NADIA ODLUM

Interpret this is part game, part drawing exercise, part choreographic method. It grew from an activity I developed for queer dance parties during a residency at The Bearded Tit in 2019. Since then I have used it in workshops with young people and adults as a way to build connections between visual art and dance, or as an experimental method for exploring architectural space. 

The premise involves one participant drawing a squiggle on a piece of paper and holding it up to anotherperson, who must interpret the squiggle as a dance move. The participants then swap roles, with the other person doing the drawing or dancing. Participants are encouraged to approach the task with a mind set of “No wrong question, no wrong answer”. The activity creates an atmosphere of open communication, generosity and exchange. 

Once a few drawings have been created, they can be used to generate further movement activities. For instance, drawings can be distributed around a room and interpreted as instructions for movement through the space. By collecting multiple drawings and sequencing, them this game can be used to develop new movement languages and choreography. 

Interpret this was a core method in my collaboration with the Dance Makers Collective 'Future Makers' for Correspondence, 2020. The videos below show Future Makers members creating choreographic 'phrases' in response to a series of drawings generated by their peers.