Skill | Collaboration and Iteration
Choreography by affinity diagram
Tangle Movement Arts company members Lee Thompson and Kate Aid in Elements of Friction, 2018. Photo by Michael Ermilio.
Since 2011, I design, choreograph, and perform in aerial theater productions as a member of Tangle Movement Arts. We devise shows collaboratively. That means no script, no director, no pre-set steps—and a lot of group brainstorming.
We begin with a concept and approach it like any design team: we research, gather assets, test hypotheses, and gradually pin down the step-by-step experience we want to produce for the audience.
Like user interviews, these conversations demand a balance of logistical and empathetic work. I listen carefully, take a lot of notes, ask open-ended questions to elicit detail, and group similar ideas together.
Placing scenes one after another is like lining up static wireframes. It’s important to step back, take in the big picture, then round out the interactions and stories that will flow from the opening act to the closing note. During this phase I fill in connective material, test the results, and provide detailed feedback on pace and tone.
We don’t always agree. We scrap a lot of ideas or document them for future shows. By performance time, refining our goals helps us deliver a streamlined production that runs from cue to cue.
