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!