SOMEWHEN BALLET SOLO

‘Somewhen’ is a solo ballet written by Martin Slidel. It was conceived (and given a live reading) in 1995 for a ‘Writing For Performance’ assignment, at the then School of Visual and Performing Arts (Brighton, UK). During this period, Martin also workshopped choreographed ‘games’ for a unit in Modern Dance. ‘Somewhen’ is written for a trio of speaker, dancer, and pianist. This short piece incorporates performance poetry with dance and a live piano score.

“I used the term ‘The Ballerina’ because my mental image was a feminine form in traditional costume, relative to the possessive term used in the text (which may be changed). The theme relates to trauma following the loss of a partner, also in traumatic circumstance (not indicated if accidental or deliberate). This is metaphoric with an emotional – and likely actual – experience of uprootedness and homelessness.”

“At time of writing, I had considered an audio recording of ‘sounds of the city’ to be faded up and down between acts, although it is not mandatory.”

“I hear all sounds as they are tuned to their uses...

sounds of the city and sounds out of the city...”

– Walt Whitman

ACT ONE

A blue light illuminates Mr Speaker who is seated on a chair and is wearing a grey raincoat.

Stage-left is situated a piano. The Pianist enters to sit at the piano.

Mr Speaker:            

                                I can feel something new

                                Something fresh

                                Rising inside of me

                                I can see through the glass

                                Where I wiped the mist

                                To the cold and the wet

                                To the cars and their light

                                They come and they go;

                                Stars of the night

                                Have come and have gone

The light changes to orange.

Mr Speaker:          

                                Water darkens colour

                                Winter crushes summer

                                Underfoot memoirs of

                                A charcoaled stem that held

                                A peachy haze aloft

                                Leaking iron into stone

                                Water will wash

Mr Speaker pauses.

Mr Speaker:          

                                The deepest cut of all is

                                I remember

                                What it was to be

                                Clean and in bed

The Ballerina enters stage-left and dances around Mr Speaker whilst The Pianist performs ‘Somewhen 1’.

The Ballerina poses behind Mr Speaker; head resting on hands in a posture of sleep. The music ends.

Mr Speaker:          

                                But I have forgotten

                                The dreams that did precede

                                If I don’t regain them

                                Then my wounds will freeze

Mr Speaker rises and turns to push the Ballerina to the floor.

As the light changes to red, the music (‘Somewhen 1’) reprises.

The Ballerina lies motionless.

Mr Speaker:          

                                Life has only given me

                                Time to think

                                I made the choice to be free

                                I can’t blame God

                                For my mistake

                                Nor leave my messy knife

                                Upon the altar

                                Grandfather said we each ate

                                A pound of dirt

                                Before our death;

                                I don’t wish

                                To follow his trait

Mr Speaker rises and lifts the chair forward, placing it over The Ballerina.

The chair is now behind the red light.

Mr Speaker sits on the chair.

Mr Speaker:          

                                Is this all that keeps me weaving

                                Upon my fading tapestry

                                Stitching onto life

                                Stronger with every thread

                                I won’t let it pass

The music stops.

Light fade.

< Sounds of the city. >

ACT TWO

The blue light fades-up.

The Pianist performs ‘Somewhen 2’.

The Ballerina enters stage-right. She skips in circles before assuming a stationary pose.

The music ends.

Mr Speaker enters back-stage and walks up behind The Ballerina. Mr Speaker embraces The Ballerina from behind.

The duo exit back-stage by walking backward, swinging their arms as The Pianist reprises (or improvises upon) ‘Somewhen 2’.

< Sounds of the city. >

ACT THREE

A blue light illuminates the piano.

Mr Speaker is sat at the piano. He begins to softly pick-out random atonal notes.

An orange light then illuminates The Pianist, sat cross-legged on the floor with hands on head.

Mr Speaker stops playing.

The Ballerina enters stage-right and slowly circles The Pianist.

Mr Speaker [With strong, clear voice]:     

                            

                                Freshness on my face

                                Hair trailing behind

                                And the voice of Gabriel

                                In my ear to remind

                                It’s only water

                                Dripping off my nose

                                I’m enjoying the rain

                                I could cry

                                And no one would notice

The Ballerina gradually increases speed.

Mr Speaker:          

                                S’ far away

                                From the days of sun

                                And golden jewellery

                                Like the weather when

                                I left my blood on their files

The Ballerina stops. She waves at Mr Speaker.

Both lights dim.

< Sounds of the city. >

ACT FOUR

A blue light illuminates the piano.

The Ballerina is sat on top of the piano, wearing a white raincoat.

The Pianist sits at the piano, hands in lap, with the piano-lid down.

Mr Speaker stands centre-right.

Mr Speaker:          

                                I loved her sitting

                                At the top of the stairs

                                In her white dressing-gown

                                With her legs bare

The blue light cuts out.

Mr Speaker is fully illuminated in an orange light.

Mr Speaker unbuttons the grey raincoat and lets it fall to the floor. He is wearing a white T-shirt on which block-printed is the word METHOD.

Me Speaker:          

                                I opened the door,

                                In that moment I froze

                                Her body tumbled

                                Down the stairs

                                Bleeding

                                Red

                                Cutting

                                Knocking

                                Bruising

                                Her beautiful head

Lights down.

< Sounds of the city. >

ACT FIVE

The Pianist plays ‘Somewhen 3’.

The set is diffused in a red light.

Mr Speaker is seated on the chair. The Ballerina lies underneath the chair.

Three white pin-lights fade up at points around Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker:          

                                How weak I once was

                                When it would only

                                Have been so easy

                                To let in the love

                                Why should I expect

                                Returns from my neglect

One pin-light fades.

Mr Speaker:          

                                I want to break through

                                The clouds, and touch the sun

                                But I know my hands will burn

                                We’re holding hands

                                To make a bridge

                                If we let go

                                So much water has passed

                                We will drown

A second pin-light fades.

Mr Speaker:          

                                I wipe the saliva

                                And with it my colour

                                My face becomes grey

                                I am only

                                A tome of words

                                With nothing to say

                                For all that you gave

                                I now retain...

The last light fades.

The Pianist reprises ‘Somewhen 3’ during which Mr Speaker stands as the red light fades.

< Sounds of the city. >

ACT SIX

The set is lit in a white light.

The Ballerina enters and free-dances around the stage. The Ballerina holds a flame-coloured pennant on which block-printed is the word FREE.

The light fades at The Ballerina’s signal.

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