A new season begins

A great session, and a fitting start to a new season of Konnektiv.  We saw some old and some new faces, and everyone threw themselves into the activities and all said they had really enjoyed themselves.  

Konnektiv is changing.  

Now that the Research and the Health side of our organisation are more productive, the Drama side can focus more on the important factor of performance, and in a sense a different level of wellbeing benefits - confidence raising; training the body and the senses to a higher degree, a deeper level of interpersonal skill and social interaction.  

Performance is an essential part in all of our lives; we have different roles, with different scripts, that take part in different storylines in different scenes in our lives, and who may all write distinctively different personal narratives.

We did some simple activities in groups, using balls and hoops.  In one set of activities each person in the group had a ball (in one group) or a hoop (in the other).  They choreographed a simple routine in which we were looking at how a simple move done simultaneously by 5 people can look very effective.  

Especially with the balls, this was more difficult than I had thought it would be.  Some times, I spent more time picking up the ball than throwing it in the air.  That being said, we began to remember the tricks of group performance - the basics....

How does the group begin - how to they know when to start?  How do they know when to end?  How do they end?  these factors are extremely important.  And it is very important that the whole group knows and agrees on these factors.  

A good start and a good ending are of vital importance to any performance.  As in life, you can recover from a bad start, but it may be difficult, and takes energy from the job of realising ones full potential, at least temporarily.  A bad ending is a lost cause, and no matter how well your epitaph is written, the audience are left with an unmemorable impression, or one that is memorable for the wrong reasons.

The start is difficult, because people are nervous.  People may mumble and fumble their way through a beginning, as this is the worst time for performance anxiety.  Control is vital, being fully focussed and aware.  Knowing your moves intimately - nerves are an enemy of memory.  Enjoying yourself, despite the nerves.  

Endings I find easier.  However during the rush and excitement of putting a performance together the ending may be easily forgotten.  I have been 2 minutes before the end of a full length live performance, and realised that we haven't rehearsed any kind of ending.

In the second set of group work, we mixed up the balls and hoops.  One group got 3 balls and 1 hoop, the other was given 2 hoops and one ball.  These both gave an extremely interesting choreographed routine.  The different affordances suggested by each prop, as well as the different combined personalities of the members of each group, meant that the two performances were very individual.  This is something that I am constantly in awe of; the skill of a group of individuals in creating something meaningful and entertaining, with very little initial input and guidance previously given.

I was reminded of the importance of discipline.  Especially as now, in this incarnation of Konnekiv, we have decided to be more performance based.  We need to be highly dedicated in terms of working on balance, control, body awareness, and having a purposeful and confident presentation in all that we do, whilst maintaining the lively and spontaneous feel that we pride ourselves on.  As always there is much work to be done.

When is it work and when is it play?

As a drama for health group, the experience of taking the journey from initially devising dramatic ideas, to putting on performances, was the most important thing, and the magic of the performances, was in the liveliness and sponteneity of the actors.  As a performance based group, we may begin to expect more of ourselves in terms of technical ability and expertise.  I will certainly be requesting that each member of the group does some form of daily physical excersise, even if for a short time.