During this session “responding to its physical environment” (Daniel Lepkoff, 2008) is key as when we are lifting and weight baring you have to be focused and keep that connection with your partner. I found when taking weight we had to respond to the touch and senses we are being given in order to give the partner we are working with a safe environment. When lifting the person over my back I found that “shifting the bodies’ centre of weight” (Daniel Lepkoff, 1999) changed the way their body melted into mine. I found depending on how I moved my body their body would react and connect in a different way to how I was moving. Whilst doing this you have to make sure you are guiding them safely. When getting onto my partners back I was thinking “where is my centre?” (Daniel Lepkoff, 1999), “Which of these surfaces offer support?” (Daniel Lepkoff, 1999), “What am I aware of?” ( Daniel Lepkoff, 1999). These I was aware of whilst being upon my partners back as well as allowing my body to release and relax throughout this movement. It was interesting doing this as I found that I could move around enough to change my position, keeping my body released throughout the process. Even though I am over someone’s back it is easy to aikido roll out of it or safety roll so no damage is given to either body.
To continue, counterbalance across the room whilst pulling and then jumping with each other, during this you had to use the “act of dancing” (Daniel Lepkoff, 2008) to enable that connection and to come back to the same position each time. When in this position we must think about always coming back to straight arms and an anchored second so when we a pulling through we are being safe. During this there was a lot of moment and anchoring, the momentum made you feel like you were flying and you had a constructive landing to come to that as soon as the jump ended you had to anchor yourself down, enabling to pull your partner through. Not all the momentum came from flying the pulling action gave you the build-up and the running give the momentum. The momentum you get has to be a build-up in order to get you to the positon you are aiming for.
Monday 31st Oct 2016 – contact jam
This contact jam after coming out of the lifting I went in once the experience I had was good within the circle however, even though we had just learnt some lifts and weight baring skills I still found it difficult to incorporate. When coming out the circle I was disappointed within myself that I didn’t go in more as I know I can do the movement I just never found the right intention and became apprehensive. I need to be able to start “focusing on the physical sensation” (Daniel Lepkoff, 1999) between mine and others bodies, yes I have that connection but now we are able to lift I need to find that sensation between my body and theirs when it happens. Also I think what slightly stopped me was knowing when it was appropriate as you never know what your partner was thinking. However, when I was in I found there was good connection and understanding between myself and my partner.
To improve, next time I am going to go in a lot more so I can experiment with bodies I have not yet contacted with, make my body experience with new ways and possibilities I haven’t met yet. Also I need to just make myself go in even if it means improvising myself find new ways to improvise and ways my body can move. Then I can find that communication with someone to connect and being contacting with them. If this leads into weight taking and lifting then it does but if it doesn’t it doesn’t matter because I have still made contact. This will change every time I’m with someone new and I have come to release that when making contact don’t force myself into trying to do it if my partner encourages it to then go for it, if not wait and see what happens.
Bliblography;
Lepkoff, D.(1999). What is release technique?.http://www.daniellepkoff.com/Writings/What%20is%20Release.php
Lepkoff, D.(2008). Contact Improvisation: A question http://www.daniellepkoff.com/Writings/CI%20A%20question.php