Legal Notice Charity No. SCO21724
Dance pARTners
In May this year Rhiana Laws was appointed to work with us on an exciting and ambitious new project using contemporary dance and physical theatre with three different groups: young men in HM Polmont Young Offenders Institution, a community-based group, and a professional company of dancers/actors.
Funded by Creative Scotland pARTners, the project aims to explore themes of risk, reward, destiny and legacy, considering how these things can hold us back or propel us forward in life. Choreographing three pieces, one specifically for each group, Rhiana will use the residency to further develop her creative response to the project as well as continuing to develop her own professional practice of working within the criminal justice system and achieving excellence in community dance work.
Here, Rhiana will share her process with us through a regular blog.
22 December - They Came, They Tried....They Conquered The Dance Floor!
Final blog - the 6 month journey concludes
Week 3 - Performance Week:
WOW....The gym has been transformed into a theatre and suddenly it all feels very real. The boys were nervous at the sight of the ‘black box' theatre space which has been built especially for them with stage lights on the scaffold rigging and the back wall being used as a giant projection screen - yikes, it's all finally happening!
‘We know what we're doing, we don't need to do it again.....'
‘Yeah I won't do it like that in the real thing, I'll do it properly on the night.....you know: it's alright on the night, ha ha!'
It is the classic last few days of build up to the show where the group are sick of repetition but still desperately need to keep their noses to the grind stone because to be perfectly honest at this stage they still look pretty rough and under rehearsed - and they won't be able to pull it off on the night if they don't push through this barrier. It is a battle of wills to say the least but we are making significant progress which is aided by the miracle of all boys being brought to all rehearsals. Wooo Hooo! I am nervous about next week to say the least.
THE FINAL PERFORMANCE - ‘(un) bound'
24th& 25th November 1:30pm & 7pm
I've thought about ways of writing about the boy's final performance, to try and translate what happened as we teetered on the brink of the culmination of 6 months of incredibly hard work and how beautifully it all unfolded in front of three live audiences. I've reflected at length upon the energy and controlled athleticism that flooded out of each of the boys, juxtaposed by their stillness and vulnerability as they surrendered completely to the slower moving moments of the piece holding their heads high, confident in who they were in that very moment of dancing and performing. But my words seem too few, too empty no matter how effusive, descriptive or long winded I get. Instead I've chosen to turn to the words of one of the young men who joined me just three and a half weeks ago, "Rhiana, tonight I didn't feel like a prisoner, I felt like a dancer." And in that statement right there I knew that the project and performance had been more than a success - it had opened a young man's eyes to himself and he wasn't the only one.
The walls of the prison can close in on an individual, reducing them to a number that gets processed and as such a sense of identity can shrink or be reduced to one defining word: prisoner. But each of these boys found liberation within, realising that being in prison does not have to define who they are, "I can be anybody I want to be." With this thought and knowledge as they leave prison to live back in their own communities, they now have a choice: who do I want to be? And if that choice is now fuelled and informed by their experience of achieving something beyond what they thought themselves capable and the positive recognition they got from it, then I'd say they're on a path away from repeating old behavioural patterns or crimes and stepping out into a whole new horizon.
"On behalf of the white shirts [prison officers] I would like to say that there has been a lot of cynicism towards this project and I for one have been very cynical. However, watching those boys today, for the first time I saw them as dancers, not as prisoners." Prison Officer in post-show discussion.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Blog reading jury, I believe we have our verdict! Wooo Hoooo!! Thank you for following this blog to the very end, it has been a rollercoaster of a ride and it has been a genuine pleasure to share my journey with you. Please do spread the word as to the incredible difference the arts can make to the lives of people - we all have unlimited potential within, it's just a case of finding the right key and giving ourselves permission to open the door. Have a Merry Christmas and an ambitious 2012.
Warm wishes,
Rhiana Laws
Always
Believe
in the possibilities of your own
Horizon,
and never stop
Dreaming...
To my favourite boys: DCX,
Love Rhiana
My special thanks to:
Suzanne McGregor
Vince Fletcher
Mary Stewart
Gip
Alan Bryden
Jack Webb
Dance Base
Lorraine Jamieson
Chris Grant
Chrissie Ardill
Strathclyde Uni Students
Paul Gorman - visible fictions survival kit/venting go-to guy!
Rob Heaslip - long suffering flatmate, best friend and therapist!
OMH Therapies - for the ‘bubble' and reminding me to believe ALWAYS
And most of all - ever lasting respect (and press-ups) to all the boys who are DCX:dancecorextreme
November 24 - Fighting the Good Fight: Belief, Perseverance and Smarties!
(Telephone conversation)
"Dad, everything is going wrong...."
"Remember what your Uncle always says: when it seems that everything is up against you, it's at that point in a project you know you are making progress. The good stuff isn't meant to be easy - you can do this."
And I think that is exactly what is happening - the most unexpected difficulties are being hurled at me on a daily basis, and seemingly there is an unending supply of crafty little (and not so little) problems to hold rehearsals with the boys back, but the wonderful thing is, we're not being held back. Not really. It does feel at times like dragging ten tons of bricks but as I watched the boys the other day dancing through a section of their piece I realised that we're doing it, the performance is unfolding and it doesn't matter how many walls get thrown up against us, we're on the more powerful side because we are determined and this project is making a difference to the lives of these boys.
Writing about the past two weeks, the first thing I must do is to introduce you to Jack Webb, an Edinburgh-based contemporary dancer and choreographer who has joined me to deliver the choreography I created with Lorraine Jamieson for the boy's final performance. As Jack arrived we said goodbye to five more members of DCX - arrrggghhh! Two of the boys had come to the end of their sentence so we wished them well as they headed home; one boy who had been with me since the start was faced with losing a long term opportunity presented to him within the prison if he chose to stay with the project; and the last two boys who had also been with me since day one, I made the difficult decision would no longer perform as their behaviour had become so bad that all the positive progress they had made over the last five months was starting to be lost. So some very big changes and very great losses to the group which have been hard to bear leaving DCX with two long standing members and four new boys - the final six. The two boys who will no longer perform I am hoping to keep engaged with the project in other ways so they continue to learn from the decision but remain supported - I will keep you posted on how we progress with that idea.
The boys are all exhausted at the end of a five day week and I'm delighted to have a young man with low confidence dancing a solo. He was amazed that he could actually remember the steps, and another young man learned a duet having previously sworn "there's no way I'm doing that...." Could we just about be getting there?! We concluded the week having set a big section of the performance (still rough and ready but all the boys know where they're going and when) and finished off with some Smarties to provide a bit of Friday cheer, so I hope you have a happy weekend yourself as we're all certainly looking forward to a good rest!
November 23 - Refresh, Refuel and Remain Consistent
Any artist working in a challenging field will be aware that they are constantly giving, with a tremendous outpouring of energy required every day in every circumstance. However what is not always quite so readily remembered is the importance of filling up both creatively and energetically for oneself - this is the only way to stay afloat in the long run and ensure a lasting, happy and healthy career. This week I have been fortunate enough to have two such occasions to fill up, and I have to say, the timing was perfect!
Monday was a total disaster after a communication breakdown in the prison meant I had no space or boys booked for my session and after a bumpy ride last week this didn't help the smooth transition into positive hard work I'd been envisaging! Thursday too was a toughie. Three of the boys I've worked with since the beginning seemed to go into some kind of melt down and within 30 minutes I had one sent back to the halls and the other two on some serious ‘time-out' until they could behave properly. Whaaaaat?! I arranged a one-to-one chat with each of them and in the calm of a meeting room with no one else around the truth started to come out. In conversations with two of the boys we discussed what was going on, how they could improve the current situation and the best way for them to work in future which led to a great afternoon. The last boy however was different. A quiet, pale young man entered the room completely silently. He sat down and stared fixedly at his knees, his tall frame which is normally so lively with a cheeky edge suddenly seemed flat and sad as he told me he didn't want to do the project anymore. This young man is starting to struggle outside the project so his behaviour today was a reflection of this. I am determined to keep him engaged with the dance so that a minor stumble doesn't become a slippery downward slope in all areas of his Polmont life. Although his decision was not to dance anymore, in the afternoon I passed his room and the other boys called out to him that it was time to go dancing. His face was still pale but a cheeky glint caught the corner of a smile as I reminded him "I'll be back for you on Tuesday Mr". I'll keep you posted as to how we go.
In terms of re-fuelling and refreshing I attended the launch of Dance United Yorkshire with whom I spent 3 years working before moving to Scotland. I was delighted to return and watch two young men I used to teach perform a beautiful duet. I've watched both of them grow from boys to men and have seen each of them through some serious ups and downs so you will understand that I felt justly proud of them and very emotional - sniff sniff! My second wave of breathing in creativity was in leading a workshop for the BA students at Telford College. I taught some of the phrases the boys will dance in November and set creative tasks to explore and play with the movement which not only generated some beautifully textured quartets but gave me a fresh perspective on my own choreography and the meanings encapsulated within the movement. Many thanks to all these aspiring young dancers - you've lifted me up and reminded me during a tough few weeks why this work is so important and how powerful and lasting its effect can be.
So, at the end of this bumpy week one thing is certain: I will not give up on a single one of the Polmont boys. I get the impression I am one of only a few people in their lives who demand consistently high standards but I know from experience that consistency is key in helping people achieve their true potential and the realisation that they are worth it. Onwards, onwards....
21 November - If behaviour was a diamond, how many sides would it have?
This week was V shaped. It started off on a high, hit the deck and then bounced back up again. Having had three weeks away from regular session time with the boys during the launch of ‘The Hunted' and my residency at Dance Base (I saw them just once for an hour) I arrived at Polmont on Tuesday feeling excited to see them again but also wondering what would unfold. Hurray! The boys were on top form and we started working on big lifts to revive a sense of ‘company' and begin exploring possibilities for their final show.
Unfortunately by the time Thursday arrived Tuesday was long forgotten and the session landed with a definite thud as we bottomed out. Behaviour was slipping, partly due to the break they'd had, but also because of the awareness that their sturdy group of 9 which recently became 8 will soon drop down to 5 as several of the boys are reaching the end of their sentence. Whilst they might not feel confident about performing with dwindling numbers I also think these release dates amplify the stretch ahead still to be faced by those boys who remain.
I asked the group why it had been such a bad morning. One of the boys said he dreads weekends as they stretch on so long and whilst I emphasised that he should grab this time in the sports hall and make the most of it, other boys said how they hate being cooped up in their rooms for so long. Obviously this is part of the punishment process of being in prison but with Christmas approaching, long weekends left alone with their thoughts behind closed doors, and the group which has provided a sense of unity now losing members, I was reminded how ‘behaviour' always has more sides to it than the most intricately carved diamond; but whilst these worries were contributing factors to a very tough morning they weren't as prevalent as the lack of listening skills, basic manners and respect for others which run very deep. I spent a long time thinking about how one begins to tackle such a multi-faceted diamond when the roots of a behaviour or issue reach far beyond the prison walls?.....I could write a thesis on my thoughts and still have more to say and learn!
Friday was a totally fresh day and I was delighted to visit one of the young men I've been working with in Polmont who recently reached the end of his sentence and is now not only a proud father but is very evidently looking forward and working hard to make positive decisions for himself. Together we discussed how he might stay involved in the project - as a keen musician he created some beautiful music alongside Allan Bryden (Glasgow-based musician) for the August performance project, so we asked if he would like to do something similar for the November show. His response was a big fat YES so the audience will now take their seats whilst listening to music composed by this young man, a friend of his who is a budding musician and producer and Allan Bryden who enjoyed working in Polmont so much, he's back for more! I'm thrilled to still have this young man on board and to be bridging the gap between prison and community with him - he's doing fine on his own, but it's nice for me to be able to watch his progress and give him one more creative task!
04 November - Dance Base Cocktail
Take one dance artist, add another and place in a beautiful studio. Mix together two choreographic flavours blending until smooth. Sprinkle in a ridiculously long search for music, enough hilarity to last a life time, and a genuine love of diving and launching bodies through space. Shake well, then pour over a group of student dancers and serve. Voila, the perfect dance cocktail!
These past two weeks I've been in residence at the wonderful Dance Base in Edinburgh with my new most favourite person to work with. May I introduce Lorrain Jamieson, a Glasgow-based artist with tons of experience working in the community as well as creating her own choreography for professional dancers. She has a genuine passion for working with hard to reach young people and between us I think we could talk the nation to a stand still so we were destined to be a great match!
As avid supporters of the professional community Dance Base provided us with a studio where we worked hard to choreograph the boy's final performance piece. We set ourselves a pretty tall order: create a 15 minute piece in the first week; teach it to a group of student dancers in the second week with a sharing on Friday afternoon. Our collective bruises and sore shoulder muscles pay tribute to the fact that we pulled this off and the excitement we all felt is indicative of a piece that has had a great deal of heart poured into it.
The way in which I choose to work is to value product and process as entirely equal parts of an artistic whole. Having worked with the boys since June I have really got to grips with their strengths as novice dancers, what makes them tick, and what leaves them feeling high and dry. As their foundation in dance is still being formed their sense of movement as a resource is still limited. They are a hugely creative group but still nervous and self-conscious when it comes to choreography which I can whole heartedly understand as it took me a good many years after graduating to get to grips with my own choreography. The boys are not unusual in this respect and so my chosen pathway in getting young people who are new to dance ready for a big performance is to create the piece for them with very specific openings for the input of the young people through creative tasks. Sometimes a group can display such challenging behaviour that these openings need to be closed, as it is enough for the young people to grapple with discipline, commitment and their own personal story. At other times a group may take very well to the adjustments that happen during an intensive dance project and their creativity can be incorporated and celebrated. Either way, product and process in my view must be equal. The young people need to go on stage dancing a piece that stands up artistically in its own right, with no hint of shying away from professionally high standards. Choreography should be created to play to the potential strengths of a novice, and challenge their weaknesses with a bar set so high reaching it initially seems impossible but come performance day is discovered to be absolutely within reach. The journey a young person goes on whilst learning a dance that they will perform in front of family and friends is epic and the choreography, with foresight, can help them along their way which is what I set outto do with Lorraine: create a piece that reflects the journey of the boys so far, gives them somewhere to go, andwill allow for their own creativity whilst giving them a firm platform to launch from.
Now the piece is made we all have a great deal of work to do and experience tells me it will no doubt be a rocky ride. The piece is tough and will require the boys not only to dig deep into their muscles but into their hearts as well but, as we've created a piece that reflects upon what it is to reach for your dreams and achieve your full potential I'd say the road has to be rocky......how can anyone ever reach the top if they don't have to climb?
On behalf of myself and Visible Fictions I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Dance Base for their generous support providing two weeks of studio space in their gorgeous building. Thanks also to the fabulous dancers who volunteered their time, energy and enthusiasm to this process - hot baths guys! And to Chrissie Ardill who helped to choreograph our trio and acted as about 10 different bodies in space at any one time! I now look forward to welcoming Lorraine into Polmont amidst her busy schedule so she can help deliver our piece.
04 November - Production Week of The Hunted
In a darkened forest, under a blanket of stars a Hunter hunts a Wolf, a Girl tracks the Hunter, a Boy is catapulted between parallel universes and all of them are forced to face their inner demons. Yes, it's show time in Glasgow!
Alongside working with the boys in Polmont I've been helping out on the movement front for Visible Fictions latest touring production called ‘The Hunted' which features the hunter, girl, boy and wolf mentioned above. I've recounted already some of the bigger challenges I found working with pedestrianized movement whilst at the same time treading a creative line with an eye for detail. This week was production week and the show opened on Friday at Eastwood Theatre. A school group came to see the first show reviving any tiredness on the part of the creative team with a freshened view that only a new audience can bring. I wish the actors all the very best in their quest to take the ‘The Hunted' to the far reaches of Scotland.
In the meantime, between 7:30am trains to Glasgow and not getting home until midnight I've been utilising every spare millisecond in preparation for my two-week residency at Dance Base which starts on Monday (3rd October.) Myself and Scottish dance artist Lorraine Jamieson will be embarking upon our own hefty adventure as we work together for the very first time to create a 15 minute piece of choreography for the Polmont boy's - DCX - final show in November. We have two weeks to do an incredible amount of work - in the first week we will choreograph, in the second week we will work with a group of university dancers to teach them the piece and iron out any choreographic creases before taking it to the boys. This does mean however, that I will only have one session with the boys in a three week period which I anticipate could lead to future hiccups but there is no getting around the fact that I can't be in two places at once (unfortunately) and the next two weeks are vital to the success of a high quality final performance. I'm very excited, and of course nervous......once again it's time to breathe, trust and jump!
28 October - Introducing DCX:DanceCoreXtreme
We're all human and we all have days when we're driven to our wits end by challenging behaviour. This was me on Tuesday morning as Parkour expert Chris and I left the boys after a particularly hellish session. Behaviour was terrible and with a performance on Thursday looming large I was very aware that we were exactly where we didn't need to be and found myself quoting an inspirational woman I used to work for during my years with Dance United, "I'm so angry, I could go for a run!"
As I sensed last week that there had been a significant shift in the working relationship between myself and the boys I knew that hearing I was disappointed in them would carry much more clout than getting angry with them. This was not manipulation, this was honesty at the right time. I backed it up with a plan to fall in line with the much talked about (and try not to cringe here) X-Factor. No I'm not kidding. The afternoon was to be an audition. My terms were made clear:
Anyone serious about Thursday would behave with respect, not waste time and be rewarded with the chance to perform. Anyone who felt unable to do this could make the decision now to stay behind in the halls and not perform on Thursday. Anyone unable to behave during the session would be sent back to the halls immediately and would not perform. The boys knew what an audition was and whilst a few of them I felt, had arrived with the intention of seeing what mischief could be created that afternoon, they were more serious about performing. We had a good afternoon session and when Thursday arrived we worked to the very last second. All boys were on stage because they'd made the decision to work hard to be there. Phew!
Ladies and Gentlemen it is my pleasure to introduce to you DCX:DanceCoreXtreme. The original five boys who have been with me from the beginning decided on the name and I have been waiting to form a solid company with the new recruits before unveiling the new look dance group. Nine boys in matching black sports vests and t-shirts performed an explosive show fusing parkour and contemporary dance. The vests have each boy's preferred name and number in bright yellow on the back and on the front is DCX:DanceCoreXtreme. Not only did they absolutely nail their performance wowing their biggest audience of inmates, officers and governors yet, but they looked like a team, and after their decision to reign in personal behaviours in order to succeed for themselves and not let their team mates down I feel they earned their look.
It's amazing how such a street wise, lively bunch of boys full of banter can in an instant suddenly be stripped of all the bravado and appear vulnerable in their honesty. "I don't think I can do this," said one young man looking at me briefly before averting his eyes to avoid my face. He didn't believe in himself so I told him "I have enough faith for the both of us" before he slid away from the comment to get in place. After the show he came to me, a big bar of congratulatory Dairy Milk in one hand and said "thanks for that, thanks Rhiana" and offered me some chocolate. It might not sound like much but this was a massive milestone - he had faced his fear, had succeeded and been seen to do so and knew what it felt like to do something that required bravery, dedication, discipline and ultimately doing what he didn't want to do. And for me, his quiet thank you was more delicious than any chocolate could ever be! The next hurdle is to boost his confidence enough to get him to invite his family to watch the big open performance in November......I'll keep you posted.
28 October 2011 - Grudging and Scowling Progress
As much as it is a pleasure to write about the often crazy world that is this project, it's also a lovely way to reflect back upon what has happened each week, scooping the myriad pieces into a cohesive learning experience with the glorious benefit of perspective.
We seem to have reached an interesting point in the project where I have learned enough about the boys to recognise when they are having a bad day that they do have the inner resolve to push through, and when they actually need some time out, be it 5 minutes or a whole session. Likewise it seems the boys feel they can open up to me - little snatched moments during class or on the way to and from the sports hall where they'll let me know if something is ‘wreckin' their head' or troubling them. This week it seemed there was a quiet sadness underlying a few of the boys' behaviour, coupled with tiredness. At night in the prison halls boys are sometimes kept awake by other boys shouting and banging until the early hours, as well as their own thoughts which stir around their minds leaving them tired and drained in the morning. Normally after a blast of activity their blood is pumping and spirits are lifted but this week some of the group struggled. A mixture of experience and having got to know the boys meant I could walk the line between giving them a kick up the backside to keep going and a more gentle acceptance of the individuals who felt depressed or were finding it a tough month for external reasons.
The thing about having tough standards when working with young people in the criminal justice sector is that it pushes them way beyond their perception of what is possible for them to achieve, and this happens through consistency. Very often in a session someone will get angry and their general response will be, "I can't be arsed, it's shit" or in some cases "I'm signing off this project, I'm not coming back this afternoon, that's me gone." If I listened to this and didn't go to collect the ‘quitters' for the next session no project I or anyone else working in this area ever did would last more than a few days. This is where a combination of determination on behalf of and belief in the young people is invaluable, alongside experience, belief in the power of dance and the ability to recognise when someone is having a bad day but will bounce back. It is fine for people to say they ‘can't be arsed', as long as we remember to ask them ‘why? What is it that makes you not be arsed?' Generally the response is ‘because it's hard' or ‘I can't do it' - a temporary glitch which can be resolved rather than a need to reduce what is expected of them. The self-awareness an individual gains from being asked ‘why' often prompts a softening in attitude and a willingness to keep going - it might be a grudging, scowling willingness but at least there is progress and that I'm happy to take with or without a smile!
I found myself having my own grudging moments on the set of ‘The Hunted' this week (Visible Fictions new show that will be touring from 30th September). I felt utterly perplexed by how to turn a running-away scene into movement that wasn't dance, looked realistic, but wasn't just two actors running in circles around a stage. Perhaps your head is bulging with ideas that sidestep neatly between reality, movement, theatre, and creativity but my poor brain was chugging away with steam coming out of my ears - thank goodness for actors with resolves professional enough to try 12,000 different things 12,000 different ways. In the end I think I found something that works but it certainly required me take many deep breaths and step over my desire to say ‘I can't be arsed with this!' And, why couldn't I be arsed? Because it was REALLY HARD and required me to look at movement and choreograph in completely new ways - grrrrr! And with that realisation I smiled grudgingly at myself, and accepted that I was making progress.
20 October 2011 - Parkour and Pedaling
"Aghh...my legs man - they're still sore." "It's my abs, m' legs are ok." "Are you sore Rhiana?"
And to that question I could offer up a big fat YES! May I introduce you to Chris Grant from Glasgow Parkour Coaching - those of you who have stuck with my weekly blogs (or thesis!) will remember that I spent the day with Chris throwing myself over obstacles in a warehouse not so long ago. Well he's now joining us in Polmont for 3 weeks this month and made a cracking first impression on every single pair of quadriceps and abdominal muscles in the room.
This month our performance project is to fuse contemporary dance with parkour which is an incredibly physical response to any environment. You may have seen people on youtube or racing past you in town as they hurtle over a post box to land deftly and lightly on a hand rail before pushing off an opposite wall into a forwards roll to standing. These people are doing parkour. In the sports hall at Polmont we are constructing obstacles out of gym matts, using the wall and now that we are starting to fuse the two movement forms I would like to look at creating landscapes with bodies. I am also integrating six new boys into the group and am giving them an extra session each week to bring their dance skills up to standard with the boys who have been with me since June.
I was delighted that the boys took to Chris so quickly but I must admit I was surprised to see how immediately he was accepted. Seeing Chris so instantly recognised made me wonder if women really do have to pedal harder in masculine environments? It is certainly true of the yachting industry where I had to work harder than any of the guys to ensure I wasn't given the normal hostess duties (read glorified house keeper) in order to be up on deck with the men learning about boats. And then I wondered if Chris would have to work harder than me to be accepted in a female-dominated area? And then I wondered how to write about this without landing myself in the middle of a gender discussion which to be frank I don't have much patience for - girls, boys, we all pedal along to get to where we want to be and if I sometimes have to pedal a little bit harder, well, I just think of all the extra calories I'm burning! But I still found it an interesting observation.
Recently I've also started to work on Visible Fictions new production ‘The Hunted' and I have to say this has propelled me into a whole new world of choreography. The story is gripping and takes the characters and audience deep into the dark woods - when I read the very first few sections of the writer's draft I envisioned abstract movement, physical landscapes, moulding shapes shifting like shadows....but the reality is very different. The reality is that the movement needs to look real, to be true to the honesty of how these characters would really move. The rules of the theatre are suddenly all around me like walls looming, expecting me to know how they got there - truth is, I don't know but what I can see is that all these walls have doors. I'm not hemmed in at all, I've just got to find the right questions to ask to unlock these doors and I'm certainly working with the right man to do this. Artistic Director Dougie Irvine's favourite thing to do is go on a ‘key' hunt and in this situation we're both pedalling just as hard as each other!
13 October 2011 - Beyond the Behaviour, Behind the Mask
Facebook Status - Tuesday (11:25am)
‘Can anyone explain why I am still surprised at the behaviour of young people? It's not even lunchtime and I need.......'
Well let's just say it was a beverage that I would normally save for the weekend. It was a bad day.
Tuesday started off as being unremarkable in all the normal ways, what was remarkable however was the boys behaviour, but in less than favourable ways. One boy in particular seemed to be the central ripple, whipping the other boys into quite a frenzy. Admittedly nerves were starting to run high in anticipation of Thursday's performance, but this was not normal. What was going on?
The use of tactics in teaching is something that fascinates me and I love to watch how other artists choose to handle difficult situations as they arise as well as unpick my own working practice. Precariously balanced, yet intricately woven are the scenarios and decisions we deal with and in this instance I knew the boys were in a frivolous mood where everything felt trivial, unimportant, throw-away and funny so it was vital that I left them somewhere to go, yet at the same time made them aware that they were treading a very thin line. I put it to them that at this stage they were the only people who could rescue the situation and make their performance possible - they are well aware that under no circumstances am I prepared to stage anything that is below standard, and I have very high standards. They had a decision to make: was the performance going to go ahead or not? They decided they definitely wanted to make it happen, but the reality was that the rest of the morning was like pulling teeth (in fact a root canal minus anaesthetic would have been the more favourable option in my opinion, but with no dentist in sight I carried on with the session.)
As people we never act without a reason and these boys are no different. I am very clear in every project I do that unless I need information for my personal welfare I have no reason to know the criminal history of any young person I work with.In regards to our disruptive friend mister‘central ripple', I knew there had to be a reason for his change in behaviour - I've watched his development since June and knew this was more than just pure cheek. It turned out significant events the weekbefore had a severe impact upon him from which he was obviously still reeling. In this instance that extra information from one of the officers was helpful and made me realise how closely I've come to be able to read these boys and also how best I could go about resolving the situation. We're all human, we all hurt and we all hide, and we all know how to be a pain in the ass if we choose to be. I guess my job is in recognising that something always lies beyond the behaviour and that's where the tactics come in - to help these boys find a way out from behind that particular mask.
Happily their performance on Thursday was fantastic! They had an extra tough challenge this time as their audience was not only larger than before but included seven boys from their own halls. However, they rose to the challenge admirably and as such we now have six new recruits eager to start with us next week. Nice one lads! (Oh, and they celebrated with Toblerone this time round, just for the record.)
Many thanks to musician Allan Bryden for his beautiful music, composed alongside one of the boys from the group who has a passion for guitar -he'll know who he is!
22nd September 2011 - The Pied Piper
This week the boys and I welcomed musician Allan Bryden into our sessions and I have to say it's lucky Allan isn't the Pied Piper because he'd have his work cut out for him as he travelled - I've never seen one man produce so many instruments from hidden pockets and bags...he's a walking musical treasure chest!
Nothing compares to live music and as professional dancers do class accompanied by a musician it was something I very much wanted the boys to experience. They have struggled this month creating their own choreography - some of them have built confidence, whilst others have felt completely perplexed and looked for instructions either from me, or the person they have been working with. It's a massive transition at such an early stage to move from performing taught steps to developing their own so I thought a musician at this stage may add another creative element for the boys to engage with and be inspired by. Allan's music certainly introduced a fresh energy to the group as drum and guitar beats echoed around the big sports hall shaking everybody awake and the boys responded very positively in a variety of ways.
It was an interesting learning curve for me the first session we shared with Allan because with only 3 sessions to go before their next performance I'm hugely time conscious. The boys are enthusiastic but do not yet realise how much time is wasted through their behaviour which needed addressing this week. As such, I came prepared with carefully developed tasks to keep the boys on track creating sections of dance giving them enough guidance so as not to get stuck, but at the same time enough freedom that the movement choices would come from them. Having left one duet who had been struggling to work with the duet I mentioned last week - the catapulting themselves off the walls duo - I was starting to feel the familiar pangs of a tightening stomach and a brain that was working on 12 things at once. And then the music came. I turned round to see, in effect, a band - Allan was playing a djembe drum accompanied by three of the boys on guitar, finger piano and a crazy plastic tube that sings hauntingly as its spun over head, and they sounded good. Beaming back at me one of the lads called out "listen - we made this!"
My initial reaction was delight, obviously, but then my directing head kicked in and I thought, ‘they're not dancing, they need to be dancing - how can I get them dancing?' But something made me pause, made me stop and really see what was happening. They weren't dancing, but they were creating. They were engaging with the process and developing a part of their show. This wasn't time being wasted, this was brilliant and was allowing the boys to experience something completely new to them. I love projects like this, taking dance to places and people who would not normally experience it, and that's exactly what was happening with the music.
That day I was reminded it's ok to let go and see where things lead, even when time is really tight. The boys experienced the versatility of being a dancer and musician having a chance to explore, play and experiment. I had a chance to see what happens when I take my directors hat off - I can still keep it in hand but my head can breathe and new possibilities can emerge as unexpected gifts to work with.
My favourite moment this week was when Allan played his cello, accompanied by a guitar, and the boys went utterly silent and seemed to be lulled as they danced. They didn't say a word as I talked them through a new section, acting upon the instructions as if the notes of the cello were placing their limbs, guiding their thoughts to the dance alone - it was beautiful to witness...hmmmm, maybe Allan is the Pied Piper after all?
16th September 2011 - Muscle Rub and Crash Mats
"Caught you!"
A massive early morning yawn caught at full gaping point isn't the most convincing portrayal of a girl raring to go for a half day of parkour, so I laughed sheepishly at Chris Grant of Glasgow Parkour Coaching and assured him I was actually looking forward to this, despite appearances.
Having spent nearly two and a half months working with the boys in Polmont several things have become clear: 1) they are incredibly athletic with huge potential which I would love to explore even more 2) I much prefer working with at least one other artist and 3) that a collaboration between parkour and contemporary dance would tick these boxes very well with scope for a hugely exciting outcome. Enter Chris.
Taking me to the rehearsal space of a new parkour-based show called ‘Jamp', I found myself in a massive industrial warehouse that housed an assortment of scaffolding bars, rails, wooden levels, platforms and a metal shipping container that create the set of the show. Before we began I had a scamper about the levels feeling the onset of nerves as I eyed all the bars and levels that seemed to be grinning at me, daring me to start doing some extraordinary movement that as yet I'd only ever seen done on tv or youtube and certainly couldn't live up to - I can do a mean cartwheel but my gymnastic ability ends there. Yikes!
Our warm-up was thorough - I won't say brutal because I made it to the end still capable of movement (just) and a girl needs to keep some form of dignity. Wait ‘til the Polmont boys get a load of this - their abs and biceps won't know what's happened! Chris then started to put me through my paces with the basics of jumping over a gymnastics horse, moving on to rolls and dives and I have to say, I loved it! There were certain movements that I felt initially afraid of doing but as with dance momentum is a key factor of success so there was no ‘marking it through', it was all or nothing....with the added safety of lots of crash mats and Chris on-side to catch me. I am however proud to say that I didn't need rescuing at any point - encouragement, yes, rescuing, no.
Later I taught Chris one of the choreographic phrases the boys learnt for their first short performance and we both got very excited at how contemporary dance and parkour can lend themselves to each other. Later two young men Chris has been working with came in to warm up for a session on the equipment and at this point my basic skills were catapulted into perspective as Chris and these two lads transformed into, well, needles. For the second time in one day I was caught with my mouth agape as I witnessed these guys quite literally sew themselves in between bars, their bodies twisting and sliding, changing angle and gliding with such weightless grace and defined agility - I figure one or two more sessions would be good before I can keep up with them!
It's incredible how energy can be passed on - having told the boys all about what I'd done with Chris I was stunned and delighted as two of them developed a duet running full pelt at the wall, springing off it changing directions in mid-air, landing in a dive roll which launched them into a series of lifts and jumps. I can't wait to see what happens when Chris works with them and we can explore the choreographic possibilities from there. Bring it on (with muscle rub and crash mats close to hand!)
7th September 2011 - Singing in the Rain
This week heavy skies and lashing rain kept people indoors watching live news feeds of the burning, looting and violence erupting in England. Sometimes it feels like the weather is a mirror, and this week the picture was certainly dark and overcast. In Polmont the boys were quiet - their morning session had been cancelled because bad weather meant outdoor football was moved into the sports hall where we dance - so we used the afternoon to discuss our approach to generating choreography based on the theme of waiting. As we will be working with live music one of the boys brought his guitar and we thought about songs which revolved around waiting and how chords can create a happy, sad or reflective atmosphere. The boys were initially confused at the idea of making dance to show waiting but when we linked it to song imagery they seemed to click, as did an impromptu karaoke session - the mood in the room became sunny (if slightly off-key.)
Words can be so powerful and they are something I am keen to explore during this project. I love to write and being a Leo I'm pretty good at talking too but as yet I haven't had the opportunity to explore combining voice and movement in any great depth. Curious as to how one could go about generating words or text with young people, possibly based upon personal experience without cutting too close to a confessional mark I met with contemporary theatre makers Louise Brodie and Jess Thorpe. It was great to hear about how they develop material for the stage and to think about how I might apply it to dance. I also realised how everything they talked about I could visualise tackling through movement but felt utterly amazed at how they'd managed to do it through acting - but I guess that's why I'm a dance artist and they are theatre makers! My main concern is how to find a happy balance where words and dance not only complement and support one another but are delivered to an equal standard. Is my being human enough to recognise where to place subtle pauses, for example, which can be the making or breaking of a poignant moment or do I need special acting powers? There is no doubt that as a person receptive to theatricality I can feel what works and what doesn't (in my opinion) but do I have the necessary qualities to draw somebody's voice out of them to the same extent that I can find the dance within them and bring it out? So this is my next challenge and I am hoping that I will be able to experiment with a youth theatre group that Visible Fictions run near Glasgow. Whilst they will be used to working with voice they will provide me with a great opportunity to explore the balance between voice and movement, and if I find a gem which I feel confident to deliver in a manner which will work with novices I might just take it to explore with the boys in Polmont - there's no doubt as to whether or not those boys have voices that can project.
In terms of community involvement things are still shaping and melting and re-shaping in my mind, but one thing I am clear on from watching Polmont's reception desk and waiting room is that it's the women who come. Being a young men's prison mothers of the boys, mothers of the boy's children, girlfriends, wives and sisters are left behind and visit. Obviously men visit too but I see so many young mothers arriving with tiny babies, somehow making the absence of these young men even more poignant. It would be great to find a way of connecting with these women through dance, but they come from all over Scotland making regular sessions with them problematic. In the past I have worked with people who are restricted in what they can do physically and in this way a group like this could respond to the theme of BOUND from a different angle than the ones the boys came up with........hmmmm, still thinking and exploring!
1st September 2011 - Arch Enemies and Super Heroes
Zorro sweeps in from the top of a clock tower and riding on the back of a bull chases the soldiers away, rescuing Isabelle from certain death..."Ha ha fair maiden, fear not, it is I, Zorro!"
Last week I had the pleasure of joining Artistic Director of Visible Fictions, Dougie Irvine and three highly energetic actors in the development of Zorro. I was intrigued to watch how they explored translating a story through close collaboration between character and design concept. We all know that we learn through questioning and when I choreograph I often ask myself the question ‘what happens if....' But I must admit I don't always push questions upon myself to get to the root of an issue - if I don't like how something looks, 9 times out of 10 I'll drop it. But Dougie stopped me just as I was dismissing a movement suggestion I'd made because it didn't look right and asked me "why doesn't it work?" Wow! Good point - why doesn't it? Funnily enough I knew the answer straight away but by stating the seemingly obvious I had a much better grasp on the subsequent movement choice that did work, and learned a lot about my choreographic eye and the effective translation of an image that I would otherwise have missed out on. Ah, the art of constant questioning - thanks Dougie!
Just as questions are used to probe into the heart of why a movement is articulate, movement can be used to direct a mind full of questions and worry to a place of calm. One of the Polmont boys met me on Tuesday and explained, "I don't wanna do it anymore....it's just too stressful with me being in here, what with my Nan and that. I'm just not enjoying it anymore - I like doing it but...." I managed to persuade him to join the session based on the fact that he'd just contradicted himself (pointed out with a cheeky grin).
This reluctant company member has a huge amount happening in his personal life and was on the brink of giving the project up but with my super-hero secret weapon - a dvd of their recent performance - I felt sure I could sweep him up like Zorro and get him back on board (if only I had a bull to ride on the back of, it might have had more of an immediate impact, but the budget doesn't stretch to live stock I'm afraid.) I showed the boys the dvd and it had a really positive effect. Mr "I don't wanna to do it anymore" remembered what it felt like to be on stage and that it is possible to think about other things without it meaning you're abandoning your family - that combined with the natural endorphins from getting the blood pumping put us all off to a good start of fresh beginnings after our cancelled session last week.
This month the boys will be creating their own piece of choreography to be performed in collaboration with some live musicians from Polmont. Having short term goals that feed into the final performance in November is definitely the best approach for all involved, maintaining momentum and focus. I am in the midst of finalising plans for what the community involvement will be - there are many thoughts as to who to engage with and what to explore so I look forward to sharing that news as it arrives. In the meantime I'm revisiting an old enemy of mine, and realising he is somewhat of a legend - social scientist Michel Foucault was the bane of my existence in the first year of my professional dance training and I argued with my lecturer that I couldn't grasp why anyone would devote their time to observing what Foucault did about society. Ironic that his commentary on prisons, the ‘docile body' and my lecturers comparison of this to professional dance training is now informing part of my research period!
31st August 2011 - Comfort Zones And Speedos: Stepping Out Of Either Is Quite Revealing
I might not be into adrenalin sports in the form of launching myself out of an aeroplane or bungee-jumping off a bridge but I do welcome being pushed out of my comfort zone. I must admit it's not always a pretty sight but in the end I always feel it was worth it - sometimes I think I'm really brave and handle the situation well, at other times I realise I'm as capable of a childish tantrum as a furious child. (For the record I do manage to either internalise these tantrums or save them for my housemate who somehow still thinks it's a good idea to live with me!)
I was invited to perform in a live improvisation fusing text, voice and contemporary dance under the inspired guidance of dancer and choreographer Tom Pritchard. It was a fantastic experience and gave me a closer look at some of the approaches I am hoping to explore as part of my professional development later in the project. However, it wasn't until there was a real audience in front of me and I was referring to a cue card to tell an improvised story from words and phrases such as: African earrings, Speedos, cycling across Alaska, the witch and south to north, that I thought: ‘what the hell am I doing?!' From outside my comfort zone I witnessed myself, a girl in front of a microphone sharing the inner workings of her imagination with an audience who trusted in spontaneity enough to come and decipher the speedo-related offerings of a group of dancers willing to share a part of themselves that perhaps they hadn't even met before. Well, isn't this exactly what the boys in Polmont found themselves doing when they said they'd meet a woman who wanted to speak to them about a project and then found themselves diving on and off the floor? Maybe we can't truly find out more about ourselves until we are pushed into a realm where we don't know how we will react?
The boys have been pushed hard so far and this week they started to push back. Having picked themselves up and out of the post-performance slump last week, this week they landed themselves spectacularly accurately in a place of confusion. With the focus of performance now over they seemed to be free falling, forgetting any understanding of why we do technique or why we repeat things. "You're teaching it wrong, it was different to that before" made it clear that the boys were searching for familiar ground and weren't sure what they were doing outside the performance framework. Their behaviour was completely unproductive and in the end I decided that the ceiling stood a better chance of picking up the new movement phrase as it was the only thing in the room that remained silent when I taught - without doubt this was the time to STOP and press the reset button.
Bringing the boys into a circle I explained that the session would end here and the afternoon would now be cancelled. I could see early on where their behaviour was heading and decided it was the appropriate moment to use this tactic to pull the boys back to the core of why they were doing the project. Their initial response was one of shock: they went quiet. Providing clarity on what is and is not acceptable I also explained that the skills in commitment, self-discipline, tolerance, patience, respect, and listening they are developing are not only for dance but also helpful in jobs, relationships, friendships, courses - all of life. To their credit the boys did engage in a conversation with me where they went from casting blame to thinking about how to move forward from this.
New ground certainly leads to discovering more about ourselves as it inevitably brings out a part of ourselves we either like or a part we need to work on. The main thing is having the courage to step away from the familiar and witness how we react.
30th August 2011 - Trust Your Art Form
As predictable as we think people and human behaviour might be there are always surprises - delightful, saddening, shocking, hopeful - which serve as a reminder to keep a fresh pair of eyes. But there are also times when the surprise is more a big old box of ‘I told you so' and suddenly we're looking at a familiar scene saying we've seen it all before - I guess at this point the surprise is in the individual way people respond to the predictable. After any high there is the inevitable low - be it cycling up Arthurs Seat puffing and panting all the way to the top (every puff = at least 100 calories, surely, it's only fair?) or the low which hits after the elation and adrenalin of a performance and seems to have no benefit at all. This week was tough for the boys as this low feeling seemed to find them, and as individuals they were found in different ways, in different places within themselves.
Disruption, chatting, scatty energy and a heavy feel flooded the group but an introduction to choreography seemed to divide them igniting a creative spark within some, launching them into focused creation...it's always a genuine pleasure to witness the first time a group delve into their choreographic ‘tool kit' and realise that they can make dance too! Later in the week the boys had shaken off the post-performance low and were on fire, creating duets using pictures of capoeira, football, basketball and parkour/free running as starting points. It is becoming clear that not only are they creative, they are very funny too, weaving in comical aspects to their choreography giving a nicely cheeky edge. Love it!
My main concern this week is in response to a ‘thought shower' I did with the boys last week. As you know the theme for this project is BOUND and their response to the word was quite a journey in itself. Starting with some more obvious associations they quickly moved on to an outpouring of deeply held thoughts and personal experiences. Being bound to their crime or the family reputation came up as did being loyal to their ‘troops'; being bound to their bern as a father; bound to the lifestyle of crime and all that can come with it: some people thinking it's normal because of their upbringing, becoming streetwise and seeing the consequences of drugs; being bound to life.
The boys opened up in a state of group trust so my concern lies in the fact that it doesn't take long before they're back in the halls of Polmont where the safe space is forgotten and personal information is then in the hands of young men who, as yet, might not have the sensitivity to keep it private. Likewise, my aim is to create a dance performance which not only reaches a high standard of artistry and presentation but develops transferable life skills such as confidence, self-esteem, team work, discipline, the ability to receive instructions and commitment. Therefore, whilst BOUND is our theme my role is as a dance artist, not a therapist, so I must be careful that any comments or thoughts the boys bring up which are of a sensitive nature are respected and not explored choreographically simply for dramatic impact or as an effort to try and ‘resolve' the issue emotionally.
I have always been able to generate movement which holds emotional quality and a sense of story when working with young people without delving into their personal history. Choreographing movement which acts as a canvas for the dancer to colour with their own associations leaves them free to choose whether to attach sensitive or surface-level significance drawn from personal or general experience - it doesn't stop the movement from telling a story but it doesn't hang on the individual revealing potentially harrowing information to the rest of their group, or me. This approach keeps me in my role as artist and the young people engaged in a process which allows them to look forwards, making a positive step forwards in life. The veil between dance artist and therapist is at times thin but as long as I trust my instincts, my experience and remain grounded within my art form I know I will be able to guide the boys through a safe, well navigated process that allows each of us to be true to our best qualities and abilities.
25 August 2011 - Quiet Courage and Deep Fried Mars Bars
Reviewing this week from a distance is rather like watching a piece of loose machinery jiggle itself into a tightened, secure mechanism with a good performance rating. The boys were faced with the challenge of a full-on week, culminating with something they were all ultimately afraid of: performing in front of an audience.
If I charted my perception of each boy's journey on a graph, it would look like a mountain range of triangular pinnacles lurching from great heights to ridiculous lows with mini-peaks and sustained lines in between, but would end on a happy high. At this early stage even slight changes can have an impact on a group, so with new boys joining and leaving over the first three days I was not only stretched as the only dance artist but the boys were constantly establishing a new pecking order and subject to different personality combinations. Catering to the needs of a real cross-section of capability, whilst at the same time maintaining the focus and attention of group members who picked steps up quickly or had been with me since the beginning is quite a balancing act and one of the many reasons I am an avid supporter of Team Teaching which sadly is not always financially viable. Finally the group settled at a committed core group of 8 - once this happened a sense of company and trust was able to develop.
Monday morning saw us sitting in our trusty circle (which is how we start and end every session) putting together a Company Agreement to establish a set of ground rules and expectations. We then leapt into action sweating away the weekend with circuit training before morning technique class and starting to learn the choreography for Friday's show. Monday afternoon however, catapulted me into an enlarged group who had not only gained new members over lunch but managed to mislay any form of listening skill and replaced it with an irrepressible need to make noise. Constantly. I felt battle commence and had a tactical meeting with myself that evening.
Tuesday was fantastic and witnessed the boys accepting experienced dance artist in this field, Lucy Nicholson into the group to teach a duet with me. After making adamant statements such as "I don't feel comfortable with another man standing behind me," the boys learned to lift each other and how to use eye contact as they danced together. They learned a very slow moving solo which one member refused to continue with reliably informing Lucy "it's ballet." In comparison the rest of the boys said they liked it and started to think about what the reaching action might represent - jovial mentions of deep fried mars bars and Chinese meals paved the way to thoughts of their own bed and freedom.
On Wednesday there was a perceptible change in attention span, energy and commitment. Bellies were no longer flopped onto as press-ups were abandoned, instead biceps pumped, faces screwed up in determination and in rehearsals corrections were remembered and applied. The boys' response to the structure of the piece being put together was brilliant - the penny seemed to drop as they finally started to understand how all the sections of dance fitted together and on two occasions worked as a company finding their own choreographic solutions to pathways and cues.
Then Friday arrived, performance day, and with it twelve thousand dramas. Nerves; unexpected appointments meaning we lost three boys; re-choreographing the piece to accommodate these losses; injury and therefore more re-choreographing; tension; one boy demanding to be taken back to the halls as there was no way he was going to perform which is a classic response to nerves; a last-minute unexpected return of the three boys and therefore re-re-choreographing! But finally, out of the corner of my eye I saw the boy who wasn't going to perform walk with quiet courage into the performance space and take his place amidst the rest of his company. The audience entered.
They walked in to see eight boys sitting facing up stage on the diagonal with lowered heads - not a single fidget or snigger. The music (a classical tribute to rock band Evanescence) began and slowly eight heads rose, eight backs elongated and found perfectly straight lines and turned to scan the horizon above their audience leading into movement charged with their own layers of emotional meaning. The music took a dynamic upward turn and the boys dived, sprinted, lifted each other and danced with genuine integrity. They didn't move a muscle when they stood at the side of the stage, poised with focus - a professional discipline they fought hard within themselves to achieve. The audience clapped, the boys bowed - then offered to perform all over again!
This week has been full of challenge, demand and reward for us all. We've strengthened bonds and the boys have revealed themselves at their best and their not-so-best. They've experienced pushing themselves to do something new and how good it feels to show this off. We still have a lot of work to do before November but for now, I'm writing this with pride for the boys and a feeling that something great happened this week with these lads who are now no doubt eating their celebratory boxes of Malteesers!
11 August 2011 - The Battle of the Bare Feet - 'I have a foot phobia.'
"I'm NOT taking my socks off...", "I have a foot phobia...", "Nah...".
It's always interesting, the precise moment at which I ask a group of young people sitting in a circle, to take their socks off ready to dance. There is a perceptible pause where even the air appears to hold its breath. Eyes either stare directly at me taking in every tiny movement of my face looking for signs as to whether this crazy lady is for real or not, or they dart uncertainly at friends sitting close by, looking for a leader - do we go with this or not? Finally the pause peaks and avalanches into a chorus of what's, no's, foot phobias and usually a few feet actually exposed as the socks are peeled away revealing nothing more surprising than.....well, a foot.
The great thing about contemporary dance is it takes participants into a new realm where they have no previously crafted persona - there is nothing to hide behind, no chance to blagg their way through by relying upon fashion or musical taste to speak for them - it's quite literally them, effectively stripped. And this battle of wills is a precarious thing to manage because whilst it is important to leave reluctant participants somewhere to go within the scope of bargaining, it is also important as the lead artist to set a firm grounding of basic yet fundamental expectations and instructions. Eventually I had eight feet au naturel and the rest met me at a compromise of rolling the sock half way down to expose the heel - a deal which ends on Monday next week.
These three days have been about setting a technique class and getting the boys really shifting through the space. They're a powerful bunch, when they want to be, and a big part of that choice is realising their capabilities. What I am noticing with some of the boys is that as soon as they catch themselves having a good time, or being utterly involved in the movement they question it, remember that dance is not from them and do something to distinguish themselves from this new physicality. Often this comes in the form of "I can't be bothered, I'm just going to sit this one out." Of course this isn't an option I ever allow, so I get eyes rolled at me and an anrgy glare which is swiftly forgotten to the dance they were trying to forget.
We have moved from a small class room into a huge sports hall which is fantastic for travelling and high jumps but quite difficult acoustically because of the echo. The group are a chatty bunch and attention spans have found the two hour sessions a difficult run, not to mention stamina - we are starting every session with a hefty amount of press-ups, sit-ups and running and at the moment there are just two lads who can happily do a set of 10 press-ups. We have work to do!
I am certainly still finding my way within the prison, working within a very strict rule-based structure but have been very pleasantly surprised by the individuals who have supported this project. I've found in the past and certainly now, that individuals who ask the question ‘how can we make this happen?', rather than saying the words ‘not possible' are as valuable as rare gems. A prison is so full of locked doors but with even just a few gems on side it is incredible to witness not only what can happen within those confines, but to see the beginnings of the boys considering turning a key within themselves......
In terms of the professional piece I am going to be making I have been having quite a tricky time grappling with lots of images which have been floating in front of my eyes in the forms of stories, poems, pictures, concepts and isolated theatrical imaginings. I visited a sand sculptor I have collaborated with in the past and watched him work for a day whilst I chewed over my ideas for BOUND. As I watched him work it occurred to me that when he starts sculpting he stands in front of a giant block of sand: blunt edges, rectangular. But he sees past that shape, in this case to the figure head of Beethoven inside, recognising the unique quality that this block of sand has to offer. It's early days, but I know in a rather rough and ready way that this idea relates to the story I have been reading called ‘I'm Not Scared' whilst researching my own work, but also to the journey the boys are on.... Hmmmm, more about this as it arrives!
15th July 2011 - Boats, Beaches and Boys in Prison.
Hi there, my name is Rhiana and I’m working with Visible Fictions for the first time as Artist in Residence at HM Polmont YOI. I’m a Contemporary Dance Artist and have been working with dance since 2001 teaching, choreographing and performing all over the place from as close as England to as far away as New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka. I love exploring and have discovered that dance is a great way to bridge social and cultural divides no matter where in the world I am……so this current adventure has brought me back to Scotland - I’m thrilled to be here and in no doubt that this project will certainly be all about building bridges, on many levels.
When I saw that Visible Fictions were looking for an artist to lead a project that encompassed working with young men in prison, a community-based group and the creation of a professional piece of work I decided that someone must have been listening to all my quiet whispers and aspirations as this was nothing short of my dream job. My passion for using contemporary dance to work with socially excluded groups of young people actually began when I was taking a break from dance after graduating from professional dance training at Laban in 2001. Sick of London and wanting to experience life outside the studio I promptly travelled to Antigua with only £70 to my name, sailed back home across the Atlantic and then decided to move to the Isle of Wight to work as an outdoor activity instructor! I taught climbing, abseiling, trampolining and archery (I gave myself a secret high five each time I managed to get an arrow in the target, and died of embarrassment the day I actually missed it completely whilst demonstrating to a full group – clearly not a career move with much scope for potential!)
Whilst there I was asked to lead a group of young men who came from Birmingham and the thought terrified me. A lot of them were going to be older than me at 23 and were described as being ‘disaffected’ and ‘at risk’ – what the heck did that mean? They came from the inner city compared to my country-bumpkin background and being a predominantly Asian group came from a religious and cultural community I had not at that stage had any interaction with. But something made me determined to step beyond my fear and work with them. I prepared carefully as I had been leading groups aged 10-16, so needed a new approach to a lot of the activities. I spoke to a lady with lots of experience in this area who gave me some advice that I will never forget and still draw upon today. ‘Treat them with respect,’ she said, ‘they are not boys but young men and there is a difference. They will be out of their comfort zone as much as you are. Be yourself and nothing other than that. Be clear and firm about boundaries when introducing the structure of the week.’ She reminded me that we’re all human and united in our desire to be seen and given a chance and this advice continues to serve me well.
We had a brilliant week together and though I learned a great deal, there are two impressions that have always stayed with me: the silence that swept across the group when they finally stopped messing about and actually sat down on the beach in a long line and properly noticed the ocean, for the very first time. The second was that the climbing, working together as a team and experiencing the possibility of a new environment with people who met them without judgment had an incredible impact on each young man that was obvious to see in even just one week. And that was the beginning for me, and I hope that it was also the beginning of something new for each of those lads from Birmingham.
Years later I started to work for Dance United using contemporary dance with young offenders and prisoners, and four years down the line this has now become my unique speciality and passion. I’m particularly excited about this project because I’ll be taking dance into a Scottish prison working for an all-male group which I haven’t done before and as part of my professional development I intend to explore the creation of a piece made specifically to form the basis of a residency in prisons, youth offending teams and services.
I have already met the group of young men in Polmont who have volunteered to work with me over the next six months and I think it’s safe to say that energy isn’t going to be a problem! My brain is already busy over exciting itself exploring the many different avenues and possibilities of this project entitled: ‘BOUND’.
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Visible Fictions Dance Artist Rhiana Laws shares her discoveries on her pARTners journey.Read more »