Contact Improvisation

This week mainly focused on preparation  for the open studios where we would be performing our scores to an audience. Whilst trying out our score we decided to make some slight adjustments. We had included an element of chance in our score, leaving the audience to pick a number between one and ten. This number would determine if we were to start on the floor, or standing, and would also determine how many people we had to dance with before leaving the space. It had worked previously when we had tried out our score, but there was a specific time when we were all given high numbers. This meant for the audience that there was too much to look at and it prevented us from being able to use the corridor, as there were more than two people left in the space.  To overcome this issue, we adjusted what we would ask the audience. Half of the group would ask for a number between one and five, and half between five and ten. This would ensure that our numbers were slightly more varied. The other adjustment which we made was getting rid of the variation of speed from our score. We had planned to always go slow on a low level and fast standing up, but it appeared to be too challenging and limited the use of lifts.

Overall, I am really happy with the progress I have made throughout the module. In the open jam there was a particular moment when I was working with Chloe and I managed to pull her from the ground and catch her round my waist without any problems. Before this module, I would not have trusted myself to catch her, but I have realised that you have got to take chances and that confidence is probably one of the most important factors. If you don’t feel comfortable, the likelihood is that it will not be successful, but if you have confidence, it is likely that it will be reflected in your work.

Today’s session began with us watching a video clip of the round robin which we had all participated in the week before. Whilst watching this, it made me realise that although I managed to stay in contact with my partner, I did use my eyes to look around a lot, rather than feel with my body where to move to. When I then took part in the contact jam later that week, we were made to do it blindfolded. I felt that being forced to come out of my comfort zone really helped me and I believed that I was participating in the contact to my full potential. I think that this weeks jam has also made me reflect on my progression through the module. Not only was i completely unaware of who I was dancing with, showing that I had gained trust of everyone in the group, but i was  also allowing others to lift me, as well as lifting others, despite none of us being able to see,

The second part of the lesson we used to devise and try out some scores. Now that we all have had more experience on contact improvisation,as it is approaching the end of the module, we aim to collaborate everything we have discovered in to one score. The  rules which we have included are:

 

1. Ask an audience member to pick a number between 1 and ten. If you get an even number you have to start on the floor, if you get an odd number you have to start standing up. The number given to you is also the amount of people you have to dance with before leaving the space.

 

2. When you see two lifts you have to re-enter the space and start dancing again.

 

3.  If any two people are left in the space at any time, the other dancers must make a corridor around them. Again, if two lifts are seen, the other dancers must continue with their contact improvisation.

 

 

 

This week was again a contact research lab, giving us the opportunity to explore a topic of interest. I was in a group with Emma, Robyn and Chloe and collectively we agreed that the transformation between levels was something we all struggled with. When being involved in a contact improvisation,we felt that rather than it be something which happens naturally moving from floor to standing, it is as though we give too much thought in to the process which results in one person normally taking control and pulling the other person up.

The question which we formed was:

‘How can we transition through levels without just standing or falling through them?’

From this question, we then choose three different factors to structure our investigation. These included:

Having a time limit: With only two people dancing at one time, the others watching would choose a time limit for the transition from low level to standing. When i was dancing i discovered the difference between speed. If we were moving quickly we would rush the transition and would not stay in contact. However, the longer the time limit, the more interesting the transition would be and the more complex. This was also the same from standing to a lower level, i found that we both seemed to just almost drop to the floor.

After our discovery from having a time limit we then formed another factor:

Finding the most complex transition: This was interesting, because it enabled us to naturally find new and effective ways of lifting each other to standing and finding our way to the floor. By ensuring that we wern’t taking the simplest route, it also encouraged fluidity and we able to continiously move for longer. Sometimes if you use the simplist route, it can restrict movement.

Connecting two specific body parts for the transition: The body parts which we connected included: Stomach to stomach, knees to knees, back to stomach, back to back, and head to head.

The results from this task were quite suprising. Before we did the task, we believed that stomach to stomach would create a good transition, however we figured from the investigation it was probably one of the hardest points of contact as we were both pushing against each other therefore none of us were a stable base. We found that moving with our heads connected worked really well because it didn’t restrict any movement from the rest of our bodies and we were still able to move around freely.

At the end of our jam session we came up with the following questions which we could answer in order to help us to understand our findings:

1. How can we transition through levels instead of using the simplest route?
2. How can lifts be incorporated when travelling through levels?
3. How does facing different directions change the role of the under and over dancer?
4. How does a time limit change the complexity of the movement?

This week i did find really useful, because it made me aware that sometimes i do just use the most available body part, rather than experimenting more with others which i do not use as much. I found interesting and creative transitions by trying to use the most complicated route, so i will try and bring this skill in to class.

 

Preparing for this week’s contact session I had read an article ‘Exposed to Gravity’ by Bruce Curtis and Alan Ptashek which gave me an understanding on the use of resisting gravity in dance.The article was written from a disabled person’s perspective which I personally found really captivating in the sense that if someone in a wheelchair can move efficiently by building trust with a partner, then so can I. The main message which stood out for me was that in contact improvisation you should continue to sense and connect with the other person no matter what and you then may be surprised with a positive outcome.

‘What is most important to remember is that each body, disabled or not, is unique and presents another opportunity to explore what movement is possible.’ (Bruce, 1988, 157)

Alongside the article we also watched some videos at the beginning of the lesson which presented the importance of sensing each others movement. I noticed in particular in a video of two dancers Mirva and Otto, they would never loose contact and made lifts and balances look so effortless because of there correct positioning, mainly pelvis alignment. This week I decided I would make a personal aim for myself in trying to use efficient use of my pelvis to help move in and out of lifts more efficiently.

In the lesson we had worked with sharing our body weight with others in different lifts, some which I had found easier than others at the time. By the end of the lesson, I feel I had progressed a lot, and was able to trust almost everyone in the room with my weight, something which I had been afraid of doing in the past. There was a particular exercise where we all walked around the room, sensing each others movement and seeing how this could transform in to a lift. I figured that genuinely the more relaxed you were when being lifted, the more successful it would be, and don’t think I worked with anyone where this wasn’t successful which I was really pleased with.

Taking in to account what I had learned from the reading, there was a point where I was standing up leaning forward with Charlotte’s full weight rested on me. I then suddenly couldn’t keep my balance which made us both fall down to the floor. Although this slightly make us loose focus from the impact and shock of falling, we both did our best to stay connected to each other and continue the fluidity of the movement and I was really happy with the outcome of it all. From the first lesson of contact which I found a bit daunting, until now, I think the progression is really clear. The first lesson I would not have trusted myself to lift other people in this way, and if I had of fallen with someone on my back it is very unlikely that I would have recovered it the way I did this week.

 

References:

Curtis, B. (1988). Exposed to Gravity. Contact Quarterly/ Contact Improvisation Sourcebook I, Vol. 13. Pp.156-162.

Omegabranch (2011) Contact Improvisation Mirva Mäkinen & Otto Akkane. [onlinevideo] Available from, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMLbWxujoGw [Accessed, 10^th November.]

 

Until this week, during the contact improvisation module, I feel as a whole we have not experimented enough with giving the whole of our weight to each other, therefore perhaps restricting fluidity of movement. I know that in the past I have been quite hesitant whether or not to initiate a lift and this can sometimes make a contact piece look disjointed. This week however, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome as we were taught new and interesting ways of travelling in to lifts, some simple and some more complex which I will try my best to use in future contact work.

In preparation for the lesson I had read Ann Woodhull’s centre of gravity, enlightening me to the importance of correct use of weight and support in Contact Improvisation. I am glad that I had read this before the lesson, as I was able to apply my knowledge in to class. If the support of the under dancer is not right and they are not a stable base, than the over dancer will not be stable which can make in an unsafe practise. The over dancer also must share their weight correctly and a lot of the time when I was playing this role, this meant I had to ensure my pelvis was higher than my partners. When this was taken on board, many of the lifts were performed successfully.

I believe that along with correct placement, confidence is the key in order to have a successful lift, and this has to be from both the lifter and the person being lifted. One particular lift where this was evident was when we were in a counter balance. I was then lowered to the floor and my partner, who was Georgina at the time, span me round on the floor and then pulled me up to catch me. Reflecting on this, I noticed that the first few times we attempted it, because we both were not very confident that she would be able to catch me as she was a lot shorter in height, that as I jumped upwards from the floor, I jumped in an awkward position. This did not only made it look messy, but made it awkward for her to catch me. In contrast to this after a few practises were both began to relax more and it was easier for me to be caught, and the lift probably looked more appealing to watch as well as I was less of a heavy weight.

As we have developed further in to the module, i believe that i have increased my sense of trust with other dancers, and now feel confident to be lifted as well as lifting others. In previous lessons, although i have given weight to others, i feel that i have been working more as an under dancer. This week, experimenting with people that i don’t normally work with, I spent more of my time being lifted which in affect equalled out my roles working as both.

Woodhull A. Center of Gravity. Contact Quarterly/ Contact Improvisation Sourcebook I, Vol. 4. Pp. 43-48.