Week 3

Written By Brianna Shahin

Project: Leaning Bodies for Ages

Development Phase: Jungle Dance Studios; Goa, India. Independent Research

Week #: 3

Dates: 16, 17 and 20 March 2026

Space Type: Dance studio

Working Toward: Research and Development. Introducing collaboration with Heather and Prashant. Solidifying my movement interests with improvisational scores that I regularly return to. Refining my ideas.


RESEARCH FOCUS

This week felt like a closing of the first phase. I continued working on direction, but with more momentum, falling and full-body connection. I was trying to understand how to move from my centre, and how to stay organised without overthinking. The biggest shift was connecting the physical work to a clearer story — around intimacy, situationships, and my relationship to others. This week matters because things started to land. Not finished, but clearer.

Physical Investigation

Key movement areas explored:

  • Moving from the core (expanding and contracting)

  • Direction with more momentum and falling

  • Rolling and spiralling with less tension in the hips

  • Head–pelvis–spine connection

  • Open / close (expansion and contraction)

  • Softening the front of the hips for smoother transitions

  • Standing work and moving in and out of the floor

Creative Development

Improvisation is still the main structure, but it’s starting to become more specific.

Scores developed:

  • Direction – now including speed, falling and momentum

  • Leaning – two bodies drifting, almost meeting, then pulling away

  • Bending and moulding – fitting to another body / resisting / supporting

  • Mind-body connection – full awareness of the body in space

  • Open / close – expansion and contraction

A clearer idea of the work is forming:

  • “best moments” of a situationship vs the darker, empty moments (dummy)

  • themes of wanting, avoiding, control, dependence

  • early ideas for structure and staging starting to appear

Collaborators / Witnesses

  • Artist: Heather

  • Role: collaborator

  • What they contributed: worked through leaning and bending/moulding tasks, shared personal reflections, acted as a live “dummy”

  • What shifted because of this exchange: I feel more confident working with another body and with the idea of the dummy. The duet space opened up a lot.


  • Artist: Prashant More

  • Role: mentor / witness

  • What they contributed: outside eye, dramaturgical ideas, clarity on context and audience

  • What shifted because of this exchange: I now have a clearer sense of the story. The idea of “best moments vs dark moments” really landed.


Site + Environment Influence

Still working in the same studios in Goa.

The heat is high and affects energy, but I’ve learnt how to pace myself better. Long sessions, lots of rest, slower starts.

Closed studio. Quiet. Focused. Mostly alone, with a few shared sessions at the end.

Observations & Reflections

Things are starting to connect. The physical work is feeding the creative work more directly now. When I move from my centre and soften my hips, everything feels easier. I also realised I have a lot of ideas, but I need to do less and go deeper. The story is becoming clearer, but not fully locked in yet.

Documentation

I film my sessions as a way to record progress over time, and to practice moving in front of a camera. I only share my physical explorations.

Direction W3S1: https://youtu.be/6qokeMbr8ig

Direction W3S2: https://youtu.be/vk0DhiL3jbk

Mind-Body W3S3: https://youtu.be/s23tfexRly0

Direction W3S3: https://youtu.be/TULQbRVysWc


Key Discoveries

  • Moving from the core makes everything feel more connected and efficient

  • Softening the front of the hips changes everything

  • Momentum and falling open up new pathways

  • I need to simplify my ideas and stretch them further

  • The work needs a clear story — and it’s starting to arrive

Weekly Summary

This week felt like a closing of my first development phase. I built on my physical work with more momentum, falling and moving from the centre. My direction improvisation is getting clearer and more fluid. Working with Heather and Prashant helped shift the work into a more defined creative space. A strong idea emerged around “best moments” in a situationship, with the dummy representing the darker moments. I realised I have a lot of ideas, but I need to simplify and go deeper with fewer. The connection between physical practice and storytelling is much clearer now. Moving forward, I want to continue this work with the dummy and develop the structure further.


End of Week Notes

Total Sessions Completed: 3

Main Technical Progress: Core connection, softer hips, more fluid direction with momentum

Creative Material Generated: Leaning duet, bending/moulding tasks, situationship narrative concept

Emerging Themes: Intimacy, avoidance, desire, control, dependence

Next Week Priority: Rest and integration before returning to the work

What changed in my understanding of the work: The physical and creative are not separate — they need to build each other

Recurring questions: What is the story? What am I trying to say? Who am I before and after contact?

Brianna Shahin
Next

Week 2