Stepping out of my comfort zone: a look into rehearsals with RealLivePeople

How is rehearsal going so far?

Well I am definitely out of my comfort zone but I kind of like it. I am a dancer who enjoys the internal, emotional, “feely” kind of movement whereas RealLivePeople practices movement based off real emotion not the “dancer” emotion that I am used to. As human beings we find ourselves stuck in our daily routines, gestures, movement, etc. I have been stuck in my movement aesthetic for awhile now and rehearsing with RealLivePeople has honestly challenged me to step outside the comfortable corner that I have been in.

Photo Credit: JJ Tiziou

The piece I am rehearsing is about listening, and the movement truly comes from a real place instead of the overly dramatic, super feely place that has been a part of my movement style for so long. The first rehearsal was challenging for me, as I had to create movement based off listening gestures. For example, I was asked to nod the way I do as if I am listening to someone and make that nod into movement. This may seem like a simple task but as a dancer who is used to developing movement that will look “good” rather than movement that represents a real reaction, I was stuck. However, that is when I realized there is a lot more to movement than I have been practicing. RealLivePeople is helping me mature as a dancer and a choreographer. Though I realize that dramatic movement, gestures and faces still have a place in dance, I am beginning to let go of these a bit, and instead I am developing a taste for real, authentic movement. In the midst of this journey, I am thrilled to continue to grow as a person, dancer, and choreographer.

Meet our new intern Elise Mele!

My name is Elise Mele and to be honest I am still figuring out who I am. Here are some facts that I know about myself: I am a Taurus, junior at Drexel University, a dance major, a friend, sibling, student, the list goes on. Usually when we describe ourselves we list facts just like the ones I listed above, but that doesn’t describe who we truly are, it just describes what other people see us as. I would like to explain how I see myself, rather than how other people see me.

My name is Elise Mele and I am an artist who is striving to find her place in the world. I am a dancer who takes joy in getting lost in movement. I am a choreographer who uses inspiration from theoretical thinking and investigation of life experiences to create movement. I am just beginning a journey in which I hope to develop an artistic focus that is based off the thoughts and experiences that we tend to overlook. In order to grow this new viewpoint I decided to intern with a company that shares the same interests as me.

RealLivePeople focuses “on the spaces between, the quick look away and the light tap on the shoulder.” A company that is built on that philosophy is a company that will help me grow as the artist I strive to be. I have high hopes that once I come out of this experience I will be able execute my views and ideas the way that RealLivePeople has successfully done. I am excited for you all to get to know me as I continue to write about my experience interning with RealLivePeople.