The Study of Tears: Are Basal Tears Really Continuous?

Dr. John M. Tiffany, discusses Basal Tears with students from Selly Oak Trust School.


Camera: Andrew Wint, Steven Jones, Chris Harper, Emma Hassam
Format: DV colour stereo
Duration: 3:00 minutes
(c) Project Volume 2010

The Study of Tears | Reflex Tears: With Susan Norwood and Samantha Walsh

Susan and Samantha discuss reflex tears.

Camera & Editing: Riccardo Iacono
Video Format: DV colour stereo

Duration: 1:33 minutes 

Year: 2010

The Study of Tears | A Dance in Three Scenes

Documentation of live performance at Dance Exchange, Birmingham, 17th August 2010.

Choreography: Vanessa Cook and Ruth Williams 

Dancers: Ruth Williams, Vanessa Cook, Thomas Dolan, Bethany Millns, Frances Weir, Persephonie Dixon, Sarah Dixon, Samantha Walsh, Susan Norwood


Camera & Editing: Riccardo Iacono

Video Format: DV colour stereo

Duration: 6:08 minutes 

Year: 2010

The Study of Tears | Laughter and Sadness

Choreography: Susan Norwood 

Dancers: Ruth Williams, Vanessa Cook, Thomas Dolan, Bethany Millns, Frances Weir, Persephonie Dixon, Sarah Dixon, Samantha Walsh, Susan Norwood

Camera & Editing: Riccardo Iacono
Video Format: DV colour stereo

Duration: 5:21 minutes 

Year: 2010

The Study of Tears | Sadness Duet

Choreographer: Susan Norwood

Dancers: Vanessa Cook and Ruth Williams

Camera & Editing: Riccardo Iacono
Format: colour stereo video

Duration: 2:51 minutes 

Year: 2010

Choreographic Approaches

Photographer Judie Waldmann

Working on the summer intensive for dancers with learning disabilities, with talent and experience of dance, we worked hard exploring the different inspiration of the science of tears. We did this through the participants choreographing their work. The participants were mentored in choreography by myself, Susan Norwood and Vanessa Cook.

This brought two very different approaches to making dance. Vanessa's highly physical and high impact style, with my own. My style was to strip down the movements to the core of their intention. This means that the dance relies on the dancer to reveal their thinking and their intent through their skin. This contrast worked well with the subject, Vanessa introducing ways of approaching the reflex tears and myself approaching the subtle shifts of emotional triggers within performance.

I was really impressed with how the participants came out of their comfort zone to embrace and take on these two approaches. It is vital to say that the complexity of what the participants achieved was outstanding, as I gave them exercises I had studied during my degree and Vanessa through her professional work experience.