Memories of Kokoro

Earlier published in The Swedish Dance History, 2009

We met up at the small shared space in Bagarmossen south of Stockholm. She made soup for us while someone took care of the kid. People started drop in. We shared the meal and boiled water for tea.

The dog was loose. The discussions were sometimes heated. Someone started playing piano in The Other Room. Black tea was on the table. The kid was asleep.

The Other Room was covered with mattresses found in a container one year earlier. We sneaked into the dark room one bye one. The movement had already started.

Evening turned night as the bodies moved in contact improvisation. There was a crash-cymbal and a hi-hat hanging from the ceiling. There was a distorted guitar. The actions intensified.

[ … ]

We collapsed in the corners of the room.

Half a year later the space was evicted due to complaints from the neighbours.

Stans Dans

I participated in a series of street performances doing contact improvisation in Stockholm, organised by Avart Dans & Rörelse.

Stans Dans kan dyka upp i samband med tema dagar, utställningar, events, invigningar, mässor och happenings i olika slags miljöer. Som en del av ett större sammanhang, eller bara som ett överraskande moment t ex under rusningstid. Väder spelar ingen roll, vi dyker upp under alla årstider.

4-6 dansare samt ev musiker bygger upp strukturer för dansinstallationer och performances utifrån rådande platser bland människor i stads- och förortsmiljö.

Modern dans möter levande rollspel

Om du orkar släpa sig med till Norge så är du varmt välkommen på den här workshopen. Finns det intresse skulle jag även kunna göra något motsvarande i Stockholm.

Kontaktimprovisasjon møter laiv
Workshop med Gabriel Widing fra Interacting Arts

Tid: Lørdag 2. juni 11 – 19
Søndag 3. juni 12.30 – 19

Sted: Rom for dans, Marstrandgt. 8, Oslo

Pris: 150 kroner
Påmelding til torkjetil@gmail.com

I kontaktimprovisasjon møtes to eller flere personer i en lek med vekt, balanse og gravitasjon – de danser med hverandre i improvisert bevegelse. Bevegelse og berøring er grunnlaget for denne danseformen, som ble utviklet i USA på begynnelsen av 70-talet av initiativtageren Steve Paxton sammen med andre dansere og improvisatører. Dansen bygger på improvisasjon, det gjelder å lytte på seg selv og den en danser med. Her minner formen mye om laiv – den kollektive improvisasjonen står i sentrum. Sammen kan man gå inn i en spesiell stemning eller en spesiell sinnstilstand.

Det som skiller kontaktimprovisasjon fra levande rollespill er at kontaktdansere ikke går inn i roller og de forsøker heller ikke å fortelle en historie. Derimot finnes det mange spennende verktøy å låna for laivere som vil bli mer levende. Et problem innen levende rollespill er at spillet ofte heller mot det som kalles talking-heads. Spillet blir veldig verbalt, vi snakker og snakker og glemmer bort kroppen. Ideen med denne workshopen er å gjøre noe med det. Innen kontaktimprovisasjon kan man trena teknikker for å gi og ta vekt, løfte, falle, fly, hoppe, rulle, glide og å være opp og ned. Vi går igjennom det grunnleggende og eksperimenterer med ulike måter å kombinere improvisert rollespill og improvisert dans. Ingen forkunnskaper kreves.

Workshopen avsluttes med minilaiven Limbo Redux på søndagen!

Gabriel Widing bor i Stockholm og underviser i media, kunst, spill og estetikk. Han har også erfaring med å holde workshops som utforsker bevegelse, å ta roller, lek, intimitet og dans. Utover undervisning jobber han med spillproduksjon og grafisk formgivning. Han er redaktør og skribent for tidsskriftet Interacting Arts, som nylig lanserte virkelighetsspill i Sverige.

Workshopen støttes økonomisk av Ravn.

The Character, the Player and Their Shared Body

The article is written by Gabriel Widing & Tova Gerge, published in Role, Play, Art, edited by Thorbiörn Fritzon and Tobias Wrigstad,  in conjunction with the 10th Knutpunkt Convention in Sweden, 2006.

What happens to our bodies when we give them to characters and place them in new environments and situations? Where do these memories go? The aim of this essay is to write a genealogy of muscles and organs; to try out visions and conflicting thoughts concerning the body in play.

INTRODUCTION

Live role-players put their bodies at the disposal of the destinies of the characters. Thereby, their bodies are also at the disposal of the aims of the organisers. New experiences are imprinted onto the organism of the participant, and new desires and aversions are born out of these experiences: the brain is pulling in one direction, the stomach just wants to quit, the heart is rushing. As the motivation for playing lies in the body, so do reactions in the game.

Our starting point is that each player has interests in his or her character—sexual desires, social awards, psychological challenges, need for confirmation, etc. Yet the choice of character is often disguised by false neutrality. A characters choice directed by personal interest, seems somehow dirty and suspicious. “I can play anything” is a common expression when it comes to picking a character. It is shameful to want, shameful to choose.

Within each player culture, there is a norm for what thoughts and variations are acceptable. This norm might be good in terms of controlling and moderating our behaviour. The tradition of some interests, for example “psychological challenges”, being more legitimate than others means that, in practise, a controversial choice of character will only be welcome if the player has a billion brilliant intellectual reasons to explain it with. The success rate in passing this social test is entirely individual,which is why we wish to describe these interests on a structural level rather than an individual.

If we can identify which desires one might be gratifying by entering a live role-play, we can also produce scenarios that are fulfilling specific needs or interests. In other words: scenarios and characters that make the greatest possible impact on their participants, and vice versa.

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