Figure Eight Collective

Between 9th and 13th September 2013 Decoda hosted a choreographic laboratory lead by Laurel Tentindo, renowned member of the Trisha Brown Dance Company (2007-2012) and Skinner Releasing Teacher.  This laboratory joined eight recent performing arts graduates together  to form the Figure Eight Collective.  Laurel is currently developing IMAGE ACTION in Los Angeles, a contemporary circus of dances with objects that engages the audience in the kinesthetic experience of the dance.  Within her residency here in the UK, the graduate dancers were an integral part of the evolution of this choreographic process.  In Coventry, dancers created FIGURE EIGHT with Tentindo.  FIGURE EIGHT began as performers invited audience members to close their eyes.  Performers then lead the audience through the performance space and when the audience members opened their eyes, they found themselves at the center of the stage in a pool of light.  Throughout the piece, performers asked the audience to change locations in relation to the lighting and choreography, giving the viewers a sense of a visual and kinesthetic journey.  Tentindo’s aim was to innovate a shared movement-based language for the dancers and audience.  The performance began with the audience members and performers involved in ordinary and pedestrian movements.  As the piece progressed and viewers found their seats, these everyday actions became formalized through patterns in space and temporal agreements. Gradually, the piece transformed into a magical dream-like spectacle: performers don sculptural headdresses and disembodied shadows emerge on the walls.

The choreographic laboratory culminated in a sharing in Coventry.  A short video of this sharing can be found below.

As a result of this laboratory these eight graduates have formed the Figure Eight Collective and continue to collaborate and build a community of practice with the continued support of Decoda.  They maintain their own individual daily practice and connection with these choreographic structures and questions and meet regularly to practice together.  They are currently organising future sharings at various universities across the country.  More information about these sharings will be regularly added here.

Figure Eight Collective – Short Version from laureltentindo on Vimeo.