah, yeah…
1653
1654 S: And so I’ve never really felt comfortable with the amount of- with the amount
1655 of…
237
1656
1657 H: Ensembles…
1658
1659 P: Yes, we talked about our difference between an ensemble where we’d get
1660 together…
1661
1662 S: Yeah…
1663
1664 P: …and plan and that sort of thing, as opposed to a company. And so with…
1665
1666 S: And all of Pip’s stuff is really necessary for a financially viable company…
1667
1668 P: Yes…
1669
1670 S: …and for a company that’s going to end up doing schools’ tours to make a
1671 living…
1672
1673 H: …gets a name for itself…
1674
1675 S: …gets a name for itself, has an audience-base, because they’ll be able to
1676 support it…
1677
1678 P: I went totally into the marketing side.
1679
1680 S: Yeah…yeah…
238
1681
1682 H: But we didn’t have anything to market.
1683
1684 S: Yeah.
1685
1686 P: Yes, that’s right.
1687
1688 S: Because that wasn’t part of…
1689
1690 P: But we could whip that up in no time, Hannah. You know, just discipline
1691 yourself and get it done and, you know, we’d have a product which…
1692
1693 S: But you’ve expressed, Hannah, at times, that that’s – not in these words – but
1694 that that’s not what you were expecting for another twenty years time.
1695
1696 H: Or ten or whatever…yeah.
1697
1698 S: Fifteen or whatever, yeah.
1699
1700 P: Mmm…
1701
1702 S: And, ah…
1703
1704 (silence for a moment)
1705
239
1706 P: We did have Jenny Dennis – in fact, I’ll show you her report, and I think you’d
1707 find it really interesting. She did it as part of her (statement unclear but relates
1708 to her tertiary course at WIMA)…
1709
1710 (brief discussion between P and H)
1711
1712 P: ‘Cause she got it done just at the time, at the beginning of all of our issues and
1713 troubles where we just didn’t think about ask dance theatre for a couple of
1714 months after they got married and so I really hoped for better… Although, she
1715 came in and gave us the foundation of us…
1716
1717 H: We got an idea of criteria…
1718
1719 P: So we- you know, we were really fortunate she was there (unclear)… But the
1720 whole issue… Jenny’s personality’s like mine, so she’s saying, “What are you?
1721 You just, you know, having a good time together or are you actually a
1722 company? What do you want to be? A company produces works and gets
1723 them out there; that’s what a company does.” And because all of my
1724 experience is in that area… I mean, you just don’t have TIME to create the
1725 thing (laughs)…
1726
1727 H: Except that you never had to do the marketing and all that, either.
1728
1729 P: No. Well, you see, that’s the other main issue, is that I had to be Artistic
1730 Director, Administrator, Choreographer and Performer, I think. And she put
240
1731 that down as one of the biggest issues that was always going to hold us back,
1732 as long as I was…
1733
1734 H: And the administration is the main problem.
1735
1736 P: Yes.
1737
1738 S: And part of it is because- is not because you’re the only one who CAN do it…
1739
1740 P: No…
1741
1742 S: …but because you’re the one who sees the importance of it, whereas I would
1743 see that…
1744
1745 P: …and has more time.
1746
1747 S: Yeah…I don’t see that as important to put out a newsletter or to, like I’ve said
1748 before, write the letters to the musicians, ah, in a formal way, or that kind of
1749 stuff. And so, I’d say, “Nah, let’s not do it because the other stuff’s, you know,
1750 not important.”
1751
1752 H: And I fall right in the middle and do right-in-the-middle-of-both work.
1753
1754 P: Yes, between the two of us.
1755
241
1756 H: Mmm-hmm.
1757
1758 P: Because, you know, I’m thinking, Okay, we need to develop an audience, and
1759 so, of course, you have your newsletter and you get people involved. And you
1760 have your membership and you set all that- I mean, it’s all the marketing side; I
1761 don’t know where I get that from, but… (laughs) Of actually having an audience
1762 because, I think, for so long, I had seen how difficult it was, and I knew that we
1763 wouldn’t-
1764
1765 H: (unclear)
1766
1767 P: …we wouldn’t…Yeah! Well, I mean, we’ve had full houses and stuff, as a
1768 result. And the other thing was, the reason why I did extra administration work,
1769 was because I had to get on and dance. So if I didn’t hand over the
1770 responsibility to everybody involved by writing a letter with all the details they
1771 needed and then, “That’s your responsibility…”
1772
1773 H: You wouldn’t be able to let it go.
1774
1775 P: No, I couldn’t let it go…and things like that. And, I was saying to everybody
1776 else, for me, it’s the whole- it’s the personal management was what I was in to.
1777 How do you get people enthused about the company so they’ll come and
1778 watch? How do we make sure that people feel like they’ve been well looked
1779 after when they come and work with us?
1780
242
1781 H: Yeah.
1782
1783 P: To me, part of that is – this is what I like – is to be fully informed. So, I did all of
1784 that and because I know from experience that when I’m in the situation, I can’t
1785 remember everything so I write it all down and hand it to them… (laughs)
1786
1787 H: Mmm…
1788
1789 P: …’cause I just can’t…
1790
1791 H: The funny thing is that you start to collaborate with people numerous times
1792 where that’s fine…(unclear) I now know Mike doesn’t really care. He doesn’t
1793 really want to know about the entire thing; he wants to know about what’s he
1794 doing, when, why…that’s it! Just his role…
1795
1796 P & S: Mmm…
1797
1798 H: …so I just ring him up and say, “Blah-blah-blah…Is it written down in your
1799 diary? Yes? Okay.”
1800
1801 S: (laughs)
1802
1803 P: But, of course, I had 20 people…
1804
243
1805 H: But…that’s right, and we’d collaborated with none of them, so we didn’t know
1806 what they wanted, what they expected…blah-blah-blah… So…
1807
1808 S: (unclear)
1809
1810 H: …and sensing…
1811
1812 P: ‘Cause I don’t deal well with people being late or not being there.
1813
1814 H: Whereas- and that’s where musicians…
1815
1816 P: It throws my-
1817
1818 H: …figure – it’s more acceptable- Lateness is acceptable – more acceptable –
1819 amongst musicians.
1820
1821 P & H: (unclear)
1822
1823 H: Just talking about that – say, for a newsletter – which is something I was very
1824 keen on doing at the beginning, because of things I’d thought about during my
1825 degree, and because my father is, ah, a financial director but his main
1826 experience has been with non-for-profit organisations, so- especially mission
1827 work, sort of thing. So, he said, “What you have to do is get a newsletter out to
1828 all of your supporters, telling them what you’re doing and stuff so that they feel
244
1829 like they’re part of what you’re doing so they’ll give money. So that you don’t
1830 need to worry.”
1831
1832 P: Mmm…
1833
1834 H: And we did get quite a lot of financial support in that first year. So I said, “Let’s
1835 do a newsletter,” and Pip said, “Okay,” and did the first one. And then we’ve
1836 had to keep up that same type of formal newsletter every (word unclear) ‘cause
1837 that’s what people expect. But, actually, it’s too big, and too full-on for us to do
1838 without an administrator…(unclear). But I was looking at (name unclear)’s
1839 newsletter…
1840
1841 P: Oh, right…
1842
1843 H: …which is two sides of an A4 page. How much easier would that be for us to
1844 do…so… But we can’t change to that all of a sudden because we’re only doing
1845 two and a half years so we may as well…keep the pattern of what we are
1846 doing, and all that sort of stuff.
1847
1848 P: ‘Cause I’ve also been involved in Ballet d’Action which is a youth dance
1849 company and we started off with a two-page newsletter and ended up with a
1850 glossy magazine. And I was newsletter editor for a year or two, or something
1851 or other, and I took it up to being printed and with photos and things and they
1852 took it up to glossy after I left. So, I had that background as well and having
245
1853 done that and being involved in a non-profit organisation on the committee and
1854 all the…
1855
1856 H: The funny thing is, it would have been so much better if we’d- It would have
1857 been so much better if we’d done less on the newsletter and put heaps more
1858 effort into, say, the webpage.
1859
1860 P: Yeah!
1861
1862 H: Like, we- Some would say they (unclear) didn’t think clearly about their
1863 strategies. Of course, we didn’t – we had no…model (laughs). Besides, we
1864 wanted to do it our own way, ‘cause we’re all…(unclear) (laughs)
1865
1866 P: (laughs)
1867
1868 H: But there’s all that. We’ve learnt so much, haven’t we?
1869
1870 P: Yes, I think that’s been the thing, more than anything. Personally, I’ve learnt so
1871 much about myself (laughs).
1872
1873 H: Ourself, each other…
1874
1875 P: …and working with people and… Like I found, when I got to “Collaborative
1876 Studies 1”, which is the one I did at the end…end of our…
1877
246
1878 H: Oh, it’s all blurry now…
1879
1880 P: We’ve done two years…and I did “Collaborative Studies 2”…
1881
1882 H: End of first year, was it?
1883
1884 P: Must’ve been end of first year, after I’d… Isn’t that weird? ‘Cause we were
1885 going through all this stuff. The thing that I focused on so that it finally started
1886 to click was not- I started off looking at HOW to collaborate in terms of
1887 physically and communication and that sort of thing, and the whole thing ended
1888 up being interpersonal, all about the interpersonal stuff of collaborating, ‘cause
1889 that’s exactly what we were going through.
247
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)
248 INTERVIEW WITH PHILLIPPA OAKDEN-PATCH, 23.5.01 (In Phillippa’s Living Room) INTERVIEWER: Angela Pratt (A) INTERVIEWEE: Phillippa Oakden-Patch (P)
1 A: Okay, this is an interview on Wednesday the 23rd of May, 2001, with Phillippa,
2 and the first question I want to ask you is simply for you to be able to explain
3 your testimony – how you came to know the Lord and how that has changed
4 your life or the way you see things.
5
6 P: Yep…I was fortunate to grow up in a home where my parents both became
7 very committed to following God soon after they were married. They had both
8 gone to church but really didn’t understand, ah, the need for Jesus to be the
9 most important thing in their lives until just after they were married but that was
10 before I was born. And they were involved in a church by the time I was born
11 and remained in that church for many years, probably almost thirty years, and I
12 grew up in that church. So I had both parents who were quite outspoken in the
13 home about what Christianity was and why it was important in our lives and how
14 it, ah, influenced the way and the reason they made decisions, and then I went
15 to Sunday School and learnt from being involved there and learnt stories from
16 the Bible. So I remember at the age of 11 being given this little booklet – I can’t
17 remember what the situation was at Sunday School but something really clicked
18 for me. And I went home and read the booklet and it was a basic outline of the
19 Gospel and who Jesus was and why he’d come and God’s purpose in the world
20 and in creating the world. And, at the end, there was a little prayer where you
21 offered your life and gave your life to Christ, that Christ would be the most
22 important thing in your life and your Lord and your Saviour and the person that
23 you followed. And, at the age of 11, I committed myself to that and I guess the
24 thing I remember was that Jesus became the most important thing in my life
25 and the reason that I lived my life the way I did.
249
26 And then, from that young age, I just kept growing over the years and was quite
27 strong in- I kind of lived it out because that’s all I knew for many years and fairly
28 overt at school that I was a Christian, ah, and certainly it influenced the way I
29 chose to treat people but also…I guess influenced…It became less and less of
30 an influence as I began to find it difficult to be a “good girl”. And so, I then went
31 through a time in my late teens and early twenties of trying to JUGGLE it,
32 because I’d always grown up with believing it and being taught WHAT to
33 believe so I had all the knowledge – like head-knowledge – of what it was I was
34 supposed to be believing, but had never been encouraged to question it and
35 find the foundational reality of it in my life, apart from the fact that I really hadn’t
36 known anything different. So I went through a few experiences that showed me
37 something a little different because I chose to not to follow it and I felt the
38 emptiness of that and I felt the darkness of that, I guess, and I felt the
39 repercussions of that. And so, as a result, had to really question and, I guess,
40 come back to God and work through those things and got to a point where I
41 thought, No, I really have to. ‘Cause by that stage I’d been convinced that I
42 was to be a light in the industry when I decided to go into dance and that very
43 much resonated with me. But I realized that if I didn’t know how my faith
44 affected my life, how it had changed my life – having not had a “life-changing”
45 conversion – then I wasn’t really going to be able to offer people anything. So I
46 went through a time of questioning each of the things that I thought were
47 foundational and have still been doing that over the last number of years to
48 really come to a fuller understanding of why I believe what I believe, not just
49 believe it because, well, I think it’s right (laughs). Yeah.
50
250
51 A: Good. Thanks. Okay, moving on from that, all of the members of your
52 company – Hannah, Steve and yourself – are committed Christians. Would that
53 be fair statement? Okay…do you find that there a differences in the way you
54 perceive your relationship with God or with different ideas on Christianity and
55 how that relates to your life, when you’re working together in the collaborative
56 process?
57
58 P: Right…Yeah, no, I think that’s why we work together so well. While we’re at
59 different stages of working through different issues with God, foundationally,
60 we’ve come across very few things that are different in our understanding of
61 God. And I think that’s why it’s so easy; we can be so free to talk about God
62 ‘cause the other people believe in the same God and believe in God in the
63 same way. Yeah.
64
65 A: Good. Okay… Still in relation to Christianity, have any of the company
66 members or- No, not the company members. Has the company itself – so, as,
67 you know, a combination of the three of you, as well as anybody you’ve worked
68 with – have you found that you’ve had any difficulties due to your Christianity,
69 whether that be with other Christians and the way they perceive your work and
70 what you do, or whether it be with people who aren’t Christians?
71
72 P: (pause) No, actually (laughs).
73
74 A: Okay.
75
251
76 P: Ah, in the first year, we incorporated some musos and some dancers. The
77 dancers were students from Wesley and the musos were all from a band called
78 “Selah” and they’re all committed Christians who do a similar thing to us, but in
79 the music industry and they play jazz. Now they were asked to come in and
80 play a piece that had been written by Michael Kenny and Steve. And so, while
81 we prayed together and the whole of the thing was founded on the Gospel, or
82 certain chapters of Matthew, I guess, there wasn’t a huge opportunity to delve
83 deeply into our beliefs, but certainly there was no issue with praying together
84 and sharing together. There was one person, one of the band, who wasn’t a
85 Christian. Actually he’d been brought in as the drummer, I think, yeah, and he
86 wasn’t a Christian – he just worked with these guys and he wasn’t actually in
87 “Selah” – but he, too, actually really enjoyed being involved. He didn’t seem to
88 have an issue with us praying and I think he had some understanding from the
89 past of what Christianity was about but had chosen not to follow it over the last
90 few years. So that was fine. And with the dancers, they were all students from
91 Wesley and we had all worked with them before. And, we did have an issue
92 with one of the dancers, but it wasn’t Christianity-based; it was more
93 personality-based. And that was difficult, but it was very personality-based. In
94 the second year, we invited Isabelle to choreograph on us. We, actually, at that
95 time, I think, unfortunately- Hannah and I prayed together sometimes before
96 rehearsal. I would have loved to have seen how Isabelle- ‘Cause I don’t think
97 she would have had a problem if we’d at the beginning of rehearsal when she
98 was there. So I feel- we were at a difficult point because Steve was ill and
99 there were issues there and it was a- We were a crippled company for a few
100 months there. But the support, the new growth, we got from working with
101 Isabelle in our understanding of our physicality and our enjoyment of the piece
252
102 was uplifting to us. And our support of her and our being so open to her
103 enabled her to choreograph, having had some time out from having kids. So,
104 we still felt like we welcomed her into this caring community, which is certainly
105 what we’re about. So, I guess- Mind you, I had shared a bit of my faith with
106 Isabelle just in going to her house and talking about it and that sort of thing.
107 And then, incorporating Anca into the end of year piece with Nicola last year.
108 She’s worked at Wesley for so long that she’s quite aware of our beliefs and,
109 while she didn’t feel comfortable praying- I remember the very first rehearsal;
110 we forgot to tell Nicola she wasn’t a Christian. So, she said, “Let’s go round the
111 circle and pray.” But by the time the three of us had prayed, she said, just
112 gently said- And I had said to her beforehand, “Only if you’re comfortable with it,
113 Anca.” And, by the time we’d all prayed, she said, “I think you’ve covered
114 everything and that will be fine.” But, again, there weren’t negative issues
115 there. Yeah… And we’ve had one other non-Christian work out – she was a
116 friend of one of the dancers who came in and helped out backstage – and she
117 was a great help. She didn’t necessarily join in very much with the praying
118 beforehand but, even when we’ve been at “Bodies”, and been surrounded by
119 non-Christians, none of them have had a negative reaction to us praying. In
120 fact, it’s been very positive. Paul Tiggles has said, “It’s actually wonderful to
121 have you around praying before the show. It gives a different feel to the place.”
122
123 A: (laughs) Well, that’s great. That’s answered another question that I had which
124 was to talk about the… Well, actually, no, I probably can still ask it. One of the
125 questions I had was how is it different working with non-Christians – people
126 who aren’t Christians like Isabelle. I suppose, the choreographic process- I
253
127 remember you explaining to me the choreographic process was different in that
128 she tended to come in- well, was an “external” choreographer…
129
130 P: Yes.
131
132 A: …in a sense, that she brought in what she wanted you to do. Is that right or
133 no?
134
135 P: She came in with the foundation of what she wanted to explore…
136
137 A: Right.
138
139 P: …and that was that we were individuals in the space, really being in the
140 moment, not having to meet or greet, and she was interested in that sort of
141 play. Obviously, she was very interested in a movement that is totally released.
142 If I stood on my leg and it was slightly pulled up, I had to let it go, things like that
143 – really finding gravity and the weight of the body and enjoying the body being
144 very natural and released and that was just beautiful. And breath – the breath
145 just initiated everything. So that was what she wanted to explore so all of the-
146 Oh no, I guess once she was in the rehearsal space, often she choreographed
147 the moves to a degree. Sometimes she showed us a phrase and then she
148 developed more once she’d seen us do it or she used two phrases and put
149 them together and, you know, moulded them and manipulated them, yeah.
150
151 A: So improvisation was still a big part of what you were doing?
152
254
153 P: Yes…
154
155 A: Yep.
156
157 P: …and in the end, bits of it were improvised and the timing was totally
158 improvised.
159
160 A: So, that probably leads in nicely to something else that- You said that you’ve
161 always used improvisation, to an extent, but that you’re using it more so with
162 this piece…
163
164 P: Yes.
165
166 A: …and I’ve certainly seen that you’ve used improvisation a great deal…
167
168 P: Yes.
169
170 A: …through it and that seems to have guided the process more so?
171
172 P: Yes.
173
174 A: So, how would you see that things have changed, say, with your early works
175 in comparison to now? How did you use improvisation then? How is it different
176 now?
177
255
178 P: Yeah, I think it’s grown because we have, and particularly I have, developed an
179 interest in using improv as well as become more confident in using improv. So,
180 our very first piece, Disa pear, was all choreographed and the reason I did that,
181 I guess, was that’s what I was used to and also in the very first few rehearsals,
182 Hannah had sore feet. And so, actually, the movement of the first section was
183 choreographed on me and then translated onto Hannah’s body and changed
184 where needed because there were- we each had individual phrases of
185 movement and then sometimes we joined together to do them and sometimes
186 we did them separately. And because we’d- Oh, though, the very first thing we
187 did was put props out in the space ‘cause it was “disappear”. And I had a group
188 of people come in who just wanted to improvise with us and we just played with
189 different sounds and in and out, and over and under all the different props. And
190 then I looked at that and decided what entrances and exits I found interesting
191 and then choreographed how to get from one spot to another with movement.
192 So that actually did start with some impro as well which was a lot of fun and
193 certainly brought out- You know, there’s so much in impro that you find out that
194 you can’t imagine in your mind, unless you just impro something and see what
195 happens. And certainly in a piece I did later on that year, I impro-ed in front of
196 the camera. This was for- Ah, it was actually draft-titled, The Marriage Solo; I
197 can’t remember what we ended up calling it. And I did that- I was doing a
198 subject for my Masters with Isabelle but it became a piece that ask showed for
199 “Dance on the Edge” and Steve played and I danced it and Hannah helped me
200 form it. But I started off the process by allowing my weight- just playing with
201 letting my body go and fall through space and found some interesting
202 movement and then used that but, in the end, choreographed it by changing
203 directions and heights and energies and floor patterns through the dance, but
256
204 basically it was founded on one phrase, from one phrase. So, Disa pear then,
205 to create our duo section, we again played in front of the camera ‘cause we
206 didn’t have an outside eye and then I looked at that and reshaped it and
207 remoulded it. But, in the end, it all became quite set, apart from, like, when
208 Hannah puts her hand through the door with the curtains in it; she played with
209 different ways of picking up the chess pieces. That was always improvised and
210 how I read the paper and stuck my hands- you know, simple movement things
211 were left.
212
213 A: Yeah.
214
215 P: In Steve’s piece, he created the music, and we developed little ideas for the
216 movement apart from that, and then when we heard how long the movement-
217 music was, we set the movement to the music. I felt, choreographically, that’s
218 been the weakest piece because of that. We didn’t have any time to develop
219 any of the ideas and that was probably the most frustrating dance-wise, but
220 very – what’s the word – freeing for Steve and successful for Steve and Mike in
221 terms of their collaboration on the music. So, that was more successful, that
222 side of it. Then, with Hannah’s work at the end of the year, we only got it to a
223 stage where it was mostly improvised, a lot of improvised movement. Mmm, it
224 became a bit set but it was very undeveloped work by the time we showed it. It
225 was very much in first draft form, and that had issues within itself, of performing
226 a work that we were only just feeling comfortable with, and it was pushing us
227 out of our comfort zones, ‘cause we were using words as well and talking about
228 ourselves which is the hardest thing to do. We all learnt a lot but got burnt a bit
229 through that work and, unfortunately, Hannah’s rehearsal time kept being eaten
257
230 away and eaten away through various things and, so, that’s why that happened.
231 but, we did, I guess, have to impro certain parts of that, which was good.
232 Yeah… So, Isabelle’s work had a lot of choreography. As I said, the time was
233 totally improvised – the timing – with little bits of impro within it. And then we
234 did Hannah’s work, Train, which was totally set but started off with lots of
235 movement improvisation so the movement vocabulary in that is more
236 developed in terms of it not being dance movement. It’s very much stuff that
237 came out of my body based on emotional, situational things like the situation of
238 waiting, the emotion of frustration, the sense of home-coming, that sort of thing.
239 So… Her second work – the music was fairly set, and I had one section that is
240 improvised but based on a theme, but most of the rest is fairly set. But again,
241 came out of a phrase in the poem that we then all created our own motif, and
242 the whole work is based on those four motifs – two dance, two music – and the
243 6½ minutes is variations on those things all put together. So then when I got to
244 this year- It was actually through doing my work for my end-of-year Masters
245 subject last year, where I first started looking at improvisation. ‘Cause in talking
246 to the musicians that I was able to get to work with- two people I hadn’t worked
247 with at all…but one fellow, Immanuel Schmidt, was the main fellow that I
248 worked with, and he was very interested in how movement and music, in
249 particular, music, can – now what was it (laughs) – speak its own language,
250 kind of thing. And very much interested in how two different types of, ah, art
251 can speak to each other. And so, he wanted to improvise with movement and
252 music. And, what happened in the process was that he could only be there- I
253 only had six rehearsals for two hours each on a Thursday night and he could
254 only be there for one hour of that. So, of course, I began to develop stuff with
255 the dancers which became more and more set, based again on a theme that I
258
256 developed with each one about themselves, so they each had a phrase, quite a
257 long phrase and then I manipulated that in the first section. But what was
258 happening is that that was becoming more and more set and Immanuel was
259 feeling like, well, where’s the improvisation, the talking between the two? So, I
260 went, “Oh…woh… whoops…okay.” Too much work for him to set the music –
261 not his area of interest – so, let’s get them improvising together. Let’s work
262 through ideas of how they can talk to each other. Is it something particular
263 they’re saying to each other? Are they trying to develop a conversation on a
264 topic? Or is it just how they feel at the moment? And each of them was totally
265 different as to how they approached that – the dancers – totally different. And
266 Immanuel responded to each according to the different ways we ended up
267 working with each dancer. Jenny’s was actually quite set but improvised. It
268 had a floor pattern and an idea that she was definitely trying to say. Then I had
269 Elisse who was almost telling her story and then Immanuel interjected with his
270 music some questions about and judgement on what she was doing and she
271 responded to that. Jane had a very short, positive something and Immanuel
272 responded to that. And then, Nicola played with the music and hers was the
273 longest one and then Jane and she played together. So we started- That whole
274 section was improvised and then the conclusion was about bringing these four
275 different women of God together and celebrating their uniqueness. And they
276 taught each other parts of their phrase and I said, “We’ll do a bit of Nicola’s, and
277 then a bit of Jane’s, then a bit of Jenny’s, and this is the order but you choose
278 your timing and your floor patterns and your directions.” And it was just
279 beautiful because you could see that they were all doing the same thing, as
280 long as they kept basically not too separate, you know, far away, so that we
281 could see that they were doing the same movements. And you could really see
259
282 their differences but celebrate their unity. And so, having done that, I went,
283 “Oh…Oh, this is the beauty of this way of working!” Yeah, and so, that’s why in
284 this work, I thought, Right, that’s something that I really would like to explore
285 more, and so chose it as a foundation for this year. Also, it does mean you
286 don’t have to spend a lot of time setting things; you just keep giving the depth of
287 the foundation, and you can actually create quite a lot of work without having to
288 spend hours setting it and finding what exactly it is. ‘Cause I actually feel that
289 the form of the work gives the sense of the work, more than the actual
290 movements. People tend to- It’s the flavour of the movements that touches
291 people, not the exact movements themselves – that’s where I’m up to at the
292 moment. So I’m not so interested in exactly what Hannah does, as long as the
293 flavour says this. Yeah…
294
295 A: Okay… I’m just trying to think of where I will go next.
296
297 P: Yeah, sure.
298
299 A: That sort of leads in, again, to something else that I’m interested in, and how
300 you see the role of communication for the company – dance as
301 communication, or the arts that you use as communication. And that’s one
302 way, obviously, that you see that the form of a dancework, in particular,
303 communicates to an audience more so than the individual movements. Is that
304 correct?
305
306 P: Mmm.
307
260
308 A: When you’re looking at the work as a whole, including, say, things like spoken
309 word, music and so forth, how do you see the function of communication for the
310 company? I’m not making sense – let me try and rephrase it.
311
312 P: Ah, well, see- Yeah, no, you try again.
313
314 A: Is one of the main reasons for your creation of works to communicate
315 something to an audience, as opposed to…
316
317 P: It’s…
318
319 A: …sorry…
320
321 P: …developed over time.
322
323 A: Okay.
324
325 P: Yeah? So when we first started, while we always keep our audience in mind,
326 foundational to ask is us growing and becoming more efficient, more, em, adept
327 to create works that are accepted as being artistically strong. So, again, as I
328 say, while we are quite aware of our audience and never want to eject them, we
329 have at the same time allowed ourselves licence to allow ourselves to try things
330 artistically. And we’ve been very fortunate, say, with that first season, of being
331 able to say to our audience, “We’ve been on a journey this year. Would you
332 like to come and see what we’ve learnt?” And so, the other thing with our
333 audience, the big difficulty for us, is that our audience is so vast in its
261
334 understanding of contemporary dance and contemporary art. And so, we
335 cannot satisfy everybody. I think, last year, we did fulfil that to a satisfying level,
336 particularly in- I’ll just talk about the ask works ‘cause we had the other works
337 as well. And Kathy Driscoll confirmed that artistically we were working at a
338 level that was satisfying to her as a, you know, a lecturer in a university,
339 certainly still as people who are learning, certainly not, you know,
340 accomplished. But, at the same time, incorporating a song in Train and
341 incorporating speaking and visuals in Surge, and incorporating an actor
342 speaking in Storm, all helped towards enabling those who understand words
343 better than movement and music, in terms of it communicating anything or
344 taking on a journey and being able to realize that, then that really helped, too.
345 And that is one of the reasons why I wanted to start working collaboratively in
346 the beginning was I felt that dance on its own is so inaccessible for the average
347 Christian, that if I incorporate other things for their- you know, that they are
348 hooks for them to hold on to and to have in relationship to the dance, it brings
349 more understanding. So that’s why we started doing that. And I think- Again,
350 you see, when we did Disa pear, that was for the dance world, and we tried all
351 sorts of things. It was like my typical “want to have absolutely everything in it to
352 show that I can do all these amazing things”, which was- I mean, it ended up,
353 after the whole year’s work of changing it and changing it and changing it, being
354 a piece that is quite unusual and quite interesting but I guess that was more
355 about, “What can we do? What can the three of us do? Let’s just try this, and
356 let’s just try this, and let’s just try this.” And then, by the second year, with
357 Hannah’s works, it was more about, “Oh, we have a better understanding of
358 what we can do. Let’s do a little thing to the best of our ability and that’s where
359 Train and Pilgrimage came and, therefore, were quite successful works. And,
262
360 again, I think Hannah was thinking- We became more and more- Apart from
361 Steve’s work, the first year we didn’t want to be really overt in our message
362 because we wanted to say, “How can we have a biblical worldview through our
363 works without-“ We wanted to say we were Christians but not preach the
364 Gospel and that sort of thing. And we didn’t really know how to be artistic and
365 make the Word of God clear. So, it was more of an artistic endeavour the first
366 year. Then, last year, we had a bit more of a balance of works, like Hannah’s
367 two works were a bit more about having the foundational beliefs about God in
368 there as well as still maintaining an artistic level. And then this year, I think
369 because of my own growth closer to God, through my time off over Christmas,
370 I’ve just felt more and more convicted to allow the Gospel to be very present.
371 And I think that has come, too, from the decision to focus on God and, so,
372 naturally, because we have focused on Him and then taken an image of the
373 light, there is, naturally, more of a focus in the work on God. So, this time, it is
374 very much I have a real heart to communicate with my audience, but at the
375 same time, maintaining my quest for artistic excellence. We’re about
376 supporting Christian artists first and allowing and inviting people to come on the
377 journey with us. Yeah…
378
379 A: Okay… You’ve answered a number of questions there that I don’t need to ask
380 now. You mentioned before about your first year, and particularly with Disa
381 pear, using as many different things as you could and trying to almost, you
382 know, challenge yourself with so many things and trying to be good at
383 everything. One of the things you said earlier this year, that I picked up on, was
384 that, I think, either Hannah or yourself mentioned that your movement style is
385 “much more gentle” now than it was in Disa pear.
263
386
387 P: Mmm…
388
389 A: What do you mean by that? So, how has it changed? You don’t have to go
390 through all the works but, you know, say if we just look at Disa pear and now,
391 what sort of has happened to cause that “gentleness” to come about? And,
392 also, how was it different?
393
394 P: Yep. In Disa pear, we wanted to say, “Look, we can really dance,” so we threw
395 ourselves around the stage. And also, it’s come through a greater awareness
396 of ‘release technique’ - which increased with working with Isabelle – a greater
397 body awareness and a greater confidence to be ourselves and to have our own
398 movement vocabulary. And, because Hannah and I have been working
399 together for three years, and working beside each other, we had developed our
400 own ways of enjoying moving, which is very much about release and breathing
401 and natural movement. But, the other thing, we did become very gentle was
402 Hannah then explored in Train, how can we still be dynamic, as well as
403 maintain those things. So it was more- It’s also a case of “I’m getting older” and
404 I’m not doing as many classes and because both of us aren’t doing as many
405 classes, we- It’s partly that we work within what we can do but, at the same
406 time, it’s just, I think, a growth in- (END OF SIDE A OF TAPE)
407
408 P: So, I’ll just repeat that section again…
409
410 A: Yeah, that’d be good.
411
264
412 P: …that partly because we’re limited in how many classes we can do ourselves
413 but also- and so we’re not- Whenever we do classes, it’s not ballet or Graham
414 and muscle-based ways of moving; we are focused on the ‘release technique’.
415 And it does enable us to move in quite a dynamic way, without having to have
416 the power that, say, I used to have. Then, also, it’s much more intuitive
417 movement; it allows us to say a lot more. ‘Cause I actually don’t think steps
418 can say much; it says, “Here is a step.” Whereas with this type of movement, it
419 allows- We feel it allows us to express a whole range of things and relate to
420 people because they’re seeing natural movement. And it’s not about steps that
421 they can’t do – I mean, certainly it’s still athletic and dynamic and they probably
422 couldn’t do it - but because it’s naturalistic, I feel like people can relate to it
423 more in a kinaesthetic way. So we prefer to use that and we find it interesting
424 and the timing nuances are much more interesting than the beautiful steps. So
425 it’s because of that.
426
427 A: With regards to ‘release technique’, were you trained in that? Or how did you
428 come about it? You mentioned Isabelle but had you done it before then?
429
430 P: Yeah…
431
432 A: Had you been involved in using it?
433
434 P: A combination of Jean Tally at QUT – she- and I think a little bit, Tiina Ali-
435 haapala, a little bit, but Jean… I didn’t get to do many classes with Jean but I
436 really loved what she was doing and she started me off rolling on the floor and
437 really relaxing into the floor. Then when I went to Tasdance, Wendy Morrow
265
438 was teaching some classes, and I went and had a private session with her.
439 And some of the dancers from Tasdance were just really focused very, I guess,
440 intuitively, very consciously on releasing different parts of the body. And when I
441 came back, the contemporary dancers confirmed that I’d found something.
442 Then I also did some work with Janice Claxton and she’d done Hawkins work
443 and, of course, Hawkins talks about it’s not one shape or another that’s
444 interesting or important, but MOVING from one to the other and releasing the
445 body or the flow of the body from one to another. And then, I did contact
446 improvisation with Helen Clappen, which is all released. So a combination of all
447 of those things and then at Wesley for the last three years I’ve been developing
448 my ideas on it. And then I got to do Brian Carby’s classes most recently and
449 his work is very breath- and gravity-based. Yeah…
450
451 A: Okay…good. One last question, with regards to, again, movement – you
452 mentioned that often the movement that you use can come out of or has in the
453 past come out of “body initiation” and “body memory”. Are those two things
454 basically the same or are they two separate things? And can you explain them
455 - a little bit about either or both?
456
457 P: Right…Yes, okay, yes – no, they’re different. “Body memory” is something that
458 Hannah was exploring at the end of ’98 in her major work at Wesley. And she
459 asked us to remember a situation that we had been in and allow ourselves to sit
460 in that memory and allow the body to respond. And so she would see a tensing
461 up of the right shoulder or a contracting of the stomach. And then she’d start
462 off, like from a grading of 1 to 10, just allow the movement to be at Level 1, so
463 very minute. And then the next day it might be, “Try and see if you can move
266
464 that movement. So make it a little larger; make it Number 3 or Number 5.” And
465 some things remained for the performance at Number 1, and some things were
466 then- we’d let go of the memory and tensed the right shoulder, or lifted the right
467 shoulder, pulled back the right hip and it made us move and we created
468 movement from that. So then it became- From the muscle memory, we used
469 that movement to initiate a larger movement. In Storm, we went totally from
470 movement initiation – different parts of the body initiating – where the wind
471 pushed the right shoulder back and where did you end up? Then, it lifted up
472 the inside of your right hip; where does that move you to, etc? So it became
473 the wind, the soft initiation of one part of the body to instigate movement. And
474 we do enjoy moving in that way. Yeah, and like, the improvised part in
475 Pilgrimage, I’m thinking about the very top of my head searching and looking,
476 so I’m actually looking out through the top of my head and through the base of
477 my feet. And that’s kind of what that little improv part is about. I just repeat that
478 a few times and there are a few directions or , ah, kind of movements that are
479 set, that I have to get to as part of that improv, and then I move through the
480 improv again and then find this next movement to carry on.
481
482 A: All right. Thank you very much. With regards to a diagram that Jenny Dennis
483 had worked out for you, I think, that you used at the start of this year…
484
485 P: Ah, Steve actually…
486
487 A: Oh, Steve?
488
267
489 P: …well, the three of us, actually, worked it out. But Steve typed it up, or
490 something like that; he wrote it out. He kind of finalised it. Yeah…
491
492 A: Right…okay. This is more of a clarification. Is it fair to say that from the
493 diagram that God impacts the company which then impacts “other cultures”? Is
494 that how you see it?
495
496 P: Mmm… Well, this process- Yeah, I mean, obviously, God’s impacting the
497 “other cultures” in his own- in other ways, as well, but, yes. Oh, and I guess,
498 God goes WITH the company to impact. Like, God is surrounding the whole
499 thing; God is the foundation of all life. But, yes, hopefully we are instruments to
500 be used in impacting- that God uses us.
501
502 A: And by “other cultures”? How do you see that?
503
504 P: I guess the cultures in which we intermingle.
505
506 A: Such as…?
507
508 P: So, the culture… Primarily, the- well, the contemporary dance culture that we
509 interact with. But when you consider that even the fashions of Newtown that
510 were there ten years ago have now filtered into the commercial streams, and
511 that even the way things were created in Newtown ten years ago, are now seen
512 on the screen… You know, Newtown is a place where new things are started
513 and, apparently, there are scouts that go in and see what’s happening in
268
514 Newtown and relay that to the more commercial avenues. That’s what I’ve
515 heard. So, yeah, if we’re involved in that culture…
516
517 A: And that’s where the performances are?
518
519 P: Yes, all of our performances are Newtown- The Edge Theatre, a Newtown
520 theatre. If we’re having an impact on the “edge” of culture, in the experimental,
521 then hopefully as people see us and they’re affected by us and the way we
522 work and what we present – you know, little bit by little bit. It’s just our, you
523 know, couple of grains of salt or sugar worth that it may filter down through in
524 whatever way, which is very hard to see or you could never follow that
525 necessarily but that’s what we pray and hope for.
526
527 A: Great – thanks.
269
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)
270 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)
1 A: It is Thursday the 24th of May and the time is 5.10pm and I’m interviewing
2 Steve. We’ll start with a very simple question because it relates personally to
3 you. I was just wondering if you could explain how you became a Christian or
4 why, perhaps, that you became a Christian?
5
6 S: Yeah, okay. My dad’s a minister and my mum is highly trained as well as
7 committed to the church in some aspects. So they, as well as being strong
8 leaders of the church that they were in when I was growing up, they were also
9 spiritual leaders of our family. So, I grew up with Christian principles and
10 teaching and stuff. And when it got to the point where I wanted to get away
11 from that, it didn’t mean, you know, I hugely rebelled because of what it would
12 have done to them. By the time- But at the same time, I was going to some
13 Christian camps, and that’s where it became a bit more real to me, with the
14 Christian community that was set up there and the way people treated me,
15 which was fairly different from school. And so, I got a lot of support and so
16 from mid-high school through to, say, the end of my first year at uni, I was in
17 the throes of figuring out for myself whether I really wanted to take on the faith.
18 And about the end of the first year of uni, I got to the point where I could say,
19 “Yes, I’m definitely, whole-heartedly committed to Jesus.” But I sat on the
20 fence for quite a while, not because I thought there was a better life to be had,
21 but because of doubt, because I had a very analytical mind. So, from there on,
22 I actually did some more rebelling (laughs) so it was interesting that I was a
23 very committed Christian but still had some aspects of me that really needed to
24 be worked on. And found that, in the same way, that it wasn’t a specific
25 moment of commitment, from being not a Christian to being a Christian. There
271
26 were other moments – every year or every couple of years when I’d get to a
27 new level of, “Oh, yeah, I’m at a deeper commitment now.” And some of them
28 would be at official moments like an alter call or, you know, a certain type of
29 teaching or whatever. And so because of that, I even hesitate to say it was at
30 that particular moment in first year – but then it wasn’t really a moment – when I
31 became a Christian. So, it was very gradual.
32
33 A: Okay… With regards to working together with the other members of ask –
34 Hannah, being your wife, and obviously, Phillippa – are there any times where
35 you find that … Actually, I’ll step back a little bit. Do you find that your beliefs
36 or your ideas on Christianity tend to be fairly similar? Or do you find that there
37 have been times where you’ve disagreed on certain things in your working
38 together as a company?
39
40 S: I don’t think we really talk much about core beliefs and we partly assume that
41 they’re the same because Pip and I have both been strongly involved in the
42 Anglican church and because Hannah has, too, in the past and that going to
43 her church now I see that it’s very similar. I suppose, when Hannah and I were
44 courting, we talked about a lot of issues and came to the point where we
45 realised we were at a similar stage spiritually and our beliefs were at similar
46 points. But the stuff that’s been an issue sometimes, only on a fairly slight,
47 personal level, is ways that we like to pray together or ways that we like to
48 worship. And, so, you know, Phillippa likes to… She had a bit of a barrier one
49 day, when I- Every time we’d get together and pray at the beginning of
50 rehearsal, I’d initiate holding hands with the three of us ‘cause that’s always
51 been a strong symbol to me of unity and a thing that a group does when it
272
52 prays. And she pulled away one day and said, “No! I want to strut around and I
53 want to be able to pray to God with my body as well.” So she started doing that
54 and that was good for her to say that and so that kind of tore down the
55 expectation a little bit that we should pray in a certain way. And so, it’s just
56 habitual things like that, that sometimes come up.
57
58 A: Okay… Alright, have you found that the company has experienced any
59 difficulties, outside of the company, due to its Christianity, whether it be from
60 people who are Christians or people who aren’t Christians?
61
62 S: There’s been one or two people involved in our performances, like people who
63 want us to come and perform, who’ve said that they don’t think dancing is a
64 Christian thing – you know, that issue. I don’t think it’s come up much, though.
65 (pause) Can’t really think of any hindrance from non-Christians either because
66 we’re never too-too abrasive about being Christian. And the people that we
67 work amongst, professionally, are generally fairly accepting of different beliefs,
68 and so, they’re just as keen to tell us about theirs as well as to hear about ours.
69
70 A: Mmm, good. Okay, one of the things that I’ve been looking at is the diagram
71 that you all came up with, with regards to, I suppose, ask’s vision or the way
72 that you see the company, and you were talking about it earlier this year in your
73 planning meeting.
74
75 S: The structure with the boxes?
76
273
77 A: Yes, yeah. Would it be fair to say – and please correct me if I’m wrong – that
78 God impacts ask as a company and then it’s ask that then impacts the other
79 cultures that you mentioned there? Or, how would you see it?
80
81 S: Yeah, I suppose. (pause) So, God impacts the other cultures through ask,
82 which is what you said. It’s probably also almost as much that God impacts the
83 other cultures and we’re there. You know, if God impacts somebody and they
84 don’t quite know what’s going on, but a Christian’s there that’s able to explain it,
85 that’s something that we’re there for as well.
86
87 A: Okay…Alright, with regards to that same diagram, you mention “other cultures”.
88 What do you see as being the “other cultures” that you influence or that you
89 have something to do with?
90
91 S: Church culture - which includes churches that have us come and perform,
92 churches who support us, other Christian groups like Christian Dance
93 Fellowship, like the Cooma music seminar or arts seminars – and then
94 contemporary dance culture - which is mainly “Bodies”, Newtown Theatre, The
95 Edge Theatre, people who come to our seasons –and the broader arts as well,
96 which is- that’s kind of worked its way into that picture by us just getting more
97 involved with different kinds of artists and having different kinds of works. I
98 think that’s about it… Oh, and Christian artists, too, because those other
99 Christian artists, regardless of whether they’re part of the Church or part of the
100 secular arts community, work with us or near us as part of our background, too,
101 providing us with a nurturing base and also by encouraging us in what we’re
102 doing.
274
103
104 A: Good. Okay, you have had Peter Hallett over the last couple of years as your
105 spiritual advisor. What has been his role as spiritual advisor and has that
106 changed since you first began?
107
108 S: Yeah, it’s changed. When we started, the role established itself really well
109 mainly because Peter is very…I don’t know…disciplined but… I was going to
110 say disciplined about listening to God and following his lead but I don’t know
111 whether he’s quite disciplined. He’s very honed; his skills are honed at doing
112 that with our church, as well as with this spiritual advisorship. And so, he would
113 come along and say, “I’m not really sure what you’re wanting but this is what
114 God’s been teaching me this week and how I think he wants to impact you.”
115 So, we’d have an hour session and, you know, he’d introduce different ways of
116 having us reflect on what’s been going on and learn and share and worship.
117 And, so for the whole first year, it’s pretty stable, in that he helped set up an
118 expectation of how he would advise us spiritually and how he’d impact us. And
119 so then the next – the second – year while I was sick and we were doing less –
120 we’d cut down on things – he was involved less often and we tried to get other
121 people to come in and do a bit of it as well. Sometimes it was hard for him to
122 be involved with other commitments. I think maybe only once or twice we had
123 somebody else come in and had a session which involved spiritual input, but we
124 were wanting to do more than that. And then, this year, once I’m- now that I’m
125 better again, we’ve been cutting down on the amount of time that we’re
126 spending on stuff, and in other things we’re doing. And so, time with Peter has
127 kind of been covered in a way. Although we all agree that it’s an important
128 thing, it’s been hard to actually make it more important than rehearsing or
275
129 planning or whatever. So, we’ve often had month-long phone-tag sessions with
130 Peter, trying to get him to come and him trying to find out when we want him to
131 come…
132
133 A: And has what he did in the first year, in particular – because he was more
134 heavily involved at that time – did that affect the creative process? Or was it
135 mainly that it influenced you each personally and, perhaps, in your relationships
136 with each other?
137
138 S: It’s kind of a balancing effect on the company and how we related because
139 whatever had been happening in our rehearsing and so on, or in our own, you
140 know, outside lives that we- stuff that we brought in as baggage, Peter helped
141 us know how to deal with it and how to cope together. So, I think he probably
142 helped smooth over a lot of stuff, you know, and smooth over the process of
143 developing as a group.
144
145 A: Okay, moving on to a slightly different area… Do you see that one of the roles,
146 or one of the reasons that the company functions, is to communicate with
147 others?
148
149 S: What do you mean by “others”?
150
151 A: Well, with other “cultures”, in particular, coming back to the diagram? Yeah, is
152 communication one of the functions of the company?
153
154 S: Yeah…
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155
156 A: For example…oh, sorry…
157
158 S: Yeah, one of the evangelistic ideas of the company is to present the Gospel, so
159 that’s communicating. And, so, backstage, after the show and talking to people
160 is one way of communicating the Gospel. Having aspects of it in our pieces –
161 while we’re not wanting to do pieces that are the Gospel or present it in a really
162 clear manner, it’s also that we create our pieces with God influencing us and we
163 hand them to God to do whatever he wants and we practise that. And we have
164 a Christian worldview as we prepare the stuff so when it goes on stage, there’s
165 something of God there that people see that might not be in other pieces, so
166 that’s communicating. One of our objectives has been to help the Christian
167 culture understand how dance can be effective as a method of communication,
168 rather than as just something that fits into the category of “too raunchy” or, you
169 know, dangerous ground for Christians. We want to communicate care for the
170 people that we’re around who aren’t Christians, like Graham and Jepke, who’ve
171 had struggles with funding for their theatre, and Mark, who’s got the same
172 struggles at the moment with “Bodies”. And, even just people who are involved
173 as other performers, say, in “Bodies”, who are maybe loners or in whatever kind
174 of situation, maybe presenting a piece that shows their hurt, you know. One of
175 the ways that we want to be like Jesus is to interact with those people and get
176 to know them and show them that we care about them. And …yeah.
177
178 A: And, what role do you see that audience plays in your creative process? For
179 you as a musician and the others as dancers?
180
277
181 S: (pause) It’s been a fairly new way of performing for me, since doing some
182 kind of dance-theatre-ish sort of stuff with Phillippa for a year before ask and
183 then more so during ask. So I’ve been discovering how to perform in this way
184 and so when we did- when we made Disa pear, we were pretty serious in how
185 we were creating it and what we wanted to be. And then, when we first showed
186 it, there were lots of kids in the audience and they laughed and that really
187 shocked us because we weren’t expecting that. We hadn’t thought about
188 audience reaction. So that changed how we performed and it changed how I
189 played. I was less serious about making sure that it was a very, very slick
190 marriage between music and the dance. I was less concerned about being a
191 very sincere looking performer. You know, I realised that there was room for
192 being a bit more relaxed. We took the piece to some schools and so that
193 helped us to know more skills about how we could perform. And, the secular
194 arts audiences have been a pressure on us because Phillippa, particularly, but
195 also Hannah, are aware that it’s a very serious, artsy kind of culture and you
196 can’t just go and present something stupid there. You need to be well thought
197 through, you need to have a reputation and you need to prepare well and
198 execute it well. And so, there’s been times when there’s been some tension
199 either because I’ve been less serious about our process of putting stuff together
200 or actually performing it, and they’ve said, “No, look, we’ve actually got to do a
201 really slick performance here,” or whatever it might be. On the other hand,
202 there’s been a- With our audiences at The Edge, where you generally present -
203 there’s more licence to present avant-garde or unfinished works. And so, I think
204 we’ve always had a- Except for what I said about Disa pear and kids, we’ve
205 generally had a fairly strong idea of what our audience is expecting. Like, if you
206 go to this place, they’re expecting a very finished, polished work; if you go to
278
207 this place, they’re expecting something very fresh and it doesn’t matter if it’s not
208 polished. And so, we find we work to those, or always have those, ideas and
209 those boundaries in our heads as to what we can present and what stage we
210 need to be at when we do it.
211
212 A: Okay, how have you found working with artists who aren’t Christians? I mean,
213 you’ve worked with… I think Phillippa mentioned her…
214
215 S: Isabelle?
216
217 A: Yeah, Isabelle, and for you as a musician you’ve worked with… Was there one
218 other musician who wasn’t a Christian? From Selah?
219
220 S: No…
221
222 A: Okay. Well, if we just focus on Isabelle, how did you find working with her and
223 was it…
224
225 (small discussion unclear)
226
227 S: It didn’t feel as safe coming into that experience, at the start, because at the
228 time we were a bit vulnerable and over-worked. And, it felt like we needed to
229 be safe with just Christians or with just our cell group, you know. But, because
230 we were caring and we were open, she was too, and because there’s three of
231 us and one of her, it was easy for us to set up the group dynamics and give her
232 an expectation of how we wanted to work and what we expected of her. And,
279
233 she’s a very gentle lady, you know, so it was easy for that to be a positive
234 process and I think, again, because she wasn’t a Christian (unclear). Let me
235 think of other people. (pause) Sometimes, we have to be guarded a little bit – I
236 think Pip feels it a little bit more than I do, and maybe Hannah as well – when
237 we’re in rehearsal and we normally pray, or we’d normally have a study, or
238 whatever it might be, we need to consider how is this going to affect this non-
239 Christian person? Will they be freaked out or…? (short pause) And then, at
240 “Bodies”, the first time I did it, I was very unaware of what kind of scene or what
241 kind of people there were, so I just took it at face-value. Whereas Phillippa and
242 Hannah had a lot of preconceived ideas about how these people would relate to
243 them, how they’d relate, and what their ideas would be of them as Christians.
244 And so, I wasn’t so guarded about making Christian comments or that kind of
245 thing. And I think that that shocked them at first because they wouldn’t have
246 been so candid, and so it was kind of good that I didn’t have the same
247 preconceived ideas of how these artists would see Christians
248 because…(unclear). But, yeah, there’s been no other non-Christians apart from
249 Isabelle.
250
251 A: Okay…
252
253 S: Mmm…
254
255 A: I think I’ve just got one more question. How have you found the use of
256 improvisation in the creative process? Has that changed over time, like the way
257 you as a musician use it and the others as dancers use it?
258
280
259 S: I’ve learnt new things about improvising musically because, instead of just
260 having a musical frame of reference, I now have a dance frame of reference,
261 and also a kind of a theatre frame of reference as well. So, I’m able to
262 consider, you know, even with Disa pear right at the start, I was able to free
263 myself of musical boundaries and even of jazz improvisation boundaries, and
264 just let my hands do something. I figured, if the dancers are just doing
265 something with their body, why can’t I do the same and see what sounds come
266 out? And so, I was able to let myself do things on the piano that I hadn’t done
267 before – just play shapes, which ended up being harmonies that sounded good
268 but weren’t conventional, because I was trying to make sure that I was writing
269 stuff that was comparable with the dance. So, it had to be kind of movement
270 oriented. And, as time’s gone on, I’ve been able to explore different aspects of
271 playing and of writing. And, in fact, when we wrote the major jazz piece that we
272 did, If You are Willing – I wrote that with my trumpet player who’s a more
273 seasoned jazz musician than I am and a more experienced writer – he would
274 come up with some ideas and I’d actually have the guts to kind of mutilate his
275 ideas to come up with something that sounded darker or more uncertain as a
276 prelude to a bit that he’d written, you know. And he’d look at me and say, “Man,
277 you’re bad!” (laughs) And, so that was kind of fun because he was kind of more
278 free of conventional jazz boundaries than I was, having experimented more, but
279 I’d actually experimented without considering jazz boundaries at all. And so he
280 helped me to find… The two of us together were able to come up with
281 something again more experimental and that was fun. And, recently, it’s been
282 very free-ing because, under Hannah’s direction for the last piece, we really just
283 came up with very fresh sounds and ideas, and put them together in very fresh
284 ways because it was as if they were bits of choreography that Hannah was
281
285 helping us to develop and all she did was piece them together. So I found
286 myself being more skilled through ask as a kind of free improvisationalist
287 without actually using all the tools that I was taught in uni that I hadn’t really
288 practised, you know. You feel like a bit of a cheat because I’m coming up with
289 really good stuff, but haven’t put in the hard yards of learning how to really use
290 jazz theory properly. So that’s been one way, I guess, that it’s happened. And,
291 also, I’ve been more- I’ve become more sensitive, through working with the
292 dancers, to how my music’s interacting with other performance, ‘cause it’s a
293 very clear interaction when you’re playing and there’s a dancer and the two of
294 you are interacting. So that when, say, Spike on the saxophone will join us for
295 an improvisation, I’d have new ears on how to hear the saxophone, and how it’s
296 interacting with me, and what the possibilities of one of us stopping and the
297 other one keep going, and things like that.
298
299 A: Mmm, that’s all I wanted to ask you, Steve. Thanks very much.
300
301 S: Great!
282
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)
283 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)
1 A: Right, it’s still Thursday the 24th of May and it is now 5.40 and I’m interviewing
2 Hannah. Okay, I’ll start with an easy question, just as I started with all of the
3 others, if you could explain how and why you became a Christian.
4
5 H: (laughs) No wonder it’s so long (laughs)! I grew up in a Christian home. I had
6 really significant experiences as a Christian as a child. I was definitely a
7 Christian as a child, and in my own, you know, personal way. And, as I got
8 older, I guess as I got into sort of the end of high school, I started to, I mean…
9 Not so much, I think, consciously question what was going on ‘cause I used to
10 always go to church and everything, but I was kind of questioning…I guess,
11 because of lifestyle – things like I had a non-Christian boyfriend who I was
12 sleeping with and things. I had lifestyle things that were challenging what I
13 thought and what I thought I believed and things. I guess it was coming into an
14 adult phase. I probably did that when I chose to come to Wesley to study
15 because I had an offer from the Centre for the Performing Arts in Adelaide
16 which I really wanted to take up. And I had- I mean, there was another audition
17 for Wesley. I wasn’t even sure why I was auditioning for wesley, but I did and
18 then I had to make this decision and I made the hard decision, which was what I
19 thought God was telling me to do and I think that was the first time I made-
20 yeah, I made the hard decision and that, yeah, which wasn’t the easy one. So,
21 I think that would be- I mean, it’s hard to- It’s a process for me, not a… Yeah…
22
23 A: Sure. So it was because you then came to the Wesley? You made the
24 decision to accept the Wesley’s…
284
25
26 H: Yeah, yeah, and I guess that was making the decision to say, “I need to get my
27 life straightened out. Even though I don’t want to go there, I’ll obey you, God,
28 and go there.” All that sort of stuff, instead of just being a Christian when it was
29 easy and not when it wasn’t or whatever. Yeah.
30
31 A: Sure. Okay… When working together as a company, have you found that there
32 have been any things that have arisen because of maybe differences in beliefs
33 or differences in understanding of your Christianity?
34
35 H: Mmm…I know that we’ve consciously quite often discussed things…and I think
36 probably our times with Peter have been a time where we’ve been able to
37 discuss- I mean, especially in the first year, ‘cause we were coming from some-
38 we knew we had some similarity in our background. We all had, you know,
39 some Anglican background, particularly; that was probably our biggest common
40 denominator and Steve, at the time, was from an Anglican church and so was
41 Pip, but I wasn’t but I had that in my background. And I guess it as through- ah,
42 when Peter came – and he’s from a sort of charismatic background – he would-
43 he’d sort of be trying to suss out what we wanted out of the times and we were,
44 I guess, trying to suss out what- Like, for example, if we were going to worship
45 together, what we want to do, what kind of songs would we want to sing?
46 Would we want to pray? You know, what style was that whole thing? And that,
47 I guess, was a way of opening up discussion. So, you know, Pip would say
48 things like it’s really good for her ‘cause she often doesn’t have a chance to
49 have free worship in her church or… I guess also we were meeting at Wesley
50 and Pip and I both have Wesley experience so we were probably both
285
51 operating from that – what the college is like anyway, which is sort of, you
52 know, a real conglomeration of lots of different backgrounds and stuff. I’m
53 trying to think if there have actually been any problems… I guess there’s been-
54 Early on – I was just thinking about this today – early on, there was- I think,
55 Steve and I were coming like – we’ve discussed this with Pip – that we had
56 problems when we wouldn’t discuss… If something went wrong, we would just
57 push it down; we wouldn’t discuss it. I think we’ve told you that before. And, it
58 came out after a while that Pip was saying, most of her experience – like, her
59 church experience was church experience and her professional experience was
60 professional experience. They weren’t really mixed up too much and you just
61 shut up and get on with it, and the, you know, professional experience.
62 Whereas, Steve and I had been doing more art stuff in Christian settings and
63 so, perhaps that affected the way- our expectations of what- how things would
64 be dealt with or…or whatever. Yeah.
65
66 A: Okay, you mentioned about Peter Hallett…
67
68 H: Yeah.
69
70 A: …being your spiritual advisor…
71
72 H: Yeah.
73
74 A: …and you talked about what it was like in first year and the impact that he had
75 on you and the role he played. Has the role changed?
76
286
77 H: Mmm, absolutely. It’s like- he came almost every week in the first year. And
78 second year, where everything sort of- kind of- what would you say? (laughs)
79 I don’t want to say “degenerated”, or whatever it is. When Steve got sick, and
80 we didn’t have so much time with ask anymore, he came very rarely, ‘cause we
81 just basically would meet together for rehearsals and that was it. And then into
82 the second half of the year, I think he came a couple of times. But we’d often-
83 He would often- We’d go to him, ah, yeah, we’d go to him if there were
84 difficulties. Like, when we were trying to decide about whether or not Desiree
85 would come in and be part of the company, ‘cause she’s Christadelphian, we
86 had a lot of discussions with him. So it sort of went into more an advisory role,
87 rather than meeting with us regularly and mentoring. A lot more it became just
88 facilitating. So we started praying more just together without him there, and it
89 was less structured but everything became less structured. And then it’s
90 become somewhere in between the two in this year. We’ve seen him a little bit
91 more often and so it’s still more of an advisory role.
92
93 A: And has the way that he has been involved, has that affected the creative
94 process or had an impact on the creative process? Or has it mainly been
95 personally…?
96
97 H: Mmm, more personally, and then feeding in to, but not directly into the creative
98 process.
99
100 A: Alright. Has the company itself experienced any difficulties due to the fact that
101 you are three Christians involved as a professional company, whether it’s
102 through difficulties with Christians or people who aren’t Christians?
287
103
104 H: I know that people, say, at “Bodies” notice that we’re Christians and I
105 sometimes wonder whether they wonder why you’re working just with
106 Christians, although we try to explain that in our explanations of the group and
107 stuff. I know that one of the people who teaches, like, who takes Steve for
108 Pilates, she said, when she found out that we were sponsored by the company,
109 and she knows that Ingrid – you know, who heads up the Pilates – is also a
110 Christian, she suddenly went, “Clunk!” That clicked in and she went, “Ah,
111 you’re all from the same religion, aren’t you?” Like…(laughs) So, it was- So I
112 think sometimes people- I wonder whether they think it’s a bit cliquey or a bit
113 “in-clubby”. But nothing’s ever really been said; it’s been more positive than-
114 more positive feedback about it than there has been negative feedback. From
115 Christians? (pauses to think) Nah, it’s just more misunderstanding of what we’re
116 doing rather than any questioning of where and what we should doing. I think
117 it’s really positive. People tend to say- People tend to maybe accept us more
118 easily because we’re working as Christians together than if we were just out
119 there doing our own thing, you know.
120
121 A: And have there been any differences when you have worked with non-
122 Christians like Isabelle?
123
124 H: From our perspective or…?
125
126 A: (nods)
127
288
128 H: Yeah, like we haven’t discussed things quite as much sometimes; we might not
129 be so open about just suddenly praying in the middle of a rehearsal or…
130 Especially with Isabelle, because she was leading us. And also, I mean, my
131 other main experience with having another non-Christian directly involved, up
132 until Jacqui’s just come into this process, was with Anca when we were dancing
133 for Nicola Baartse. And it was just Anca and me and Nicola, and because Anca
134 is by far the most experienced of the three dancers – she’s sort of, maybe, 50,
135 and she’s been in mega professional dance and whatever else – it had less of
136 an impact than Isabelle but still… I think, generally, once we feel that they’re-
137 once you sort of sense them out- And obviously, we wouldn’t even ask them if
138 they were “anti”. Once you sense out- Like, if you pray with them- Like, for
139 example, once we were praying and Anca was there and Nicola didn’t know
140 Anca wasn’t a Christian and just prayed this great big prayer and then I prayed
141 and then Anca just said, “I agree with everything you’ve said,” and that’s like
142 the true meaning of “Amen”, you know, and so, after that we felt really relaxed
143 about it. Yeah, so I think once you realize that they’re okay with what you are
144 doing and that’s part of why they’re there, perhaps, even… Yeah.
145
146 A: Yeah, sure. Okay… I’ve been looking at the diagram that you came up with as
147 to the company’s structure or its aims…
148
149 H: The boxes?
150
151 A: Yeah, that’s the one. And this is my perception of it but I’d like to know what
152 your perception is, because that’s really what I’m trying to find out: that God
153 influences ask, which, in turn, influences “other cultures”.
289
154
155 H: Yes, so you’re wondering…?
156
157 A: Okay, so is that the way you see it?
158
159 H: (pauses to think) I think that’s one aspect of what happens. I guess that’s a bit
160 simplified, because obviously God also influences other cultures and prepares
161 them for whatever they might get out of our works and we pray like that quite a
162 lot. But, I’d say- Rather than influencing other cultures, I’d say I’d really like to
163 see ask as part of that, part of the wider culture, instead of being part of the- I’d
164 rather see us a little bit more allied to the wider culture, than we are to the
165 Christian sub-culture. Or, perhaps, you know, supported by the Christian sub-
166 culture but actively involved more in the wider culture, meaning- I mean, in our
167 own field and kind of that stuff. And so, as a result, just being there, there’s a
168 change because- We’re just one more thing that’s in the mix, I guess, but
169 before, there was no Christian thing. So if we’re there and then if our works
170 become more- You know, as we become more experienced, and our work
171 becomes more accepted, as we become stronger in God and more able to be
172 effective in our witness personally, all that sort of stuff, then that’ll change the
173 surrounds of where we are. It’s helpful, though, that we’re a group. So that’s in
174 a sense changing the other groups or changing the other people.
175
176 A: I see.
177
178 H: Yeah.
179
290
180 A: So, by the terms, “Christian sub-culture” – I just need a bit of clarification –
181 “Christian sub-culture” and the “wider cultures”, what do you see as the
182 definitions for those?
183
184 H: Yeah, yeah… Ah, “Christian sub-culture”, I guess… I guess it’s like, say, with
185 novels. You have novels that are definitely aimed towards Christians and then
186 you have novels written by Christians that just get published by general
187 publishers and go out into general bookshops, and you don’t have to buy them
188 at Koorong. (laughs) So, I guess that’s- I’d rather be Christians writing stuff that
189 gets published by “Bodies”, I guess, or gets produced by “Bodies”, rather than
190 constantly only doing things like “Abundance” or Christian Dance Fellowship
191 conferences or that sort of thing.
192
193 A: And what would you define as the “wider cultures” then?
194
195 H: Well, obviously you have- I think it’s sort of like a ripple effect or whatever
196 ‘cause I think obviously the first people it would perhaps affect would be
197 “Bodies” crew, dancers and the audience who come, which is- Even if they’re
198 not dancers, they’re still part of the dance community ‘cause they’re people who
199 generally go, although “Bodies” is getting a wider audience than a general
200 dance audience, a little bit, you know. And then, I guess, other artists who
201 come, dancers and other artists who come. So that’s the first- Like, if we go,
202 “Plop!” in there, then that perhaps changes some of their perceptions, perhaps
203 encourages other Christians or whatever, and that may then affect the wider
204 arts – so it’ll affect other musicians, or whatever, or it may affect audience
205 members from totally different fields. And then it goes outwards because, I
291
206 guess, it comes from the way I see experimental art which is that it’s sort of like
207 the forest floor where all the stuff happens. And then the people in the big
208 funded companies and the people in commerce and the people in science and
209 research and whatever else who are really successful are the ones who are
210 kind of benefitting from all that stuff that goes on at the bottom. Yeah…so that’s
211 sort of- I think Peter’s influenced the way we think about that, actually…
212
213 A: Okay…
214
215 H: …because he and I have had a lot of discussions about that sort of thing and
216 we’ve discussed it in ask and he talked about how you can see what happens
217 in the inner-city arts and general culture, particularly Newtown, the university
218 areas, is then- you can directly trace it that in three to five years it’s happening
219 in the western suburbs of Sydney and it moves outwards from there. And I
220 guess each city would be somewhat like that.
221
222 A: Mmm…okay.
223
224 H: Yeah… So that’s what he was saying. But then, there are other influences
225 from overseas and all that sort of stuff, too, so I don’t know how that all fits
226 together. (laughs) If I was a sociologist then…(laughs) Yeah, anyway.
227
228 A:` Okay, so you were just talking a little bit a moment ago about the audience.
229 What role does the audience have in your creative process?
230
292
231 H: We create works- Ah, that’s interesting. We create works with two audiences
232 in mind, not all works but we will usually make a decision…mmm… We have
233 often made a decision before we create a work who it’s being made for. And
234 then… Or perhaps it’ll just be influenced by where we know it’ll be shown first
235 or where we hope to show it. So, my best example to give you is Train. I
236 deliberately tried to create that so it would be a crossover work for both of our
237 audiences – for our Christian audience and our, you know, general audience.
238 And that’s because, I think, although, as I said before, I’d rather be creating for
239 the wider community, I think it’s very important for us to help educate and be a
240 bit gentle with the Christians who want to support us because they really are
241 our support-base – they’re our prayer-base, they’re our- they’re a good amount
242 of the audiences that come our seasons, they’re really excited and keen about
243 our vision. And so, they’re wider-ask, I guess. And, I don’t want to only make
244 works that will alienate them. I want to make works that we can take to our
245 church, for example, and show and they can get something out of it, and then
246 with explanation can get more out of it. I want them to have some keys in. And
247 I guess it’s not only that; I don’t want to only be creating for- I mean, this is
248 where it gets complicated because I don’t want to be creating only for artsy-
249 fartsy people either. I want to have some stuff- You know, whereas I don’t want
250 to – whatever you say, like- I don’t want to only cater to simple things but I also
251 don’t want to be alienating in what I do. And this is- Now I’m starting to talk just
252 from more what I want to create, but that’s a third of what goes on (laughs), I
253 guess. So, with Train, I- you know, had full-on contemporary movement, quite,
254 quite bizarre and quirky in some ways. And then the train soundtrack which is
255 very familiar, totally familiar to anybody who catches a train in Sydney, which is
256 most people at some time or other. And you often have all sorts of- It sort of
293
257 evokes all sorts of things like going to school, or going to work, or whatever. Or
258 even if you hear it from somewhere else, you remember a Sydney holiday, you
259 know, it’s like- And then there’s this song, so there’s words, and it’s in a gospel-
260 ish style so it’s fairly accessible and although it’s sung a capella, there are
261 some words to hang on to as a Christian, but the words aren’t so overt that
262 they’re alienating for a non-Christian to hear. So, anyway, I’m not sure; I
263 haven’t showed this yet to a strictly secular audience, which- That’ll happen
264 next week, so it’s very interesting to see what will happen. But then, so there
265 you go – you’ve got the movement that’s interesting enough to satisfy the, you
266 know, the dancers, the artists, and then the other things. And, hopefully, the
267 layers together create something that’s cohesive and yet, different people have
268 got keys in.
269
270 A: You said before – I can’t remember your exact words but that – oh, that you
271 wanted your audience to get something- that they were able to get something
272 out of it.
273
274 H: Mmm…yeah.
275
276 A: Does that relate to communication? Is that, ah, one of the functions of the
277 company?
278
279 H: Yes, yes. It’s partly communicating an idea that I have, or an experience that I
280 have, or an experience that we have, but it’s also partly…let me think… It’s also
281 partly trusting that if you put a whole stack of things, which have come from an
282 idea, in front of people that they’ll work it out for themselves. So it’s
294
283 communication in a sort of post-moderny sense, you know, ah, and I guess with
284 prayer as well, that people won’t interpret- that they’ll interpret it as it should be
285 interpreted or in one of a variety of- Like, it could have- I’ve heard, sort of, five
286 valid meanings for Train and it’s a fairly short simple work in a lot of ways. So,
287 you know, people have gotten things as diverse, out of this one work with
288 words, as, sort of, a feeling of God being with you in personal, isolated kind of
289 journey. And then, from that to being- I mean, there are certain lines of the
290 song that talk about real estate. And somebody got, out of having the train
291 journey, like the sound and the words, that it’s all about how God helps us in
292 the rat race. (laughs) So, it’s quite different things but they’re all valid and
293 they’re all- like, none of them are sort of, ah, heretical or anything like that, you
294 know what I mean. ‘Cause communicating…it’s more like helping…I don’t
295 know… yeah.
296
297 (pause in recording as interview moves from lounge room to upstairs room)
298
299 A: In one of the rehearsals earlier this year, you, and I think Phillippa as well,
300 described your movement style as “much more gentle” now. How is it- than
301 when you did Disa pear which was your first work? How has it changed and
302 maybe even the reasons why it has changed?
303
304 H: It’s… I guess it’s been partially another two years worth of really investigating
305 ‘release technique’ and that’s been through… I mean, I personally have an
306 interest in ‘release technique’ from the perspective that, although it’s bizarre in
307 some ways, I feel like in some ways it has an affinity with Christian things, in the
308 sense that I’ve had injuries and difficulties, and I’ve seen so many difficulties in
295
309 other people, in techniques that force people to do things. And I think of it more
310 as an allowing technique. I think that it’s more- Yeah, it’s more letting the body
311 do what it can do and I feel like that’s what God’s like with us, rather than
312 forcing us into unnatural sort of positions, or whatever. I mean, I don’t think I’ve
313 ever voiced this before exactly; this is something I’ve sort of thought about.
314 And also like how it’s- It’s almost going back to the way things should be in a lot
315 of ways. Like, you’re sort of trying to undo unhealthy tension-holding patterns
316 and all that sort of stuff. So… That’s really funny – I’ve never actually said that
317 before but I think that’s part of the reason that’s my choice of techniques. We
318 worked with Isabelle deliberately because she’s a lot further down the path and
319 she’s more extreme and she- it was really, really good for us. We went miles
320 just from doing that one work with her. So that’s been a big influence, partly by
321 choice, but then again, we got more out of it than we were even bargaining for
322 and … So I guess it’s getting better at doing that stuff on our own bodies. But
323 then, when I started working in the middle of last year on Train, I started
324 thinking- ‘Cause the work before that – Isabelle’s work – had been really quite
325 gentle and quite low key, and I started thinking, Yeah, that’s okay but can you
326 keep this style and keep these laws and rules, and yet still be athletic in what
327 you’re doing? And so that’s when I started to try to create Train with Pip, and I
328 think we got another step along with that. So, gentle and yet still want to be
329 able to do things that are, you know, you want to keep expanding the
330 boundaries but keeping the laws. And…
331
332 A: So what are some of the laws of release technique?
333
296
334 H: Oh, things like pure instigation. So, if you decide a set movement is honestly
335 going to be instigated by a particular part of the body, you let that happen; you
336 don’t cheat another part to actually do what you are wanting to do. So that’s
337 one sort of thing. Using things like “creasing”, “dropping”, “folding” and stuff to
338 do what you can do. So you use gravity and allowing your body to do those
339 things, to do things you would otherwise do with effort and muscular work. Stuff
340 like that…it’s hard to put it into words ‘cause you listen to your body. But that’s
341 some of the sort of examples of it.
342
343 A: When did you start using release technique or when did you start training in it?
344
345 H: I was in third year of college, so it was with Pip.
346
347 A: Okay.
348
349 H: Yeah, and then… Yeah, now I go to other classes and stuff, so… Yeah, before
350 that it was other styles and I guess they’re influencing as well. Obviously, Pip’s
351 got heaps of jazz background and I’ve got a lot of more Graham background,
352 and that sort of thing, and she’s got like Cunningham…yeah, all that sort of
353 stuff.
354
355 A: Okay, another couple of terms that you used in the previous interview earlier
356 this year were “body initiation” and “body memory”. Are those two things the
357 same or are they different?
358
359 H: Different. You can have memories of initiations…
297
360
361 A: Can you define both of those terms?
362
363 H: I probably just defined “instigation” as best as I could before. (laughs) So you
364 know, like, one part makes the effort or does the action and the rest follows
365 and it follows in a way that is- I guess it follows in a way that is trained, in a lot
366 of ways, so you keep your posture a certain way and that sort of stuff. So there
367 is training with it but you try to make it as pure as you can. “Body
368 memory”…(pauses) Now that comes into play a lot in improvisation, doesn’t it?
369 (more to herself than the interviewer) (laughs) I would like to s- Like, we try not
370 to let our body memory be a memory of chains of steps or ways of doing things.
371 We try and have as ways of doing things rather than- You know, in ballet, you
372 would have a certain chain of steps and that, you know, you do glissade, pas
373 de bouree, for example, and it just goes like that. But, instead, it’s like you try
374 to take away connections and just know ways of moving. And so, if an
375 improvisation…(sigh) Now I’m getting a bit off track…The body remembers how
376 it should be – how it feels when it’s in the right place, you know, and it’s just like
377 taking that further, I guess. So knowing if you take yourself off-balance, how do
378 you catch yourself? You know? And how do you do that in a safe way or in a
379 way that’s going to… Oh, well…
380
381 (Phillippa enters room looking for something she needs for the rehearsal to follow.
382 Discussion occurs between her and Hannah regarding this, which is irrelevant to this
383 interview.)
384
385 H: Pip might be able to explain it better than me.
298
386
387 A: I think I’ve only got one more question. How has the use of improvisation in the
388 creation of the present work different from how you’ve used it in the past? Or is
389 it different?
390
391 H: Yes, it’s quite different.
392
393 A: You don’t have to go through every piece or work you’ve choreographed.
394
395 H: Yeah…no. I could just say that generally in the past we’ve improvised and then
396 another person’s watched the improvisation, worked out- Like, parameters are
397 worked out, then the improvisation happens. It can be as simple as we’re going
398 to use these two kind of verbs or something. And then, you’d improvise around
399 that and they see and they feed back to you what you’re doing and then they
400 help you to create something that’s set from that improvisation. Whereas in this
401 work, it’s totally different. Like, you have a beginning, some set boundaries for
402 the improvisation – they’re often similar, like they could be just words or
403 whatever they happen to be. And then, you improvise, or then I improvise and
404 Phillippa watches me. And then, she gives me more and more feedback, and
405 more and more things to work on in the improvisation – more and more tasks, I
406 guess – until she hones it down to what she wants. Instead of setting it to find
407 what she wants, she keeps me improvising but kind of tweaks it.
408
409 A: So she hasn’t got a set idea of what she’s looking for?
410
411 H: No.
299
412
413 A: It just ends up being there bit by bit?
414
415 H: Yeah…yep.
416
417 A: Okay.
418
419 H: Bit by bit…Well, after she’s seen my first improvisation, she might have more of
420 an idea of what she wants to get out of that improvisation. But I might do
421 something different and then she’ll like it and forget her idea.
422
423 A: Okay.
424
425 H: And then, after all that’s done, the setting comes in where the improvisations
426 go. So there’s still setting.
427
428 A: Right.
429
430 H: Of course (laughs). You have to… Well, some people don’t (laughs).
431
432 A: I think that’s it, Hannah. Thank you very much.
433
434 H: That’s alright. That was easy.
300 APPENDIX D: TRANSCRIPT CHECKLIST AND PARTICIPANT CHECK REGISTER
TRANSCRIPT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT COMMENT CHECK Group Interview Phillippa Oakden- yes authenticated with no 14.2.01 Patch 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 Phillippa Oakden- yes authenticated with no Interview Patch change 23.5.01 Individual Steve Cooper yes authenticated with no Interview change 24.5.01 Individual Hannah Cooper yes authenticated with no Interview change 24.5.01 Observation Phillippa Oakden- yes authenticated with no notes (sent to Patch change participants on 7.6.02) Hannah Cooper yes authenticated with no change
Steve Cooper yes authenticated with no change
301 APPENDIX E
DIAGRAM OF COMPANY’S FOCUS FROM 2000, AS DESIGNED BY STEVE COOPER
GOD
Safe nurturing place ∗ Professional development Relate to each other in a healthy ∗ Company Evolution manner (core), and with collaborators, ∗ Experimenting contemporaries and audience ∗ Spiritual development
Create works Balancing product with process
OTHERS CULTURE
302 APPENDIX F: ROOMS OF ‘WYNOLA’
FLOOR PLAN (not drawn to scale)
Ballroom
Hallway Parlour Lounge
(Front Door) Verandah
BALLROOM
couch
fireplace lamp
piano
LOUNGE
archway
fireplace
windows couch
303 APPENDIX G
POEMS BY ULRICH SHAEFFER AS USED IN IN YOUR LIGHT
304
305
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.
306 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.
307 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.
308 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.
309 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.
310 APPENDIX I
WELCOME PACK, ETERNITY CHRISTIAN CITY CHURCH
311
312 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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314
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