Final Post "The ends not near, it's here"

My final blog is in video format. It will focus on my significant insights on writing this blog, my personal goals over the last 8 weeks in reference to my technique and finally how I will use this knowledge in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2dXS6kwwCY - My Final Blog

As dancers we are often asked many questions, Can you feel which muscle your using? Do you know what count this arm movement goes on? Are you using your breath? The list is endless...however over the last the few weeks I have been able to answer the questions relating to this blog.

Although not each post is formatted in that way I have talked about my embodied learning during my technique classes. This blog has taught me to reflect back over the last few weeks and notice my strengths and weaknesses and answer questions I have never really considered before, such as How did the class make you feel? or What can you improve on? I encourage other upcoming artists or practitioners to choose the way of learning about themselves as I feel like I have learnt more about my body than I have in all the years of dance training that I have had in the previous years.

17.11.2011 Plié's and posture

Today in class my body felt sore and tense. After a short warm up my muscles began to soften and I was looking forward to the class beginning. I really aim to work hard in Geoff’s class every week and leave the studio dripping with sweat. In today’s case I had succeeded. We focused on many aspects of our technique today as usual, but the movement that was the most useful to me, was concentrating on my plié. As a dancer I know how important demonstrating a correct plié is. 

 "Noun: A movement in which a dancer bends the knees and straightens them again” Googledictionary  (accessed on 17.11.2011) 

A plié has such a simple definition surely that means it is simple to achieve?  This however isn’t always the case. For me, my weakness in my plié lies in my turn out. If my knees begin to roll in, I know that I’m not applying the correct position. I also have recognised when demonstrating a plié in fifth position how easy it is to stick out the lower back. Over the last few weeks Geoff has been really helpful with pointing out our strengths and weaknesses when addressing plié’s. I don’t particularly think I have a weak plié; however I know I could be using a lot more. Geoff taught us a short travelling phrase that included using your plié to its full extent. The video attached is an example of the movement we did in class. In this particular phrase, I felt like I was really working through the legs and through my plié. It was really useful to be reminded to use it when demonstrating jumping exercises, because it is quite easy to forget once your applying so many other aspects of your technique.

14.11.2011 - Monday mornings.

Monday morning came around again, we waited in the studio in suspense to which teacher we will get. It's Mona. So our class today will again be focused on release technique. Everyone including myself looks extremely tired. We begin the class with opening exercises that we have been working on over the past few weeks. In relation to my own technique, this class feel like my weakest. I don't think I excel in it. But again this could be because Release is new to me and I haven't trained in it prior to this year.


"In Release technique, we release through the joints and muscles to create ease of movement, releasing the breath to aid the release of the body. A great relaxation technique as well as a dance style." http://www.blackfishacademy.com/dance.htm (accessed on 14.11.2011)


We refreshed our memories on the previous exercises and Mona asked our percussionist Keith to slow down the tempo of the rhythm that he was supplying us with. I haven't commented on the live music in any of my previous blogs. But I thoroughly enjoy the live music; I believe it is a really helpful way for our bodies and minds to connect with the movement. It also lets you make your own interpretation of the counts as we are encouraged to take the chance and risks in not following other members in the class. Many professional performances use live percussion and I think it is an interesting element to look into. It is very valuable for us as young aspiring dancers/choreographers as it looks at a wider interpretation of dance. the music sometimes reflects not only movement type but mood, attitudes and styles.


In this class I feel like I’m not fully concentrating, I enjoy the movement and exercises that we are taught. But the class becomes very repetitive over the same movement. In some aspects it is really helpful to work on certain characteristics of certain movements such as the rolling of our shoulders without moving our hips out of parallel position. It was also helpful that Mona asked us to partner up and place our hands on the lower abdominal of our partner to feel the tension and help them not to shift their weight or their hips when rolling the shoulders. This was also really beneficial when my partner was holding me, as I could feel myself wanting to rotate my hips as an alternative to remaining in parallel position. In this sequence we also had to focus on timing and release. There were many movements of suspense that allowed us to really relax our body in comparison to strenuous movements.

This video is a demonstration of an exercise that we are working on shoulder rolls that do not initiate from the hips but the centre. It also looks at the use of suspension and allows our body to release. Despite the video being unable to rotate, it is clear that one of my weaknesses is to relax my shoulders down the back and not alter my hips. Mona explained how if we are holding our centres correctly we should be able to avoid shifting in the hips and concentrate on our just movement in the shoulders.

Rosalind Newman once stated that "I have done Authentic Movement and Skinner Releasing Technique as well as othersomatic techniques. Getting deeper into the body in a more reflective way has affected my work, whether that's because of age or being affected by other ideas about the body."  Further Steps 2: Fourteen choreographers on what's the RAGE in dance? Kreemer, C. Pg158.

07.11.2011 Triplets and the Hyper-extended back

 Although it is a Monday morning, I enjoy going to Juliet’s class. I think in the last year I have improved with this technique immensely. I may not be perfect, yet I am really trying to exceed on my technique from last year. Which will hopefully reflect in my first semester grade. In Juliet's class last year, my technique was the most improved out of all my classes. This perhaps why I approach these class with a positive attitude. 



Flat back position

This week again my flaws fell in the triplets sequence, in contrast to last week I now have the steps, my mistakes were highlighted in direction. Juliet had also added several curves and tilts to the sequence that I almost by the end of the class I had got my head around. I know how important each aspect of the phrase is, I just to have to find a way to compose all three together. Another aspect of my weaknesses was evident through my flat back position, as I have a hyper-extended back. Prior to today’s class I always felt my flat back position was just emphasised around me just pushing out my lower half. However with a personal demonstration from Juliet and her advising me to go lower, I found a correct way of applying the position without any other elements of my body sticking out. When demonstrating a flat back it is important to avoid not letting your arms release behind you. We are advised to be able to see both hands through our provisional sight.

This week however, Juliet commented many times on positive aspect of my technique. She praised me on the development of my footwork and how after every exercise I finish off the movements accurately and avoid cutting corners. To hear such optimistic feedback like this is really encouraging and rewarding. It also helps me keep an affirmative attitude for the rest of the class.

We also focused on a jumping sequence that had been growing and developing in the last few weeks. Juliet stressed on how important our arm positions were and broke down each section to see if we were approaching it correctly. The sequence included at least five different types of jumps and leaps through the space. This included a Pas de chat, which Juliet had explained to us that it had to be lower and more grounded in to comparison to the high and controlled Pas de chat that you would see in ballet. I felt quite confident with the phrase as I like to jump and move through the space. For my own technique, I need to work on the preparation into my barrel turn. This is not only to to prevent any injury to my ankles or my knees, but If I have a lower stance to prepare I can really push off my legs to get higher in the air for the turn. The conclusion of the phrase was a turning jete. I struggled to begin with as I couldn’t understand the concept and was therefore turning too much. However after Juliet demonstrated and placed emphasis on our focus it became much easier to understand and therefore I attempted the jump to the best of my ability.

To work on my weakness in Juliet’s class I have filmed many of the phrases to evidently watch myself back. Hopefully I can observe my mistakes and keeping practising to amend them. This video demonstrates an adage we have been working on in Juliet's class. This short phrase is the beginning few counts, in which Juliet's has asked us to mentally prepare for the exercise by reassuring ourselves that we are capable. The movement is an extension on the legs and arms. My weakness is not using my leg to its full ability, I intend on working on this by really pushing through with the foot to reach away from myself.

This video again is a demonstration from Juliet's class. It focuses on the final jump sequence that I would like to improve on. I think the video highlights my passion to jump in class, although it also highlights many weaknesses in my technique. Again the preparation for the barrel turn is something I need to work on and begin to get deeper in my plié to encourage to push through my legs. 

Here I am demonstrating a footwork sequence travelling across the studio. I need to work on jumping through my whole foot and keeping my foot pointed the whole time. I would also like to work on the small travelling jump at the end of the phrase.

03.11.2011 "Wrists that could cut glass"

Today’s in Geoff’s class we began the class with our warm up exercises. As we are a few weeks in now, we just go through them all without Geoff’s guidance. This gives the people who know the exercises the chance to show what they have learned in the few weeks prior to this class. I feel like in Geoff’s class I have improved on my balance and my plié during the beginning exercises. I no longer turn my knees in during a plié in second position, I drop my shoulders and ribs when in a rise in fifth position and I have the confidence to really go for the majority of  the exercises without having to rely on the mirror. All of the above made me realise how much you can improve on technique wise in such a short amount of time.

This week Geoff commented on the use of my wrists, in previous classes I have never really put that much thought into the use of my wrists. Nevertheless in two separate classes this week, two technique teachers have commented on the position and distinction of my wrists during exercises or short phrases. Geoff commented on how my “wrists could cut glass" that there was far too much tension in them. For me this was feedback that I could really do something about for the remaining hour. Without thinking too much about it, I loosened my wrists and let them relax, instead of having them in placed positions. This perhaps is an old habit that has crept through from many years of training from a younger age previous to this course. Consequently in future classes I will remind myself to keep my wrists soft and relax opposed to a rigid form.

This was also evident when approaching Geoff's barre exercise, as again I needed to focus on dropping my arm and release my head, however as this exercise primarily focused on the feet the arms felt more released. Geoff demonstrated, how when you push the leg towards the back the knee has to lead as oppose to the foot carrying the majority of the weight. This is also an aspect of ballet technique in which I need to improve on. If the leg is lifted the knee needs to be the highest point. As a personal weakness I need to work on not altering the position of my hips to suit the angle of my leg.

Also in this week’s class Geoff taught us another end phrase. In many of classes, Geoff has referred to our standard and approaches to work with the term ‘You’re third years now’. I think from this Geoff is trying to tell us that we should be prepared to work a lot harder and pick material up in a shorter amount of time. Personally, from saying this it really encourages me to give even more energy and power. I agree with what Geoff has to say as I find it very encouraging. From this we learnt a new phrase and demonstrated it on the right and left. Again Geoff asked us to get with a partner and work through it; I was partnered with Lucy again which I find really useful as we are similar dancers. We both feed off one another and demonstrate the routine with strength and power. Geoff commented on our attempt saying we had ‘good timing’ and that it was a ‘good effort for a first time’. This is also very helpful feedback as I thought for a first attempt we had done particularly well.

Again I left Geoff’s class with a sense of achievement and progression. I always look forward to our next encounter with Geoff as I think out all the techniques we study this perhaps is my strongest. I have recorded myself many times in Geoff class so i can visually see my weaknesses and focus on improving them.

This video is a demonstration of the use of my wrists. As you can see I do tend to hold them in a position in contrast to releasing them. From watching myself back, I can hopefully begin to loosen my wrists and enjoy the sensation of the movement. I also need to focus on not altering my shoulders when circling my arm.

31.10.2011 Release and Repetition

Release exercise

As Juliet has had other commitments this semester our technique classes have been split between herself and Mona. Despite practising almost contrasting technique styles it is nice to get the chance to work with both teachers. Mona has been focusing on the release technique with us, it has many aspects of Limon technique yet can be described as “The Release dance technique is associated with therapeutic movement researches that come or make use of medical knowledge.” http://www.contemporary-dance.org/contemporary-dance-techniques.html (accessed on 1/11/2011)

Although I hadn’t really approached this technique much prior to this year, from the way Mona had taught us before I had known what to expect from her class. In this class I feel really encouraged to relax my body and let go of any inner tension I appear to have. It becomes a regular occurrence for me in other classes to have tension in my body and appear every so often wooden; this class however is the exception.  Granting this class becomes relatively repetitive, it is very helpful as it is allowing us to try and expand our movement range and work on our weakness. Despite having to go other phrase or exercises over 5 times, the movement becomes second nature and your body is that released you could even perform the phrases with your eyes closed. This perhaps would be an interesting way to experiment in technique class as you would recognise what it would feel like to just be you and the movement and lose all possible distractions around you.

The small floor phrases that we demonstrate places a vast amount of attention on the use of the back. When curving from the back I believe I have a really solid position. As I contract with a slight spiral I use my head to enhance to the twist. By holding my centre strong I can feel the twist in my abdominal muscle, yet a sense of release when I let go. This is also evident in a phrase we work on in the centre of the studio. This places a lot of emphasis and pressure into the knees. In this class it is a really nice sensation to feel a sense of release through the knees and through the arms. It almost feels as if you’re not as controlled as you should be, yet you’re not incorrect with what you’re applying.

With the end phrase, we worked on many different ways to turn, for me the most complex was the slap turn. The slap turn is primarily a shift in weight through a turn. I find it hard to control the turn without losing balance. However I believe I have a strong leading leg that takes me around, just need to focus on landing the foot without having to alter my position. We have been working on these turns in other technique classes too; therefore my turn will gradually become stronger.

When leaving Mona's class, my body feels tired and lazy. This is perhaps as it is a Monday morning and we haven't worked as much as we would have with Juliet. As there is a huge difference between focusing on the technique of Merce Cunningham to that of Release technique. Monday mornings have started to become an element of surprise to see which teacher we get. As my Cunningham technique is progressively getting better I feel like I am letting my body down when working on release technique. However this isn't the case. It is just a physical shock and challenge to start the week with released movement opposed to the strong leg and arm work that we focus on in Cunningham.

28.10.2011 - Footwork and Mild chest infections

Due to a mild chest infection, for Rebekhah’s next class I had to sit and observe as she was worried my body wouldn’t be up to the challenge of a combination of Graham and Cunningham. As one of my five technique teachers I full respected her decision to ask me to sit and make notes on the trials and errors that I could recognise in my fellow peers, as she is a fully qualified teacher and I admire her ideologies and views.

It is always an interesting aspect of dance training to step out and watch the class that you have been working with for the last three years, frustrating yes, but also very helpful to recognise your own strengths and weakness in comparison to some of the other girls.

Graham once quoted “Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion."
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martha_graham.html#ixzz1dOHjysUE (accessed on 29.11.2011)


 I fully agree with that quote, especially when I myself am dancing. Sometimes your technique might not be fantastic, yet if you have the passion for dance you really try to exceed in yourself to stride in improving. This is also something I could recognise when I observed the mornings class. In my own technique my weaknesses lie primarily in my footwork, especially when discussing Cunningham and Graham work. In certain exercises dominating the foot I regularly lose my way, because I am heavily concentrating on my arms or my turn out instead of trying to focus on all three aspects. My feet, arms and turn out. I know that I have improved with the use of the foot since beginning of this course. As a few teachers have commented on how I use the foot to it full facility and not cut any corners when it comes to the simple things such as its pointe. However, despite have a strong pointe and the ability to stretch my foot from the heel to its ball then then to the toes. When giving a foot exercise that includes using our arms or bringing in a tilt or perhaps a high release I begin to lose my way and over complicate things.  To work on this I need to begin to release the tension in my neck and shoulders to allow the arm positions to feel natural and flow easily. When my arms are in second, especially in this class I know they have to be strong yet soft. I know that appears as a huge contradiction but to soften in the elbows the forearm and hands need to be solid. Hopefully allowing me to release any tension will thus let the foot work feel less forced and more controlled.

This is also recognisable in an exercise on the floor in which your feet change from flexed to pointe several times with an inclusion of contractions and arm work. When I usual flex my foot I feel a tight pressure under my Achilles due to the fact I have weak ankles. Therefore when changing position several times I have a habit of not giving 100% to avoid the pain. However if I really applied myself I know that the exercise would probably appear to show vast improvements. Again arm work becomes a flaw of mine, as I contract; the arms change from a solid position to a softer hold. However the feet are also working in collaboration with the contraction and the changing of the arms, which allows me to become confused and forget about my feet.

Graham’s floor work is a challenge, and Rebekah has advised us if we ever got the chance to take part in a professional Graham class to recognise a difference in speed and quality of movement. I do generally enjoy Rebekah’s class and it was a shame that I had to miss out this week, but the next week I will be able to focus on my weaknesses and learn to control them so they start to gradually improve. I feel like this class is one of my classes that will show my improvements as it is a new technique to me, like ballet I struggle with aspects of different ways of moving to what I am used to. However this is the challenge of third year and I am looking forward to feeling the effects.

balletLORENT - la nuit intime

"la nuit intime is a series of intimate exchanges where the interplay between the dancers is in turn sensual, funny and moving. Setting la nuit intime in nightclubs and live music venues allows us to create an underground world of dance where the audience experience is as important as the performance. They are invited to drink and relax as the evening unfolds before them and to join us and lose themselves in the dance."
Liv Lorent, Choreographer http://www.balletlorent.com/index.php?lanuit (accessed on 2.11.2011)

This week we have been to see the performance of balletLORENT's la nuit intime. When entering Dance city I had formerly been on edge to what we were about to go see as I had seen clips on the internet before hand, and I felt it was completely abstract and different to anything I had ever seen previously at Dance City. However as I approached the dance Lab with an open mind, I was in shock when I walked in to find the space with such a unique lay out, materializing the feeling of a 'sultry' night club. As a huge fan of Liv Lorent’s work I was eager to see what movement had been created. From the eccentric settings and the imaginative costumes I was completely taken back by the contrasting choreography and styles of dance. A section to comment on that particularly stood out for me in relation to this module was a fast paced almost ‘barn dance’ element to the choreography that placed a huge emphasis on foot work. As I know in some aspects of my technique and during classes that footwork is something I need to improve on. It was great to see a professional dancer in a company demonstrate how it should be directly in front of me. The sharpness and definition of the dancers pointed foot was emphasised through the quick paced and strong leg gestures, allowing her Pointe to change direction effortlessly. As well as other strong elements such as pose turns, really demonstrated how strong the dancers were and how unforced the movement came across. Thus posed a question to myself of am I using my strength to its full maximum during classes?

Overall the show had too much potency to comment on everything element of movement, however I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was also beneficial to see how important is to give your utmost energy during class even with the smaller exercises that focus on footwork to be really challenging yourself as a dancer and to improve overall your technique. The thought of this performance will be in my head for the next few weeks so that I stride even more to improve.

02.11.2011 & 19.11.2011 - Bartenieff Fundamentals

Again in Liz’s class we have been focusing on Bartenieff Fundamentals theory, one of the main aspects we have been focusing on is yielding and pushing our bodies. To begin with i wasn’t 100% of the definition of the word “to yield”, therefore I looked it up on the Internet, “To permit; to grant; as, to yield passage.” http://www.brainyquote.com/words/yi/yield241142.html#ixzz1d2 (accessed on 7.11.2011)

Yield and Push exercise

From this, I have learnt within my own body how to control my weight. When focusing on yielding my body I really need to work on using my legs to ground the floor and push through my feet and release the tension in my neck and arms. To do this I need to focus on not holding my body through my neck, as this causes a lot of tension and pain when moving. "yielding towards the earth, pushing with the tail through the lumbar" Making Connections P.Hackney pg.31 This is evident particularly in the floor sequence that we have been focusing on that includes several turns and rolls. If I begin to release the tension then my head rolls and relaxations on the floor should feel free and less held. To also help me improve with this Liz taught us and exercise in which Peggy Hackney recommends her book ‘Making Connections’. To complete the exercise we begin by laying flat on our front with our forehead on the ground. From this position we slowly release and breathe and push forwards with the weight of our heads and lift the lower back. It is important to release the out breath as without breath there is also a loss of the head-tail connection Hackney says of this loss, “a common phenomenon in cultures which encourage a mind-body dichotomy” (Hackney p.23). This exercise also focuses on the connection between the head and tail through yield and push. This connectivity is a relationship that can also be recognised when approaching lifts within dance and in elements of sequences that we concentrate on in technique classes. By really focuses on yielding our bodies Liz asked us to partner up in the class and watch a demonstration of how to really feel connected with our yielding. In doing this each pair of partners took turn to hold each other firstly with a hand place underneath the buttocks and assist in helping our partners yield down into the ground when demonstration small jumps in parallel. We then moved our assistance to just on the atlas on the spine to encourage our partners to release the tension in their necks to jump higher. This was especially helpful to me as again I tend to hold my neck and not release it principally when jumping. This exercise was also particularly useful as we really had the opportunity to ground the floor to put the pressure in our feet to jump higher.

I have read the Peggy Hackney has once stated when discussing the relationship with the head and tail “This stage is not about accomplishing tasks…head-tail connectivity certainly provides potential for fluid sensuality, as well as a solid ease in being on- or off-vertical.” (Hackney p.108)

In the last few weeks that we have been focusing on Bartenieff Fundamentals theory, we have been working on a short phrase that repeats on the right and left. During the phrase each week Liz has asked to look for movements that recognise some of Bartenieff Fundamentals theory. Such as the use of breath, core-distal connectivity and head-tail connectivity. To recognise each of the factors we were put into threes and each demonstrated the phrase with an aspect of the theory. For me, I was working on the relationship between my spine and the movement (core-distal) It felt great to really connect my body to each movement and fully release any stress or tension through the movement. The most obvious element to recognise in the phrase for me was the person who demonstrated the use of breath. I think this is because after every exhale the dancer really connected with their body and deepened the movement. I found it really helpful to watch the other girls as it was beneficial to see how the theory is encouraging our bodies and our technique.

Another exercise Liz has introduced us to was, lying down in any position on the floor and sucking on our thumbs. This is to focus on the relationship between the mouth and the anus. This was another relationship to focus on, and concentrate on its connectivity. To then allow to move and improvise with this in our minds.

When leaving Liz’s class I feel like I am learning something new about myself and my technique every week. I am also learning more about my body and the way in which certain bones and muscles work. I am particularly intrigued with my spine so have been further my research in to the spine from reading Peggy Hackney’s Making connections in my own time as well as focusing on it in class."Enjoying the sensation of your own spine in relationship to itself and to the earth" P.Hackney pg.30. I hope this is recognised in my technique, because I do believe I am improving with the use of my breath and relaxing more when I am dancing.

In these videos you can really comment on how I use my breath to help me control my movement. I find it really encouraging to us the breath and allow my body to feel connected to the ground. "the earth provides support, a ground for being and moving. Human beings move in relationship to the earth and gravity." (Hackney  pg.31)                                                                                

20.11.2011 - Strength and Sweat

In Geoff’s class today we began by going through every exercise for ourselves to see how much we had remembered from the previous weeks. We then focused on a floor exercise, that focused on the use of our breath and the heaviness of our leg swings. With discussing this exercise, I know I need to use my legs much more through the heavy swings, I need to focus on not shifting my hips too much and really find a connection with my centre to swing my legs across my body. I would also like to work on throwing my body into certain movements such as the leg swings round to the front, brining my whole body over with me with my weight dropping to the floor. Sometimes a common weakness in Geoff’s class is that I over complicate the moves then give up easily. I would like to work on this so I begin to feel more confident in myself and the movement.

I have begun to film myself in certain lessons in order for me to look back at my technique and recognise my flaws and possible strengths. In Geoff’s classes I have filmed the end sequence to help me develop my movement and become stronger.

 In today’s class we broke down the final sequence to make sure we were completing the movement properly with the use of the right legs and the correct arm positions. I found this really helpful as the bits I had struggled with in the previous week I had corrected. It was also really helpful that Geoff asked us to perform with a partner so we had plenty of space in the studio and so we could really go for it. I was really comfortable doing this as I believe it is useful to watch others to help them as well as it being very beneficial and really helpful to my own technique. Geoff commented that my partner and I had really good timing and energy together, which is really positive. Comments like that again make me want to do even better and give even additional energy that I am already demonstrating. Again I have an element of confidence in this class as my body’s physicality strides in jumps and turns that allows you to use all the energy in your body and really push through all the movements.

This video highlights how my leg swing need to be heavier. In class, Geoff spoke about how certain moves can affect your final grade and how you have to know what your doing to apply the correct technique. Geoff commentated on how my legs needed to feel heavier and how I needed to throw my body around more opose to being afraid to.

Rebekah's technique class - Jump Phrase&Exercise on 6

This video is a demonstration of the jump phrase and the end of Rebekah’s technique class. The video highlights my weakness of losing my balance and my very weak grand jete. I would like to work on getting my legs higher on the leap and jumping through the space, allowing my arms to float up with me.

Exercise on six, is a short floor phrase completed in six counts. Each count represents a set position with the use of the back. The exercise includes a contraction in the centre from flat back. It also includes a back stretch with the support of the ankles. The count I most struggle with is count 4, which is is the back stretch supported by the ankles as you can see from the video. The reason I think I struggle the most with this is because for the duration of the whole exercise your hands are set to hold the ankles, and due to the shortness of my arms I struggle to hold on without releasing. I am determined for my flexibility to improve throughout the weeks to come so this particular movement becomes easier as my back will become more released to support this action.

Cheerleading - Northumbria Northstars

For 6 hours a week, I head over to coach lane sports campus for cheerleading rehearsals. During these rehearsals we focus on a 30 – 40 minute warm up session to build our strength and prepare us for the rest of the training session. The warm ups generally consist of head and shoulder work followed by arms, hips and then finally leg work. As vice coach I sometimes have to lead the warm ups as part of my role, when this is the case I try to work on the girls flexibility as I know in myself that is a common weakness. To do this I focus on warming the legs up first with a number of lunges to get the legs really working, followed with the splits to demonstrate which leg is perhaps the most flexible. In my case my left leg has always been the strongest out of the two, however in the last few weeks my right leg as shown signs of development when warming up at training but also in my ballet technique classes.  I am really happy with this improvement as it highlights how not only timetabled classes are helping improve my technique, but cheerleading practise too. I see this as a positive thing as it’s allowing me to become versatile within dance yet help me in general to improve overall.

As the official Cheerleaders for the Newcastle Eagles basketball team, it is our duty to perform every Friday night at Northumbria universities own Sport Central, to crowds of around 3,000 people. When focusing on my technique whilst performing with the girls, I notice small technical corrections in my own body. For example when stood in second position, if your stance is two wide you are prone to fall, or if your second position is just a little wider than parallel this perhaps will feel incorrect. I find many technique teachers have their own version of second position, when focusing on my own technique, I try to emphasis a vertical line from my hips to my toes then take a tiny step out  to achieve my own second position.

"a position in which the feet are spread apart and are at right angles to the direction of the body"  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/second+position (accessed 14.11.2011)

In relation to Cheerleading, When I notice small adjustments like this there is a huge advance on my technique and style. Also perfroming to such a huge crowd every week gives me a boost of confidence, and I really enjoy the positive vibe that we recieve. This confidence therefore is carried through to performances that we have within our course.

A past video of our training sessions.

Optional performance project with Liz.

Martha Graham once stated "Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.”

In our optional project with Liz, we have been looking at working with each other in big group pieces but also with contact work looking at the movement and meanings of trees. In today’s session we were looking at working in groups of three to demonstrate contact work which resembled a tree and its roots, the work consisted of one dancer holding a position whilst the other two wrapped and intertwined their bodies around the legs or arms of the stood dancer. In the group that I was working with, the first position I had to display was a deep plié in second position with my arms wrapped over the bodies of the other two dancers. As rehearsals were continuous practising and improving what we had created we had to demonstrate to the other group in order for them to pick it up too, thus becoming a second trio. From the demonstrations our group were giving, every time I could feel my plié getting deeper and deeper, which felt great. It highlighted for me that the more you work on certain movements it will eventually get stronger and therefore improve. Even though our class was only an hour and 45mins I felt that I had really progressed in not only ways to choreograph but also on a personal level in my technique.

17.10.2011 - The return of Juliet

It was a lovely surprise on Monday morning to return the studio after a restful weekend to see Juliet waiting for us. After thoroughly enjoying Juliet’s technique classes last year I was looking forward to getting back in to her teaching ways.

After recently focusing on the technique of Merce Cunningham at the end of last week, I was looking forward to another class with fast paced, strong and sharp movement. Despite already having one technique class in the week that focuses on Cunningham, from experience, I knew Juliet’s class would be laid out completely different. To begin the class we went back to old exercises from last year to try and get our brains working, it certainly got my head working and I had enjoyed the challenge. The exercises had advanced a little from last semester which was great as it had proved to us all that we had improved. During the beginning exercises, I like how Juliet commented on how the class focuses. It has begun to feel natural and nice to hold up your centre, drop the shoulders down the back and really just relax the face. However in contrast to that, I enjoy projecting my face out passed the room and looking just above the mirror panelling to avoid staring at myself.

Arms in second position.

In one of the beginning exercises we demonstrate 16 bounces in an over curve, I would like to focus on not making the bounce become a rebound in which my head bounces back. A way to amend this is to focus on taking my head down to the floor and not move my shoulders allowing me to just hold my centre through the exercise. 

Another one of my main weaknesses in this technique is releasing my arms. I regularly start the exercise with my arms held strong in second position, yet my elbows begin to slip as I tend to put all my concentration into my legs. To focus on this, I intend practise in the mirror holding my arms in second to make sure I can see when I am dropping my elbows and fight against this. I also need to lift my elbows in the grand battement phrase. When I take my leg to second position and place my arms in third position I need to try not drop my inside arm when brushing my leg, again my focus becomes dominate to my leg work.

Another aspect of Cunningham technique I struggle with is triplets. During our triplet sequence I am aware of the steps I need to display, however if I lose the direction I intend on heading and which leg I am leading with I lose my way and struggle to pick it back up again. I think the use of the head and arms are very important to help with direction and using my plié to its full advantage through each step and to concentrate on stepping through fourth each time.

“Triplet – In modern dance, it is a three step movement executed in turn out to music in ¾ or 6/8 time, in the following order: plié, releve, releve. A jazz triplet would be these three steps done to a 4/4 tempo and counted as one-and-two, and most likely done in plié” https://secure.class.uh.edu/.../JACQUELINENALETTBasicDanceVoc  (accessed on 18.10.2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6UsrvFYLOA- (accessed on 18.10.2011)
This link is a demonstration video of a contemporary triplet. It is the second part of the video that relates to this blog as it breaks down the structure of a triplet with a helpful demonstration.When leaving Juliet’s class, I take on all the feedback I have been given to try and improve for the following lesson. As the classes will be split with another teacher, I think it will encourage me to practise and try even harder to gain more awareness of my weaknesses. But will hopefully highlight an improvement in my technique.

Triplet sequence

16 bounces in an over curve

                                                                                       

                                                                                          

11.10.2011 - My weakest link

“Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.” Martha Graham

 In ballet again we had an hour of barre work to prepare our muscles and warm our bodies up for the remainder of the class. I really enjoy the Barre work as it allows me to recognise where my weaknesses really lie. I do think my de jambe en dehors, and rond de jambe en dedans have improved but I am still focusing on maintaining the strength in my feet to fulfil a full circle on the ground with my foot.

 This week we learnt a new jumping sequence which contents was as follows: Glissade, Jete over, Faille, Assemble and then one changement (then repeats to the left)

When we are taught small phrases, I think I can pick up material and choreography quite well. However in Ballet I find it a lot harder to retain the information as I still don’t feel as comfortable in this technique as others. I am working on using my whole foot when practicing jumps, especially in quick paced set sequences such as this one. As it is quick paced I sometimes lose which foot should be leading me and tend to just guess which foot I should be using. I would like to work on achieving the intricacy in the feet work of jumping sequences especially bringing my feet back into fifth position after each jump.

 I also would like to improve on my pirouettes and my landings. At the moment I do believe I use my head to spot well during pirouettes, and the placement of my feet is generally in the right place. I would love to improve on my pirouettes especially when attempting a double or triple. I will try to achieve this in the preparation exercise remembering to bring my legs in straight from the tendu up to the retiré devant then after the second tendu remember plié just before I attempt to pirouette. Both is elements are key in this exercise, and hopefully it will help me improve when practicing pirouettes across the room.

When leaving Shaun’s ballet classes I am still feeling a sense of achievement as again ballet is for me ‘stepping out of my comfort zone’. However I thoroughly enjoy the class as like many others it pushes me to really persevere to achieve the best of my ability.

This video highlights a pirouette on my right and left side. I know I need to focus on my spotting and choose one single spot to use in stead os several. I would also like to work on my foot placement.

12.10.2011 & 14.10.2011 - Merge of Cunningham & Graham

I had looked forward to our next class with Rebekah as I felt personally challenged in the previous technique class that she had taught. For our next class, we focused on the technique of Merce Cunningham. Cunningham himself once explained his technique as “This technique is rigorous, and is designed to create strength and flexibility—of both body and mind,” he says. “You have to be alert and focused in class.” http://www.dancespirit.com/articles/11. (accessed on 12.10.2011)

As we began with the centre work we focused on the sharp focused movement from the ribs and holding our arms in second without shifting our body weight. We also concentrated on the isolation of the rib cage shifting from the right back to the centre. I really enjoy the element of this exercise as it allows you to really isolate the rib cage without focusing on movement in the shoulders or arms thus just keeping everything in the centre. I think I can control my weight shifts quite well as I really enjoy isolated the body. I find it interesting as a choreographer how parts of the body can be isolated in many ways without having to use your whole body to initiate the movement.

A weakness that I can recognise in myself during Rebekah’s class is that when down in a plié, I am avoiding my turn out and rolling my knees forward. I need to work on my plié in first position making sure my knee is heading towards my middle toe as a guideline. To help me work on this I intend to practise holding my hands on my waist when completing plié’s without moving my hips to become uneven. This will hopefully allow me to practise my plié’s and see for myself in the mirror where I need to have my knees and really plant my feet down into the ground to recognise a different feeling.

We have also been working on our contractions in this specific class. I struggle the most with my contractions when my legs are in second position on the floor. During the exercise on the floor we focus on contracting from our centres then releasing to a flat back. However after I have contracted, the next motion of releasing the body forward over the legs to then sit up properly on the sits bones (in which the back should theoretically be in a straight line). However I think I am struggling with the release as I am trying to concentrate on the alignment of the back therefore I am forgetting to really drop my shoulders into the back and not strain my neck resulting in my back not placed in the correct position. To help me prevent this I am going to check the alignment of my back side ways on in the mirror to fully feel connected with the position that it should be in.

“Cunningham technique challenges a dancer’s ability to change direction within the body and in space, so explore your internal sense of direction as you move through a day. Observe the sensations that occur in the body as you round corners and make sudden changes of direction. Take note of how those changes impact your sense of self and your relationship to the space around you.” http://www.dancespirit.com/articles/11 (accessed on 12.10.2011)

During the Adagio, I would like to focus again, on my balance. I think a solution for this would be to lift my head up to project my performance out. I also think lifting my whole body from my centre will help me to balance on my standing leg. I know I don’t really get my legs very high when demonstrating a ponche; however I feel I still feel very present when holding my position. I believe my head alignment with my legs may need work but I would like to think it has improved since our technique classes from previous years. I know I need to have the confidence to push through my feet to keep my balance and just attempt to hit the right positions with the right counts.  With the beginning arabesque I believe the extension of my leg is conveyed very well, as I am really trying to push my body to its limits.

When looking back on the travelling sequence across the studio, Rebekah commented on the energy of me and my two of my fellow peers when working in a group demonstrating the movement. As a dancer it gives you great confidence to hear constructive comments and criticism and it also pushes you harder to succeed. When I was told we had great energy it felt as if my hard work leading up to the end sequence had paid off. It also encourages me to persevere even more so, I love phrases that allow me to extend my body and throw my weight about. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed our class and I am looking forward to working with Rebekah every week as I believe I can learn a lot from her lessons.

07.10.2011 - A good introduction to Graham

In today’s class we worked on Martha Graham technique which I really enjoy. “Martha Graham developed a dance technique that broke the mould of classical ballet and pioneered the field of modern dance” http://elle-blum.suite101.com/martha-graham-dance-technique-a127236blum.suite101.com/martha-graham-dance-technique-a127236 . (accessed on 08.10.2011)

We focused on using our cores to support multiple curves in our back. When using the whole body to demonstrate an over curve my body felt more comfortable than when practising a back curve. I think this is because I found the over curve easier as you get to use the head and the spine to help you control your weight. However when demonstrating a back curve I struggle with the placement of the neck and head as I don’t want to seem as if I am pushing my chest and ribs out rather than my using my centre to control my whole upper back curve. I try to imagine the movement as if a string was being pulled from my chest up towards the ceiling in alignment with the head and neck. This helped me to avoid sticking out my ribs and helped me to try and control my upper half. Hopefully in the weeks to come I will build on this and improve my structure when displaying curves to try and maintain a controlled position. 

As a personal weakness I know when displaying floor exercises with my legs in second position I need to hold on to my turn out in my legs to support a straight flat back. If I let my knees and hips roll forwards I will not only lose my turn out I will also lose my alignment in the back. So I focus on making sure I am sat of two sits bones with a long line up my spine and neck to support my back. When demonstrating a side stretch for 8 counts spiralled over one of my legs in a set exercise, I need to focus on not twisting the hips to face the direction I am stretching and to try and make sure my hips remain there square. I would also like to work on not rebounding on the bounces but use my curve over my leg to extend my stretches. 

Again I think I need to concentrate more on the placement of my feet through tendu’s and grand battement’s applying my foot all the way through to its point from the ankle through to the ball of the foot ending in the toes. Especially in grand battement’s the quick exercise we practise in class the feet have to come through first position and back to first after then extension of the leg. However in the last few classes I have begun to see a vast improvement with my feet but also my balance and my turn out when releasing the leg.