Studio practice

Today we worked with the image of our arms as sails while holding positions and doing short sequences. This was done my imagining the way the arms are connected to the sternum from the thumb, and just above the shoulder baled from the little finger when in an extended second position, creating an open flat upper body. I found that imagining the flatness of the sails enabled me to hold a strong position without over extending. I will definitely use this image again when holding arm positions to make sure they don't over extend causing an arched spine, which will reflect on my overall alignment, which I am paying particular attention to during my practice.

Studio practice

Today during studio practice I felt as though I had a really successful lesson that I connected with. I found I was able to take on board feedback when in partners, and I could notice the changes in the way I was moving. I worked on keeping flow and control throughout, not over extending, making sure my skull was free when rising and rolling down, and also my ongoing focus of skull to tail connection, use of breath, and keeping the pelvis falling.
I particularly noticed my flow throughout a sequence had improved, and that by breathing while moving I felt warmer and more supple in the joints and muscles.

Duet beginnings

We have been given an assignment to choreograph a duet sketch.. I will keeping track of my choreographic process here on my blog.

To start thinking about duets I have thought of other duets unrelated to dance that will encourage me to consider different relationships and their significance to each other, to see if this could be a stimulus for a dance duet.

• love and hate
• light and dark
• knife and fork
• brother and sister
• bread and butter
• man and woman
• thunder and lightening
• black and white
• left and right
• Tom and jerry
• Bucket and spade

I have been considering how some of these cannot have one without the other, how some are opposites, and some are just associated with each other.

Please comment if you can think of any more that I may find relevant to my exploration of duets :)

Skinner releasing technique.. class four

This class enabled me to reflect upon all the previous skinner releasing technique classes..

Images I really connected with during improvisation were:

• Melting- allowed suppleness and release in the joints, soft and fluid movement. Felt like melting in honey so I could move slower but will full exploration in all body parts.
• Head strings- made me feel taller, more upright, and feeling length in the neck, spine, and a floating skull. This also allowed easier breathing.
• Gossamer string- between the hands, enables soft movement, almost cautious, became really engaged in the delicacy of the image.

Ideas that I would use in movement practice and my body story:

• Spaces in the spine
• melting into the cushion
• head strings
• supple joints
• skull to tail connection
• fluidity
• floating skull
• use of breath
• continuous movement in sequences

Getting to know a place

We were given a task to sit in a place of choice for 15 minutes and carry out these instructions..

'Sit quietly in a chosen place, with paper and pen to hand
throw open your attention.. see what comes
as you sit
make a list of sensory impressions.. sounds.. sensations in your body.. colours
whatever call attention to itself'

What I found interesting from carrying out this task in my bedroom with the windows open, is that it is never silent. Sounds constantly fill the air, even if I could not hear noises from the environment I could hear noises from my body such as breathing and my thinking. The idea that there is never silence made me think about how this is the same as movement, and that the environment is always moving and changing, even if not visible, our body's are never completely still due to breathing again, and other natural movements. This really interested me and could be a stimulus for a piece of choreography, the fact that we never stop moving even if we are trying to be still, and how movement and sound are never ending.

Breathing exercise

Continuing my focus on the use of breathe to improve my flow and balance when dancing, I read a useful breathing exercise which I intend to do regularly to keep myself ware of my breathing.
It begins with 'Sit in a comfortable position. Invite breath into your body. Focus attention on your lungs. imagine their shape as they take in air, and notice too the change to your ribs.' It later instructs, 'send breath to the centre of your pelvis.' and 'Notice how movements ignite your awareness.'
I found this really helped me imagine the flow of breath around my body, and I then held a constant flow of breathe throughout the sequence I was practicing in the studio. I think that a breathing exercise at the beginning of each studio practice class and before any rehearsals will really enable me to be aware, and keep control of my breathing while dancing. 

Cheryl Pallant (2006) 'The creative body: Source of a new form' Contact Improvisation:On introduction to vitalizing dance. McFarland&Company, Inc: Jefferson, North carolina and London.

Skinner releasing technique.. class three

In this session we did a lot of partner work, and work using the hands in order to help our partner soften in certain areas. On exercise I particularly found usefull was one where we had to find the lowest point in our partners ribs/ the floating rib, and using our hands lift the whole rib cage from this point outwards and upwards. This encouraged spaces and length in the vertebrae and ribs. I could feel this in my body and felt taller and longer when my partner let go. We then encouraged a free neck and skull and brushed the shoulders downward and outwards. This left my upper body feeling long and lengthened, and ready to dance.
During the improvisation tasks, one image I connected with was one where we had to imagine we were dancing in water currents under the surface of water. I found this made me dance fluidly and softly in the body as a whole, although sometimes finding moments of detail, mainly in the hands and feet. Therefore I would definitely use this image again when improvising.

Skinner releasing technique.. class two

In this session we carried out several tasks again to make us more aware of the joints, bones, and tissues in the body. I was left feeling supple and relaxed. We focused on the use of the breath, which I found really useful as I could perform the sequences and not feel out of breath at the end, and I found I could balance easier.
Again, I found the session very useful in making me more aware of these things, and how I could incorporate them in other dance classes. In particular I have been trying to bring the use of breath into my studio practice lessons, which I have found is helping me find more flow and deeper exploration into movement, mainly in swinging and dropping in and out of the floor. Hopefully I will be able to always do this while dancing, without really thinking about it.

Review of Bird Song by Siobhan Davies

The piece ‘Bird Song’ choreographed by Siobhan Davies challenges the tradition of ballet in so many ways and displays very different movement, music, costume, and staging to traditional theatre.

One of the ways in which the performance challenges traditional ballet conventions is by performing in bare feet and wearing loose trousers and tops, instead of Pointe shoes and a tutu. The performance is also set as an in the round theatre style and the square of performance space is on the same level as the audience, creating a relationship between them as they are so near to each other. Whereas, traditional ballet would have been performed on a proscenium arch staging with the audience sat all facing the front to create a separation and enable the audience to view the performance almost as a film.

The use of music also displays big differences from traditional ballet. The music is screechy and sounds almost mechanical, and is not pleasant to listen to. It constantly pauses and has no specific timing. This is completely different to the classical music used in traditional ballet that would be chosen first so the dance could be set to it after.  There is no central point of focus, and the whole space was used by all the dancers at one time, so there are no corps de ballet or principal characters that are framed by the other dancers and there is no hierarchy of dancers, as there is in traditional ballet.

The traditional themes explored in ballet would be fairy tale narratives, Greek mythology, and love stories through the use of gesture and mime. However Bird Song has no narrative and displays movement with no specific theme or meaning communication which allows the audience to figure out their own conclusions of the movement, if any at all, and enables them to appreciate the performance as they wish.  

I watched this performance on the Siobhan Davies Archive..     http://www.siobhandaviesreplay.com/index.php 

Danish Dance Theatre performance review

On the 26^th of January I went to Warwick Arts Centre to see the Danish Dance Theatre, led by artistic director Tim Rushton. This was their first performance in the UK to celebrate their 30 year anniversary. It has been described as ‘Classical beauty of ballet combined with the power of contemporary dance’. I really agree with this statement as the technique performed was balletic, although there were gripping emotions and narratives being explored.

The performance was split into three sections, Enigma, CaDance, and Kridt. Here are my observations and thought of the three pieces.

ENIGMA

Enigma, meaning riddle or puzzle was an engaging piece, and I particularly enjoyed the use of space and the variety of ensembles throughout. There was a mixture of solos, trios, and group ensembles which led to different focuses on stage, so i was never just looking at one point of the stage for very long. The duets complimented each other and the use of cannon, unison, stillness, and levels made the piece interesting because of the constant variety. I also really enjoyed the contact work. The males would support the females during lifts and jumps; there were moments where the females would lead and then the males, which again created different focuses constantly. There were also different entrances and exits going on throughout so there would always be a different number of dancers on stage at one time, making it interesting to watch because you didn’t know who would appear on stage next, and what would be coming next in the movement. However, there was one female dancer who began the piece as a solo and remained on stage throughout the whole piece.

CADANCE

CaDance, a five male only piece was also an engaging piece. There were two live drummers on stage playing the music, which involved a variety of drums and layers of rhythms, which made the piece instantly interesting as there was not just dance happening on the stage and the performance as a whole could be appreciated. The piece represents a game, where convicts in a prison yard are strutting and posing, challenging each other. The drum sticks represent how their bodies can perform minor, bone dry movements and then in a split second they can attack. This could be shown by the short, almost twitching repetitive movements which would then break out into jumps and travelling floor work. The piece started with two dancers on stage and then progressed into the five dancers at the end, who danced mainly in a line across the front of the stage. The strong aggression and competition was shown by facial expression and the very weighted movement. I really enjoyed this piece as the strong movement combined with the timing of the fast strong beat of the music really made me engage with the characters and I felt like I wanted to get up on stage and dance with them.

KRIDT

Kridt, which translates as ‘chalk’, represents a man on the verge of death remembering his life. This was my favourite piece of the three because of the strong, emotional narrative being represented and I felt so engaged throughout the whole piece. I really liked the beginning of the dance as there was a chalk board running across the back of the stage, and one of the dancers travelled across the stage writing in large letters along the whole board, which set the scene. The board was incorporated within the whole dance, and dancers would draw on it, outlining other dancer’s positions and then travelling across the stage rubbing out all the chalk and starting again. This was really interesting as there was always something being done with the chalk board throughout, at the back of the stage which lead to different focuses constantly. There was one clear main character, which was male and danced mainly centre stage throughout, and was being manipulated by other dancers through contact. Towards the end danced in a spotlight, centre stage with the other dancers framing him and he was them lifted by them all to the ceiling and sand started pouring down on to him in a long line from above. This was a representation of death and was really interesting as I have never seen sand being used as part of a dance piece. There was strong classical music throughout, and the piece ended with the main character lying on the floor surrounded by the other dancers looking at him, which created a climax and ended the performance strongly.

I really liked the way the movement was clear and held elements of ballet technique, but the relationships between the dancers, the use of bare feet, music, and narrative had a very contemporary feel to it. It was unpredictable and edgy which I also really loved about the piece.  

Alexander technique

I took part in an Alexander technique class with Lucia Walker. The aim of the class was to notice and try and correct habits were had got into concerning mainly sitting down. We were asked to sit on the floor how we would normally and then notice how our body naturally wanted to sit. I found I was quite slouched, with my head poking forwards and legs crossed. As I was noticing the position I was in I found I was actually quite uncomfortable and not able to breathe deeply.
Lucia then directed us with a hands on approach into and upright sitting position which was actually more comfortable and I was encouraged to feel the spaces in between the vertebra in my back. I found that they felt clearer and longer, which then improved my flow of breath.
I found this session very interesting as I know notice not only in dance but in everyday life how I could be improving my alignment and posture without much effort, yet feel a lot less strain on my back, knees, ankles, and other areas of my body. I am now aware of the bad habits I hold while sitting, walking and standing and am now keen to work on this using the Alexander technique principles to improve, as this can also be applied to my development in dance.

Improvisation task with a a chair: we carried out a task in the studio where we had to travel from one end to the other in pairs, while incorporating the use of a chair. It was interesting to include an object within dance, and we found we moved in new ways because of the focus on the chair. However I felt at first it was quite a stop\start process as we would often stop and feel stuck when getting into an awkward position with the chair. After several attempts we then found we could move more fluidly across the space with the chair and moved through the awkward moments, and it was a fun task!

Cecelia Macfarlane workshop

Some words I picked up from Cecelia's beliefs in dance during the class..

• Empowerment
• Passion- From within, that cannot be taught , it comes from the individual.
• Inclusion
• Translate- Individuals interpretation of movement.
• Facilitate- To suit every individual.
• creativity- Everyone has their own creativity, and it can be Incorporated in all dancing.

We were asked to improvise for a set amount of time with different types of music and guidance from Cecelia, and then ask our self the question 'What stops/bocks you and why?'

• People in the way/ not enough space.
• Thinking about my movement too much and not doing.
• Not always having a high level of confidence when I feel I cannot go any further with the movement.

We then answered the question 'Were there any surprises within your movement'

• Found moments of release and fluidity more than usual.
• I managed to travel around the whole space, even though i was not directly focusing on the idea of travel.

Another idea we questioned and focused on throughout the class was 'What makes you different, and what do you celebrate about your dancing?'

• Prepared to alternate between dynamics.
• Hold flow throughout, and do not stop and start movement constantly.
• Finding endless possibilities of movement on the floor.
• Considering stillness within my movement.

I really enjoyed this workshop, as it made me realise how much I am learning on this course and how I have developed so far. My focus and exploration has widened and I feel more confident during improvisation tasks. I am less afraid to try out new ideas, even if they do not always work. I am also starting to celebrate the way my body moves and my individuality as a dance artist.

Skinner releasing technique.. class one

I took part in a skinner releasing technique class with Florence Peake. I left the class feeling uplifted, relaxed, and aware of all bones, joints, muscles, and tissues within my body. We focused on the use of breath while dancing, and I discovered I tend to hold my breathe as I dance because I am concentrating and trying to keep a good alignment, while also trying to hold positions. However I found that during this class the intake and release of breathe regularly and during certain types of movement can actually improve the flow of my dancing, and improve my balance.
We did several tasks, all focusing on suppleness and the idea of giving in to the shift of weight. We also did timed improvisation tasks focusing on being loose within the hips, and then being loose within the arms, while again improving the flow of breath throughout.
One principle of skinner releasing technique which we also discussed was how the imagination can improve memory of movement. Joan Skinner believed that imagining is just as good as doing for movement memory. I find this particularly interesting as I find that remembering dance sequences a challenge, so I am going to work on this using this technique of imagining the movement.
Another principle of skinner releasing technique is that mind and body work together while dancing at all times. I did in fact feel that by the end of this class my mind and body were working together while dancing the short sequences we learnt.
I enjoyed this session, and know I will be using these principles during studio practice and other sessions in order to keep improving!

Review of a second year performance.. Eden Dance Company

In December I watched a performance by Eden dance Company, performed by the second year dance students. It included three sections called ‘Installation’, ‘silent walk’, and ‘lady Herbert’s garden’. The aim of the project was to explore the response from the dancers to their environment.

The first section, Installation, was performed in the dance studio. The whole space was used and there were three large plastic see through sheets placed around the space. These made a rustling noise when the dancers came into contact with them which added an interesting element to the sounds in the space. I particularly liked the use of these sheets as they were an unusual prop to include within a dance piece, but the dancers made really interesting use of them and they really engaged me throughout. The dancers also leaned against the walls, and incorporated them within their movement during some moments, which again encouraged the audience to discover all parts of the space.

When we arrived in the space they encouraged us to walk around the space also and take in the surroundings with the dancers before sitting down, and they were already in character and moving. They were walking and exploring the whole space by looking around at every detail and object in the space, including in the audience space, the ceiling, the floor and every wall and corner of the studio. This made me intrigued as to what they were exploring and enabled me to also engage in my surroundings as part of the audience. I really liked how this made me feel part of the performance and part of the space, not just an audience member watching from the side, which therefore helped me understand the piece fully.

The use of costume in this section complimented the natural, environmental feel being created. The dancers wore soft earthy colours such as brown, light pink and green. They wore flowing dresses over leggings and tee shirts which flowed and rippled as they moved, creating a sense of nature moving freely.

There was use of soft, slow music which complimented the soft dynamic of the piece. There was a strong focus on the hands and arms as the dancers all moved in unique ways covering the whole space. They moved in a variety of ways, and every dancer had their own motifs and focus. They included walking, running, sliding and rolling across the floor, leading with the hands and feet, as well as in contact with each other and the props.

The next section in the piece was the silent walk to the gardens. The dancers wore long furry coats and wellies which attracted the attention of the general public while walking through Coventry. This was particularly interesting as we could see how this caused a reaction in many people, and I was able to recognise different people’s reactions to their environment, which was the aim of the piece. The walk led us through both old and modern streets, which again enabled us to take in our surroundings.

This led us to the final section in Lady Herbert’s garden. We watched the performance from a bridge so we could watch from above and have a larger view of the area. I enjoyed watching the piece from a different angle as it enabled me to engage with a new type of environment which i have not experienced as part of a dance performance before, which really interested me, as i could view the performance from different angles and positions.  The dancers continued to explore their surroundings and also came into contact with nature. The dancers then all gathered into one area on grass and all started moving fluidly and in time with one another in silence which was very engaging. The soft dynamic again was very soothing and natural which reflected the environment we were in.

Solo presentation

Today we performed our final structured improvised pieces to the class and lecturers. I felt overall it was a successful performance. I was given feedback by a lecturer after. Some positive points I was given was that my use of stillness and levels were effective, my focus on the body parts that were moving was engaging, my exploration of weight was interesting, the opening was strong, and that I showed good exploration of my stimulus ideas and my movement. Some points I was given to use to improve in future was to explore transitions, take more risk when creating movement, and make sure I hold my focus throughout the whole performance.
 Watching the solos of my colleagues also was inspiring, as there was such a variety in movement and ideas being explored. I noticed that the most engaging performances held qualities such as..

•  A variety of patterns in the space.
• Use of sounds when in contact with the floor and the use of voice and breathing to create rhythm.
• Use of stillness.
• Reoccurring positions/motifs.
• Suspension.
• Repetition that was then developed.
• Focus on a particular body part.
• Constant changes of focal points in the space.
• A wide use of the space.
• A variety of traveling and static phrases.

I have found that choreographing in this way has enabled me to create movement I would never have been able to do before starting this module. I have found it difficult at times as I have never worked in this way before, but I have really enjoyed the challenge and the process of learning. I have learnt that my movement vocabulary is always growing uniquely and being developed with originality, which I did not realise was possible before beginning this course at university.  

Name for my solo piece..

I have decided an appropriate name for my solo choreography piece is... 'Manipulate'.

Interview

Below, I have uploaded a video of a collegue interview after she viewed an improvisation task I performed.

Interview

Solo choreography rehearsal

Today I spent time on my own in the studio exploring and creating movement through improvisation, as part of my solo structured improvisation task. I began by improvising around ideas I have collected previously in my choreographic journal, and looking through my solo scores I have drawn after participating in choreography tasks. I found that I could now piece together sections of structured improvisation to create my solo.
I particularly focused on the skin and manipulation of body parts, as that is my stimulus. I also wanted to focus on my use of space and travel. I found this difficult as much of the movement I have created so far has been quite static as this is within in my comfort zone. I therefore was focusing on coming out of my comfort zone and creating movement from within, as this is one of the aims of the task. I did find however as I came more out of my comfort zone I started to create more original movement, and felt true to what I had created.