Patrick's Month in Frankfurt

1/16/12
Today was another amazing day in the studio. It started with Bill working on a trio based on what looks like a solo on which he's been working. He was talking about the relationship of the middle finger to the base of the palm and how that informed the rest of the arm, the back and son on. Going to the nth degree without muscling it. All is informed by a sensation. Similar to what I talk about when teaching class but articulated in a much more succinct manner. The solo seems to be full of balletic principles. I love rediscovering the balletic part of my movement.

Then he was on to the other new piece. It looks like this will be a group piece based on the "unfamiliar" concept that they've been working on since before Christmas.
The "workshop" today started with an idea that Roberta and Cyril were working on about torque limits. Taking an extremity in a direction just to the point that you'd have to move something else to go any further. Then that morphed into dropping and collapsing points, on which Bill gave a mini workshop, than into inverse kinematics, again Bill gave a mini workshop, then mapping, them following and locomotion. All at the same time keeping in mind the "unfamiliar". Then he had the entire group minus the three dancers working on the trio do an exercise. Combining all of those objects or systems with a few rules about changing partners and moving in space and proximity. I was right in there with the company and one other guest. I felt very sheepish and timid and self conscious. I was over thinking and so BSing my way through much of the time bit the light bulb did go off here and there but then I was back to having too many choices. I tend to get a dial tone when I have too many choices but i did my best and really was digesting and attempting to disseminate a lot of new information. I didn't feel judged at all. Everyone here knows I'm not looking for a job, just knowledge. Still as a dancer I want to become an expert immediately and that's not the point. That's actually the opposite of what we are trying to accomplish. There's nothing expert about the unfamiliar.

After the rest of the company left Bill worked some more on the trio. Watching and listening to him craft is amazing. He knows so much but doesn't block himself. It's the perfect balance of plan, focus and curiosity. Of course luck and chance seem to play a role but you have to be open to that stuff. He's exacting but not rigid.

It was just after 7:30 that he called it a day.


Love him. Love his dancers. Love life.