Master Class: The Doors of Ki

 

 

Master Class from 10 AM - 12 Noon

The class began with breathing. A lot of emphasis was placed on inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the nose using the diagrammatic breath. There was explained the importance of positioning the feet inwards to keep the energy and outwards to let it out. The rest of the body was to be relaxed as we practice inhaling and exhaling. We continue with what I have known as kundalini breathing which means to inhale and exhale rhythmically as one uses the abdomen to press in an out the breath out of the thoracic chamber. We also began to execute moves that resembled a cleansing of sorts by using one hand to circle the top of the head and run it over the opposite are. Emphasis was put on not touching oneself in the process.

We changed places to move around the space until we were in a circle. We leaned on each other by being close to one another. We use our partners on either side to lean left, right, front and back. We moved around again and found another place in the circle. This time we performed different movements to activate different areas of the body according to out meridians (dantien, chext, throat and the area under the chin). We broke out of the circle and walked around the space again to increasingly follow the rhythm of the music and step down into gravity, wide legs. We changed places again and sat down. 

Vibrational therapy began by playing the bells while we were sitting. At that time we were asked to go to the bathroom if we needed to. When we were all back in the space, Vivian explained how she was going to use the bell to work on the opening of the dantian (as we placed over the area, the belly button in the middle, our thumbs touching each other, our middle fingers touching, pointing down. She also worked on the chest area, the throat and the third eye, the sacrum. She approached us one by one.

When done, we began to walk in all directions to eventually follow Vivian in a dance she led. She would ask randomly to participants to tell her a text while moving.We finished by gradually gathering in the middle, Vivian in the center.

 

Performance at 5:00 PM

 

 

The solo performance by Vivian was the culmination of the Solo Theater Fest. It was a amazing opportunity to see how her technique permeates her delivery masterfully. Her unfolding of the different characters in the story ( Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Elektra, etc) demonstrate her capacity to use her voice and body to characterize the different characters. The costumes were amazingly functional but also beautifully made complementing the actress delivery. 

 

The scenery turned the otherwise empty space  into a magical kingdom with a coherent theme based on a sort of oracle/circle and a circle on the center of the stage. The hanging wings on either side of the small stage added visual perspective giving it depth but also functionality. They hide the different costume changes, place strategically behind the hanging wings, but also, as part of the dramaturgy. They also allowed the actress to expose her face or see through them as she spoke. 

 

The music, recordings and a cappella songs sang my Vivian created different effects. At times, the instrumental arrangements accompanied her speech. At times the the music was the background for voices that could resemble the ancient Athenian chorus. At times, she sang a song from the Cuban popular repertoire, such as a bolero,  that made it almost Brechtian. At times, from the classic language the actress or Elecktra, among other characters, jumps from sophisticated language to colloquial.

 

The lighting was carefully designed emphasizing the areas where the actress moved throughout the play.  It marked the center on the stage, but also on the back drop. The areas behind the wings, although used by the actress, remained dark. At times the smoke, upperstage, gave the story a tragic look that accentuated the dramatic nature of the piece.