short cv
She was born in Athens/Greece, she is half German half Greek. She has an education in psychology and dance. She has worked as a therapist and trainer for mental health professionals. For the last twelve years she has attended Butoh dance workshops with various trainers and has worked for the organization of various dance performances as well as for Butoh dance workshops.
2007: Founding member of "indigo fera art productions". The goal of this company is to support art in any form, one section is dance.
2008: Dance performance "The Song of Iris", concept R.Konstantaki, choreography R.Konstantaki-Y.Yoshioka, dance Y.Yoshioka-Evi Tzortzi, in Athens/Greece.
2009: Performance-installation "EN ON", concept R. Konstantaki, choreography R.Konstantaki-Y.Yoshioka, dance Yumiko Yoshioka, in Athens/Greece and Montreal/Canada.
Since 2010 Rena and Yumiko are working on a new project which will be shown December 2011 in Athens/Greece.
Beginnings
I
came to the Lab during a time that I am already working on a creative
process that will lead to a performance in December. The work deals
with desires and the impossibility of fulfilment, our projections to
others and the dissatisfaction we get, the psychological and physical
pain we get, the ignorance and aggression we exchange etc.
Therefore, the research project in the lab could not be something
different as, I am so immersed into this piece at the moment. So I
let myself follow the images which come, the lab project will allow
me an elaboration of aspects of the main piece I am working on.
My work is influenced by butoh dance, that means concentration, waiting for the body to
give impulse and follow it. It works on the evolution of images. I
will create a general choreography and then I will try to allow my
body to move each time free, that means that the total different
improvisation might occur. I will investigate step by step each
segment and try to listen what is inside (sounds, memories, feelings,
texture, smell etc.). I will listen to different kinds of music to
see what moves me. I will record rehearsals to be able to see it from
outside. I would like to share it with others and to listen to their
saying. Maybe something interesting will be said which could clarify
aspects or change my original intention.
Images
While I was working in the
various sessions workshop, images arouse, music, atmospheres,
qualities like: a feeling of very thin, but very white and strong
light, music of Samuel Barber,adagio for strings, abstract sounds
also came in my mind/ears, the feeling of a very light body, the
growth of a flower, the opening of the petals from a tulip, a volcano
eruption, the breaking sound of a falling, heavy glass, already these
images have lead me to concepts and movements, but I want to wait, I
don't want to give too specific explanations top the images, because
I might get trapped. I have too concrete an imagination of this dance
and that bothers me, I want to stay open as much as I can, I want to
wait for the next session to see what will happen to me.
mmmmm something is
cooking, I begin to feel excited!
7.3.
ouff,
today was a difficult day, mistakes with the blogs and this and that,
there are so many things with computers, I really get sometimes
really in panic. Kyriakos told me, it is better to avoid capital
letters, so....I will continue this way. I was listening in the
afternoon to madrugada, "quite emotional": (hear
it here)
Beside the fact that I
love this song, at the moment it gives me images for my project. the
music and the images allow me to travel inside of me, some inner
layers occur. I will try to analyze. In my mind there is already a
story about this dance.
My project
a
dance which begins with light /birth and ends up in darkness/death.
It
doesn't have to deal with life and death by itself, it can be an
allegory about the birth of a desire, a wish, goal, intention and its
end, disaster, disappointment, disillusionment, break down. Last week we had to write
a text for the workshop about the topic, so I wrote this:
an idea from blooming to the process of withering, it starts from the beauty of birth and ends with the darkness of death. It starts with the dancer who receives light from outside, maybe from the sun, and her body grows to its extreme like a tulip. She becomes a creature full of light and moves towards audience to share, but the more she gets close...the more she realises that there are other energies among the people, strange or dark or aggressive. She gets shocked, confused, the dance changes.....at the end she breaks down. I feel a connection with the music of a melancholic adagio of Samuel Barber, adagio for strings op.11(hear it here) as well as the view of an erupting volcano, standing in front of it and the feeling of astonishment and disaster, while blooming an incredible light very strong and very pure. While the dancer is standing in front of audience I see the bad energy of the crowd as a very dark cloud, smoke expanding fearful, mysterious..While blooming I hear sounds, very delicate, abstract.
9.3.
We
decided with Vittoria that she will work with me. A new thing I want
to investigate is that another dancer, Androniki,who also
accepted,will be sitting among audience and she will suddenly
"attack" Vittoria the moment she is in front of audience
receiving the negative energy I imagine. She will hit Vittoria like a
bullet and Vittoria will break down. This idea came out by following
the image of volcano explosion. After sharing with Vittoria my idea
she proposed to me to think about participating in this dance, she
said that she finds it a pity for me not being part of this. It is
funny all the time I am trying to avoid dancing, since my body is not
flexible anymore. Once I was dancing but now I see myself as a
choreographer and my wish is to transmit to others my concept and my
feeling of movement. I have been asked also other times why I don't
dance by myself but fortunately or unfortunately I am a
perfectionist.
About
methodology again
One
month later and all information are dancing in my mind. John Paul
Zaccarini talked about the "impossible", Michael Klien
mentioned
Gregory
Bateson. Ha, very funny, as psychologist I worked with the background
of systems theory. Even though I know that since someone enters this
approach he will continuously travel into systems and always new
spaces arise in front of him.
When
I came to this workshop I could not imagine that I would start to
think about systems. Lets take it step by step.
- The possible impossible or the impossible possible is coming into the research.
- in the choreography the sudden change from light to disaster.
- the feeling of impossible to dance by me but dancing.the impossible to create a project in two months, to create a new methodology and to develop a new theorem, but to do it.
But
neither the possible nor the impossible is important, the process,
the break through which might occur is interesting, then the product,
the result comes next. Bateson
became very known for the term double bind communication. I read
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Bateson
In 1956 in Palo Alto Gregory Bateson and his colleagues Donald Jackson, Jay Haley, and John Weakland articulated a related theory of schizophrenia as stemming from double bind situations. The perceived symptoms of schizophrenia were therefore an expression of this distress, and should be valued as a cathartic and transformative experience. The double bind refers to a communication paradox described first in families with a schizophrenic member. In Steps to an Ecology of Mind Bateson cites Samuel Butler's The Way of All Flesh, as the first place where double binds were described (but not labeled). The semi-autobiographical novel was about Victorian hypocrisy and cover-up.
Full
double bind requires several conditions to be met:
- The victim of double bind receives contradictory injunctions or emotional messages on different levels of communication (for example, love is expressed by words, and hate or detachment by nonverbal behaviour; or a child is encouraged to speak freely, but criticised or silenced whenever he or she actually does so).
- No metacommunication is possible – for example, asking which of the two messages is valid or describing the communication as making no sense.
- The victim cannot leave the communication field.
- Failing to fulfill the contradictory injunctions is punished (for example, by withdrawal of love).
The
double bind was originally presented (probably mainly under the
influence of Bateson's psychiatric co-workers) as an explanation of
part of the etiology of schizophrenia.
Currently, it is considered to be more important as an example of
Bateson's approach to the complexities of communication which is what
he understood it to be. In short, the behavior of person X affects person Y, and the reaction of person Y to person X’s behavior will then affect person X’s behavior, which in turn will affect person Y, and so on. Bateson called this the “vicious circle”. He then discerned two models of schismogenesis: symmetrical and complementary. Symmetrical relationships are those in which the two parties are equals, competitors, such as in sports. Complementary relationships feature an unequal balance, such as dominance-submission (parent-child), or exhibitionism-spectatorship (performer-audience). Bateson’s experiences with the Iatmul led him to write a book titled chronicling the Iatmul’s ceremonial rituals and discussing the structure and function of their culture. He next travelled to Bali with his new wife Margaret Mead. They studied the people of the Balinese village Bajoeng Gede. Here, Lipset states, “in the short history of ethnographic fieldwork, film was used both on a large scale and as the primary research tool”. Indeed, Bateson took 25,000 photographs of their Balinese subjects. Bateson discovered that the people of Bajoeng Gede raised their children very unlike children raised in Western societies. Instead of attention being paid to a child who was displaying a climax of emotion (love or anger), Balinese mothers would ignore them. Bateson notes, “The child responds to [a mother’s] advances with either affection or temper, but the response falls into a vacuum. In Western cultures, such sequences lead to small climaxes of love or anger, but not so in Bali. At the moment when a child throws its arms around the mother’s neck or bursts into tears, the mother’s attention wanders”. This model of stimulation and refusal was also seen in other areas of the culture. Bateson later described the style of Balinese relations as stasis instead of schismogenesis. Their interactions were “muted” and did not follow the schismogenetic process because they did not often escalate competition, dominance, or submission.
I
think this is very interesting if we apply this term on the inner
dialogue of the dancer, the dialogue between choreographer and
dancer, between dancer and audience, between social environment of
choreographer, dancer, audience etc. A chain without end.
Example:
Choreographer
has in mind to make a project about love. In his personal life
love was a very painful issue. Whenever his mother said
"I love you" seconds later she was shouting at him and
punishing him. Luckily he did not get insane by this schizoid
communication for reasons we don't mind to analyze in this context,
but for sure his concept about love is combined with this
experience. In his brain a chapter about love is written that
way. Interesting would be in this case to see what kind of
choreography would occur or/and what kind of relation would be
created with the stuff, audience etc. It would not be strange
if audience would get very angry/confused, the schizoid pattern could
maybe be projected to audience, why? Because unconsciously he
will provoke a kind of punishment for himself by letting audience
unsatisfied. But if he will be asked, he will say that audience
loved 'it'. Because love and punishment is for him one thing.
The same will also happen with his colleagues, friends, newspapers...
When he will read negative critics he will say that they are
ignorant, or jealous or whatever.
Using
this example I try to say how seriously unconscious issues guide our
project. Michael
Klien's mentioning about Bateson became a key to connect my systemic
background with the workshop and with my project. This is an
agreeable occasion for me and it gave me all these thoughts. Following
this thought I come to other terms: "self reference", "resonance". I read from: http://www.psycom.fr/Formation/index.php?menu=presentation&select=references
Heinz von Foerster is revealing that describes what the observer
is more about his relationship to the object that the reality of the observed
object (1). In turn, biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco
Varela have shown in their work on visual perception, how the representation of
external reality is constructed by the observer as a function of the entire
visual field, and through consistency its internal nervous system.
If the first therapist cybernetics research objectivity in the
second-order cybernetics, he co-built it with his patients. According
to Maturana (2), this "objectivity in parenthesis", the observer
operates in fact an act of "distinction" when describing
"observed reality": that is to say that when therapist or anyone else
of the aid relationship and the patient describes his work he conducts, he held
a number of distinctions. These have been developed from personal experience of
the therapist, models that organize his thoughts, perceptions he receives from
this experience. He actually speaks of the relationship with his
patients. In this regard, it is quite meaningful to compare the
stories of two co-therapists who attended the same meeting, they are different
while describing the same reality.
Still referring to this second cybernetics, Mony Elkaïm
developed the concept of resonance by focusing on the intersection
singularities Commons and family therapist. He showed how to
build connections between the therapist and the family from the resonance
amplitude of each individual. Elkaïm Mony says that neutrality is impossible when
working inside the system, it considers that the therapist is "used"
within the therapeutic system to co-construct the family a process of
co-evolution . This approach relies on the emotions that arise in
meeting the therapist, she is primarily self-referential.
The latest developments of this movement are driven by American
therapists referring to social constructionism: Anderson, Goolishian (4),
Hoffman (5). They are in the post-modern, whereas modernism as
outdated. Modern thought sought objectivity, rationality, and
trying to describe reality. The post-modern thought is born with social protest in
the early seventies. According to Kenneth Gergen (6) "The construction
of the world does not fall within the spirit of the observer, but within
different forms of relationship." The therapy is
more focused on the symptom (solving therapies) but on the dissolution of the
problem (Dissolving therapies), it develops into a narrative between patient
and therapist.
The field of systemic family therapy is characterized by the
coexistence of several current theoretical and clinical mutually enriching. Researchers
have also distinguished themselves in this common shared reading: that we
co-construct reality by developing maps that help us move in a world that
nobody knows.
I am going to refer to the
speeches of Ana Sanchez, John Paul Zaccarini and Michael Klien and I will
extract a sequence of those speeches which is resonating with me. Maybe I will elaborate the theory about
self reference and resonance. I will try to connect my concrete choreography
with a content of the above mentioned theories. I cannot formulate it more concretely at the moment. I have to digest and to work also
practicaly on the project. I am
sure something will occur. It is
like in butoh dance, the dancer has to wait until his body wants to move
because it is moved by something.
16.3
Yesterday
Chris Clow talked about issues and techniques of documentation.
So
today, after all, my cooking pot continued simmering with the
so-called resonance,
which is also a term used in systemic approach. The Greek translation
is the word "συνήχηση"
which is combined by the words "συν"and
"ήχος"
and means sounds which resonate. I am going to use this term in
order to describe what is happening between
choreographer-dancer(s)-stage designer-light
designer-musician...cameraman-text writer-article writer and finally,
audience.
Lets
say I want to work as choreographer on a piece which originates from
an idea, a sense, a poem, an opera or whatever. The question is what
resonance do I have with this idea, I have to investigate deeply the
layers which are connecting with myself: what is happening to me,
what moves me. I think it is not very easy to find this out, because
sometimes the layers are hidden or are unconscious. Finally, I find
an essence and I decide to follow and work on this concept. When it
comes to choose the dancer the same questions arise, what led me to
this dancer? Because he is a good performer or because I assume
cognitively or instinctively that this person could resonate with me,
or let's say with the soul of the piece I imagine. Therefore, the
piece is not so innocent as we think, because it starts to demand its
own "food". Let's think about the dancers' circumstances.
Why, where, how does he resonate with what? If our "instruments"
cannot sound on same amplitude, then dissonances occur. As a
choreographer I think it is very important to give very serious
attention to this, because maybe I can gather very important
information a) about myself b) about the piece c) about the
collaboration with the dancer.
Exploring
all the factors I mentioned before under this prism, we realize how
huge is the whole construction of interrelating, resonating factors,
and where the result, according to my opinion is not predictable. I
suppose that we have to deal with a construction which is becoming
more and more complex in a modus of logarithmic expansion. I think
it is helpful for us to be aware about this process and that it could
give us ideas about tools we could use in order to work creatively.
21.3.
back to project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaFHwvHCJOs&feature=player_embedded#at=35
This music helped me to organise my thoughts.
Life/death, development/katastrophy in 12 minutes maximum, floating fast from the one state to the other, possible/impossible.I want to be very short, from the one extreme to the other,but giving the feeling that the story is long.
We will work on this with Vittoria and Kyriakos, Kyriakos will improvise with music on the day of performance,both will have some rules, we will research on Tuesday.
20.4.
final
21.3.
back to project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaFHwvHCJOs&feature=player_embedded#at=35
This music helped me to organise my thoughts.
Life/death, development/katastrophy in 12 minutes maximum, floating fast from the one state to the other, possible/impossible.I want to be very short, from the one extreme to the other,but giving the feeling that the story is long.
We will work on this with Vittoria and Kyriakos, Kyriakos will improvise with music on the day of performance,both will have some rules, we will research on Tuesday.
20.4.
final
I gave to my small piece the title
"CON + PRESSED"
...but my life lasted only one moment
I put side by side two contradictory factors, birth and death, and between those two factors I put another element which was the sudden attack by a second dancer, Androniki. Then the picture changed again, because while Vitoria, the first dancer, is 'attacked' she grasps the aggressive one and changes immediately from peaceful/soft to aggressive/dangerous. Finally both collapse and fall apart.
I was satisfied with the result, many changes ... my previous thoughts about double bind were not obviously there, but in a way they were. Many contradictory factors guided me to this piece, so I felt the influence of coincidences which can change the choreographers' mood, perception, and finally the piece.
By this I would like to finish my page by saying thank you to the wonderful group, to the people who helped me and inspired me and thank you to all those who read my page.
"CON + PRESSED"
...but my life lasted only one moment
I put side by side two contradictory factors, birth and death, and between those two factors I put another element which was the sudden attack by a second dancer, Androniki. Then the picture changed again, because while Vitoria, the first dancer, is 'attacked' she grasps the aggressive one and changes immediately from peaceful/soft to aggressive/dangerous. Finally both collapse and fall apart.
I was satisfied with the result, many changes ... my previous thoughts about double bind were not obviously there, but in a way they were. Many contradictory factors guided me to this piece, so I felt the influence of coincidences which can change the choreographers' mood, perception, and finally the piece.
By this I would like to finish my page by saying thank you to the wonderful group, to the people who helped me and inspired me and thank you to all those who read my page.
