Choreographer & performer: Jamie Boylan Composer: Frank Beaver This solo formed a part of my practical thesis submission for an MA by Research at London Contemporary Dance School and was first performed at LCDS in July 2009. Since then it has been performed at the University of Central Lancashire, Liverpool John Moores University and Resolution! 2011 at the Place Theatre. 'Jumping Mouse' is the title of a Native American symbol story as told by author Hymeyohsts Sorm in his collection 'Seven Arrows'. It is essentially a story of transformation and discovery which uses a number of different animal characters to symbolise different ways of perceiving the world. The Mouse is the main character and becomes 'Jumping Mouse' through an encounter close to the start of the tale. Each encounter involves having his view of the world altered in some way and two of the encounters involve him giving away a large part of his way of seeing the world. I did not set out to 'tell' the story as a story-teller would but to use the characters and the landscape as the basis for exploring different qualities of movement and uses of space (in short: different ways of experiencing and moving within the world) - these became the main materials of the dance. The plot was used to form a spatial and temporal journey - the various encounters created specific events, moments of puncutation and transformation in the unfolding of the movement. As you watch, pay attention to the physical sensations in your own body. As you follow the journey of the Mouse, just notice the way that your body feels and any changes in sensation that might occur in response to the shifts in quality, rhythm and space that you see. If you do, this is called kinaesthetic empathy.
