Improv..

Exploring readiness in the hips, knees & ankles.

Softness.

Simplicity.

Space.

I feel as though there are bubbles in my hip joints - the space is there but it is being inhabited by something. 
Sending my breath to this space to try & burst these bubbles.
Loosening my heels - trying to free the tension in my hips, but then it tends to sit in my heels.
Work on releasing tension all together - not just displacing it & sending it to another place.

Exploring readiness in the hips, knees & ankles.

Softness.

Simplicity.

Space.

x

Thinking..........

Interior landscapes of space 

(tend to forget the space in the legs. SRT hollow legs.

Ways of imagining the legs as lighter.

Integration - centre & periphery

                     external & internal

Degrees of presentation

Inhabiting what I am doing

Dancing is not an idea, it IS something, a physical thing I inhabit.

It is real & happening, it comes into my being.

It isn't about removing something.

Making myself more available - how do I do it?

Knowing how to make myself available to the work.

Gravity. 

Understanding what it means & what it is.

How can I  allow it to fall through every part of me all of the time?

x

Continuation of my score..

Energising. 

Rubbing the navel - sinking around navel & using this to come back to standing straight.

Diagonal.                                                      Length.

Clear feet - jumping.

Deep fold is not so deep today  -   playing with availability.

Coming to starfish as a way into moving today.  Allowed my scattered brain / body to integrate.

Moving the noise from my head into my core.

Focused.

Very much inward - start to allow it to be outward.

The idea of being seen.

Embodying material.

Quality of movement.

x

Finding my own score..

Exploring the relationship between condensing & expanding & my organs. 

How they are moved , wobbled , poked , twisted , stretched.

Working starfish into this.

Folding.

Do they stay in place?

--

Alix:      - In sync with movement, yet they stemmed from different initiations.  
              - Me moving from my score, Alix offering me hands-on information whilst talking about her score. Found that because I was so focused on my moving and the information I  was receiving that I was listening to her talking but less what she was actually saying.   

              - Gathering snippets of information.

             - Similar movements and similar ideas - only realised this when we spoke and when we moved together allowing the roles to blur. Following her movements with all of my body rather than just my hands. Found similar movements (condensing) but with different qualities (mine curving, hers folding).

I listened to her hands more than her voice.

What we notice & what we ignore.

Choosing how we orient our focus.

Navigating internal & external information at the same time.

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1. How was it to be seen?
   I found that I don't mind being seen as long as my face isn't - as long as I can't see you.
2. How did it clarify the phrase?
   As soon as I had to speak it, it became clear. I tried not to 'set' a phrase as I feel that it then doesn't go anywhere - it gets stuck.
3. What happens to my breath?
   I didn't notice it, but I think it was present in my moving - it wasn't trapped.
4. Can I layer them into my phrase?
   I need to make myself more available to being seen!

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My Score:

Finding the fold in my hips - deep. How this is connected to my centre / core. Allowing breath to be present. Suspension & falling. Clear contact with the floor - jumping. Deep fold, stretching & twisting. Deep fold - psoas muscle, connected to centre. Starfish. Suspension. Travelling. Travelling & speaking.

x

Finding Possibilities..

Releasing the body.
Moving the flesh on the bone - deep.
Pressing the tissues of the face.
Beginning to say YES to the movement and the moving.

Degrees of saying YES.

Can be from a whisper to shouting.

Giving them direction.

Aware of my bones. Like child's soft play.

Entwining bodies - connections.

Figuring out where you have to go to be supported.

Trust.

Figuring out where the YES is.

Trying to involve the YES to get off the floor.

Absorbing weight.

How much weight is there in a lifeless body?

The whole of me used to move & organise the other body.

A responsibility for the other body.

How easy it can be to find the possibilities.

x

Walking score..

Allowing for surprises.        No anticipation.     Seeing eyes.
Letting the mini duets be as long as they need to.
Dropping centre of gravity - shift in the room.
Allowing the duets to occur naturally.

Letting this move into contact improvisation.
(With Emma)
We are usually both quite apologetic in our moving & in our voices.
Today we seems to fall into gravity more readily
-gave the weight  of our bodies.


Allowing the awkward  /  accidental  /  funny moments to be a part of it.

Focusing on the elbows.

Martial arts - elbows close to the body.   Extending out into space.

How this can move us in space, support us on the floor.

Looking at the spiral in the arm -
does that move through the body?
Connection to centre?

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Moving across the room with this notion.
Linear movements on a forward trajectory. 

Angles.

Straight lines.

Forward.

Not going back on myself.

Noticing whether I feel comfortable in this????

Coming into axial movement.

Radial.

Tipping off my axis.

Limbs as an extension of my centre.

Axis starting deep into the earth's core & ending way way above my head.

This is how I feel comfortable moving, this feels natural.

Circular.

Palms to the air, swooping.

Trying to integrate these two moving patterns.

(recreated score from journal)

x

Improvisation With a Chair...

 

We undertook this task in our own time in the studio.. This is the score::

Choose an object.
pass it to and fro between you
listen to it         discover it's qualities.

Each time
find a different relationship to it
let the object reveal itself

Attend to fleeting thoughts
at the edge of consciousness

Pass a cup as:
an ear trumpet          a cave          a cold surface . . .



Find a place for an object
a place for yourself in relation to it
listen to it      ignore it      transform      discard


Find a relationship to an object
find another
and 10 more
push yourself beyond 1st   2nd   3rd   thoughts
into unfamiliar territory
100 relationships?

.

 I found this improvisation difficult, albeit rather fun. At first, I felt a bit like I was just doing some cheesy-jazz-hands-high-school-musical-dance, going from position to position. It was way to stop. start. stop. start.

But we did find that after a while the fluidity came and we stopped getting stuck in awkard moments, involving legs wrapped around and arms stuck under the chair.

This was really fun, though I can't see myself using this as a score for choreographic work. Maybe with another object I won't feel as restricted and so cliche!!!

Free Assosication Writing..

Today we tried 'free association writing' (writing whatever comes to mind). We were prompted how to start (in bold) & then given 3 minutes to write. The pen cannot leave the paper...

"On the ground I am free floppy like a creative or animal rolling & slothing around. Melting into the floor like butter soft. Cold floor makes me tense up but warm comfy clothes help me be squigy & soft. Comfortable don't have to hold any weight dead weight into the floor..."

"In the air I am like a bird flying high in the clouds. Weightless and free elegance. In the sky I can be who I want & feel free & happy & light. Holding weight sometimes feels heavy but in the air I am like the gentle beat of a butterfly wing. No one can see me..."

It honestly felt quite bizzare and down right wierd wrtitng whatever came to mind - I apparently have some pretty strange thoughts. I think I could use this as a score to improvise from in the future. Who knows...

Cecilia MacFarlane Workshop..

Cecilia MacFarlane came in to lead a improvisation workshop with us; she is an unbelievably inspirational woman and encouraged us to value our individuality as an artist and celebrate our dancing, flaws and all.

• EMPOWERMENT.
• INDIVIDUAL.
• FACILITATE. (work alongside)
• INCLUSION.
• PASSION.
• TRANSLATE. (interpret... to suit your body)
• CREATIVE.

What stops you? What blocks you? Why?

We improvised for a while under these guidelines:

• LOW ; under a bed...
• MEDIUM ; under a table...
• HIGH ; the skies the limit...

What stopped me? ... Caught eye contact with someone and came out of the place I had gone to. Suddenly became aware of the other bodies in the room. This threw me off. Too many people in a small space.

What suprised me? ... Usually unconfident / uncomfortable with improvisation. Felt free. Didn't feel as self conscious & only stopped once!! Really inspired!!

What do you celebrate about your dance???

Its my own...  I'm open to and eager to explore different ways of moving... Intricate & detailed...

What do you need to feed it???

LET GO!.. Stop comparing myself to other dancers... Belief...

This class reeeeeally inspired me & I really hope we get to work with Cecilia again!! I now feel like I can throw myself into the course a bit more.