I was extremely grateful to observe last week's Exit12 rehearsal for Virtual Arts TV's Live-Streamed Performing Arts Festival.
I enjoyed that the work expands a notable amount of time (at least half an hour, easily 45 minutes with the video footage), and that each section highlights a different aspect of wartime life with ample weight. The music and readings enhance the performance by deepening the content. Lastly, the prevalence of ballet was both surprising and fantastic, inadvertently (or perhaps purposefully) exhibiting the dichotomy of standardized canons with modern philosophies and emotions, also reflected in the content itself.
The Q&A with Artistic Director Roman Baca proved very insightful. He spoke about the collaboration with the Camera Operating Director, and his trust in her decisions about which camera will be streamed at which time, noting that very little choreographic decisions were based on the placement of the cameras or timing of the streaming footage. I was honestly surprised that he took such a back seat in this process. I am not saying that he should dictate every single shot, but I do think he is not tapping into the full potential of working with the cameras. Throughout the substantial time of the performance, I think he could have made five or six choreographic choices based on specific placement and streaming of the cameras. For example, the repetition of the percussive movements in the "group dance" section could be highlighted by zooming in on the dancer's movements from a specific angle.
