Overview of the Work
......Snow is an extremely structured improvisation that has been set in major museums, on the green grass of a university commons, in formal theaters with full lighting, in hallways, at Cambridge University in the UK, on the street at an art festival, and in informal settings. Professional movement artists, college students, and high school students have performed Snow.
Throughout the rehearsal process and during performances movement artists are responsible for many elements including moving slowly without accelerating or decelerating, thus creating a sense of Spell Drive, time without change. They work toward being honest, using imagery, understanding the concept of inner attitude, engaging in light weight and free flow, being gentle, having a sense of curiosity, breathing, using asymmetry, changing levels and directions, changing focus, articulating body parts, and being aware of the relationship between themselves, the other movement artists in the work, and their environment—their performance space. Additional elements and rules involved are those of not being pretty, moving smoothly, being genuine, releasing excess tension, and including at least one relevé while traveling through the performance space.
Because of the use of Spell Drive the audience is drawn into the piece. Many are affected by an overwhelming sense of calm.
The movement artist’s physical and mental experience is intense. Deeper understandings of self and how the body works, in addition to contributing to the needs of the group, transpire. The freedom to improvise and the extremely structured instructions provide participants the physical opportunity of learning more about themselves and how they, as individuals, relate to others and the community as a whole.
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Click here for a complete list of the elements used in Snow.
