Abstract

The Bridge of Winds is an ensemble of actors and theatre artists from South America, Europe and Asia, that, guided by Iben Nagel Rasmussen, has been since 1989 researching and exploring the complexity of the actor's stage presence through a psychophysical training based mainly on 5 physical exercises. The group meets to work together every year, for more than 25 years now. Their main energetic exercises may have simple external form but are rather difficult to master. They allow a performer to access and explore an intimate, creative and meditative world of physical theatre impulses, stories and actions. While the structure and essence of the exercises remain the same for all the years, the group members grow old and change both physically and mentally. The age of the group participants ranges from the late 20’s to late 50’s. Moreover, Iben N. Rasmussen, now 70 years old, is still an active participant in the meetings. What are the vital matters keeping the group together for such a long period, investigating, re-thinking, actualizing a training system? What is this path from training to ethos made of? This article proposes to look at a very special relation between repetition, creation and the ethos of the performer through the lenses of the long-term work of the Bridge of Winds. I have been participating in their activities throughout this year and this paper will be based on an empirical experience with their exercises as well as on a series of interviews with Iben Nagel Rasmussen. Along the way, I will look at the concept of repetition as proposed by Gilles Deleuze, I will touch upon neurological matters, to draw an understanding of ethos, which is implicated on the artistic work of the group.