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Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

I am a dancer with Minneapolis based James Sewell Ballet, a small, contemporary ballet company. I also choreograph independently.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Stop Time Blind

Beginning the last day of my dancing week, and I feel like recording what’s going on.

James is basically done choreographing “Turf”, our new ballet premiering Wednesday with the Minnesota Orchestra. It’s about turf wars and torture, death and redemption, or not. It’s a comment on how things operate now, and what we might still be able to learn.

I play a torture victim, and for much of the piece I’m blindfolded, my hands bound behind me. Even so, I actually still achieve some dancing. The hard-core torture sequences are highly scored, so in theory there will be no surprises. But I truly cannot see, and anything can happen. It’s been a trip, living in my little world of sightlessness. My instincts kick in; sometimes I find myself responding differently to the external stimulous, even though I know what’s coming. There is much trust between me and the other performers. This has to look real, I must experience it in a real way to some degree, and so we all must find a way to “go there”. I still haven’t found the full through-line for myself. I get closer with every rehearsal, with every timing clarification, defining my boundaries so that I can then expand them. I look forward to pulling this off.

Simultaneously to this I’ve been doing my usual intrepid work with Deborah Jinza Thayer, a frazzled genius for whom it’s always a pleasure to work. Plus, submitted a grant and found out my new duet got accepted into the Walker Art Center’s Choreographers Evening! It was a big week.

This AM as I sit in my overstuffed, garage sale chair with my cat on one arm and my coffee on the other, I contemplate a new day of my body expanding through space in its attempt to stop time.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

stop time blind
run dark bind blind spark
hard-core open-door shut flee
underfear overworship
sickle point cell tie
knot where not wear
warm hot cold burn
bound fly
free mostly way close
duck

11:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Penelope Freeh-

I saw your picture on the Jerome Foundation site
and wondered if you could tell me where you
got that broad sword you were weilding??

I've been looking for a prop sword that size.

Your work looks pretty cool.

Thanks!
Kevin Augustine
www.lonewolftribe.com

7:58 AM  

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