Modern Connections

This blog is to show some connections I've made with this semester's modern class. I have developed more of a feeling for "finishing" movement and creating more solid "lines". I feel that the class critique helped quite a bit, for the comments were duly noted. I am seeing how important it is to make fluid connections from one movement to the other as well.

Anticipation of movement seemed to be big this semester as much of it is needed for things such as shift of weight. In the combinations, I have connected more and more movements smoothly instead of having them be quite separate movements. Other than that, overall, there is more use of whole body as well as breathing and head-tail curve. More of this is to be taken further next semester of course.

Dynamic Alignment Part 2

For Ch. 7 through 10, I found several parts useful. In Ch. 7, the searchlight central axis visualization seems helpful so I will try and imagine this sometime as I try to get good alignment. In Ch. 8, the buoy metaphor is interesting, especially when using only one buoy upon the pelvis. The COG very much intrigues me as it is what is used with those who balance objects. The ballast visualization I will try to see if this improves my balancing. In Ch. 9, of all these images for doing a grand battement, I feel the 5th image, of that of a string bringing my leg up, gravitate more for me. In ch 10, the tent visualization to keep the bones in place via the muscles is a good image and gives example of why whole body is important. It is also good to hear that improvisation is a good method in developing dynamic muscle tone, for I often do improvisation.

Dance Imagery

Though I have not thought of this particular image while dancing, but one of those automatic vacuum machines come to mind when it comes to having a steady flow of energy throughout. When the device hits a wall, it immediately goes elsewhere as if it was nearly pre-ordained. This gracefulness is how dance should happen.

Another image that may express an idea, and in particular that of pirouette turns, is that of a spinning top:

Maybe I should think of this more so that I can more gracefully pull off double pirouette turns. The top doesn't have moving parts at the top but is a solid structure. So should one find this solid structure and just turn into this thing. 

Yielding, Push, Reach and Pull

Calling upon my own solo, I will say that I use all of these ideas. When starting off, I use a push through space which then yields to the next move of a parallel sustained develope-type move, in which case the arms are outstretched and reaching. The aspect of pull comes maybe 10 seconds into the piece where I go down to my knees, but to arrive there I had to pull back my core as if there was a rope tied to me and I was pull back from my torso.

Out of all of these ideas, pull is probably the one that I use the less, so knowing this, I will try to use it more. I do know a pull movement that I enjoyed was done in Irene's piece at the point right before we went to run towards being propped up by two of our dance mates' legs.

Yielding appears to use a lot of shift of weight, for there is a transition that reverses or stunts movement, yet keeps moving in its own way to allow for a smooth shift to the next movement. This semester, I've learned how important transitional movements were. Very importantly is that all these ideas are much easier to pull of when one is using whole body, because then, for instance, there will be a uniformity in the pushing, as in, whatever is not pushing is resisting.

Dynamic Alignment

What rings highly for me in this book is Joan Skinner's Releasing technique, although there are many great ideas in this book. The reason I like Skinner's technique is because it's how I often like to think with practically everything in dance and outside--that one must keep the energy flowing like a river, and to learn to withdraw in order to gain. Rolfing I find intriguing as well, as I have in a type of dance meditation, pictured myself as a polygon with a great amount of grounding and balance. I saw that thinking in this way really did keep my balance up very well. I would definitely like to think [no, I mean feel] more in symmetry. I say feel after thinking of Sensory Awareness, that goes beyond vision and rationalizing.

The rubber-band tensegrity shows a good metaphor of resistance. Another good metaphor is the ship body. There was a whole section on the role of imagery relating to children, which I find great as an individual can learn much from the movements of children as they use great imagination and seem to be without limits. There are great creative experiments at the end of chapter 4, especially influencing body image and external space alignment. I haven't imagined before a room bigger than it seemed to be, but I have used space exercises of my own imagining where I felt I was everywhere at the same time. This brought great presence and awareness of space.