As a dance, theatre, and dancetheatre maker, yes, I do sometimes direct and / or choreograph pre-existing works. I’ve directed productions of classical and contemporary plays; created new versions of traditional ballets; have had the privilege of staging other choreographer’s historical works, and been entrusted to care for the work of other living dancemakers and directors. My passion though is in making new works, and that’s particularly true with something called devised performance.
What is devised performance?
There are certainly a number of definitions for devised performance / devised theatre / devised dance, and just as many means or processes by which this kind of work gets made. Unlike other performance practices (like the rise ballet, for instance), it is difficult to pinpoint a specific moment or location where artists started devising work. We can certainly see elements of devised performance as far back as ancient theatre in the West, as well as mime, commedia dell’arte, and other artforms. It wasn’t until the last century, however, that these practices began to coalesce, emerging out of German Expressionism (both theatre and dance), the rise of modern dance, and later the Judson experiments in the United States.
While I fundamentally believe that a solo artist can make devised work, it is generally thought of as a highly collaborative practice. Ensembles are often made up of artists across a range of artistic practices (choreographers, directors, performers, musicians, visual artists, writers, etc.), and everyone contributes to the creative process. The impetus for the work may emerge from a wide range of places including (but not limited to) current or historical local, national, or international events; novels; a piece of existing visual art; a historical building or other significant location, or the life of an individual. The list is endless, really. The project may be purely aesthetic in nature, or it may be content-driven. The product may be docudance, docutheatre / docudrama, performative ritual, or a collage. Although the works are typically performed / presented live, they may not be. Very often, regardless of the methods used, the ensemble may include a dramaturg and / or a curator who help engage in pre-production research, and then assist in shaping the work as it develops.
So, why do I make devised work?
There are times when I do enjoy working on solo projects, both as a performance-based artist and as a visual artist. But, there’s only so much one can do, make, and say from a singular perspective. Dance and theatre present the possibility of communal activity and action. The collaborative ensemble experience gives me the opportunity to engage in telling stories that I can’t tell by myself, or in those situations where I am creating work from a singular perspective on other people. While someone (or several someones) ultimately have to shepherd the project to a place where the work is cogent, the process is often deeply democratic where everyone has both agency and responsibility to the work and to each other. The very activity of making devised work is therefore about empowering the ensemble (and by ensemble, I mean community of artists). That means that activity is, in its own right, social action, regardless of what the narrative is “about,” if there is any narrative at all. Then, we can get into questions about the role of the audience / viewer and their agency and responsibility when observing devised work. But, those are questions for another day….
An example of this kind of work was a production called re.action (poster to the left). It was an evening-length devised performance responding to current events that took place in the summer and fall of 2016. The ensemble included dancers / choreographers, poets, and visual artists. Collectively, the ensemble helped determine which stories we told, and everyone contributed to the making process. I served as the dramaturg and as a choreographer.