January- Movement and theatre.

Finally we are working on a project that is but storytelling, not just theatre. Last week, Berit, the team leader of TeamDance and I, decided on the general theme of ‘New Beginnings’ for the January dance/theatre/mime storytelling presentation. We are specifically looking at the Samaritan woman who Jesus spoke with at the well. For this first attempt we’re going to alternate between the dance and drama sections, with two of each, then –hopefully- a monologue at the end of the sermon, where the woman talks about meeting with Jesus and how this affected her. The momologue is already translated, which is an added plus.

The drama needs to be independent of the dance, just in case the dance team doesn’t come together as planned, and also so the two teams can rehearse separately, so we’re going to have the piece operating on two levels independently, the dance being the dreams and hopes and desires of our main character and the drama/mime being the reality of her spiralling life. The dancers will, however stay on the stage, and I’m hoping that as the (probably fairly graphic) reality destroys her dreams, so they will respond. We agreed that the end of part one is when the very end of the discussion where Jesus says “I who speak to you am he”.

My main focus in this is the realisation, not only that this was Messiah, which would be earth-shattering enough, but also the fact that this man was never going to hurt her, leave her, abuse her or reject her, and that she was safe with him.