Exposed to Gravity

“Gravity is very noticeable to me since my muscles cannot stand in opposition to it”. (Curtis, 1997,157) with being in a wheel chair Curtis if he leans to far will fall, instead of thinking he is falling he uses surfaces and momentum to reach the ground quicker. “Most of the time I just prepare to meet the ground”. (Curtis, 1997, 158) I like the approach Bruce has to this and he isn’t scared of falling he simply accepts is and goes with the momentum.

“A dance form that uses movement, gravity and their relationship to each other as revealed through changing points of balance, seemed ideal for people like myself whose daily interaction with their environment is grounded in the same experiences”. (Curtis, 1997, 158) I agree with Bruce as Contact Improvisation is all about changing points of balance and I think he is right that it will further his own dance technique and help him discover new ways to move his body.  At first key parts of Contact Improvisation Curtis had to learn was keeping his eyes open, looking for opportunities to support your partner, don’t give or take weight without listening to your partner, don’t get lost inside your own head, mutual agreement of movement, don’t have your own image in your mind, stay in the present moment. All of these are key to learning Contact Improvisation. Contact Improvisation is about “being spontaneous and playing together with gravity”. (Curtis, 1997, 158)

Curtis found after a while of practicing Contact Improvisation music was not necessary and he began to listen to his partner.

I found it interesting when Bruce and Overland started to work together as they were both in wheelchairs. The difficulties that they encounter was how they couldn’t have much contact due to the wheelchairs but as they started to practice more they realized that the wheelchairs weren’t obstacles. I also liked how Overland managed to come out of her chair and back in it with the support of Bruce and they played with this a lot. I like that what Bruce thought were problems they were actually opportune within the piece, such as if his leg spammed instead of worrying use that within the piece.

From this reading and watching in class I think the main point of the reading is not to be scared of your body whether you have a disability or not. It is also key to communicate with your partner. With Bruce being in a wheelchair him and his partner had to listen to each other and to support each other them needed to listen. In class they learnt how to support each other’s weight in jumps and lifts and in the contact jam they listened to each other and supported each other like Bruce does with his partner.

Bibliography

Curtis, B. (1988). Exposed to Gravity. Contact Quarterly/ Contact Improvisation Sourcebook I, Vol. 13. Northampton: Contact Editions.

Centre of Gravity

“Another way to define centre of gravity is the point around which the body is perfectly balanced”. (Woodhull, 1997, 43) If you put something through the centre of the body it can turn any way and still be balanced. The pelvis is what keeps the body balanced so if the pelvis moves to far we will go off balance and fall. The normal balanced position is standing, “The centre of gravity can move around 6 to 8 inches from its standard position in the body”. (Woodhull, 1997, 45) This means that you can move up to 8 inches before you start to lose balance and fall. The head and the torso are heavy than below the pelvis, it is 55% of the total weight of the most people.

“In Contact Improvisation, we purposely change centre of the gravity in order to move”. (Woodhull, 1997, 47) I think this means that because we change our weight constantly in Contact Improvisation, we are meant to go off balance and test our limitations within the duet.

Woodhull believes that the centre of gravity rarely helps within dancing as do we think about gravity and the centre of it when dancing. “Contact is about communication and sharing one element we share is playing with the consequences of physical law”. (Woodhull, 1997, 48) This sums up how Contact Improvisation and we use gravity within the dance. I agree with Woodhull because I don’t think we really think about our centre of gravity when dancing, I know it plays a major part as we test how far we can go off balance before we fall. Overall it is important to know how our centre of gravity works and what causes us to fall off balance but I do not think it should be over analysed.

Bibliography

Woodhull, A. (1997) Center of Gravity. Contact Quarterly/ Contact Improvisation Sourcebook I Vol. 4. Northampton: Contact Editions.

What is Release Technique?

To change a habitual movement pattern you need to think about the whole organism including the mind and how it functions. “The basic method of effecting change in the body was designed with the following idea in mind: by the time an intention has become realized in a physical action, it is too late to alter how this action is played out. The seed of an action is embedded somewhere between the forming of an intention and the subsequent launch into action. This seed is the body’s “image” for the action.”(Lepkoff, 1999) I believe this means that to do an action your body already can do it and by the time it has done it is too late for you change that action. It is an imprinted in our bodies’ routine already.

Mary Fulkerson worked with developmental movement as a source of basic vocabulary. “Mary has a system of anatomically based images that mapped out functional pathways through the architecture of the body.”(Lepkoff, 1999) These pathways showed lines of compression and support and lead to channels of sequential flow of action. “These images were considered to be ever more refinable once we were ready to perceive in finer detail.”(Lepkoff, 1999) These lines were up the front of the spine to the base of the neck, then up to the back of the skull and down the face again through the spine and down the sacrum and round both halves of the pelvis, down the legs and feet and back up through the hip joint and back up the front of the spine. An important part of Mary’s classes was to channel these pathways. “This would both re-align the body so that weight was supported through the centre of the bones as well as re-pattern the flow of energy so that action was initialled by the muscles closest to the bodies centre. This shift would release the outer muscles of the body from holding weight and free them for what they were meant to do, namely move the body. This was one reason the work is called “Release Technique”

A prime position used for receiving and responding to new physical images is the constructive rest position.  Realise technique is not just realising muscle tension but releasing deep physical pre-conceptions as well.  Paxton realved potential pitfalls with Mary’s in Contact Improvisation. “I encountered Steve Paxton’s work with Contact Improvisation. This gave me an alternate view on my work with anatomical images. Steve’s work also addressed the presence of mind in the body with a subtle yet important difference”. (Lepkoff,1999) Paxton used the mind as lens and made the dancer more aware of observation and alertness within the mind. Paxton’s work differs from Mary’s as he focuses on physical sensation. “I remember remarkable times of unleashed expression of energy in my Release classes, however, Contact Improvisation regularly exposed my body to higher levels of physical stimulation”. (Lepkoff,1999) Paxton showed pitfalls such as the images Mary used were only maps for interpreting physical actions. The images eventually blocked the movement as they over though them.

“In my own work I’ve realized the ‘release’ as a physical principle is only one part of a more complete description of the functioning of the body.” (Lepkoff, 1999) Release work helped develop integrated intelligence and a healthy body, it prepared the dancer for Contact Improvisation, and Contact Improvisation developed a focus on physical sensation, teaching yourself, interplay and the use of imagination with dance.

Bibliography

Lepkoff, D (1999) What is Release Technique? [online] Avaliable from: http://www.daniellepkoff.com/Writings/What%20is%20Release.php [Accessed 16 November 2014].

Having read about, but not yet practiced Contact Improvisation I am curious to hear how you might define it. Select four different definitions of Contact Improvisation from the Contact Quarterly Sourcebooks. Firstly identify the key attributes of the form in each definition and secondly come up with a definition of your own, explaining why and how you have arrived at the definition.

Contact Improvisation over the years has developed and has had many different definitions, I am going to look at some of these definitions and from these I will define Contact Improvisation in my own words.

Danny Lepkoff believes that “Contact Improvisation is a duet movement form. Two people move together in contact, maintaining a spontaneous physical dialogue through the kinaesthetic sensual signals of shared weight and common or counterpoised momentum. The body, in order to open to the sensations of momentum, weight, and balance, must learn to release excess muscular tension and abandon a certain amount of wilful volition to the natural flow of movement at hand.” (Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation Sourcebook, 1997, 16). The key attributes from his definition are that it is a duet, two people moving together and keeping in contact with each other but all the movements are spontaneous. This is the basis of his definition, he goes on further to define that momentum, weight and balance are key aspects to forming Contact Improvisation and are used throughout the dance.

Curt Siddall also agrees with Lepkoff in that Contact Improvisation is a duet. “Contact Improvisation is a movement form, improvisational by nature, involving two bodies in contact. Impulses, weight and momentum are communicated through a point of physical contact that continually rolls across and around the bodies of the dancers” (Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation Sourcebook, 1997, 54). From this definition it shows that Contact Improvisation is a continuous movement with contact.  Changing of positon and posture of the two bodies while using each other’s weight and momentum to move throughout the piece is a common theory with Lepkoff. The dancers do this by communicating through their bodies. In this definition Siddall says that nature is involved in improvisation, I believe that this means that you use the environment around you such as the floor to move around.

“Contact Improvisation is an activity related to familiar duet forms such as the embrace, wresting, martial arts and the jitterbug, encompassing the range of movement from stillness to highly athletic.” (Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation Sourcebook, 1997, 66) This definition is contrasting to the others I have looked at, it is different as this definition describes the forms used within Contact Improvisation. It still states that Contact Improvisation is a duet which all the other previous definitions have stated. With this definition it is interesting because of the different art forms that are used vary from wresting and jitterbug which shows a wide range of styles used to create Contact Improvisation.

“Contact improvisation may be described as spontaneous mutual investigation of the energy and inertia paths created when two people engage actively-dancing freely, with their sensitivity to guide and safeguard them. Parts of the body may come to support weight which are unused to this, and several weeks of conditioning are essential to strengthen and communicate to the muscle what new stresses they may expect.” (Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation Sourcebook, 1997, 79).  Steve Paxton states that Contact Improvisation is for two people, a common idea throughout, and it is also is spontaneous. This definition differs from the rest by saying that Contact Improvisation is an investigation of energy and the two people investigate it by dancing freely. It also varies by saying that it takes time and practice for your body to become accustom to Contact Improvisation. Paxton’s definition is interesting because it has similar ideas to other definitions but also explains that Contact Improvisation needs training.

Throughout all of the definitions I have read, I have found common elements in each define but also I have found extra information in each definition which has made myself think of what Contact Improvisation is. Contact Improvisation is two bodies moving together in a spontaneous and free moving dance that revolves around the sharing of weight through one another. It is relying on who you are dancing with in the moment and keeping in contact throughout the piece. The dancers have to communicate with each other and the environment through touch.  I came to this definition as each definition had a shared quality of it is a duet or more than 2 people and they stay in contact throughout the piece whilst sharing their weight and balance between each other. They have to rely on each other to be able to take each other’s weight and there is a trust formed while dancing together.  I thought that it was necessary to mention communication through touch, as I think that it is a vital ingredient of what is Contact Improvisation.

Bibliography

Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation Sourcebook. (1997) Massachusetts: Contact Editions.

As a dance and drama student how might you consider the study of Contact Improvisation to be beneficial to your development? You may wish to consider the technical training, the philosophy and the politics and the political movement as key components to consider.

In this essay I am going to explore how I think Contact Improvisation is benifical to my development as a dance and drama student.

Steve Paxton developed Contact Improvisation, with his knowledge of dance from years of studying with Merce Cunningham and Jose Limon and then becoming one of the founders of Judson Dance Theatre, he developed Contact Improvisation with the intention of letting the dancer make their own decisions. “He developed the technique of contact improvisation. With this method, dancers are continuously interacting with each other to create a series of movements.” (Bonin, 2006). As well as the dancer being able to make the decisions within the piece he also wanted there to be contact throughout. With each performance there was a meaning, even though it was improvised the surrounding and how the performances danced aimed to make the audience think about what the dancers were trying to say. With this came the politics of dance “The individual became the main subject of the piece, and became an expression of dance, rather than the dance performed by the individual to be an expression of some idea. The movement placed an emphasis on the elements of dance itself by exposing raw aspects of it, and glorified the human body by making it a form of expression rather than an instrument of expression”. (Primamanandharsasaki, 2013) This meant that performances had raw meaning to them. “I began looking for ways to initiate a dance and cause movement to arise among people I was interested in seeing move but without me being a figure whom they copied or who controlled them verbally or through suggestion.”(Novack, 1990, 54) Paxton wanted his performances to make people think about the subject of the performance without pinpointing a particular person just think about the subject at hand. In Contact Quarterly they summed this up “Improvisation forces people to make decisions on their feet and to live with those decisions. It helps people to see how their decisions affect others.”(Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation, 1997, 132) They explained what is happening to the dancer but what is also happening to the audience, Contact Improvisation provokes thought in the audience but I think also in the dancer.

Steve Paxton’s performances were among some of the most controversial and his work has influenced what Contact Improvisation is today. “Contact Improvisation’s influence can be seen throughout modern and post-modern dance choreography, performance, and dance training worldwide, especially in relationship to partnering and use of weight.” (Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation, 1997) A key aspect of the technique training is the use of weight, as Contact Improvisation is about supporting each other’s weight, with this they also need to learn to roll and other basic fundamental principles of Contact Improvisation. “In addition to sensitizing oneself to weight and touch, a student of contact improvisation must accept disorientation and learn to be turned upside down or sideways, moving usual axial motion of everyday action.”(Novack, 1990, 151) another basic part of Contact Improvisation I believe is touch, “Vital information about direction and quality of the dance exchanges through this dynamic touch site. Here information about weight, energy, strength, balance and sensitivity relays back and forth between partners” (Pallant, 2006, 22) touch in Contact Improvisation is how you communicate between you and your partner, if they is not communication giving your weight to someone else will not work.

To develop Contact Improvisation classes and contact jams happened regularly. “Contact Improvisation jams are leaderless practice environments in which dancers practice the dance form with whoever gathers—friends or strangers, old, young, experienced, novice. Some jams take place in a studio for a few hours once a week. Longer retreat jams might last several days, sometimes held in hot springs resorts or other retreat locations where dancers can practice at any hour of the day in the studio/lodge or take a rejuvenating soak or steam in the mineral waters. A few of these ongoing.” (Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation, 1997) Jams help the dancer experiment in a free and non-judgemental environment which is key to progressing in Contact Improvisation.

With the all the information I have gathered I believe that Contact Improvisation is benifical to my development in several ways. Firstly Contact Improvisation is about giving your weight to someone else, I struggle to do this. I do not mind taking someone’s weight but them lifting me is something I find hard, Contact Improvisation is all about having to give your weight to someone else and I think this will benefit me as I will be pushed in to doing this but it will make me more confident and I will also learn ways to not make myself a ‘dead weight’. I will learn to support myself while giving all my weight to my partner. Another way Contact Improvisation will benefit me is to make me think about what it is I am dancing about and for. I also feel that contact jams will help my progression, as it is a non-judgemental environment if there is a mistake made no one will judge that mistakes, but in Contact improvisation can there be mistakes. As I have not been able to dance Contact Improvisation only been able to read and watch about it, I think that it will benefit me and make me a more confident and open dancer.

Bibliography

Bonin, V. (2006) Steve Paxton. [Online] Available from: file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Steve%20Paxton%20(biography).html [accessed 8 November 2014].

Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation. (1997) Massachusetts: Contact Editions.

Pallant, C. (2006) An Introduction to a vitalizing Dance Form Contact Improvisation, United States of America: McFarland and Company.

Novack, C.(1990) Sharing the Dance Contact Improvisation and American Culture. United States of American: The University of Wisconsin Press.

Primamanandharsasaki (2013) Steve Paxton and Post-Modern Dance [blog entry] 28 September. Available From: http://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/uchizono13/2013/09/28/steve-paxton-and-post-modern-dance/ [Accessed 8 November 2014].