Lightbulbs, let's shine

'Shine' November 2011, Artist: Vanessa Mirza

I painted this yesterday feeling that a new season had begun in our journey, and felt this picture was an encouragement for what is about to come. I know bliss covers our path as creations unfold. Shine and be glorious. Love, passion, joy, courage and strength to each of us as we commit to onward adventures.

The Change Swirl...

Part of life's journeys has moments of heartache where you let go of what you cannot carry with you. It is important to note every relationship and experience adds value either directly or by reflection. I had to release two dancers this week because they did not agree with my vision and way of achieving it. I believe in freedom, but not in compromise. So I had to make a decision, to let go of something we had begun to create together and start afresh. It hurts my heart, to have to give up on that expression of creative release...but sometimes when I paint too, I have phases of painting over, with a new colour and it enriches and add layers to the background. Infact sometimes the way the background is created is the most interesting part of all. So I believe in exploring, playing, searching, like a child, till I find the treasure chest and in the midst of it I have colours creating pictures all around. Yes, the process is what will paint the final picture and so I will not compromise on that...may the dances be finished in perfect timing.

Prophetic painting: 'Pearls & Shells'

'Dream Realms' Mini-Series 2011, Artist: Vanessa Mirza

Prophetic Painting: 'Come Alive'

'Dream Realms' Series 2011, Artist: Vanessa Mirza

Themes & Keys

I have been reviewing the movement material collected so far and decided to have something that rather interesting for me. I've chosen one piece of improvisation that movement wise forms the theme piece, so that the dance would flow from this capturing the flavours, colours, momentum and even carry a structural essence that draws from this improvisational excerpt.

I'm excited to see how this can be the envelope or the letter, or even letter paper on which the concept and dance ideas are held together, written and read. Meeting with my adviser helped greatly for me to sort through interesting vs generic movement. Even though my paintings were used as a source not all of the output puts my vision, or it may not in it's current raw state. With transformation to different degrees and a greater play in freedom it could become quite valuable and a powerful expression of what I want to communicate. But I did find my inner instinct being a voice of truth and felt the facade of show or spectacle torn down. Of the beautiful movement being one that carried weight in what it speaks rather then the mere beauty of shape, line, gesture, action, sequence of delineated by the dancer's body.

I also found for the piece where the relationship between the dancers was defined more clearly there was a greater intentionality and connection in their improvisation. In some ways for the other piece I had wanted 'a stranger to friend' relationship grow, but I think I forgot to mention this to my dancers! My clarity gives them clarity, so I need to mention more details. Chinese and English run parallely in the studio and I try to ensure my dancers understand well.

It is wonderful to have freedom in how and what you create. My paintings have a very natural free dynamic in them and I want that to remain in purity as the key strain in all of this choreography; a wildness and passion, and the boldness to reflect only what I want to say, nothing else...so this is being true to me and authentic, daring to reveal my art cutting away all the fancy trimmings that will please someone else's vision. It feels like I am taking a stand now that will change the course of how I create art for the rest of my life. So be it!

Come November: Music in composition

Entering the second week of November and the joyful news is I have finally confirmed a collaborator for original music composition for the duet piece. Yuhan Su is a very accomplished performer and musician based in Boston(USA). Here's a link to her website (http://www.yuhansu.com/live/), but to share breifly from her bio, this is her creative streak-

'In many ways, Yuhan Su represents the voice of the new generation of jazz musicians. Though she is firmly rooted in jazz tradition, her music is innovative, emotional, cerebral and most importantly, always lyrical. Her compositions and improvisations are uniquely hers, marked with an amalgamation of complexity, intensity and emotional resonance...'

It's interesting for me to work with Yuhan because she studied at TNUA(College of Music) at both undergrad and graduate levels before winning a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music (USA). Working with an overseas collaborator creates some interesting challenges, but most of these are solved by the beauty of technology and internet communication. It also allows a sweet inter-dependance and creative partnership, based on inspiration, artistic liscense and a trust to allow each aspect of composition to develop individually while maintaining a parallel connection. I'm loving the way this project progresses. It's going to be a Happy November!