“I sense that a certain fundamental understanding approach to dancing that used to be common knowledge and that once surrounded me is absent.” (Daniel Lepkoff, 2005) Sensing presences within the space is key when working in contact improvisation you have to be able to have understanding, communication between you and your partner. For example, whilst my hands where around my partners’ head, allowing their head to be free, my body and hands present as they explored. Being present in a situation like this was difficult as I wanted to lead her head but I had to allow her to explore. When it was my turn to allow my partner to take my head weight allowing my head to relax was difficult as I find myself to be tense in my upper shoulders, this is a place I tend to hold tension a lot of the time. My head felt very heavy and I automatically wanted to lead however, again I had to allow my body to flow and relax letting it go places it felt necessary, “being present is the movement of my attention.” (Daniel Lepkoff,2005).
“Behaviour evolves from sensing movement” (Steve Paxton) when watching Paxton’s piece Magnesium, 1972, it showed contact improvisation to be harsh, involving a lot of falling and colliding. Although there was a lot of touch involved within the piece a lot of it came from harsh impact, looking at the movement came from the impact. Paxton states in the video that “standing still is not actually standing still” what can our bodies do? What does standing still represent? How do we move when we stand still? In comparison Earthdance is very slow paced contact improvisation group they allow the steady pace to create flow between the groups. They are much gentler within the connection between the pairs, the touch they use enables you to see the communication between them much more as it allows the focus to be seen more. You can see they are much more aware of what is happening around them and they are not being thrown around the room they are being taken at a controlled pace. Here there is an obvious link between the movement displayed showing the interchangeable roles of a dancer, also proving it is easier to contact in duets rather than a group.Watching these videos came in useful when we were doing aikido roles on the floor, then over the bodies also in table top. When proceeding to do these the second video helped as I was able to release a lot more over my partner’s bodies and focus on the pace we were going at. Compared to Thursday, I noticed Tuesday there was a steady pace and much more control in the bodies. Were as Thursday some the exercise felt odd, not involving enough release. My body on Tuesday felt much more comfortable it didn’t feel as though it was being rushed throughout. Thursday I felt less comfortable and my body felt out of place. Maybe it’s because there is new movement being introduced so my body needs to become used to the feeling.
Contact Jam – Thursday 15th October 2016
During this improvisation jam I noticed our bodies are conditioned to perform in certain ways weather it’s to do with our “behaviour”, “posture” or “gesture”. It felt strange to improvise this session maybe it was the music, maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe it was the way our bodies were feeling, who knows. All I know is that this week I wasn’t as comfortable within the circle this could be down to the fact we have started to share weight taking, I’m not one hundred percent sure where to put it and how to get in and out of it smoothly all the time. In comparison last week felt more alive in the room and the atmosphere never dropped in the room. The liveliness was much more exciting and the music helped with this a lot when I was in the circle as I felt myself not thinking. However, this week it felt less exciting but much more experimental with the movement and people seemed a lot more daring with the movement they were exploring.
Bibliography:
Steve Paxton’s “Interior Techniques”: Contact Improvisation and Political Power. By: Turner, Robert. TDR: The Drama Review, Fall2010, Vol. 54 Issue 3, p123-135, 13p, 5 Black and White Photographs
Aaron Brando. 2010. Contact improvisation: Blake Nellis & Brando @ Earthdance. [online]. [Accessed 14 October 2016]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQRF2sLK1vY
Knyokn. 2011. Contact improvisation 1972. [Online]. [Accessed 14 October 2016]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FeSDsmIeHA
Forti, . 2005. Interview with D.Lepkoff. December 2005: http://www.daniellepkoff.com/Writings/Daniel%20Simone%20Interview.php