Are We Human Or Are We Dancer?

 

If you don’t know the song by the Killers, here ya go.

So now that we have that out of the way, some of you might be thinking “what do you mean are we human or are we dancer?” Is that even a proper question?

Well as I have been learning over the past few months, there is a school of thought that would tell you that anything is dance. That means you walking to class, waking up, eating a meal, taking a selfie, it could all be dance.

This is what we have come to again and again in dance recently. 

Our dance director has asked, what is dance?

To that my immediate thought is, movement.  But also… what about lack of movement. Yeah… I guess in dances there are sometimes pauses and purposeful times where the dancers are not moving.

Okay, I got it, dance is movement and stillness.

But isn’t that anything…..?

So are we dancing through life….?

As we have gone through the first half of this semester, having pushed myself out of my dance comfort zone and found a new dance comfort zone, I have started to realize that yes, dance is anything and anything.  Dance can be purposeful and not purposeful.  We can be led by momentum, directed by our proximity to others, motivated by our emotions, and provoke thought with stillness.  This happens in life and in dance. 

So for those of you who have somehow made it through this and/or my other blog posts while saying, “I am not a dancer,” well… you’re wrong.

If you are here living and breathing you are a dancer.  You simply need to change your definition of dance. 

So I think the only answer I can logically come to is that, yes we are human and yes we are dancer.

Now, as a dancer this makes me very excited.  And oddly enough I have been noticing it in my everyday life.  I am now that weirdo who is observing the normal, routine movement of people around me and taking note of the cool things I see that would go well in a dance. 

Most notably, this seems to happen a lot when I am nannying.  The inspiration of a two-year-old and their lack of bodily awareness has had a big effect on my dance that focuses on partnering.  I see the way he climbs on me, slides off of me, and runs to me and am immediately inspired to see that in my dancers. 

So if I have accomplished my goal of making you think differently about dance and dancing and what it means to be a dancer, maybe you will join me in noticing the movement of others and seeing it as dance.  Seeing the way that you choose to move around another person or the way someone might fall, and think wow, this is dance.  THIS IS ALL DANCE!!!

Although kind of absurd, and maybe a bit of a stretch for some of you, this is a beautiful way of looking at life. 

As I sit here waiting for my car to get an oil change:

I notice the way the woman across from me fiddles with her purse and think what if there was music here? Would I then see this as part of a dance?

I notice the rhythmic thump of something in the next room.  Repetition… that is an element of dance. 

I notice myself occasionally looking out the window.  If I put this on a stage would I then see it as dance?

Well, it isn’t the stage that makes the dance.  It isn’t the music.  It isn’t the extended arms and pointed toes. It can be anything!

So let me give you a few examples of dances in case you still aren’t quite there.

Pina Bausch, Cafe Müller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WLazG0bQPI

Miguel Guitierrez, Retrospective Exhibitionist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhaxOVlhg_E
DV8, The Cost of Living https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIDxSGyO_TQ

And in closing, I will leave you with this quote:

"Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music." William Stafford

So go and be a kid again. 

3 Unexpected Discoveries Through Dance

Welcome Back!
A lot has happened since my last post.  A contact improv class, choreography workshop, student choreography auditions, self-care class, and general choreographing time.

If you get lost in any of that, basically just a lot of fun and dancing.

So I'm going to take a different approach to this post and do a ___ reasons why type of post.

(If you don't get the reference, go watch 10 Things I Hate About You.)

But first, I want you to watch this video. It is something our dance director asked the student choreographers to watch/listen to and come back ready to discuss.  So if you are seeking life inspiration, or if you just have 22 minutes of spare time, listen to it!
https://youtu.be/8CrOL-ydFMI

Overall I gained insight in how to view others no matter what I am doing.  Everyone has their own, completely valid, life experience and that is an awesome thing we all need to recognize and respect.  

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Now back to your regularly scheduled program.  

1. I love contact improv, but it is not for everyone.  

A couple of weeks ago, we did a contact improv class.  For those of you who do not know what that is, check out the video below.

  

Also if you are super interested in learning more, here is a very informative page on what contact improv is and its history.   

I'll just summarize that it is a form of post-modern dance that involves a conversation between bodies and involves being in contact with another (or more) person.  You basically read each other's bodies and improvise movement based on what you and the other person's bodies do together.  Kinda hippy-dippy, I will admit, but so cool if you are alright with touch and throwing your inhibitions aside.  

So, yes, I love this form of dance.  For me, it is an amazing way to push the limits of what traditional dance teaches.  I have only done a handful of workshops in this genre, but it is always different, and always informative of my body and my partners'. 

Some people... cough, cough... one of my very best dance friends... are not as comfortable with touching and bodies.  Which is fine.  If that is you, I support you, but I also want to challenge you.  Which is exactly what I plan to do in my choreographed piece this semester!

2. Choreography is fun, but also hard work. 

One thing that has evolved in the past few weeks is that I am not only choreographing one dance but two for the fall dance demo night.  I am very excited about this, but realize it is not going to be an easy feat.  

I am choreographing a piece about partnering to a "Fast Car" cover by Ryan Montbleau.  

And now I am also doing the Freshman piece to "River" by Bishop Briggs.

I have started the freshman piece, and it is going well so far.  The partnering dance will be more of an evolution tailored to the dancers themselves and what abilities we can discover through contact improv.  I am honestly very excited about these two pieces, so I hope lots of people come out to see our demo night Thursday, November 9th, Dillard Theater. 

Not only am I excited for my pieces, but also the other choreographers.  After student piece auditions I have really realized how each and everyone one of us is different and talented.  Some songs are so outside of my realm of ability to choreograph, but I have no doubt everyone will create amazing dances.  

3. Rediscovery is a beautiful thing.

Whether it be dance, sports, writing, singing, whatever, getting a fresh look at something you have done for many years can be awesome.  It is challenging too, don't get me wrong; especially if relearning is also involved.  I have been reluctant at times, but I am seeing that this new challenge is growing me as a dancer and making me love dance even more.  

So I challenge you, pick one thing you love.  Research its history.  Research a leader in that thing.  Se how someone else does that in a way that is different from how you do it.  The world is a beautiful place.  

(sorry not sorry)

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Now for a brief lesson on self-care:

Grab a tennis ball.

Find a sore spot on your shoulder muscles.

Lay on your back with the ball on that spot and slowly move your arm and move your body around so that it really attacks that sore spot.  (Do that as needed for your shoulder muscles.)

Now stand up and find the edge of a wall.  

Once again put the ball on a sore spot on the top of your shoulder, lean over (head first), put the ball against the wall.

Move slowly and roll the ball around your muscle/sore spot.   

YOU'RE WELCOME.

Video for reference and more (https://youtu.be/yY-7CXAHxfY).

We did this last class and my shoulders have not felt this loose in years. 

Thanks for reading!

Wonder Where I'll Be Sore Tomorrow...

If you’ve ever danced, or worked out, or exerted any physical effort ever, this thought may have crossed your mind.  For me, it has become a constant question running through my head after a dance practice.  

Whether it be bruised knees, bruised shoulders, sore butt, sore calves, sore random muscles I didn’t know existed, these past few weeks have been painful.  It has actually become customary that dance team members share our tales of aches and pains through our snapchat group message the day after each practice.  You don’t get much better bonding than that.  

If you’re just tuning in, basically what you have missed is a lot of deep breathing, rolling on knees, rethinking every body movement, being propped up on our own shoulders, and my general lack of interest in ballet.  Well, guess what we did yesterday… ballet class.  Oh yeah.  My fave.  

Once again, yes, I do realize that ballet is arguably the most important foundational discipline of any dancer.  So I can’t complain too much.  It helps me focus on extending, building muscles, working on balance, core strength, and all that fundamentals a healthy dancer needs.  If you need further convincing, check out this post.

So to give you a sneak peek into how ballet class went I’ll let you know what is sore… my calves.  Crazy enough that is it! For now at least.  But let me tell you, we WORE OUT our legs in ballet class.  I also do not think I have ever sweated that much in the first 30 minutes of a ballet class ever.

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So here is where I tell you about what we did.  But while you read it just imagine pointing your toes till you feel like your foot will fall off, focusing on breathing while also extending up, while also pushing through the floor, while also relaxing your face, while also engaging your arms, and whatever else the dance director tells you to focus on for that specific exercise.  Phew.  Overwhelmed yet? Cuz I sure was.  

So here we go (I have included links and photos for reference for the non-dancers)

First, we releve.

Second, we plie.

Then tendu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeSVHYSMItg

Then rond de jambe.

Then fondu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j-L3c4hLz8&list=PL6C03988A3EA6D500&index=14

Then grand battements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgKXn1Evj-o

I probably got that order wrong, but you get the picture. Lots of legwork.  Pointing. Extending. Etc.

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I think one of the biggest things I have been learning about dance is just how much there is to think about while dancing.  As dancers, we take it for granted that our bodies just know all of this stuff.  However, I have been finding that when you start to question how you do one thing, you question how you do everything.  So those small movements that I have been so comfortable with for 14+ years of dance are becoming jumbled, confused, unsure in my mind.  

What?

I thought I was getting better not regressing!

I know how to develope… why is it so hard now?

How can I not be satisfied with a simple plie?

Now I’m thinking.  I am pushing.  I’m maturing.  

Part of me hates it.  It is comfortable to just keep doing what I have been.  I am in my last year of dancing at LC, why do I have to start growing as a dancer now?

Part of me loves it. I am finally growing as a dancer.  I’m not in that same place I was when I stopped dancing after freshman year of high school.  I have always wanted to learn and grow in different forms of dance.  This new director is so different than any dance teacher I have ever had.  

Okay, most of me loves it.  But, it's hard.  It hurts.  

That’s what it takes after all.  

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After the basics, we worked on turns.  But not the turns really, the preparation for the turns.  ...don’t wind up… fully plie… pull up… connect…

Then fouettes. Oh My Goodness y’all, I did some fouettes! These are a challenge for me, always have been. (I also did not know how to spell it until just now.)

So I guess it is paying off.  Breaking things down.  Rethinking the fundamentals.  Focusing. Breathing.  

Now, my challenge to you, if you have made it this far.  Think about something you love to do. Think about when you learned it.  Think about one part of it that you always wish you could do better.  Then go after it! Research, ask, practice; whatever it takes! You’ll be glad you did!

I breathe, you breathe, we all breathe.

This post will primarily reflect on the most recent modern class, however, I want to give a brief overview of the ballet class last week.

Now, my tendency is generally not in favor of ballet.  Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful and an incredibly difficult form of dance.  However, it is not my first choice of dance forms to participate in.
Having said that, I have done ballet for my entire dance career so I am pretty used to it. But not like this.

This ballet class was the bare basics.  The stuff that once you have been dancing for a few years, you don't really think about anymore.  But that's just it.  We were supposed to think about those things.  The connection with the floor, fluidity, aggressively pointing our toes, keeping our hips square, etc.  It really made me think, "When did I stop thinking about these key parts of dance?"

It definitely made me check myself... and kind of overwhelmed me with everything you have to think of in one instance.

But back to modern.

Breathing.

We all do it.

Everyday.

Dancers especially.

But have you ever really thought about it? Thought about the parts of you that your breath moves? thought about the depth of your breath? Moved with your breath?

Well, that was our challenge this week.  Do not stop thinking about your breath. If you do, stop and start again.

Enhancing our dance through breath.

So what is it like to move with your breath? Well, it starts with taking some REALLY deep breaths.  I recommend you try it now.  Breathe as deep as you possibly can and make it last.  Now do the same, but expand your abdomen, your chest, and under your armpits in that order while you breathe in.  Now do it again, the same, but reverse it as you exhale, armpits... chest... abdomen. So that's what we did and what we thought about.  And then we added movement.

Now this part was honestly not my favorite.  We started out with your basic leg swing.

(If you aren't sure what that is, watch this video.)

Then we added arms.  Then we added knees.  Finally adding standing up.  Now, you might not know this but I really hate being on my knees for dance.  I'm like a pretty bony human being, so it is pretty painful to roll around on my knees.  And then to add standing up?!?  Yeah, I wasn't really about that.  But this was more about the breathing than the movements so I guess I can let it go.

From there we did another combination that was supposedly focused on breathing.  But I'll tell you a secret, I might have thought about breathing all of about 5 seconds.  This combination was less painful though so I was happy. :)

Then we started more of the seemingly (if being viewed by an outsider) random movement.  This began with tapping into different emotions, then was more of what we did last week (tempo, shape, architecture, etc.) or what is known as the viewpoints technique.  If you want some idea of what this looks like, check out the video below.

From there, our director started pulling people out to watch and see what stories might be going on.  This was especially cool to see when she yelled freeze and those dancers sitting out would talk about what dancers could be telling a story with how they were frozen.  I really enjoyed this exercise.

This really got me thinking about choreography and how I could incorporate this type of improv movement or frozen movement in a dance piece.

I guess we will have to wait and see... choreography proposals are due next week! For now, I will just wallow in the intense soreness I am experiencing all over my body.

Your First Steps

Maybe some of you grew up dancing or took one class one time because your mom dragged you, or maybe dance is your passion and you can't imagine life without it. Well, I have danced on and off for about fifteen years now and I love it and my current dance team.  But regardless of your dance background, I would like to think that this blog can extend past the world of dance and into anything you have known for most of your life, or at least lead you to rethink the norms of your life.  

Anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself.  You're probably thinking, wait, I thought this was about dance.  Well, it is, and it's not.  You'll see.  

So today marks the first official meeting of the dance team season.  Since we have a new director, we needed to work some things out. Establish norms, get our emergency contacts in line, exchange phone numbers, the usual.  

For starters, for those of us who grew up in your typical jazz, tap, ballet dance studio, this new director of dance is way out of our "comfort zone." (You'll see why I added quotations later.) But she is welcoming us into this new journey of dance and into her view on this vast art form.  

So after working out the details, we started with an exercise where we discussed the question "what is dance?" From that, we got a nice list: expression, fun, ideas, community, etc.  Then we began to move...

Grab the golden ball.  Throw it around. Feel its weight.  

Now swallow the ball. 

Roll it around your head. Neck. Shoulders...

Now let your head lead you. 

Up and down. Side to side. 

Now let it move you out of this space.

Now speed it up.

Vary your speed.

Now think of something that pissed you off recently.

Where do you feel that in your body?

Let that part of your body lead you around.

Now interact with the other people around you and their movements.  

Interact with the architecture... the lines... the curves... tempo... repetition...

(Note: that was not a poem.)

That is what we were told. What we did for the rest of practice.

If you cannot picture it, just think about one of those exorcism movies but with the constraints of normal bodily limits. But also a little bit of what it would look like if you gave a kindergarten class an endless supply of candy (minus any fighting or crying).  Also, note that there was roughly 18 of us in a dance studio doing this.

I know what you're thinking. That. Sounds. Amazing.

Well, you're right.  It was great.

I have never had a dance class where I had to step so far outside of my dance "rules."  Where I didn't care about what I looked like because I was so caught up in the moment, in what I was doing.  It didn't matter what I looked like because that is just how my body was interpreting the directions I was given.  We were able to move through the space in a way that only we could do.  That only we knew how.  Somehow this felt like taking the first steps into my comfort zone, not one I've ever known before though.  

Now, if someone walking past had stopped to look in, they would have thought we were insane.  They'd probably say "did you see those weirdos in there?" But that's fine, because they have probably never experienced such freedom in movement, or maybe their free movements just look different. 

No judgment.

So that is the start of what I can tell is going to be a very beautiful journey of discovering dance and what all that means.


If you want to learn more about this crazy modern dance thing, check out this post.
Also check out some Martha Graham because that is pretty crazy.