Combined Underscore practice
As the structures of the Underscore and the Music-based Underscore are identical, it is easy to get excited by the prospect of putting the two practices together, with dancers and musicians working together so as to achieve a sum greater than the two parts.
In reality however, the combining of the two practices in one space is not an easy proposition and demands a high level of experience, skill, and respect for the unknown to get near to achieving a balanced environment where both practices can flourish.
With this in mind, however, I have had the privilege to lead a number of workshops which have culminated in a combined Underscore practice involving experienced dancers and musicians. What has emerged from these experiences has been a process of collaborative co-existience, where the wealth of individual and shared knowledge, is underpinned by a recognition that no one can possibly foretell where the improvisation will go. This understanding, in turn, supports an environment built on respect and tolerence, of giving and taking, where our separate approaches and differences are seen as a positive attribute to the entire emergent experience.
The opportunities to combine the two practices and to share this work with other improvisers, has proven to be of profound importance to my current Musicians in space research and the subsequent adoption of the concept of a performance ecosystem for this research.
Click the image to watch an introductory video. >