Research Lab

I was looking forward to this weeks’ lesson as it was our first chance as a class, to gain a better understanding of contact by exploring different elements of it. By getting in to groups we came up with aspects of contact improvisation and see what needs further work.  The research labs gave us time to pick few topics that we’d like for our class to work on, and see what the outcome would be and if it would open their eyes and opinions of contact.

Most groups chose to focus on eye contact, including us. I feel this may be because as a whole we don’t have the discipline to keep eye contact without breaking it; whether it would be through nervous laughter or just the uncomfortable feeling of looking at someone straight in the face. I was a little worried because of the similar topic whether we would be able to achieve the outcome we’d hope for; being able to contact improvise and incorporate eye contact to build a stronger relationship between partners.

As our group went last I got to experience the other’s methods on developing eye contact. Some we’re interesting and some were difficult for me and one in particular was a task to find a partner and sit back to back with our eyes shut and improvise and every few minutes change partners still keeping the eyes closed. Having to reflect back on this task I realized that it was good when you found a strong connection but then having to build that relation all over again with a new person in a short amount of time, especially with the eyes shut was constricting. I didn’t know if I was going to the same people and if it didn’t feel right I would just lie on the floor hoping they would do something interesting, for me to follow through with. What I do know is that I feel a lot more comfortable improvising with my eyes shut, it makes me feel more in tuned with my movements and not as self-conscious.

When it came to explore our questions with the rest of the class I was quite excited, because I personally wanted to know whether they would experience the same thoughts we did, while going through to process.

How do we incorporate eye contact?

It’s our first question for the task and the way we have done this is to get in to pairs and stare at them straight and without breaking concentration, just placing the hands on different parts of the body. While observing them starting the task we could see people trying to concentrate which was good for them because this is a build-up exercise to help them become comfortable. The development from this is to start moving while keeping the eye contact, then to slowly build a small duet. After that get together with another pair and perform a piece while keeping contact and get feedback from the observing pair.

The feedback we received from this task was quite positive, the groups appreciated that we started off small to build up the focus because it gave them a stronger connection while improvising, which also led them to think creatively and as an observer I could see this and was interested in how each pair would flow. A few did mention that while swapping between pairs it was hard to establish the initial connect back again, which meant that they also felt like they wanted to stay in the pairs longer just to explore.

 How can we clarify intent?

This task is to see as a class whether we could feel the connection between partners on who initiates coming out of a weight baring position. As a class we presumed that the under dancer would initiate as they are the one holding all the weight and who would take on the role as under and over dancers. We told the class to get into pairs and just find 3 positions that they could manage and to be the under dancer at least once. When this is done the over dancer then decides when to initiate coming out of the position and the same for the under dancer, repeating the position twice.

From this task the feedback we received was something we anticipated prior to the lesson, as a majority they felt confident in holding their weight but also acknowledging that the under dancer is a lot more capable, only when planted in the position. They did feel as though there shouldn’t have been a build-up for this task because during lessons we wouldn’t get the chance to plan lifts; in spite of this they did come up with unique lifts with the time they had and enjoyed exploring them.

Hackney, P. (2002) ‘What Are Principles of Bartenieff Fundamentals?’ in Making Connections: Total Body Intergration Through Bartenieff Fundamentals. London: Routledge.

Lepkoff, D. (1999) What is Release Technique? Daniel Lepkoff. Available from http://www.daniellepkoff.com/Writings/What%20is%20Release.php. [Accessed 27/10/2015]

During last week’s lesson we looked upon weight distribution towards the end of the class, for me personally I struggled I couldn’t grasp the idea of somebody carrying my entire weight.

This week was different we looked at different ways of transitioning through contact:

• Handstand
• Released side rolls
• Half handstand with legs lowered in a deep second
• Cartwheel with flexed legs
• Grounded leg spin

After doing these positions several times I noticed myself feeling a lot more confident with my weight and where to place it. So doing the next task ‘points of contact’ felt a lot easier this week, only with the weight distribution because I felt a lot more in control of myself, knowing that if I can handle my own weight then possibly somebody else could too. There were definitely times when I thought with certain people that I could experiment with the lifts, this lead me to involuntary just give them my weight.

The outcome for this was good to experience in the moment as I also had to figure a way out a way to come out of the lift while remaining in contact. As I went on to change partners I did notice I had taken the role as the over dance and even though I felt adventurous with my lifts, I didn’t want to be predictable now that I was aware of other transactions. How can I experiment with my weight as the under dancer is still basic? Saying this am I still being basic if I’m the under dance? Maybe that’s what we need to work on as a class to see how we can develop different stances.

Our final task became a group one; helping each other to be comfortable with just giving our weight. Getting in a big circle and having to stand in the middle, counting down from 3 while people catch you is nerve wrecking but going through it myself, didn’t seem so bad. I think I may have been careful with my head weight so I didn’t fully release it, this may have been because the initial idea is to catch the person more than to gentle and place them down, so I was still being precautious. With so many of the activities being one on one partners and having their sole attention on you, I feel it’s difficult to feel relaxed with more people and things going on around me.

Ongoing Research Lab

What do I want to discover from Contact Improvisation?

As a group we decided to choose two questions we thought would benefit the class:

How do we incorporate eye contact? We’re using this question to see if it would change the way we feel while doing contact to the audience and performer.

Who initiates movement after a weight bearing position, the under or the over dancer? This is to look at it more reflectively, to see how one person can feel about each role.

Brown, B. (1997) Is Contact a Small Dance? Contact Quarterly: Contact Improvisation Sourcebook, 1(6) 72-75.

Ravn, S. (2010) Sensing Weight in Movement. Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices, 2(1) 21-34.

Focusing on Steve Paxton’s idea on Contact Improvisation I got a real insight in how he wanted it to be; it’s a form of dance that shouldn’t be taught be but to be expressed through movement. We were able to watch one of his pieces called Magnesium (1972). My thought on the performance is that it’s very raw, it brings a sense of aggression, excitement and dangerous feeling to it. It’s not pre-determined or careful. From what I could tell it was an all-male cast, this led me to believe that they have more weight distribution to play with, which is why it’s interesting to watch them play around with weight balance and the pace they perform in.

Another video that we watched was Blake Nellis and Brando @ Earthdance (2010). My initial thought for this piece was that it’s too bland compared the Magnesium (1972); it seemed slow paced and careful with the movements. Even though the two males performing this piece has good chemistry, being able to trust each other and to do intricate lifts it felt as though they were playing it safe, the movements were too soft and the way they flowed looked as though they had practiced before.

I say that the way Earthdance (2010) looked was bland but it’s also the style of contact that is taught today, which brings me back to the thought of Steve Paxton’s representation of contact and how it’s supposed to break the norm of dance. ‘Paxton, for his part, desired “unique and personalized forms” (131) of dance practice.’(Turner, 2010, 125). Comparing the two different videos there’s a massive difference as to what was and what is; it makes me question what’s changed? When did Contact Improvisation become a set style to be taught? As an overall judgement I would prefer learning Contact in the way of the Magnesium (1972) video, it’s challenging and creative.

The starter task for this lesson was to get connected to the body again and to build momentum in the foetal position, during this task we needed to concentrate on the placement and weight of our head and feet. At the time I didn’t understand why we needed to focus on them two specific areas because we had done this task several times but leading on from this task helped me understand why.

Getting into partners we had to lie on the floor and give the full weight of our head to somebody else. The idea of this was daunting but it was an easier than I thought, I guess it all depends on the person you’re working with. To get me to fully relax I still had to breathe deeply and let the focus out of the back of my head, this was my way of fully releasing the weight. It also helped that before I gave them my weight, they needed to create a connection with me to reassure that they are secure. Moving on from there I slowly moved my body while it’s on the ground so I could build up the pace and let my partner at times be able to fully carry my weight even when I’m in full movement. It felt interesting to see what I could do without using my head to lead and even if I could balance with them holding my head.

The last task was head to head contact, to be able to move when and where we liked but still connected by the head. To do this was difficult at time, wherever the point of connection was, for me I felt that I needed to move the oppositional point to even it out, but there was only so much one side of the body can move, especially when connected with somebody else. Transitioning between partners was even more difficult, by the time I figured out my partner’s movements I would need to go to another person. At one point I was in a trio and I kept loosing focus with at least one of them. I think for me I couldn’t figure out the task for myself which I why I struggled connecting with other people and finding a good rhythm. Hopefully in the near future I will be more in tune with myself.

Aaron Brando (2010) Contact Improvisation: Blake Nellis and Brando @ Earthdance. [Online Video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQRF2sLK1vY [Accessed 13 October 2015].

Turner, R. (2010) Steve Paxton’s ‘Interior Techniques’: Contact Improvisation and Political Power. TDR: The Drama Review, 54(3), 123-135.

Paxton, S. Start Smith, N. [DVD] Magnesium; Peripheral Vision; Soft Pallet. East Charleston:  VT Contact Collaborations/Videoda.

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.

Contact improvisation in the first week was quite interesting, it was a step up from last year when we just focused on ourselves in improvisation classes; having to come out of habitual patterns and challenging others, with our own movements to break their patterns also. Improvisation mainly focuses on internal work and trying something new each time, but I always felt my moves would came from a habitual place. For contact its different we’re allowed to use habitual patterns to an extent, but to be able to use them to create new movement which I think helps build upon the technique, so I can see where I’m adding new movements to my style whether it would be to my dynamics, speed or levels.

In this week’s reading I got quite an insight on the primary aspects of contact improvisation and the main senses that are used for this style. Moving from the Skin (Heitkamp 2003) was a detailed way of explaining how ‘One of the most important elements of Contact Improvisation is communication by touch, both by touching and being touched’ (Heitkamp, 2003, 256). Remembering this quote had cleared up the idea of one of the tasks we had to do, which was to walk around the room with our eyes shut, hugging anyone that came within our perimeter. At the time while doing this task I didn’t quite understand how walking around in the space, with our eyes shut would build the necessary skills of contact but later on knowing that being able to sense people, and their next movements is the best way to keep the bodies flowing in a natural way.

To build the skills for contact we performed a series of tasks that involved actions such as pulling, pushing, rolling and pressing. This started with us on the floor and feeling our bodies connecting to it, and creating positions for ourselves that were influenced with these actions and to make sure each body part, no matter how awkward we felt, to be covered by the ground. I remember thinking not about my habitual patterns or looking like a dancer but to make sure that I was connecting and feeling the floor in any way I could, it resulted in me having to stretch my limbs in ways I normally wouldn’t. From last year I learnt that I use spiral and twisty movements a lot and for that task I had to use sharper movements.

One of the other tasks that we did was close to one of Heitkamp’s experiment ‘Contact and Retina’ (Heitkamp, 2003, 263). He goes on to explain about a person dancing but usually feeling their own senses and what would it be like to open that up to another person, possibly a duet and to also focus on the surrounding.  Our task was a form of skinning, we had practiced this last year but I think for me it felt more as a mission to do the unexpected in improvisation. This time was different, doing it with a partner and having them place their handing on you wherever they felt they could made me want to escape from it, but wherever the hand was placed seemed to influence where my next action would lead from. I think this task improved the way I use my body as I normally wouldn’t lead from the elbow or my head or even my hips. To explore them made me change my timing and dynamics which I thought was quite fun.

Paxton, S. Drafting Interior Techniques. In Stark-Smith, N. A Subjective History of Contact Improvisation. In Albright, A. C., & Gere, D. (2003).  Taken by Surprise: A Dance Improvisation Reader. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan University Press. Pp.175-184

Heitkamp, D. (2003). Moving from the Skin: An Exploratorium. Contact Quarterly/Contact Improvisation Sourcebook II, Vol.28:2. Pp.256-264