Luke Brown | Little Red Balloon
The choreographer Luke Brown was interviewed after recently embarking on an initial research and development process for his residency at artsdepot to work on his latest production, Little Red Balloon. This period was used to explore the collaboration between dance and hypnotherapy. As Luke explained, the idea “started when I was in France and I watched a friend of mine get hypnotised and I always knew from that point four years ago that I wanted to combine this world with dance theatre.” Before you jump to any conclusions about this project, I should emphasise that the hypnotherapy that we are referring to is worlds away from Hollywood magic shows. This was the common misconception that Luke was trying to avoid. He wanted to tap into a state of deep relaxation where the subconscious mind could govern the body.
Luke entered this process with no prearranged ideas or expected outcomes. He wanted to use the space to purely explore and experiment. “If you subconsciously go in with a preconceived idea you shut off other possibilities and the room to play becomes narrower” said Luke. His process fully integrated both dance and hypnotherapy at every available opportunity. With the guidance from hypnotherapist, Zack Polanski, Luke and his dancers were directed through hypnotic trance relaxation exercises, both individually and in a group. Whilst in this trance they would improvise and create movement. They moved to Zack’s words and improvised in response to others’ hypnotic experiences. The group even undertook a deep sense of concentration which they used to revisit past material to see how hypnosis allowed movement to involuntarily evolve. Every moment was recorded on film and in notes so that no material was lost whilst the subconscious was in control.
The collaboration was not limited to just hypnotherapy and dance theatre, Luke also worked with a composer, Nicholas James Orlando Hewlett, and artist, Felicity Cormack. This creative team was continuously searching for how each art form could compliment hypnotherapy. The sound and musical accompaniment explored the use of binaural beats and their frequency so that the soundscape could “enhance the hypnotic trance feel.” Luke admitted that he only invited Felicity “to capture the experience through her drawings as an outside eye. But it became really apparent that she needed to be involved in the process.” The artwork became an integral part of the exploration; the dancers interacted with the medium whilst under a trance, during improvisation, or both!
The material that was generated was new, fresh and precariously balanced between success and complete failure. The search for this common ground was what really intrigued the group. The next step for Little Red Balloon will be to enter a period of creation to bring the ideas and sketches of movement to life. Luke revealed, “I would love for it to sit in the outdoor circuit and for the general public to be invited to have an experience with the world of dance and hypnotherapy”. This early stage of experimentation lead to exciting prospects for the project and revealed endless possibilities. Maybe we could all do with allowing our subconscious to take control at times; who knows what would happen!
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Photo credits: Michelle Rose