The Creator's Perspective: Week Three in the Studio

by Kate Hilliard

I find the most exciting and moving situations on stage are those that do not feel premeditated. There is a genuine and present way of approaching everything. How much of this understanding is instinctive, and can it be taught? I am encouraging the dancers to react on stage as though something is being shared as opposed to shown. The performers sometimes engage with one another, as if no one is watching, and in these moments I am moved by their honesty. I feel that this very simple and natural exchange of ideas will also provoke an audience and so I am searching for ways to encourage spontaneity, ease and intimacy.

We are trying to create a work that speaks about the importance of the present and how it is fleeting. The choreography contemplates the passing of time and how things get replaced in our lives. The performers have drawn on their own personal experiences to create a history within the piece. As this happens, I am inspired by how similar we are in our need for connection to the world around us. How do we wait, listen, take notice, internalize and react?