Improvisation jam

On the last week of term before Christmas all three years of dance students and the tutors came together to perform an improvisation jam, which was really fun! It allowed us to come together with other students I had not moved with before, and just experiment and explore with contact and relationships while moving. This was particularly fun and interesting as there was no expectations or criteria, we were just able to play around with movement without taking it too seriously or being graded etc.

We started by all moving individually in the space, as the sore gradually built up layers. We experimented with levels, direction, quality of movement, and then relationships and contact. Different types of music were also introduced to the score, which changed the levels of energy and atmosphere in the space. I found that I responded differently to different music, and sometimes my movement and mood completely contrasted depending on the music and energy of other movers.

Elements of the score I responded well to:

• Considering all parts of the space, such as the walls, and even the far edges of the space not just the middle. This was also useful for moments of pausing and/or witnessing.
• Brushing down others in the space. This could then lead to rolling, a change of level, following the person that brushed, or just an acknowledgement of another dancer that we may not have moved with before.
• All starting and finishing in the space together, which made me feel more comfortable and ready to move.

Overall this was a fun way to end the term, and just move how we wanted after a very tiring week during performance week :)