This recording is a sequence we learnt in this session, I think for a first attempt this is an alright standard but I know in myself that I can execute this sequence to a higher standard with more precision and dynamics.
- On the vey first shift can see that I could be more daring in my suspension by relaxing my head backwards to allow my body to fall into the next step so that the catch of the leg into second is more exciting as this will bring an element of risk to the step.
- Looking at the leg extension at 5 seconds, I would say this looks pretty good but more of a pull into the next step would really bring this moment to life.
- At 10 seconds when I handstand I need to point my underneath foot to complete the line of the leg and really give a sense of extension through the air.
- The suspension over at 13 seconds i know I have executed more effectively in other attempts and I felt very frustrated when this video was being taken as I know in myself I can and have done it better, this is a great lesson in movement. Your body is always changing, every time you do a movement it is different than the time before, I think the pressure of the video also pushed me to take a risk in the suspension at this point which unfortunately failed however, without trying to push my own boundaries I will never know how far I can go.
- Into 19 seconds when I push off the floor into the turning low arabesque, i really need to extended my right leg out to achieve the full shape of the attitude by fully engaging my centre to support the push off my right, I need to watch my positioning on the floor beforehand as if my right leg is bent too far over my foot it makes it substantially more difficult to push up onto the supporting leg.
- The drop at 27 seconds looks a little forced and fake to me, here I really need to engage the breath and exhale as I release deeper into my plie, this will really give a dramatic sense of rise and fall to this moment.
I have been reading into the use of imagery in dance performance and how different metaphors for parts of the body can help draw out different qualities of movement from within yourself by thinking of the body as different objects. I have been particularly focusing on the flow of energy through the body and how you can exercise this internally to create varying representations externally. I find when I dance due the amount of energy I exert as I power through the movement my arms can sometimes have little control and this hinders my ability to really polish and finish movement.
"Flow through the arms: Imagine energy from the space surrounding you dropping into one of your hands, flowing from one arm to the other and emerging from the other." Franklin, E. (1996) Imagery in improvisations exercises. In: Dance imagery for technique and performance. Leeds: Human Kinetics. p16
Although this was intended for use in improvisation I feel I can still apply this to my own practice, the visualisation of energy can assist greatly with defining in what direction your limbs are going and allows greater control of the energy you have inside of you as you see it leaving the body. I find this image of energy passing through the body helps relax me as instead of becoming a ball of energy with it trapped in my centre I see it more as a river passing through me and I have the control to change the flow as I see fit. Energy is constantly transferred through various forms and never diminishes, when we dance we are taking potential energy from the muscles and transferring this into kinetic energy which then becomes heat energy, surely if we initiate the transfer of energy from stored potential energy then we are in full control of the path it takes out of the body? Visualising the paths of energy helps me to also make pathways through space as I pick up the pieces of energy I have left behind and create patterns of energy in space, as a choreographer this is a great device for helping with the spacial design of a piece and it gives us a great starting point for an improvisation on exploring space, but as performer it is a great way of taking ownership over a space as you visualise your route and take advantage of the places you haven't been.
