Twyla Tharp - The Creative Habit

This trail actually started without me knowing when I read Twyla Tharps book The Creative Habit almost 6–7 years ago.

Fast forward.

A few months ago I stumbled upon Years & Years video «King». The dancing caught my interest and I almost directly thought of Twyla since she and her book is the closest I’ve gotten to dance and choreography so far in my career.

I was quite stunned by the simplicity of the choreography in «King». No effects, no massive syncronised movements, just quite deliberate spastic and what, at first glance, looked as random dance movements. But you quickly realise that everything is very well choreographed, planned and rehearsed.

I needed to find out who the choreographer was.

This took me to the next step …

Ryan is a choreographer and quite a charachter. I love his I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude … or well that’s at least what I think he has.

Going through his portfolio I fell for the «Learn Sias Chandelier» video and the way Ryan has named all the moves in ; Wax on, Wax off, Pass out, Clean your mustache, Same problem different angle, Robotbird, Charlie Chaplin and so on.

Now the trail paused for a few weeks.

The next step came after a two day internal workshop we had at Nansen, the agency I work for. We talked a lot about the values, characteristics and what bridges our employees and offices in Sweden and the us.

Those were a few of the words that came up. The night after the workshop I was on the train back home and I just realised that those words are the perfect description of dance. So, could dance then be the perfect illustration for how we are, and what we do?

I remembered a video I had seen circulating the internet days prior to our workshop …

Phillip Chbeeb & Renee Kesters choreography in Slip has the same nakedness as Ryan Heffingtons choreography in «King".

I guess I watched Slip at least 40 to 50 times. I was stunned by the simplicity, precision, trust, caring, craftsmanship and collaboration dancers have to have.

The choreography in Slip could not exist without the music since Phillip and Renee acts out the story of the song. This lead me to the last step.

I kind of fell in love with the song that is used in Phillips & Renees video. Since I’m a Soundcloud junkie it was the natural first stop trying to find it. The song is Slip by Elliot Moss.

I had never heard of Elliot but he makes beautiful music. I’m not including Slip here, but instead another song by Elliot Best Light. It’s a great song that has the most stupid tempo change at the end I have ever heard.