Month: October 2014

The intention of week three was all about releasing the head and eyes, something which I have struggled with doing so in the past, but I feel this lesson has really helped me understand the importance of doing so.

After watching the two contact improvisation videos, Steve Paxtons Magnesium (1972) and Blake Nellis and Brando @ Earthdance (2010) I was able to understand the importance of head movements. Watching the dancers use eyeline and putting trust in to the strength of their head, movement was able to come more freely and more spontaneously. Steve Paxton supported this idea in the Steve Paxtons “Interior Techniques”: Contact Improvisation and Political Power, where he mentioned that when movement is spontaneous, it is then ‘pleasant, highly stimulating and elemental.’

The exercise which stood out most for me during this lesson was where we had to move about freely, giving the entire weight of our head to our partners. When our partners then let go, I noticed a complete change in my own movement to what I had done previously in the improvisation lessons, and it was as though I had a sudden realisation that I had not been using my upper body to its full potential. In the past movement had mainly been initiated from my lower kinesphere.

The questions which have arrised from this weeks class are the following:

Will I continue to use my upper kinisphere?

By relaxing my head, what affect will this have on the rest of my body?

This week we explored the rolling point and the interchangeable role of the under and over dancer.

After reading the journal Touch: Experience and knowledge, I gained an understanding that we are always in ‘touch’ with something when dancing, whether this be with a person, item of clothing, or the floor. I found this an interesting concept to work with. The way in which I personally interpreted this point, was that there will always be something there to support you, particularly looking at the idea of the floor supporting my weight. Investigating this concept further, we worked in partners and explored how we could safely give our weight to each other.

I was first to lie on the floor, whilst I had my partner slowly release her weight on to me. Before doing this task, I expected it to be quite painful, as I did not see myself as particularly strong, or able to hold someone else’s weight. Based on my previous experience of partner work, I was normally the person being lifted because of my build. Having this is mind, the task really surprised me and I noticed, as previously mentioned, that the floor acted as a support. Relaxing in to the floor, I was able to take the weight of my partner and the action of her rolling over me seemed almost like a massage, as opposed to being a painful experience.

When we then switched roles I was able to fully relax over my partner, taking care that i did not put any pressure on to her knees. I felt that this task encouraged us to put more trust in to eachother and to feel more comfortable. In affect, this then improved how we worked together for the rest of the lesson.

 

References:

Touch: Experience and knowledge. Full Text Available By: Bannon, Fiona; Holt, Duncan. Journal of Dance & Somatic Practises, 2012, Vol. 3 Issue 1/2 p215-227