This week I feel adjusted to the idea of contact improvisation, I don’t know whether this is because I’m used to the style now or whether learning this type of improvisation is just a lot more interesting.

Starting off this week we did an exercise that required us to lie on the floor and to feel each and every muscle in the body, to be able to connect to them all. I felt that this would have been a tool for the next exercise, which is to create a strong connect with anyone who is in our path. We did this by running up to people and using a resistance force on their shoulder, to guide them towards the floor. We would have to melt our bodies to the floor which is why I think the pervious exercise helped, it made me loosen up and use each muscle to slowly get to floor. From that we would have to connect arm to arm and pull each other, so using our weight as much as we can to balance each other.

This week’s reading by Fiona Bannon focuses on the touch and feel of the skin and I kept this in mind while we practiced the next task. Getting in partners we sat on the floor and slowly built up the connection and moving in synchronisation with each other, by first using the upper body to then using the entire of the body. From this task I learnt that it really is about whether you gel with the person you work with and with our task we moved through different people. It made me a lot more aware of people’s habitual movements and how to work together without losing contact, so it was sort of felt like picking up other people’s habits to keep the flow of it going.

My favourite task of the day was the under and over task, it was interesting to see how each person took on a role, whether to carry the weight or be the weight without saying anything to another. Each had their pro’s and con’s I thought; whether you were comfortable enough to leave the full weight on another person or strong enough to move with the weight on top. As a small person most people would assume that I’m light and would be an over but I feel a lot more comfortable being the under, I think this was because the role was simple and all I had to do was shift my weight, whereas the over had to try and change positions to keep it interesting.

The final task involved balance between the partners, I found this difficult as my idea of balancing on someone would include complicated moves; such as lifts, hanging poses etc. Trying to figure out a balance in the space while moving was an easier adjustment because we could use our bodies in any way possible without having to think, it was fun really to just mess around with the weight and not having to worry about if it looks good or not. It’s great to expand on this type of improvisation, I feel connected and open minded to what I can achieve through this and learn new skills for myself.

Bannon, F. and Holt, D. (2011) Touch: Experience and Knowledge. Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices, 3(1&2) 215-225.