Simone Forti’s seesaw
The work is gravity playing time.
In time with form.
Gravity is shown by two. Two humans like you.
They approach a seesaw in unassuming sweatpants, sneaks, and tees.
Time of light outside glows blue through a window. A whole wall through.
In gallery space of white and gray with people around, sitting some place.
She,
on my left and he on the right.
The cement floor looks cold.
She holds time – holds her weight up, he concedes to mount first.
She holds her weight and he concedes.
She up, he mounts first.
He slides a leg over, sits.
She sits.
They start in easy time, not in fits.
Totter. Teeter evenly.
Hit the floor? Okay, proceed. Find balance for her giggle.
It’s a score at work.
The structure: beam, game.
Exchange.
Weight on a stick. Play as research, as performance, as work.
In the horizontal, legs up, hover, turn to face, turn around, ride side, adjust minutely and reach out. Pelvis, legs, arms and head timing weight.
Weight of time.
He shifts weight – sinks and she is raised, bounces in futility.
He shifts and she sinks and raises, bounces futility.
His weight, she bounces.
Balance.
She faces away from me and sings in Portuguese.
A clear voice, echoing in darker blue empty space, the time of light leans and sinks with the unmetered balancing act.
She holds time – ends the song then faces away from him, extends her arms to
add weight and
make
her
side
drop.
Another balance.
He shifts weight – now feet on the beam. He lunges and
his
side
sinks.
She sits up, his stand remains. They focus on each other with eyes and insides. Struggle.
Do not to touch limbs on the floor as totter time shifts under changing of form.
She stops time – stands on the fulcrum.
He moves weight – from his end to meet.
She stops time –
They switch sides.
The camera pulls back to reveal an audience. She falls off the seesaw into giggles of her own and their’s.
He lifts his feet from the floor.
She handplays him and he comes to her and off to applause.
She changes time – expresses gratitude, speaks the name of the work and choreographer. Camera cuts.
Forti, Simone. “Dance Constructions and Other Performances, Museum der Moderne Salzburg (excerpt seesaw)”. Youtube. 17 Feb. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwPhrtkjHdE. Accessed 1 Sept. 2016.
(excerpt of ‘abstracts’ submitted as second year composition exam for mfa dance at osu)
Cole G 