The topic for this experiment was ‘public benches’ and it was performed in two parts around two different public benches near Gyldenpris Kindergarden in Bergen. I used the topic given to me by ‘Thud!’ to explore different aspects of an idea I was all ready working on, to transform myself into a raccoon. For the improvisation I brought eight objects resembling traffic-cones when standing and small animal-puppets when lying down.
RULES GIVEN TO THE DANCERS
MY ACTIONS AT FIRST BENCH
MY ACTIONS AT SECOND BENCH
The two dancers had a selection of topics they would improvise movements on together with certain positions they should take in connection to the benches on each place. They did not have a specific order, and from this we met each other and improvised.
RULES GIVEN TO THE DANCERS
- During the improvisation you will have to move all the objects at least once.
- The objects should be treated as borders or mid-points for your movements, or as puppets when you lift them up.
MY ACTIONS AT FIRST BENCH
- Place the objects as a border between the bench and the audience.
- Introduce myself: ‘Hello, I am Susanne. A bit less than a year ago I decided I wanted to be something else’.
- Paint myself black around my eyes and start a nature-sound of raccoons playing.
- Place myself on top of the bench and explore my body as if it was inside a raccoon-suit while the dancers start making their first image.
- Step down from the bench and by moving two objects at the time make them into a swarm that follows the dancers around.
- Finally fasten all the objects to their clothes.
- We all walk to the next location.
MY ACTIONS AT SECOND BENCH
- Take the objects off the dancers’ clothes and place them around the bench.
- Start the playback of myself talking about why I want to become a raccoon.
- Undress and dress up in my raccoon suit and make the same exploration of my body in the raccoon suit as by the first bench.
- Start the action again of moving the objects as a swarm and finally attach all the objects to the bench and the tree next to it.
- Find a final postition inspired by the placement of the dancers.
- The dancers find their final image from my position.
The two dancers had a selection of topics they would improvise movements on together with certain positions they should take in connection to the benches on each place. They did not have a specific order, and from this we met each other and improvised.
