Wrecking
What is Wrecking...
Wrecking” is a choreographic process developed by dance maker, educator, lecturer, and author (A Choreographic Mind), Susan Rethorst in 1995 in New York City. Midway through her process, Rethorst invites another choreographer to work with her in-progress piece, giving the choreographer license to freely manipulate it - to "wreck" it. Through this process, unique insight into the piece can be uncovered, deeper and richer than that from the usual verbal feedback.
Wrecking "Rules"...
- Wreckers may not create new material, but may rearrange any of the existing material as much as they want - timing, speed, repetition, etc.
- Wreckers do not have to use all of the material provided.
- Wreckers do not have to change everything...if there's something you like as is, keep it!
- All resulting material must be repeatable, rather than improvisational, with a strong directorial voice.
- No new cast members may be added, but existing members may be recast.
How & Who Wrecking Serves...
Wreckee / Choreographer
- Learn what works in the piece – What are the things others are drawn to? What do they forget about or edit out?
- Unique research time with the piece – Each time the dancers are asked to reinvestigate the material, there’s opportunity for deeper understanding. Perhaps a movement takes on a different meaning or has a potential that is unearthed through another person's direction. If doing a public wrecking, the added presence of an audience may also bring about a change in attention and/or effort by the dancers.
- Practice detachment – By detaching oneself from the work, a choreographer can truly get comfortable with editing, realizing that any part can be changed or even taken out…no more “darlings.”
Wrecker
- Wrecking provides a rich opportunity for wrecking choreographers to flex their directing muscles.
- Since they are not “creating” new material, wreckers can truly play with editing and directing.
- For a public wrecking, doing so in front of an audience becomes a great motivator for the wreckers to think and make decisions quickly, honing their communication skills.
- There is opportunity to play without the pressure of creating a finished piece of work.
Audience (for public wreckings)
- Wrecking provides the audience a unique window into the rehearsal and creative process, breaking from the conventional performance exchange between audience, performer, and choreographer.
- The audience gets to witness both the constant decision making that choreographers do, as well as the physical and mental virtuosity of the dancers as they are constantly asked to make changes.
- Given a peek behind the curtain, dance audiences develop greater interest and appreciation for the art form.
Some Wrecking History...
Susan Rethorst's first wrecked piece was “Little by Little She showed up,” and the first wrecker was Tere O’Connor. Rethorst wrote: “He [Tere O’Connor] entered into the rehearsal process and looked at the piece as though it was to become his from that moment forward, changing it to his liking, imposing his own aesthetic with complete disregard for my intentions. The very things that I would never have imagined being different were the ones that he changed; the experience was akin to culture shock; disorienting, the center of gravity shifted. I then took back the rehearsals, with the same attitude toward his changes." (“Stealing, Influence and Identity,” Contact Quarterly, Winter/Spring 2012, Vol. 36, No. 1)
Wrecking was first done in Rethorst's NYC studio on Vandam Street. It has since been done at Danspace St Mark's, Fidget space in Philadelphia (under the name Remix Festival), Bryn Mawr, College, independently in Chicago and San Francisco, and has included such dance notables as Annie B. Parsons, Paul Lazar, David Gordon, John Jesrun and Jen Rosenblit.