Kristin Pilgrim in mask
Moving Objects! Francesca Chilcote in mask
Responding to Architecture! Keegan Cassady in mask
Hamming it up, following the shape of the mask. Kristin Pilgrim in mask
Mask with Lake Matoaka behind. Kristin Pilgrim in mask
Many Masks on the Matoaka Stage! Keegan Cassady, Kristin Pilgrim, and Ellie Terrell in mask
Audience Interaction. Francesca Chilcote in mask
Secret Mission. Margaret Hutchinson in mask
Left to Right, Stephen Dunford, Francesca Chilcote, and Luci Samp in maskIt was interesting to watch the students selecting masks for each turn. I thought that people would be more interested in performing in the Swedish Masks than in our own masks, but that turned out not to be the case. My students were just as eager begin the early explorations of their own masks (that they had made earlier this semester) as they were to take the Swedish Masks to a new environment.
Each mask brings its own, powerful personality. Whether students were exploring the space in a wooden or a papier mache mask, they each found new characters emerging from their bodies in unexpected ways.
I have to say that documenting explorations while also leading them is an extraordinarily difficult task! While wearing the mask, I am familiar with the split-focus required for mask performance. It is exciting to put my own personality on the backburner and see where the mask takes me.
As a teacher, a similar dual focus is required. I want to be with my students 100%, so that I can coach them towards a fulfilling turn in the mask. It is hard to do that with a camera in-hand! I am doing the best I can, but oftentimes, I will forget about the camera in order to be in the experience with my students. It's difficult to find that balance. But, I am so glad to have this blogging responsibility, since it is forcing me to take more pictures than I normally do. As a result, this is becoming one of my best-documented classes yet!
Each mask brings its own, powerful personality. Whether students were exploring the space in a wooden or a papier mache mask, they each found new characters emerging from their bodies in unexpected ways.
I have to say that documenting explorations while also leading them is an extraordinarily difficult task! While wearing the mask, I am familiar with the split-focus required for mask performance. It is exciting to put my own personality on the backburner and see where the mask takes me.
As a teacher, a similar dual focus is required. I want to be with my students 100%, so that I can coach them towards a fulfilling turn in the mask. It is hard to do that with a camera in-hand! I am doing the best I can, but oftentimes, I will forget about the camera in order to be in the experience with my students. It's difficult to find that balance. But, I am so glad to have this blogging responsibility, since it is forcing me to take more pictures than I normally do. As a result, this is becoming one of my best-documented classes yet!
No comments:
Post a Comment