(in the style of a headstone text)
In loving memory of our old performance not seen for the past four years but not forgotten though some parts may have faded. Brought to us in a former time out of nothing we here this day come back to it now and see it for what it was and see the changes that a new time brings to it. Born 2011, with us for all too short a time.
It was fine to bring it back. It was a worthy task. I found that our old habits and failures with it were still intact. We can’t remember those steps or I always remember that bit wrong and as usual Gerard is better at remembering than I am. I don’t want to say that I’m lazy. But there is some part of my brain that wants to leave a space for chance and for falling but sometimes that means I’m in limbo and sometimes that means I am failing or sloppy. Sometimes it means I am heart broken.
Some of it didn’t translate through the time gap and had to be rehydrated. We found ourselves wondering why did we did it this way and whether we should hold on to that or figure it out anew.
It is as though it Fell asleep while we carried on to other works waking up this March eve to fill the room with earth and water.
We miss her smile, her cheery way,
We miss the things she used to say,
And when old times we oft recall
It’s then we miss her most of all.
Sadly missed — Never forgotten
Together forever
So Below by Karen Christopher and Gerard Bell was part of TwoFold, a festival of duet work in March & May 2017 at Chisenhale Dance Space, London. TwoFold included all the duet projects made by Karen (with others) since 2009, alongside duet collaborations by other artists, a symposium on issues around working in pairs, and workshops.
Photo: Manu Valarce.
