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DAN SHIPSIDES (with Echo Echo Dance) - Vertical. Nature. Base. Being there

 

Landscape - Being there:

AN ACCOMMODATION – SEP 2011

It’s been interesting to see how the climbing has been taken up by the dancers and other visitors to the project. Most people involved have none or little climbing experience. Several have extensive movement (dance, eastern movement arts etc.) experience. So the climbing at first presents the clunky challenge most people encounter – hard, effort, clumsy, rough, silly helmets etc. But after repeating routes a few times a new encounter seemed to be happening – more nuanced, a higher level of problem solving and lower use of brute effort – subtle and then radical changes in composure. I wonder how far these people can recognize climbing as an art form – or the need for high level creative considerations to enjoy climbing.

Over a few sessions the topophillia and topophobia theme became a clear topic – the slow and rapid shifts from nice to not nice, excitement to fear, confidence to panic.

Accommodation / Knowing: - finding out (phyisically and psychologically) more about what is possible – finding an accommodation with the place. By this I mean - taking time to explore ledges, cracks, resting positions, seeking holds, friction and cognitively applying body technique. This is on routes off the ground but also at ground level. This interesting because the more time you spend climbing in a place opens up a level of confidence not there at the beginning. This seems obvious – but is very tangible in action – fear of the unknown is what hampers most of my climbing. The more you know (through finding an accommodation with the situation and rock) about the place and especially a rock face at height the better you move and climb. BEING AT HEIGHT.