AND THE VERBAL PING PONG PRIZE GOES TO…?
Cove Park, Day 2
Imagine two tuning forks laid out before you, one antique and very precious, the other brand new and shiny. Totally different sizes, shapes and textures. At first glance, these two objects could in no way create a perfect harmony together. How wonderful it is then to hear a beautiful resonating chord ring out loud and clear from the first magic strike. Right from the get-go, the verbal ping pong Charlie and I enjoy has this perfect resonance born from us both living in the moment and questioning everything. This kind of freedom is incredibly rare for me; I can count on one hand the people with whom I can have an unfiltered, unapologetic, deep diving, non judgemental, humorous and often creative conversation.
And it’s great that Charlie feels the same way, saying “I feel like I've been in alignment, so vibrationally in tune with you in that shared frequency that I haven't felt any need to step out.” Likewise, I’ve not let my mind wander away as with other creative situations. Instead, I open up the jumble of thoughts in my head to let Charlie know what I’m thinking. It doesn’t feel forced, just that I am pro-actively trying to be me.
I've been at the rehearsals of more established choreographers where the feedback they receive from those in the room is far from unbiased and tenable. But Charlie and I quickly dispensed with any fake platitudes or sense of contractual obligation. Rather than saying ‘yes’ to everything, our discussions produce very healthy differences of opinion serving up the fuel for our work. We managed to avoid talk for talk’s sake by being active conversationalists. Getting the mix right makes you feel truly heard and understood by each other. Willing and able to explore all those oddball ideas in your head without feeling judged or dismissed. It’s not at all heavy, laboured or overly intellectual.
I guess what I am saying is that I really struck gold with my DYCP collaborator this time!
I’m feeling wonderfully energised and my creativity is feeding off my partner’s own excitement. In terms of Lou Cope’s comments, who is my dramaturg on this experience, we not only have new branches to swing from but an astonishing forest full to explore. How fruitful dynamic conversations like these are and how valuable this residency may now be worth. We should all nurture such rare relationships and take good care that they may forever strike such beautiful chords. For the first time in a decade my pool of verbal ping-pong players has just increased.