Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2025 - CA 152 D100

Live Acts II (3)

Class Number: 6429

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, Thu, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
    GOLDCORP

  • Prerequisites:

    CA 151.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

The second of four performance studio courses in the Live Acts cluster. A continued exploration of the foundations of live performance making from a variety of perspectives. With rotating topics each term, students develop the foundational skills for creating original, contemporary live art.

COURSE DETAILS:

The second of four performance studio courses in the Live Acts cluster. A continued exploration of the foundations of live performance making from a variety of perspectives. With rotating topics each term, students develop the foundational skills for creating original, contemporary live art. Prerequisite: CA 151.

Live Acts II in the spring of 2025 will delve into the art of adaptation in live performance. The class will examine a range of departure points—from selected texts and films to music—providing guidance and inspiration for transforming these sources into dynamic live performance scores. Students will investigate how to write, design, and embody the original source material into short works for various venues and site-specific locations. The course will challenge students to translate the original source material creatively, within the body and mind in adapting their work to fit different environments and contexts. Students will discover how the venue, architecture, and site play an important role in shaping an adaptation to create a new original live performance work.

Live Acts II encourages a landscape of risk taking, lateral thinking, shared vocabulary, trial and error, where ideas and concepts can be discussed and challenged in a constructive collaborative environment. As a collective, we will question and discover through rigorous physical exploration of the vocabulary of composition how to absorb the original source material into the body and mind to create a new form and work.  We will investigate how we can translate each project’s concept from the original source into a live performance or immersive installation or site. 

*please reach out to me if you would like permission to join this course and are in another discipline at SCA at erika_latta@sfu.ca

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  • attain a greater understanding of adapting and translating an original source material to create time-based work both for traditional and non-traditional space. 
  • ability to consider architecture and site as a leading collaborator and inspiration in the adaptation process. understand the basic collaboration skills to create live performance and work effectively within a group.
  • attain a greater understanding of the art of adaptations within ensemble work by creating, constructing and re-writing original material.
  • the ability to research, gather multiple inspiration from different disciplines and synthesize the research into performance, design, writing and construction of new work from scratch.
  • discuss, analyze, and apply the composition tools: their use and application as both a performer training tool and to create composition for live performance. 
  • the ability to conduct rehearsals, delegate and communicate with co-collaborators.
  • experience gained in writing original material, creating devised work through light, sound, text, music, new technology and movement.
  • a greater knowledge of creating, navigating and encouraging a positive working environment made of discipline, rigor and a shared vocabulary of performance and research.
  • understand the value, discipline and focus it takes to create new innovative work.
  • ability to work within an ensemble and practice collaboration skills. 

Grading

  • Participation / positive work ethic / collaboration, attendance, knowledge of class composition 30%
  • In-class micro assignments (6), ability to experiment, adjust and apply constructive criticism and execution 30%
  • Articulation of research for each assignment / project documentation / website 20%
  • Visiting Artists required attendance and or participation 20%

NOTES:

*Please be prepared to rehearse, schedule and book rehearsal times outside of our class time with your ensembles. 

*Please be prepared to be physical, engage with other students in ensemble practices and in movement compositions as we explore the vocabulary of time and space; Architecture, Topography, Duration, Tempo, Repetition, Shape, Gesture, Kinesthetic Response and Spatial Relations.  

REQUIREMENTS:

Visiting Artist Series : 

Desire Line Sessions: Philip Bither,  Performance Curator from the Walker Art Center (Date and Time, TBA) *required attendance. 


Special Note: Andréane Leclerc from À l’Est de Nod will be conducting a workshop during our class time for two days on January 30th and Feburary 6th  for the development of a 2026 Push Festival Performance. Students from Theater and Performance and Dance will attend the workshop and collaborate together. 

Company: Andréane Leclerc (Montreal)

Website: À l'Est de Nod

À l'Est de Nod unfolds in 3 performance-installations within which spectators will wander at their own pace through La forêt, L'errant·e and L'abîme. This evolving creation, with thirteen local performers (Dance and/or Theatre and Performance Students and/or professionals), proposes an experiential reflection on the physical and psychic limits, both intimate and political, that we share. The artist and project leader Andréane Leclerc is inspired by the contortion she has been practicing for more than twenty years to create a score featuring a variety of body-natures, more instinctive and cosmic than social and disciplinary. The question "how contortion informs non-contortionist bodies" marks the starting point of this singular artistic approach that meditates and questions the concept of limit as a structure.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

*Class Fee / Materials: Please purchase the PUSH YOUTH FESTIVAL PASS: $20 cad for 4 shows. *3 are required for the class.   I will give you a list of suggested shows but you are free to choose which shows you would like to attend. PLEASE PURCHASE YOUR YOUTH PASS PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SEMESTER AS SOON AS THE TICKETS GO ON SALE. https://pushfestival.ca

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.