HMP Practice Session #9

The HMP practice session number 9 took place on Saturday 22.11. at 12-15 at Reprum theatre and was led by Kaisa Kukkonen and Giorgio Convertito.

This time the focus was on the communication between dancers and musicians improvising together on stage. Like what is it? What happens there?

As our guests we had the students and teachers of Laponia Improvisations, a school of improvisation based in Helsinki.
http://laponiaimprovisations.wordpress.com/

And notice the new reharsal space!
Reprum, Hämeentie 33, 3 krs, 00500 Helsinki

Call, if you can´t find us: 041 436 1793

Welcome! Because #9 is the last HMP Practice Session of the year 2014!

HMP Practice Session #8

The Practice Session #8 took place on Saturday 25.10. at 12-15 at Zodiak studio B2 and was led by Sami Henrik Haapala.

In this HMP session we’ll be examining impulse. In my doctoral research I’m examining impulse as a starting point for dance, acting or other performing. I’m considering impulse as the smallest possible unit in performing. The impulse can be physical, emotional or intellectual. It may be born in the senses or in the mind. It may be something completely different. Impulse as a concept is very familiar to improvisation in dance, but I’m confident the thinking about impulse can be developed further and transformed. I’m searching for a way to a more specific and more precise use of impulse in any action.

For more information see www.samihenrik.me

HMP Practice Session #7

The seventh HMP practice session is taking place on Saturday 27.9. at 12-15 in Teak and was led by Sergio Castrillón.

PERFORMANCE EXPLORATION AND CREATION IN REAL TIME FOR DANCERS AND MUSICIANS. By Sergio Castrillón.

Fundamentation and development.
The idea of performance exploration and creation in real time comes from my personal experience in the practice of free improvisation and music heuristics, not only with musicians but also with different kind of artists such as dancers, actors, painters, drawers and poets.
The main purpose is to explore extended techniques through the available means (body, musical instruments, objects, etc.) in a non-prepared or non-rehearsed situation and physical space.
Practical activities as well as philosophical approaches about improvisation and creation in real time will be taken in account during the session. All participants will take part in discussing some questions related to the topics.
Note: It is not necessary to be an expert in the matter (if those ones do exist); the discussions can be approached from personal experiences and individual ideas.
Another crucial point to explore in this session consists in how important is the connection and interaction among two or more different artists, specially coming from different fields. In addition, the participants will explain how has been their relationship with the audience and how important is in their performances.
The last issue to be approached in this session is how to create a mental state in performance situation. That aims to analyze how it affects the performance itself and how it creates a sort of “energetic field” that conveys certain impulses to the other performers and the audience.

Activities.
-Warming up jam session (Duos, trios, groups)

– Avoid the cliché?
Discussion and practices about exploring unknown territories in our personal performance.
Questions:
Try to find something new in real time? Create an improvised performance based on the knowledge and experiences? Whatever works?
What do you consider as improvisation? What do you consider as performance exploration? What do you consider as creation in real time?

– Keeping the tension?
Discussion and practices about the connection with other performers and audience.
Questions:
Is it worth it time awareness in performance? Is visual contact important in the performance? Which ways do you use to achieve connection or interaction with the other performers? With the audience? Can we talk about a successful improvisation creation in real time?

Note: The session will be focused on practical activities. DON´T PANIC!!!

HMP Practice Session #6

The sixth HMP practice session is taking place on Saturday 30.8 at 12.00 in Zodiak studio B2 and will be led by Pia Lindy.

(Re)searching the unknown.

Questions we will play with: How to extend and when to extend with the material what occurs in a duet or a group improvisation. Is there a way to support a surprise? How would you do that in your working?

HMP Practice Session #5 – Summer Camp

The fifth Practice Session will be a special one, a loooong one. We have 5 hours at Esitystaiteen Keskus on a beautiful Thursday in July to practice the art of improvisation.

The facilitators will be chosen from the people who join that day, so bring your ideas along. You can also send thoughts on this event page.

Kaisa and Giorgio will take care of the time. We will also have a proper lunch break.

Esitystaiteen Keskus, 17.7 at 12.00

HMP Practice Session #4

The fourth HMP practice session is taking place on Saturday 24.5 at 12-15 in Zodiak studio C4 and will be led by Alejandro Olarte (http://alejandro.olarte.free.fr/)

Unlocking Dionysus.
The classic opposition between Apollo and Dionysus illustrates our understanding of different regions of the mind and of the spirit. Certain intellectual qualities and high values are linked to Apollo while other passions and more subconscious process usually refer to Dionysus. When practicing artistic improvisation does it make sense to use this image and split the process related with the reason against others related with the impulses, reflexes and desires? Could we design performance situations that reveal this internal duality? can we free the animal inside us for artistic purposes? Is that helpful at all?

HMP Practice Session #3

The third HMP practice session is taking place on Saturday 26.4 at 11-14 in Zodiak studio B2 and will be led by Katariina Vähäkallio.

The session theme is “Inner and outer space”: playing with the own space in relation to sharing it with the other.

HMP Practice Session #2

The second HMP practice session is taking place on Saturday 22.3 at 12.00 in Zodiak studio B2 and will be led by Kaisa Kukkonen.

We will work with duets. There will be exercises focusing on short duet work and then a longer improvisation score for a larger group, keeping the focus on duets.

HMP Practice Session #1

The HMP Practice Session #1 will be on Saturday 15.2 in Zodiak’s space B2, from 12.00 to 15.00. This first session will be led by Giorgio Convertito.

The session will begin with a warm-up focused on the use of space. After that we will practice the classic HMP format, the half hour long improvisation, adressing the issue of the specific duration, endings and developing themes.