The Creation Process: Renata's Choreography

Our rehearsals at Routhier and at Arts Court are going really well, and in our rehearsals we work with lots of improvisation, exploration, and right now, circles and spirals. We use the floor for when we do rolling, and we also work on giving our weight to the other person. We really work on sensation. 

One exercise that we do is stop and go: It’s basically where one person moves and then we all move; when one person stops we all stop. And in this exercise we’re becoming aware and we’re sensing the other people in the room with our peripheral vision.

Another thing that we also work on is duets. In Renata’s piece, there is a duet with Rob and I where we roll, we spin, and we work a lot with physicality. Rob is really strong, so we do a lot of leaning and giving weight.

The beginnings of this duet are rooted in Greek mythology and we are working with a water theme. Rob is the God Poseidon and I’m Goddess Amphitrite—one of Poseidon’s many wives, so I have to dance seductively and it is something that I’m trying to get used to. It’s a challenge for me because this is out of my comfort zone but I know I can do it.