Dancers,
We worked with head strings and corsets this week. We also moaned alot and tried to have a creative performative experience in ballet class. What did you learn this week?
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About Me
- Louis
- My efforts toward enlightenment through creativity and physicality are what my dances and my teaching are all about.
23 comments:
I can't really say that the ecstatic moaning did anything for me, but there were a couple of others things that I think really helped this week.
When we did the exercise with our eyes closed, it was easier to focus on both the movement AND the feeling at the same time. It was like the shift in my perception of how I looked (from what I could see to what I could feel) allowed me to add more feeling to my movement without it distracting me from the combination.
It's been an appropriate challenge to spend less time in the explanation of the combinations before we do them. I think it makes me focus better, because I know that the explanation is only coming once before I have to do it myself. I've also noticed that I do better if I don't rely on the other dancers in class to remember the combination. I start messing up way more when I switch from doing it the best that I can remember it myself to doing it a half a second behind whoever I decide knows it better than I.
Jared put it really well about dancing with our eyes closed. In class I said it was harder to concentrate when we were first told to add more expression and feeling to the combination. I was either losing my balance etc. or forgetting the feeling and focusing on technique too much. Doing the other exercise with my eyes closed felt easier and nicer, I felt more like dancing (vs. doing an exercise). And I think at some point I opened my eyes and kept the same feeling.
I noticed this week my balancce had improved a lot. The corset is good, but I also need the rolling spheres to keep me lifted from the floor :)
I guess this is going to be a line of people exclaiming, "amen" to Jared's comment about the eyes thing, because I couldn't agree more! Even just putting the lights down for an exercise helped so much. I feel like it took the tension off and really made me think about all the little details like the stretching, the lifting, etc. And I felt like both gave a much more relaxed mood.
I also have come to really enjoy that stretch we did this week facing the bar, the one we once did in a circle. Who knows what it is for me about facing the bar that lets me relax and really get into it, but it helps loads.
The different forms of music also helped me see how differently I dance to different sounds. I felt Wednesday and Friday, when the piano was played, I felt much more vertical and lifted and found myself wanting to be graceful and have a strong body. While I love the music Kane (sp?) plays, it creates a different vibe in my body for movement than what the piano or vocals do.
I guess this week for me wasn't so much about learning tangible ballet things, but more mental things, like what helps, what doesn't help, personal preference type things. They were all really great to learn and I look forward to the things I will learn this week in dance!
When I used to perform in Jazz combos throughout seattle and bainbridge, my sax teacher would always have me close my eyes while improving. It wasn't so much as to challange me but so as to feel the sound of the notes that i was producing and not be weighed down by what i saw on the score in front of me. It is amazing what happens when you're jamming away, eyes closed! Same thing in dance, both david and Ahn have asked me on seeral occasions to dance with my eyes closed so i feel instead of see, and it was nice to do that in class.
I'm enjoying that fact that my vocabulary is becoming better, though i know my co-workers are pretty sick of me working around them while singing the combos that we do in class. "tombe pas de bourree contra ta...tombe pas de bourree fifth......" it's turning into a bad habit i must say.
OH YA...MOANING! It's nice to vocalize what i'm thinking in my head. At the same time it was a nice release tactic....kind of like sighing helps relieve stress in the body while stretching.
I agree with jared, although moaning was quite comical during the dance, it didn't help me express myself during that particular dance, but that is not to say that moaning would not help expressing during other dances. What helps me express myself more is getting more into the music. When I dance outside of class I let my body move to accent different parts of the music and in class when I let myself sink deeper into the music I can start to let myself use the choreography in order to facilitate that. That class was the first time I felt comfortable enough with the music and the dance to let them both come together as one rather than them be really seperate. I think the noises helped that because everyone was getting more into it and it made it easier to let lose. I have a long way to go with my dance, but I definatly think that class was a milestone.
I watched class on Friday and it was amazing to see what a difference music can make on the class additude. When I came in, the class was doing the same dance as the one I was just talking about, but you could just see that the energy level was close to zero and as an observer it looked as if everyone was just going through the motions. Which was really disappointing to watch because we danced beautifully on the previous wednesday. I contributed it to the song because the song was really depressing, whereas I felt the dance was suppose to be uplifting. So, there was a weird contrast between the music and the dance which made it awkard to dance.
The ecstatic moaning was summed up by Jared, though I did like the idea of putting more emotion into the combination. I tried doing that on Friday (with out the moaning) and though I don't know how it actually improved my dancing it was fun to feel like I was dancing rather thank just focusing on what step to do next. Having the two different musicians Wednesday & Friday was interesting as I noticed how much music effects how I dance.
The corset helped feeling lifted, but nothing beats the rolling balls to get my posture uplifted
I really enjoyed Wednesdays class. It seemed like several new atmospheric elements were at play, the low lights, piano, closed eyes. It was really nice. I thought that having the lights lowered was a lot more relaxing and comfortable. For some reason it seemed to bring more awareness to the body and removed it from what everyone else was doing.
I really enjoyed the piano music as well. It seemed to be a more accurate model of what we are going for than percussion is. Kane is amazing at what he does, but I get more inspiration from the piano music we had, especially because its tone, tempo and attitude are so easily modified to fit the exercise we are doing.
Dancing with my eyes closed is always something that I enjoy. I find myself doing it during barr work a lot and it just helps me focus on my movements and not feel pressured if I am not doing the combination's as well as other people around me.
I really enjoyed the moaning at the end of class because my muscles were feeling that long stretch and a bit of tightness. However, while we were doing the combination on the floor it was hard for me to focus on the dance and be expressive and trying to moan at the same time... especially because no one else wanted to do it at first...I think finding a creative expression while working on new dance steps is awesome but advanced. So it is something that takes time to work on.
With my mind focused on head strings and corsets, it was challenging to simultaneously think about the feeling of the movement. I really enjoy those times in class that we are reminded, whether it be through moaning, turning the lights off or partner work, that we are creating art and we're and not just robots. So, what I thought about this week is the importance of the performance aspect of dancing even if I don't know all the steps of a particular dance.
Katrina Hamilton
I think perhaps I may have confused this week with last week (serves me right for waiting to post). Either way...
really, the thing I learned most this week was actually a byproduct of what was being taught. I was trying to figure out why pitching or rolling forward felt so uncomfortable and awkward (at times even painful). Because we had been talking so much about lifting up, I tried to apply this even more when bending forward. It felt completely different. Not only more comfortable, but a much stronger stretch in my legs. In watching myself in the mirror I discovered that I normally push my pelvis back whenever I move my torso forward, and that not only was this a pretty sorry looking aesthetic, it also wasn't a good stretch and made it harder to lengthen in my knees.
I've been paying more and more attention to stabilizing my hips when I go forward. It's not perfect, but it's getting there!
The beauty and emotion in ballet for me is all tied up in the suspension and release of movement. To express creativity in dance is to give and take in the right moments and transitions.To express anything verbal is allowing my attention and essentially my control over the exercise wavier. So I don't think I am a mature enough dancer to tackle that.
Pulling up out of my hips and keeping my spine rightfully aligned is a constant challenge and its good to have it verbalized and reminded. I get distracted by myself so much of the time, its good to take a breath, remember where I must always star from. If I do that, if I acknowledge and center the core of my body, than I will always succeed with something in the exercise!
It was an interesting class. The moaning did not add much to help my movements, but dimming the light has helped me to calm down and focus better in dancing. I think it helps it to make it easier for me to think that I'm alone, just dancing, rather than when just thinking that I'm in a dance class doing a routine. Closing eyes definitely helps me to focus better and just have fun with the routine.
Head strings and corsets exercise helped me to feel the floating head and stable corset to complete my vertical line. I would have to keep reminding myself, but it definitely helped this week.
I found that the moaning in ecstasy did not really inspire my dancing or my enjoyment of the adage we did. However, when we had Ariane (is that her name?) on Friday, her music made me involve myself in the movement and connect it to the music she played, so I felt like my dance was more than just a simple movement, it had a deeper meaning similar to the feeling my modern dance gives me. It was wonderful! I felt the enjoyment I get from modern when I did that adage, which is surprising since normaly ballet is a struggle for me to enjoy. It's amazing that the music has such an effect on me, but perhaps as I learn more about ballet I will be able to transcend being inspired only by music to finding inner inspiration and enjoyment of the movements that you asked us to find on Wednesday with the moaning in ecstasy.
I find that maintaining the thought of a lengthened spine does help at times, especially to imagine oneself constantly being lifted. If I am in the middle of an exercise and I keep that in mind, it seems to remind myself to keep that aesthetic alignment while dancing.
The exercise with head strings and corsets was an interesting way to help me remember how to stand while dancing. It also helped me to remember to lengthen my movements. Dancing without the flourescent lights really added a different feel to the class. It seemed more relaxed, and yet at the same time, focused. I also liked the variety in musical styles. When Adriana came, it was really interesting how her form of music, with her use of vocals, affected everyone in the way that they were dancing.
The moaning was cute, but personally I think if I tried to moan it may have distracted me from executing the moves. Though it could have worked with certain moves,... hmmm... at least not the penche, cause it was hard enough on its own.
But executing moves in dimmer light and thinking about something beyond just doing the moves, really helped me feel the music.
And feel the movement as well, like when I thought beyond the movements, I felt like I was stretching myself into the moves instead of just doing them, like I was more "luscious". =)
BTW, i really liked the music this week, it was a nice temporary change that brought a gentler, more sensual feel to our dancing. I think there was something special about the tones the piano and ESPECIALLY Ariana's voice that allowed me to feel the music across the floor instead of mostly just at the bar. Very nice, very nice. Loved it. (though i did miss Kane)
I really enjoyed the head string and corset aspect. Thinking of my ribs as being in a corset was helpful because it means that they move a a unit but don't isolate from each other. Also imagining being in a corset made me stand up straighter and feel more regal because I was thinking what it would be like to be in an old fashion dress.
I missed the class with the moaning, but I have now heard and read all about it. For me, there are some things that really work in my thinking/actions that help me connect to the expressiveness of dance. On the other hand, there are some of those things that work for some people and not for others. I kind of feel like vocalizing the emotion behind a dance actually takes away from the power of the performance itself, it makes it too "easy" for the audience get. I also get crazy distracted by myself and others in moments like that. What has really worked for me is thinking about little stories/scenarios as the reasons behind the dancing.
The corset and headstrings images have been nice. I'm not sure how much of a problem I have with splayed ribs, but I think that always having something to act as a reminder to check in with my alignment it nice, since sometimes I end up focusing too hard on everything but that... which just ends up making it harder anyway
Being in the dark while dancing definitely helped me to focus on my movements and fell length. Also, it is strange to say, but I felt I was dancing. However, to be honest, closing my eyes was the hardest to dance since I watch others while dancing. About moaning, it was a very interesting method...
Corsets exercise helped me to stand up straight. (Also, I've been doing push-up and sit-up at home to strengthen my balance. To combine with the corsets exercise, I think I am more balanced, compared to before.)
Although I didn't particularly like the moaning out loud, I am glad we were reminded of the pure joy we can have in moving our bodies. As has been said before, ballet is a structured and formal type of movement. The head string and corset exercises we used this week made me very aware of those individual parts of my body, and I tried to remember them while I was actually dancing as well. I even showed some of my friends the techniques outside of the class.
I am glad that we focused on arms this week, even though I missed both Wednesday and Friday. It is good to concentrate on the individual sections of the body, because hopefully by the end of the quarter we can assemble all the pieces and not have to think about those pieces. Instead they will come naturally.
Sophie
Nicole Boutilllier
As I stated in the last post, the head strings and corset analogy works very well for me.
I really found it challenging to shut my eyes and try and dance. It really challenged my sense of where I was and my balance was completely off, but it made me actually think about how and where I was dancing. It really helped me to focus more.
I also agree with Jared that the quicker pace of our class is really helpful to me. It makes me think more about what I am really doing and as a result helps me focus more!
I really enjoyed your idea of creating a story behind dance, and I think i helped me to be more expressive in our combo, however, the moaning was destracting for me.
I enjoyed the idea of closing my eyes during the warm ups. It made me focus on myself a lot more. I was listening to the music and following it with my movements. I noticed that dancing with my eyes closed helped the dancing become more organic instead of me counting and hammering the steps out. I became much more relaxed. The moaning part of the exercise was funny and was also helping with the idea of just letting the dancing come out naturally. This moaning aided this idea!
I have always been a big fan of closed-eyes and dance. I don't do it enough though. The fascination of this is due to several factor: the "trust factor". If I close my eyes and fall backward, will I fall? Do I trust myself enough to do movements without my eyes open.
Another thing about closed-eyes is dancing with another perspective. I tend to let go of control and dance for the sake of it, even if I miss a few steps, and we all know I have done many of that in class this quarter. The eyes gandered at the room and we began to judge. The judgement can be both positive and negative.
Now, for the moaning "ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"
Oscar Milano MAI
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