January 29th, 2012

Ah Sunday. I can't believe this is my last week here.

Rehearsals have been going late and I'm up early to do my morning pages so I haven't done the blog for a couple of days.


Friday Bill kept on going in the same direction. Weaving the opening opening sequence. They worked until 9:30pm. Then I went for dinner at Amancio's place. His boyfriend Jans made a delicious three course meal. An amuse bouch of scallops on fennel with a basil sauce, then cream of broccoli soup and then halibut cooked in foil with red potatoes and green beans. A friend of theirs named Renata was there and Christine Kono the ballet teacher. We had a fun conversation about how the Germans call what the rest of the world calls endive, chicoree and vice versa. She seemed to think that it was just American's who called endive, endive but it turns out that the Germans are the ones who are mistaken because Amancio and Christine pointed out that the Spanish and the French are with the Americans. It was a fun conversation. Renata was also under the impression that Americans call all types of mushrooms just mushrooms. That we don't differentiate between say, Crimini, Portabello, oyster, Shitake etc. but I put her right about that. Funny how we all have these misconceptions. Fir instance I've always thought that the Germans as a whole were sort of cool and rigid. That they didn't take peoples feelings into consideration so much but spending a month here I find that it's just the opposite. In my experience this trip the Germans that I have met are very considerate of how they make other people feel. At least the one's that I've come into contact here. Actually very sensitive people. Once again I'm making a generalization but it's a facet of the German psyche that I have either ignored or just have been blind to because it's pretty apparent everywhere.

Yesterday, Saturday, Bill first worked on Whole in the Head (I've been misspelling it) until lunch. I really like the piece.

Then he made a shift in the new piece. He got back to the tangles. The simplicity of the tangles. The piece which had become a little frenetic suddenly shifted into low gear and morphed into this very sublime contemplative work. If I were to walk into this sequence of this piece with no prior knowledge I wouldn't immediately recognize it as "Forsythe". Bravo for Bill and I mean BRAVE. He didn't say as much but people, including myself come to expect things from artists and if you shift and don't give them what they're expecting they may turn on you. Christine Kono and I were agreeing that the public and especially the critics want to see something just familiar enough so they don't feel stupid or something. Another huge lesson from Bill. Keep asking questions of yourself. Don't just do what it is "you do". The best thing about all of these lessons is that Bill isn't preaching to me or being pedantic in any way. He's teaching by true example. He is a natural born teacher and that is sometimes a rare thing in a choreographer. Many don't have any interest in teaching. I'm not just talking about dance or composition but about life. Paul Taylor, although he probably would deny it, is one of the best teachers I've ever known. The truly great one's are always asking questions. Often asking the same questions over and over digging ever deeper.


I'm starting to itch to come home and get started on the next piece. At the end of last week I was sad because I was half way through my stay but today I am looking forward to coming home.