Last night, in my new home of NYC, I returned to CI after a 6 month hiatus! I attended the Tuesday night lab at Bill Young Studio, and entered orienting within physical--inner ear--disorientation. I realized that for me, the most delicious dancing is the triggering, responding, new triggering, new responding neurophysical chain of action within a framework that forces disorientation and new orientation.
What we did:
Head study
1. Solo warm-up in which the one rule was that we had to maintain contact between head surface and the floor at all times- 15 minutes
2. Repeat with the potential for partnering adding that the partners body and the dancer's own body parts could also serve as interchangeable floor replacements with which to maintain head contact.
3. Exploring the free weight of the head and it's relationship with eye gaze and spinal/whole body follow through. We started standing together as a group holding hands in a circle. Taking care not to crash heads, to greater and lesser degrees, sometimes initiated by the trajectory of eye gaze, sometimes not, we tossed our heads. Each toss followed through to body of the tosser and caused a weight shift in the entire circle, a series of simultaneous ripples affecting one another. Eventually the circle broke apart into an open dance.
Observations and sensations:
3. It is challenging to use the gaze of the eyes as an initiating limb and maintain a visual awareness of what is happening in the space around you. Finding the orientation within this disorientation, the heightening of wind and temperature senses, allowing softening and sharpening the gaze to happen as a response to the needs of the moment. This adaptation response allows for a degree of scintillating risk to exist within and drive the dancing without the danger to could result from insensitivity.
2. Folks tended not to take full advantage of the sudden huge openness that the new possible surfaces for head contact provided--particularly maintaining contact between the head and various interchangeable surfaces of the dancer's own body. This blows the realm of possibility wide open. I'd like to explore further.
1. Warming up with the head in perpetual contact with the floor was an incredible warmup for the spine and the perceiving organism coming up with various ways to move and locamote within this unusual confine.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
what next?
i am enjoying coming into the place of soloing and dueting-soloing into dueting-continuing a thread. It was really helpful to have the wonderful witnesses and support of Matthew and Asimina. I think this is a great place to work for the performance coming up-i think it might lead to other questions. And, it is agreat place to also integrate the developmental score we have been working on. I am going to bring my camera tomorrow-which I am excited to find out that it has 30 minutes of video time-YES!
i think it will help us look at and reflect on what is happening within these processes-how are we using the developmental score? what is happening in the dance? how are we supporting and listening to each to other? how does the dance 'develop"?
so-i look forward to more-and
yes, margaret is missed :(
;)
i think it will help us look at and reflect on what is happening within these processes-how are we using the developmental score? what is happening in the dance? how are we supporting and listening to each to other? how does the dance 'develop"?
so-i look forward to more-and
yes, margaret is missed :(
;)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Post Workshop De-Brief
Feedback we heard from students:
Pushing, as CI vocabulary, makes sense in the context of the Developmental Score.
Pushing is awkward.
Questions I have:
Where do we go from here?
General sentiments:
I'm going to miss Margaret.
Pushing, as CI vocabulary, makes sense in the context of the Developmental Score.
Pushing is awkward.
Questions I have:
Where do we go from here?
General sentiments:
I'm going to miss Margaret.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Developing Developments
hmmm. I had a lot of fun at the lab today. But, I sometimes have the desire to spend some time exploring other things....i think pushing in particular. I was thinking yesterday about the act of pushing and how much it is part of the contact improv vocabulary. You have to push to find a point of contact with a partner and to remain upright-and find that meeting of energy. I remember doing some exercises for finding pushing and resisting pushing (pushing back) with Andrew Harwood and Nita Little-well they came to mind last nite. And I thought, how "juicy" this would be if we combined even more of this vacuuming with more pushing. I know vacuuming is kinda like this push-pull dynamic-but what about push-push- and then finding the vaccum to lead you somewhere new.
I think of the developmental score as "developments". There was one week that we has talked about which elements we as dancers found as habits and which elements (of the developmental score) we found we were doing with certain partners. I thought this was really helpful information.
So, in retrospect, I think my desires for breaking down the developmental score stems from finding methods to explore these actions-some of them being more helpful, more difficult or left out more depending on comfort, habits, and the duet with your partner.
I have also become interested in finding new ways to sense and feel these actions-soft and hard-light, and energetic-so there is more of a range of dynamics within these developments.
anyhoo-just wanted to write alittle- I had to process some of the things I was feeling last nite.
Thanks allllll!!!!!
I think of the developmental score as "developments". There was one week that we has talked about which elements we as dancers found as habits and which elements (of the developmental score) we found we were doing with certain partners. I thought this was really helpful information.
So, in retrospect, I think my desires for breaking down the developmental score stems from finding methods to explore these actions-some of them being more helpful, more difficult or left out more depending on comfort, habits, and the duet with your partner.
I have also become interested in finding new ways to sense and feel these actions-soft and hard-light, and energetic-so there is more of a range of dynamics within these developments.
anyhoo-just wanted to write alittle- I had to process some of the things I was feeling last nite.
Thanks allllll!!!!!
Recruiting for Open Training
Great work last night. Thanks Mina for encouraging us to think about recruitment for the Open Training. I reached out the Jake Wise from the Archer Ballroom.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Preparation for Open Training
Hi all,
I used the Sunday Jam to try out teaching the breathing+little captain work that I am bringing to the Open Training on Saturday, March 27.
Here is my pathway:
1) Beginning with the hands- open one palm to the ceiling, cradle that arm's elbow in your free palm; meditate on the weight of the elbow in your supporting palm, feel energy up from your elbow outward through the open palm. Meditate on your breath. Beginning with your pinky, inhale and fold in your fingers to envelope your palm. Exhale and again beginning with your pinky, send your fingers away from your palm. Let the inhale/fold and exhale/unfold initiate an spiral in/out of your wrist and forearm. Repeat. Other side.
2) Finding a through line between scapula, elbow, and palm- remove your supporting palm from its elbow; continue to fold your pinky into your palm and unfold away from your palm; let your the spaces between your ribs compress when you fold, let those spaces expand when you extend. Repeat. Other side. Both sides together.
3) Finding a pull and push throughout the whole body- standing, continue to spiral in and out, always beginning with your little captain. Abandon the instructions.
After this warm-up, I offered the jam a "fussy baby score." The fussy baby score is simply a "pause button" in a dance in which the dancer interrupts his pathway and then begins again after having held the pause at least a second. Its called fussy baby because the image is that the baby will fuss (interrupt itself) until it is satisfied that it has found a pathway of ease. I'd like to do this as a warm up at the next lab.
I used the Sunday Jam to try out teaching the breathing+little captain work that I am bringing to the Open Training on Saturday, March 27.
Here is my pathway:
1) Beginning with the hands- open one palm to the ceiling, cradle that arm's elbow in your free palm; meditate on the weight of the elbow in your supporting palm, feel energy up from your elbow outward through the open palm. Meditate on your breath. Beginning with your pinky, inhale and fold in your fingers to envelope your palm. Exhale and again beginning with your pinky, send your fingers away from your palm. Let the inhale/fold and exhale/unfold initiate an spiral in/out of your wrist and forearm. Repeat. Other side.
2) Finding a through line between scapula, elbow, and palm- remove your supporting palm from its elbow; continue to fold your pinky into your palm and unfold away from your palm; let your the spaces between your ribs compress when you fold, let those spaces expand when you extend. Repeat. Other side. Both sides together.
3) Finding a pull and push throughout the whole body- standing, continue to spiral in and out, always beginning with your little captain. Abandon the instructions.
After this warm-up, I offered the jam a "fussy baby score." The fussy baby score is simply a "pause button" in a dance in which the dancer interrupts his pathway and then begins again after having held the pause at least a second. Its called fussy baby because the image is that the baby will fuss (interrupt itself) until it is satisfied that it has found a pathway of ease. I'd like to do this as a warm up at the next lab.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Workshop #1 Description
Scheduled for Outer Space 3/27/2010 7-10pm Sliding Scale Suggested donation $5-$500
CI Juice Lab #1
CI Juice Lab invites you to sweat out some serious juice. Liquify your spine. Yield. Push. Reach out and bring your flava. Hook, envelope, and pull your parters using fundamental and evolving elements of the developmental score, noticing habits and choices in between--where that sticky residue is. So Bring your juicylicious booty and we'll work some skills, mix it up, and dance our big hearts out.
CI = Contact Improvisation
Contact Improvisation = A dynamic movement form in which two or more bodies interact spontaneously with each other by maintaining contact and simultaneously interpreting the common parameters of gravity, weight, momentum, friction and inertia to achieve continuous flow. Contact Improv is dance-sport-martial art-meditationrolled into one. As the term contact improv implies, this movement form encourages the drawing together of bodies in a creative and collaborative context. Contact improvisation provides opportunities for personal, social and cultural differences to be expressed on common ground, through physical parameters that are common to all human beings.
This workshop is for folks experienced with the fundamentals of Contact Improvisation.
CI Juice Lab #1
CI Juice Lab invites you to sweat out some serious juice. Liquify your spine. Yield. Push. Reach out and bring your flava. Hook, envelope, and pull your parters using fundamental and evolving elements of the developmental score, noticing habits and choices in between--where that sticky residue is. So Bring your juicylicious booty and we'll work some skills, mix it up, and dance our big hearts out.
CI = Contact Improvisation
Contact Improvisation = A dynamic movement form in which two or more bodies interact spontaneously with each other by maintaining contact and simultaneously interpreting the common parameters of gravity, weight, momentum, friction and inertia to achieve continuous flow. Contact Improv is dance-sport-martial art-meditationrolled into one. As the term contact improv implies, this movement form encourages the drawing together of bodies in a creative and collaborative context. Contact improvisation provides opportunities for personal, social and cultural differences to be expressed on common ground, through physical parameters that are common to all human beings.
This workshop is for folks experienced with the fundamentals of Contact Improvisation.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Little Captain and His Envelope
Lab Recap:
Before warming up with the developmental score (see below), we opened the lab with an exploration of initiating from the pinky finger. a.k.a. the little captain. We began by a micro envelopment that began with initiating from our pinky. We layered on the motion of pulling our pinky into or sending our pinky away from our center. We abandoned our pinkies for a time during our work on envelopment. We recalled Margaret's observation that envelopment is a reach and a pull. We used language to talk about our observations of enveloping pathways. We danced and witnessed duets that grew out of our work on enveloping.
Observations:
We observed that enveloping can make use of the processes of yielding into and yield away from, which was put into high relief by the very athletic double envelopments we witnessed in Margaret and JulieAnn's duet. It feels like Juice has more work to do in defining our terms: envelopment does not seem to be a new "developmental" possibility, but rather a pathway into discovering new opportunities to yield into or away from and so on in the developmental score.
The pinky work seemed to open up spiral pathways.
Thoughts on this week:
I'd like to learn more about the developmental score. I also really like focusing on technique toward the end that I learn more about the developmental score, like I could really go for some crescent rolls--putting the little captain in charge. Your thoughts?
Before warming up with the developmental score (see below), we opened the lab with an exploration of initiating from the pinky finger. a.k.a. the little captain. We began by a micro envelopment that began with initiating from our pinky. We layered on the motion of pulling our pinky into or sending our pinky away from our center. We abandoned our pinkies for a time during our work on envelopment. We recalled Margaret's observation that envelopment is a reach and a pull. We used language to talk about our observations of enveloping pathways. We danced and witnessed duets that grew out of our work on enveloping.
Observations:
We observed that enveloping can make use of the processes of yielding into and yield away from, which was put into high relief by the very athletic double envelopments we witnessed in Margaret and JulieAnn's duet. It feels like Juice has more work to do in defining our terms: envelopment does not seem to be a new "developmental" possibility, but rather a pathway into discovering new opportunities to yield into or away from and so on in the developmental score.
The pinky work seemed to open up spiral pathways.
Thoughts on this week:
I'd like to learn more about the developmental score. I also really like focusing on technique toward the end that I learn more about the developmental score, like I could really go for some crescent rolls--putting the little captain in charge. Your thoughts?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
little captain exploration
thank you to matthew for sharing with us material from a recent workshop with the Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan, the little finger or pinkie as the leader of spiraling motion
Monday, January 25, 2010
-and enveloping
I just remembered-and forgot to add-that i was surprised about how much i was enjoying exploring envelopments. It reminded me of doing butoh-I somehow felt transformed into something else-almost unhuman. I didnt know that you could connect with a partner with such bound and internal energy...i look forward to this wed :)
trust, habits, how we say it, and pathways
There was a lot to explore this week. The yielding brought about such a wonderful connection for me with my original partner, Margaret. I really wanted to stay there to allow for smooth and seamless transitions of weight-sharing and pouring. It felt secure and allowed for me to find that trust in building a jumping off point and really sensing Margaret through her skin and through her micro-movements, rhythms, and breath.
When we began to add in all the other ideas yielding, pushing, reaching, pulling, following through, I found it interesting which elements seemed more naturalwith certain partners. It brought to mind about our habits and where we are comfortable being in the dance. Angie had said she really think she is a "yielder"-meaning she primarily enjoys yielding in the dance and going with the flow and action.
How do we, or do we , include all of these in a dance and how do we follow -through? How are we clear of our intentions and split-decision made choices in our dancing?
what do we say yes to and when do we say it-how loud do we say it
what do we say no to -even maybe-and how do we say it in our bodies-when are we hesitant or when or how are we certain of our response-?
I also brought up the idea of trajectories. I think it is important to know how our bodies can feed into movement though space and through an exchange in each other. i guess im interested in pathways too duh ( i think i might be doing a workshop in that-ha)I think this can allow a follow-through to be more effective and allow for juicier and more mindful dancing.
When we began to add in all the other ideas yielding, pushing, reaching, pulling, following through, I found it interesting which elements seemed more naturalwith certain partners. It brought to mind about our habits and where we are comfortable being in the dance. Angie had said she really think she is a "yielder"-meaning she primarily enjoys yielding in the dance and going with the flow and action.
How do we, or do we , include all of these in a dance and how do we follow -through? How are we clear of our intentions and split-decision made choices in our dancing?
what do we say yes to and when do we say it-how loud do we say it
what do we say no to -even maybe-and how do we say it in our bodies-when are we hesitant or when or how are we certain of our response-?
I also brought up the idea of trajectories. I think it is important to know how our bodies can feed into movement though space and through an exchange in each other. i guess im interested in pathways too duh ( i think i might be doing a workshop in that-ha)I think this can allow a follow-through to be more effective and allow for juicier and more mindful dancing.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Enveloping and the Developmental Score
We began by revisiting our idea of “hook, pull, follow-through” and by placing it into Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen’s movement development framework: Yield, Push, Reach, Pull. We warmed up with a score the moved along that developmental framework by exploring each stage and progressively giving us more choices out of which we might “build a duet”: Yield, Yield + Push, Yield + Push + Reach, Yield + Push + Reach + Pull.
After reaching the “pulling” stage, we introduced “enveloping,” a new variable, into our movement mix. The image of enveloping is that of swallowing. In partners we explored the tandem sensations of envelopment: enveloping and being enveloped. A dancer placed a hand somewhere on the body of her partner, who would then move her body to swallow the body part. Getting a little more figurative, we used the image of swallowing to expand the scope of what we were enveloping to include limbs, body halves, and the entire body.
Results:
Out of our work came a discussion about habitual movement choices and a curiosity how a variable like enveloping can create an opportunity to engage in several activities: to further explore images that we enjoy (for example, a top being wound up and released); to ask questions about the limits of movement (for example, what physically happens around the limit of enveloping); to provide a point of focus that clarifies other variables like habitual choices.
Next steps:
Next week’s lab may continue to explore enveloping. On my mind are some of Melissa’s comments about tension—especially as it related to energy/focus pulling inward or exploding outward. Also on my mind is Margaret’s idea about transformation at the limit. I welcome any suggestions for scores that might get at some of these ideas.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
I learned a lot yesterday as I do every time I practice. I felt like there was some deep bodily understanding happening around the vacuum. I surely never felt myself falling back into patterns, so that was lovely, I usually have to work really hard to find the other. There were some lovely moments to watch, and even the watching felt different. I was looking intensely for the hook, the pull, the vacuum. The looking sent my eyes more deeply into the connection and the space inbetween. I so appreciate the openness of the group and the collectiveness. p.s. my knee feels good today!!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
I was talking to Margaret last Wednesday and mentioned the vacuum that is occurring with the lungs and diapraghm, and how that constant vacuum is more subtle. I would like to return to an exploration to this vacuum deep in our organs. I think it would increase awareness when I am responding to other people's vacuums. The more obvious vacuums are easier to respond to because I can see it change in space, but how quickly can I respond to it and then to another. Maybe spending some time focusing on the subtle will open the possibilities with the more stronger sucking vacuums.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Friday, Jan 8th
This past wednesday, I observed vacuums like I never had before..... Unfortunately I wasn't able to participate, due to a recent injury. I hope we stay with this idea for awhile but will definitely understand if not. (I haven't been attending for a awhile) I am excited to juice my way into this idea of ones self being a vacuum. I really enjoy seeing the moments of 2 vacuums within a duo. Whereas instead of one getting sucked in by the other, there is a moment of a tug, and wonder. I am also interested of switching partners more frequently, everyone has such a unique way of being a vacuum. I truly enjoyed watching everyone dance. I cannot wait for more.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
It was such a joy to dance last night. I benefited greatly from the spine exploration, and Margaret helped me find one bone that needed some light and space. I also found it fascinating to follow Margaret's spine, I felt the urge to dance with her as her spine warmed. The vacuum work was very challenging for me. I'm looking forward to working that way again and taking some time to findthe connections. I loved watching others find the "holes" and follow inside, it made for very beautiful connected dancing.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
invitations
Following my spine today i really felt this expansiveness and spaciouseness in where the spine can move within, changing and transforming its shape in infinite ways-twisting, coiling, bending, elongating like a bizarre accordian-moving from the back body to the front body -curving to one side and the other. i found myself rooting from various points of contact that my partner gave me feeling how i could isolate movement above and below that point-also feeling how i could move a particalar area or vertebra inside. feeling like a snake-that can grow one part of its body and then suck that part in towards itself to move forward.
I like margarets comment here about the three-dimensionality-and the fact that Julie Ann began to touch her front body-which i saw her doing. It was a good evolution of this idea. I wonder about the quality or the different sensation that Margaret felt while doing this. I think that ultimately this sort of exploration could be done by giving feedback into any part of oursleves.
Different images and language always come to my mind- So, I began to think about invitations-as I was creating space. I am creating a space for someone to inhabit-and I want my friend-my partner to be interested to join-so I thought, I am inviting them to be with me-I am inviting them to follow me. I can invite them in obvious ways like pulling them, grabbing their hand. And then different parts of myself can be like my hand-pulling them into my space.
I enjoyed watching everyone dance tonite-It was sooo nice to see such a wide range of exploration, from the light and gentle and human to the violent and uncertain- thanks to all.
I began to think about vacuuming today
I like margarets comment here about the three-dimensionality-and the fact that Julie Ann began to touch her front body-which i saw her doing. It was a good evolution of this idea. I wonder about the quality or the different sensation that Margaret felt while doing this. I think that ultimately this sort of exploration could be done by giving feedback into any part of oursleves.
Different images and language always come to my mind- So, I began to think about invitations-as I was creating space. I am creating a space for someone to inhabit-and I want my friend-my partner to be interested to join-so I thought, I am inviting them to be with me-I am inviting them to follow me. I can invite them in obvious ways like pulling them, grabbing their hand. And then different parts of myself can be like my hand-pulling them into my space.
I enjoyed watching everyone dance tonite-It was sooo nice to see such a wide range of exploration, from the light and gentle and human to the violent and uncertain- thanks to all.
I began to think about vacuuming today
spine/vacuum
newly considered: the part of the spine between the back of the neck and the back of the throat. that part of the body inside the back of the mouth which has a spine behind it.
about vacuuming: a structure consisting of interrelated parts (perhaps a dance duo). one part of the structure (one dancer) deliberately moves away from the shared center of the structure. the other part (second dancer), instead of transitioning into a solo structure, follows the momentum of the departing part, thereby maintaining the shared center, of the original configuration—although it is changing in space and time.
the "vacuum" is created by the agreement between the partners to play their roles. one who moves away from the shared center of the duo, the other who desires to stay connected nonetheless.
about vacuuming: a structure consisting of interrelated parts (perhaps a dance duo). one part of the structure (one dancer) deliberately moves away from the shared center of the structure. the other part (second dancer), instead of transitioning into a solo structure, follows the momentum of the departing part, thereby maintaining the shared center, of the original configuration—although it is changing in space and time.
the "vacuum" is created by the agreement between the partners to play their roles. one who moves away from the shared center of the duo, the other who desires to stay connected nonetheless.
1/6/2010 Session
1) Spinal mapping. My partner was JulieAnn and I benefited from being allowed to follow my desires to explore the 3 dimensionality of movement possibilities from the front/back points that JulieAnne touched. Sometimes pushed into the points of contact with her fingers, and sometimes explores radiating undulations from those points. Found a very free, liquidy, serpentine freedom in the jointy column of my torso, and it's connection down through my legs into the earth and up into space.
2) Duos. A creates vacuums---creating spaces by withdrawing the body from them--and partner B gives touch to indicate the vacuums points of origin-->switch
NOTE: In the beginning it can be important to create one vacuum at a time and then stop, reset, and create the next until comfortable with following the rain of one's own intentions.
-->toucher begins filling the space with other parts of her/his body in addition to hands
-->allow weight sharing to enter this process
-->allow spontaneous vacuum/vacuumed switching
3) Round Robin so we could observe how various folks handle this.
A Margaret and Chen-Je
B Asimina and Chen-Je
C Chen-Je and JulieAnn vacumed each other into a ball in which Chen-Je was standing his head in JulieAnn's belly and JulieAnn eas wrapped atop his back with her arms around his buttocks.
D JulieAnn and NiJa had some subtle vacuums with hands. And others resulting in several tender embraces.
E Melissa and Angela
F Melissa and NiJa had an explosion of holding hands while vigorously vacuuming with full bodies that resulted in full velocity revolving swings around the point of contact in the hands.
G Angela and NiJa
H Angela and Margaret
Very little hooking and pulling hapened today. Next week I'd like to take to touch warmup into the full bodied vacuuming more quickly so we can spend some time with all out pulling using various parts as hooks. Then we really play with dynamic shifts and awareness shifts between the gross and the subtle.
2) Duos. A creates vacuums---creating spaces by withdrawing the body from them--and partner B gives touch to indicate the vacuums points of origin-->switch
NOTE: In the beginning it can be important to create one vacuum at a time and then stop, reset, and create the next until comfortable with following the rain of one's own intentions.
-->toucher begins filling the space with other parts of her/his body in addition to hands
-->allow weight sharing to enter this process
-->allow spontaneous vacuum/vacuumed switching
3) Round Robin so we could observe how various folks handle this.
A Margaret and Chen-Je
B Asimina and Chen-Je
C Chen-Je and JulieAnn vacumed each other into a ball in which Chen-Je was standing his head in JulieAnn's belly and JulieAnn eas wrapped atop his back with her arms around his buttocks.
D JulieAnn and NiJa had some subtle vacuums with hands. And others resulting in several tender embraces.
E Melissa and Angela
F Melissa and NiJa had an explosion of holding hands while vigorously vacuuming with full bodies that resulted in full velocity revolving swings around the point of contact in the hands.
G Angela and NiJa
H Angela and Margaret
Very little hooking and pulling hapened today. Next week I'd like to take to touch warmup into the full bodied vacuuming more quickly so we can spend some time with all out pulling using various parts as hooks. Then we really play with dynamic shifts and awareness shifts between the gross and the subtle.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)