Last year Dance Australia ran an article called "Five
minute call", by dance psychologist Gene Moyle (now Head of the Dance
Department at Queensland University of Technology), in which she spoke
to six dancers about how they prepare themselves mentally in the last
few minutes before stepping on stage. We’ll be publishing the uncut
interviews over the next few months - this is the second instalment in the series.
This week we bring you Zaimon Vilmanis, Independent Dance Maker & Director/Performer for Prying Eye:
Firstly I give everyone a big “chookas” hug, as if to say “see you on the other side” then I disappear, to a dark spot side of stage, alone.
I listen to the chit chat of the audience entering the theatre searching for their seats, then after a time I tune out from individual conversations allowing the murmur of the audience to wash over me, enjoying the atmosphere; a strange mix of sombre electricity.
I stretch my back and neck out by rolling on my back and touching the floor with my feet behind me, relaxing my knees to touch my head, there’s something about closing my body inwards that gives me a moment of introspectiveness. Or I stand and place a hand on my stomach, making a low deep resonating hum into my belly; it helps me find my centre both physically and mentally.
I don’t think about the steps or movement sequences anymore, I begin to imagine my role on stage; who or what I am and where I’ve come from.
Finally I yawn profusely, pull stupid faces, and jump around to get the blood flowing.
But the moment I relish most of all is when the house lights go down, the audience hushes, and there is stillness all around like a vacuum. Tunnel vision engulfs me, and everything slows down. It’s like my entire performance flashes before my eyes, suddenly I’m taking curtain calls and my consciousness is trying desperately to catch up with me........
Zaimon Vilmanis - as told to Gene Moyle.
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