othered ways

"Timen," a Dance with Twigs

reflecting on "Timen," a five minutes piece that I created and danced in Fall of 2019 (part of the 'Space, Place, & Time' reflections with Peter Lichtenfels)

Writing Timen #1

I am holding a bundle of twigs; there are about 20 of them. I picked up these twigs outside; they were lying everywhere under the trees. They are all the same size, almost identical but also different; none of these twigs repeat themselves. I hold them as I own a specific amount of time, which holds a story from my recent past. Is it possible to stretch backward resurrecting memories that were recorded in my body? I write them in the space with my dancing body. The past will suck me in for 5 minutes, no more and no less, and these 5 minutes will be an eternity in my perceptual experience. Variety of ways to construct these 5 minutes of memories? and I am ready to start my story:

I place the twigs one by one on the floor, simultaneously saying Khlebnikov’s verses while moving away with the repetitive rhythmical pace:

The stream of time…….On stone dreams…..The rush of streams …….On time’s stones…

Until I met the wall who is my usual partner and liminal space. Dancingly drawing pattern after pattern--I loved this feeling of exhausted monotonous repetitions that slow-moved from one side to another in sentence-like manner and then returned with laughing into the wall patterns…

Writing Timen #2

Holding a bundle of twigs, about 20 of them

Picking up these twigs from the ground under the trees

They are the same size, almost identical, none of these twigs repeat themselves and yet each of the twigs in some way repeat themselves

Holding them as a specific amount of time

Time which holds a story from recent past.

Is it possible to stretch the time backwards resurrecting memories which were recorded in the body?

Planning to write them in the space

The past sucked up the 5 minutes— 5 minutes of eternity

How differently could they be constructed these 5 minutes of memories—one of the versions of memory editing

Ready to tell the story

Putting twigs one by one on the floor simultaneously saying Khlebnikov’s verses

Moving away with these rhythmically repeated 4 lines :

“The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …. The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones ….. The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …..The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones ……..__“The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …. The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones ….. The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …..The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …….._“The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …. The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones ….. The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …..The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …….._“The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …. The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones ….. The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones …..The stream of time On stone dreams, The rush of streams On time’s stones ……..________________________________________________”

Until meeting the wall

The wall is a partner and liminal space

Drawing pattern after pattern

Loving this feeling of exhausted, monotonous, and yet different repetitions

Slowly moving from one side to another—sentencing—and then laughing back into the wall …