Smithson's Spiral Jetty and the Challenge on Salt Lake......

We have met head on the challenges from both the BYU Music and Dance groups and now it was our chance to throw down the gauntlet! Missing our fellow student Steve Sheehan , a performance artist of some repute, we arranged three group ‘warm up’ pieces followed by 3 individual team pieces.

The initial pieces were each related to group behaviour - how when we are in large groups we perhaps instinctively work as one. In the animal kingdom, huge flocks of starlings appear to dance across the skies or enormous shoals of fish act in a similar manner. Does any one bird or fish act as leader? 

Here in Yellowstone and Utah the sighting of a wild animal brings cars to a sudden halt and we tourists pour out of them, cameras strained towards the animal. 100s of people wait for the moment ‘Old Faithful’ erupts and then as one gasp and cheer, cameras clicking once more.

These initial ‘warm up’ pieces try and mirror those movements. For the first the entire group huddled very closely together each person touching the next. With eyes closed and guided by one person the group are encouraged to start breathing in unison – slow and deliberate with absolute quiet other than the sound of one’s own breath. After a short while the group are asked to begin humming, quietly at first but growing louder. The sound of humming can be felt through vibrations within the body. Whilst the humming gets louder the group are asked to move around independently but whilst remaining in contact with one another. The humming is directed to reduce in volume to eventually only the sound of slow breathing once again.

The second piece required the group to space themselves apart in a diamond formation, with a ‘leader’ in each of the 4 corners. The leaders in turn , holding a camera or phone , led the group in postures perhaps resembling the taking of photographs. The group through direct or peripheral vision followed suit, but naturally a little behind the leader. The piece was completed once each of the leaders had led the group.

Kate and her dance students Nicole, Elise and Stephanie show us how the flocking formation will work.

Here we are in 'flock mode'. Jay, in the background, is filming it all for the exhibition.

Finally, the third warm up piece required the group to form into equal rows of 6 people 6 deep. Each person laid a hand on the shoulder of the person to his right. Those people on the outside placed the other hand on the person in front. In this way, with eyes closed each was in contact with the entire group. One person, the leader ,commenced movements, while the rest of the group, using their arms like shock absorbers, moved in a similar manner.

For the final pieces the groups were divided into 3, each of about 12 people and were given animal behaviour phrase to interpret and enact as human behaviour. 'Predator and Prey, ‘Hunter Gatherer’ and ‘ Flight Instinct' were the 3 phrases.

'Predator and Prey’ was interpretd as a paparazzi scenario with a series of still, set pieces in a tableau

style photographic document . The female movie star is being chased by the paparazzi, who are seen to be climbing over her vehicle and giving chase on foot and following vehicles. This worked really well with the vehicles used as props and everyone getting into 'character' and offering suggestions. 

As an exercise it worked well, feedback was really positive with comments like "We wished we had thought of that!" And we have a set of documentary photographs for the exhibition if we can find a spot for them.

Bill Fletcher

Robert Smithsons 'Spiral Jetty' is a famous piece of land art. Seeing it was another highlight of this trip. The salt flats are the most hostile place we have ever been and with the intense heat and the shimmering mirages of the distant mountains it felt like we were on another planet.