End of Week 4...thank god!

End of week four is music to my ears.

It's been an awkward week, a struggle to motivate and find the reason for anything really. I'm not going to rattle on about why it was hard because it's just a week in a series of many that will be wonderfully different.

I had beautiful weekend with my love, in Etampe (1 hours south of Paris) amongst giggling, artichokes, markets, sky blue eyes, tears of joy, etc we visited ecole Philippe Gaulier for a much needed injection of his wit and wise words. Philippe reminds me that
1. The relationship between Clowns is the most important thing
2. The difference between clown and eccentric character is the relationship with the audience. The character does eccentric things that exist in their own world regardless of the audience response. The Clown does his gags or actions for the audience, they acknowledge the flop and try to save the show with what they do.
3. The clown doesn't do things well, there must be problems and interruptions.
4. We must understand the clowns game
5. We have to believe that you are good friends with your partner, even if you fight it is just to have an affect on the audience.

So full of inspiration and sensing the fragile journey that his students are in the middle of I was grateful to have witnessed Philippe at work again.

I also learned as I often do that Clown work needs to be simple, I saw some work that didn't make me laugh and I think to my own work and think i'm doing all right. I have something! Part of this week has been an uncomfortable feeling of displacement, why, what, who, am, I, want, do, I, F off! I really try to avoid putting myself in a box, which happens to be what my best mate calls me! I am me and I can do different things that all use me and what I love to do! that is the title on my flat pack box.

My task in pedagogy class was to break down what I can do easily and teach it step by step. This is a good challenge for me, I try to remember the feeling I had when doing a particular physical exercise 8 years ago! Oh man that calculation has really taken me back. My body has so much memory in it and I carry exercises and physical advice around from so many sources. To teach this work I must take a step back and break the motion down and find the words to communicate. This is a good lesson for me, so yes I am learning here.

I am excited by the potential of the 'Movement director' and I continue to learn more about the possibilities and challenges she has. So I will start to think about some research activity for research week ,week 6.  What do I want to explore with my class?

Clown Lab went to central on saturday, which was great for me. I really needed to work in an area that I love and find that organic flow through the work that I chose to share with the group. I have an eye on the changes that I want to make and the work that I have done at salford has prepared me for this link.

The Playful body.