Urban re:passages

The Body Landscapes
A series of Choreographic research exercises
Various locations
January to March 2008
By Beatrice Jarvis

With special thanks to Pam and Bob Jarvis and Ralph Miller for camera assistance and support in arduous conditions!

The following images are documentation of choreographic research exercise which i devised and undertook to explore the fashions in which the architecture of landscape imposes certain qualities to the nature of expression of the human condition. I did not arrive to these sites with an prepared movement language, rather I allowed the landscape to guide me through free fall improvisation and exploration.

This was often done at dawn, in the depths of night, in snow and the conditions had a dramatic effect as to movement. These exercises served as a developmental exploration to allow me to create a new language of expression that was entirely site led.

The following images were taken on the Sussex Downs:

The following images were taken in Devon:

A land which engulfs
A wondrance as to what language we share
Moving through these grounds
I stand
Alone
But here
Aside
The wind speaks a word of safety
The wave a murmur of discontent
No familiar lexicon
A rush of understanding to falter
This is land is perhaps unknown
A cartographer stands maples
A planner with no plan
Un predict
Un do
Un done

All images and text copyright to Beatrice Jarvis

This remains an ongoing series, developing a new language of body, space, reaction and emotion, a new cartography of land form through observation and curiousity.