Physical Listening in Action is a workshop that explores our untapped capacity for observing, responding to and interacting with other moving bodies. We re-frame all movement as behavior and apply an inter-species lens to our tactile, proprioceptive, visual and auditory investigations.

Many of my site-specific performance works bring dancers and horses into shared landscapes. To effectively choreograph with equines, I developed a studio practice designed to fine-tune spatial awareness, heighten attending and practice creative decision-making in combination with horsemanship strategy. Horses are always in alpha negotiation. So too for humans. We apply equine strategy to shaping human behavior. We work with the simple notions of desire, survival and curiosity. When inside the equine landscape, our movement is not designed to be beautiful but rather strives for consummate congruency. We are constantly shaping negative space between bodies. Sometimes we simply frame the animals. At other times, we direct and shape their behavior.  We know that every choice is a form of interactive negotiation. Our choreography must allow for disruption, remaining porous yet progress along a predetermined trajectory.

Physical Listening in Action introduces this inter-species approach to dance-making, focusing skill building inside the duet form. Choreographic scores define the rules of engagement and creative decisions emerge out of necessity. A logging process guides movers towards tracking their movement choices, recalling and repeating create cueing systems and variations. The rigorous and playful scores transform raw material into concise choreography – small dances made in real time.

As decisions layer one upon the other, the movers realize that they are accountable for their choices. Thus, Physical Listening becomes a vehicle for teaching empathy and collaboration. Choreography becomes a process of building teamwork. This intentional approach to dancing and dance-making brings listening and accountability for choices directly into the creation process and performance arena offering a dynamic template for discussion about and the practice of responsible citizenship.

Physical Listening in Action resonates with the objectives of the 2017 IDOCE Symposium: My restatement of these objectives is: What is my practice actually doing? How might that practice contribute to global consciousness?  How are my pedagogic and artistic decisions shaping the world of others? What is the effect of the decisions I am making, and not making?