Dance Improv Class Diary 10/6: Texture & Repetition
Intro
Repetition does magic. When it shifts, the materials start to expand unexpected direction as well as show the depth of what it is. However, until we encounter the materials which have potential magic, we need to keep searching them.
Exercise
Foot, leg and ischium manual mapping. Explained why it’s good because of sciatic nerve and meridian connections in addition to developing proprioceptive awareness.
Explained visceral sphere concept with recent recognition of it as overlapping concrete substantial awareness with Dantian and the center of gravity. Also retaining it in the pelvic ball (this notion is coming from the explanation of Bahbara Mahlar considering pelvis as baby swing, and in me it’s considered round miso soup ball which is containing round object, Dantian, the center of gravity or visceral sphere, floating in the ball.) Explained narrow and concave method of Irene Dowd to connect pelvis and lower torso to keep the visceral sphere nicely in the ball. Sit together to feel it.
Stand up, take parallel second and draw figure eight on the floor and gradually coming up, retaining the narrow and concave action. Connect outer path of figure eight with inner anatomical pathways between toes to heels with X figure as well as through the connection between pubic synthesis and thumbs; pubic synthesis and big toes; tail and little fingers; and tail (through iliac crest) and little toes.
Improv Exercise
Find textured movements and repeat until you firmly become certain what it is as sequence. 5 min.
Try to repeat it by shifting any aspects of movements elements*. 5 min.
*Consider your being as energy. Physically think its texture which is also related to density, shape, alignment, weight and in the space further related to size, height, length and thickness. Also the energetic figure have time aspect such as speed, duration, rhythm, pulse etc.
Show each other. 3 min.
Discuss.
Do together as ensemble, picking, repeating and developing the material you chose. 5 min.
Reflection:
Repetition takes viewers certain places and it is almost a journey for both performer and viewers. It is not easy to find out the movements of being worth repeating and clarity and creativity are very important factors. How can we develop them?
Dance Improv Class Diary 7/7: Improvise as a Group 3 – Repetition
Intro
Continuously pursuing repetition. What becomes possible for others in the group or as a group when repetition is kept?
Exercise
Warm-up exercise:
Shared a part of Trunk Stabilization exercise of Irene Dowd.
Connecting core through anatomical pathways of our own and gradually with others.
Mirror & Reverse-Mirror exercise as duos
Improv Exercise
5 min. Improvise as duos first with Gooey, then add the aspect of Accents and repeat movements what you are interested in or felt potential as repeated movements.
2 min. Improv. Watch each other’s duo.
Adopting accents not necessary mirroring shape, but something effective arises.
Reflection 1:
Being consistent, the other easily can follow or find the moment to set him/herself up. Freedom exists in adopting and leaving from others.
As duos again.
Reflection 2:
From Justin & Bella: Rolling down and up (breathing exhaling and coming up inhaling), which they did in the first place, takes time and the movement is felt viscerally and physically connected with others and honest with others.
By repeating, timing to others can be set up and something interesting can be done.
Reflection on the Improvising as a Group session:
Good beginning. After all, more awareness of your own body as well as others. Yes, Other’s!!! The finding form the last improv by Justin and Bella was wonderful. It is about not only space, time and energy matter, but also physically responsive connection even without contacting. What are we structuring every day? Inner space. Outer space. Breathing!
Intro
There is magic of repetition. Here repetition doesn’t mean not only repeating the same thing, but also deepening and developing the movement materials by repeating. Keep thinking about it, and realize that sharing certain tools to develop materials is important as a group. As one of tools, we practiced mirroring and reverse mirroring.
Exercise
Warm-up exercise:
Shared a part of Trunk Stabilization exercise of Irene Dowd.
Improv Exercise
Mirror/Reverse Mirror:
Standing and facing each other as a pair, practice mirroring and reverse mirroring. First, setting a leader and a follower. Later, letting it happen. Gradually or soon, notice difficulties of facing and the exercises can be done over different planes and dimentions. Overcome those by practicing and discussion on how and what is felt seamless and possible.
Ayako demonstrate with participants.
Try as a pair.
*Add Gooeyness: Starting from Dantian to Dantian connection and awareness, through each others anatomical structure, especially extended and going through helical muscle fibers and myofascial connection, feel the tensile strings from peripherals and core connecting each other and move.
*Add Accents: In addition to the working of changing the sound and space duration, accents works here to modify the mode, formation and rhythm between performers.
5-7 min continue.
* Add Stillness
*Try Repetition through Mirror/Reverse Mirror tool
5 min. Free Improv covering: Mirror/Reverse Mirror, Gooey, Shifting Mirror/Accents, Repetition
Reflection: More persistence on repetition.
Christoph Erb (reeds), currently staying in Chicago as an artist in residence through Lucerne-Chicago Exchange program, collaborated on the day. Thank you, Christoph!
Dance Improv Class Diary 6/23: Improvise as a Group
Intro
Sense each other & Create multi dimensional (nonlinear) phenomena in space.
How?
Establish relationship through energy, shape and space, focusing on:
*Yin & Yang, Accents, Stillness, Protect & Support, Extension & Cut, Mirror/Reverse Mirror, Gooey (Viscous), Response, Resonance
Scenery starts to arise: Protect & Support, Extension & Cut
Distance matters in: Mirror/Reverse Mirror, Gooey (Viscous), Response, Resonance
*simply imagining a ball which light is hitting from one side/inner anatomical body structure and outer body surface which receives lights from one side, or could be imagined Yin & Yang of any elements in movements
Far and Near:
Opposition — Imitation — Reflect — *Similar — Identical/Synchro
*Scale matters especially in Similar movements.
As a result, what do we want to avoid:
Monotone, Scattered under no artistic strategy or aesthetic.
All above can be often applied for music & dance improvisation.
Exercise
Warm-up exercise:
1. Shared a part of Trunk Stabilization exercise of Irene Dowd.
2. Inner/Outer Body scanning with gooey strings/spider web
Improv Exercise
Explained and demonstrated Yin & Yang movement exercise.
Try as duo.
Add some Accents/Quick shift/Sense of Play & Ma, space, stillness & silence. Explained more about how to use the spider web, gooey string technique.
Try duo.
Reflection: Sense of more rhythm, shifting modes, grasping a piece as a whole, magic of repetition can be considered.
Inviting Christoph Erb (reeds), currently staying in Chicago as an artist in residence through Lucerne-Chicago Exchange program, the class discussed how we finish improv performance and keep pursuing clarity as a performer in space: being responsible for sculpting space.
Intro
Ending:
Stillness & Hold / Keep holding subtle movements (to express the true end, shifting mode: performance mode to non-performance mode)
With Resonance/No resonance
Possibilities:
* Finish together with a musician(s), decrescendo/sudden
*Music first
*Movement first
What to avoid: keep going without having any perspective (keep wondering “finish?” “not yet?” “finish?” with musicians and/or as a group)
Exercise
Warm-up exercise: mapping anatomy with deep breathing (creating space inside of the body), focusing on Dantian. Ankle rolling exercise. Arm exercise.
Improv Exercise
*As a group, improvise with with Christoph (musician). Be aware of accents and Yin & Yang and ending.
What happened: sensing the finish all together.
*As a solo/duo with Christoph, improvise.
Be confident, be aware of clarity – direction of the piece, relationship between a musician and a dancer, stance between the performers/media.
Reflection: Letting the sounds go through the body and how you do it is very important. By being aware of accents and Yin & Yang, the space in between for time and space become clear. (Read more about 4/28 Space and Location *Three Layers of Space: space of/in the body, sphere around the body and space where the body is. The third one is associated with location)
Inviting Christoph Erb (reeds), currently staying in Chicago as an artist in residence through Lucerne-Chicago Exchange program, the class continued to pursue clarity as a performer in space: being responsible for creating space.
Exercise to develop improv
With a musician, as warmup, try again to create space:
*Ball Exercise:
Imagine transfrom-able ball(s) in/out of the body and move. Any activities, catching, floating, throwing, with the image of ball(s) are welcome. Let it go through the space in the body of your own and others.
+α：Consider the ball as sounds/Consider sounds as a ball/balls and let it/them go through your anatomical structure.
*Accents Exercise:
With music, try giving some accents along as well as syncopate. Pursue endless possibilities. Enjoy how music sounds differently up to what you do.
Try the Ball Exercise and Accents Exercise together.
Across diagonal from downstage left to upstage right.
Yin & Yang Exercise:
Focus on not only negative and positive concept, but also the gradational aspect of Yin & Yang when you imagine a ball receiving light from one side. Apply the image in and on your body and others’. Try partnering. Try it with Yin & Yang of the sounds.
Improv Exercise
Try solos.
Reflection: Space, stillness, silence totally works to define movements more clearly. For that, ball and accents exercises work pretty well. Being responsible for building up the space and time is such a task.
Having and nurturing the sense of time is very important: 1 min., 2 min., 3 min…60 min…
Where are you? Where the sound is from? How to finish. Existence. Circle. The sense of creating a piece of work.
Inviting Christoph Erb (reeds), currently staying in Chicago as an artist in residence through Lucerne-Chicago Exchange program, the class started to be truly experimental.
Exercise
Reviewed all the exercise shared before in sequence. Energy flow must be felt more.
Intro
About the time lag or preparation gap between musicians and dancers. e.g. warm-up duration, eating before/after the performance (already Christoph was waiting for dancers to finish warm up for 45 min!)
Communicating with your collaborator, understanding the instrument (Christoph brought bass clarinet) and asked whether he can sit down and play. Which means he needs a chair. Collaboration starts from there to know what is comfortable for them + little chat about perspectives and experiences.
Improv Exploration
Tried duos of dancers/trio with Christoph x 2 groups
Tried quintet/sextet with Christoph
Reflection: Ma, space, silence, stillness, is such a important element to be aware of…The notion gives us: sculpting the space and opening up the space for sound to reside between movements and to interact with movements if the sound is also being aware of Ma as a collaborator of dancer(s). Sound and movement has time lag for audiences to observe. Sound reaches quicker than movement.
Duos were done more visible, yet such a difficult thing group improvisation is! How to keep the clarity of your movements as well as a group work is important. Next time, more technical tips to coexist better will be shared!
Dance Improvisation Class Diary 5/19
Intro
Practice/Process to Achieve Coexistence with Music/Sound
1. Ignore* —- sound/music to establish your own being
*Later in the discussion, we noticed that we are/have to be aware of 100% what is going on with music/sound in order to ignore. It’s different from being indifferent.
2. Far & Near —- control the distance between music/sound and movement, being aware of the common elements with music/sound
e.g.
Anti-speed — Syncopation — Coexistence
Anti-texture — Agreeable — Coexistence
Q: Doesn’t this mean music/sound is controlling the movements?
A: No!
because the sound/music also needs to coexist with dance/movement. It’s the matter of choices and also possible to practice…
3. Band Leader * —Try leading the musicians as a leader of the group
*From discussion, we figured that as a leader, you may have image of being aggressive, yet you can also calmly lead the group.
4. Coexist — Collaboration to invite audiences together
How do you consider sound as a mover?: Environment, Reflective image and emotion, Rhythm, Texture, Flame….etc.
Exercise
Ankle Spiral Roll (in relation to the foot massage) : Lying down in X and starting from deep breathing, roll your ankle inward first and then outward, one ankle/side at a time, imagining helical muscle connection and structure from the bottom to the top of the head.
Wavy Back
Big Triangle: Send energy circularly through the body as well as the floor.
Rolling Up
Improv Exercise:
Follow the practice process chart and try number 1 & 2, looking at the list of common elements between sound & movement*, then discuss. Try number 3.
*Common elements between sound & movement: Energy, Rhythm, Breathing, Tone/Color, High/Low (height, weight), Texture, Yin/Yang
Q: What is the differences between sound & movement?
Practicality of movement of musicians to create music/sound → Movers also can be practical by uniting metaphor and actual action/movement as phenomena as if it is causing the butterfly effect.
Reflective thought in the moment: Musician’s movement & Musician’s sound; Mover’s move(ment) & Mover’s movement; Practical & Abstract
Larger occupancy of sound in space even from a solo musician → a solo mover can do, too. How? By shifting awareness.
Reflection: Stamina of Sound/Music vs Stamina of Mover/Dancer
Reflective thought in the moment: Here again it is not Stamina of Musician vs Stamina of Dancer. Or Stamina of Sound/Music vs Stamina of Movement.
Work on!
Preparing before Moving
*Foot Massage:
Starting from the left foot, to let the Chi-flow going throughout the body and acknowledge the structure of the foot and leg: give deep breathing sole & toes acu-point massage, ankle and toe circulation with image of helical muscle connection and structure from the bottom to the top of the head, and tracing the musculoskeletal structure.
Exercise to develop improv
*Walking Exercise:
Walk diagonal slowly, being aware of Ma, space, silence, and stillness, as well as speed, rhythmic, directional, and location elements. Also be aware of Jo, Ha, Kyu (see 4/21).
*Ball Exercise:
Imagine transfrom-able ball(s) in/out of the body and move. Any activities, catching, floating, throwing, with the image of ball(s) are welcome. Let it go through the space in the body of your own and others.
*Combine Walking & Ball Exercises:
Walk diagonal.
Improv Exercise
*Show 2 min. Solos
Intro to working with music:
In dance composition, there is a method called music visualization, yet dancing improvisation is different from its moving together with music. In improvisation, neither music or dance comes faster/slower unless it’s done so on purpose. It’s simultaneous activity and it’s relationship is about coexistence.
There are so many ways/choices to coexist with music/sound. To practice to do good improvisation, let’s use composed music and practice (which doesn’t make sense, yet we cannot always work with improvisors and somehow we need to have means to practice/polish your skill by yourself, so…).
*Now with some music: Repeat three times with the same music, with the same awareness of Walking & Ball Exercise. Notice/Be aware what are common elements between movement/dance and sound/music. Sense/Cultivate the ways to coexist with music/sound.
After 2 times, try not listening to the music and move. Establish your own Ma.
Reflection: It’s so easy to go with music. Yet how can we possibly keep our freedom of independence or freedom of choosing distance (near through far) with music to create dynamism/dynamic flow throughout the piece? —next week!
Ma changes whole components of movement and it result in creating different energy.
Dance Improvisation: Thursdays, 3:15-4:45pm at Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater (through 6/9), Christopher Erb (reeds, Switzerland) will be invited to play for the class on 5/26, 6/2 & 6/9.
Dance Improvisation Class Diary 4/21, 4/28 & 5/5
I would like to start to share what I have done in my Dance Improvisation class so that I can raise more people’s interests in the Art of Being. Also I wish that I myself can organize my thoughts more on this topic.
4/21 Why Improvisation
Intro
*Sharing perspective of why (do we do/practice) improvisation and what is improvisation
The Art of Being, Ephemeral Being can metaphorically represent: Life, World and Universe
*Important elements: Jo, Ha, Kyu, the three classical “movements” in a Noh theater performance.
Jo = introduction, a slow or straightforward; Ha = break through, a normal-speed development; Kyu = a rapid climax and conclusion
Exercise to develop improv
*Inhale exhale exercise
*Air, Space in & out exercise
What I thought to do next time while I was watching during the exercise：
Connecting with others, ball, air, space, rhythm
*Authentic Movement
Improv Exercise
*Opening eyes 3 min. to recognize what you are doing with reminder of elements in movements: texture, weight, size, height, length, thickness, density, speed, rhythm, duration, pulse, energy, shape, alignment…
*5 min on what was repeated
*Defining/Defined by space 5 min.
Reflection: the experiment for elements should be done through minimal movements. For example, only focus, the gesture of placing something to the ground, the exercise of the tilting degree in neck etc. Then combine elements of movement to focus like rhythm + texture….etc.
4/28 Space & Location
Intro
*Look at bone structure through drawings: anterior, posterior and lateral
*Look at and discuss about the kinetic alignment connection between big toe – pubic bone, little toe – iliac crest, thumb – pubic bone, little finger – tail bone.
*Talked about moving with the awareness of anatomical connectivity through musculoskeletal system.
Space & Location
*Our own body locates up (heaven/sky/ceiling) & down (earth/ground/floor); sides; front (future) & back (past). Those are axial awareness.
*Our own body also locates median, sagittal, transverse and coronal plane. When our limbs start to move around our body with the axial awareness and sense of these planes, we notice the limbs start to form the sphere around the body.
*Three Layers of Space: space of/in the body, sphere around the body and space where the body is. The third one is associated with location.
Exercise to develop improv
*With pair, sending energy through your anatomy/beyond your body and letting the energy travel through/along the other’s anatomical structure.
Improv Exercise
*Explore the three layered space: your own, sphere, and space where you are.
*Being aware of where you are, move with upgraded awareness of how you are sculpting the space and how you are moving through the space.
*3 min. solos
Reflection: Texture arises when you work on location in sphere: upper sphere lighter, lower sphere heavier (can switch if we want to make illusion or imaginative in space and create conflict).
5/5 Ma & Presentation of Being
Intro
*Share about the basic ideas of Ma, space, silence, stillness
Our expression takes time to go (to viewers’ body/mind) and come back (to our body/mind).
*Start to think of space: location; distance in the body, sphere of the body and space; beyond space of where you are or where you can think of.
Presentation of Being
Existing as a thing/an individual, this releases shape and energy, the state of being arises, scenery/space is established, and it becomes phenomena in the space. And this relationship goes vise versa. Phenomena contains scenery/space which involve some state of being, and it has shape and energy released from a thing/an individual or things/individuals.
The job of improviser is how to make varieties in states (energy) and if you shift Ma, everything changes.
Exercise to develop improv
*Exercise to create space in our bodies, especially being aware of diagonal alignment.
Improv Exercise
*5 min. improv. Find two things you are repeating.
*7 min. Develop those two things, focusing on topics on Ma, space, and Presentation of Being.
*5 min. solos.
Reflection:Why is it can be so interesting to watch improvisation? Because improvisation is “everything and nothing.”
Dance Improvisation: Thursdays, 3:15-4:45pm at Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater (through 6/9), Christopher Erb (reeds, Switzerland) will be invited to play for the class on 5/26, 6/2 & 6/9.
