Choreographic Love letters is a method which I coined as an alternative, creative way of correspondence which supports the flow of thinking during the process, in between the rehearsals. The writing is done in a way to reflect upon what has been done during the rehearsals, sharing the thoughts of the studio moments and forwarding thoughts that feed into the coming rehearsals afterwards. Choreographic Love Letters is a form of continuous dialogue between the creatives involved in the process by hand-written letters.
Choreohgraphic Love Letters is a parallel side-path to the daily routine of working and talking, in and out of the studio. Professor Robin Nelson, director of Research at the Central School of Speech and Drama of the University of London mentions in a lecture the need of ‘complementary writing’; a writing that takes place during the research inquiry as a practitioner researcher. Complementary writings support and influence the formation of the conceptual framework of the research. He uses the word complementary, because the writings compliment the performative practices. Similar to what he explains, the method of Choreographic Letters is a complementary practice of writing which supports and compliments the practices during the research.
Choreographic Love Letters are written from a personal view; the way of writing is totally free, it can include academic writing, poetic and creative writing or even drawing. As long as the writing is coming from an intimate, personal scope. Each letter is a gift for the other, the sharing of the thoughts are from a place of care and love for the work. Questions and confusion, feelings, emotions, analytical reflections and epiphanies can be shared.
Choreographic Love Letters is a daily routine that happens during the time span of the total project. The letters form an extended document of materialized traces of intimate, individual thinking that is continuously shared along the process.
“Time transforms when I write; it transforms the quality thinking, I think I go deeper in my thoughts. When I write I ACTUALLY take the time to observe what is really inside of myself in terms of emotion, reflection and any kind of sensation that I feel like sharing…”
(Joost Vrouenraets, Choreographic Love Letters, 5 march 2019)
(Hamlet and Ophelia correspandance)
