Contact Improvisation

Let's discuss Contact Improvisation. I have been meaning to write this post ever since I took this specific master class but haven't found the time. I took a 6 hour long master class on contact improvisation. Now first let me say that I recently fell in love with improvisation overall in the past few months. I had finally found something that I really loved and felt comfortable in. This changed everything that I wanted to do in my career. I then discovered contact improvisation which again changed my world. I wanted to begin to study that even more. I finally found a master class to attend and it was on a Saturday from 11 - 4. I was extremely excited because I felt I had so much to offer and learn. (Back story: I have never really liked being touched by people, it has always bothered me. And this was a leap for me). I had an 'ok' experience in this class. It was the kind of experience that made me question my love for improvisation and contact. Still a month later I am shaken by that experience.

At the beginning of the class it was a lot of fun and I was experiencing a lot of things. But as it went on and I had to partner with other people that I did not know. Sometimes for me I am okay with this, but other times I am very uncomfortable. The first lady that I partnered with I felt she was treating me as a child and was trying to teach me instead of dance with me. These kind of things makes me feel inferior and I get agitated and upset. From that point I kind of couldn't wait for it to be over. When partnering with someone that I do not know I feel that I must have a connection with them. If I feel no connection I will shut down. I have started to realize these things around and analyze why I am feeling such ways and what is happening. I observed in myself that I had few connections in the room. This thought in itself is unsettling. I had another moment dancing with someone else where I felt they too were also trying to guide me and teach me themselves instead of dancing. This experience of people treating me this way was frustrating. I have noticed in my personality that I have strong opinions and strong feelings. I have gotten in touch with these things so I can know myself better. In a more defensive way, I don't like to take shit from anybody. This is exactly how I felt when these older ladies were trying to teach me.

The last thing that happened was I had decided to pull myself out of the class and just observe for the last hour or so. After so much touching and frustration I was exhausted. There does come a point sometimes in contact improv that you are just overly sensitive from the contact. I was at that point. The teacher was facilitating a cool down with partners where you lightly massage them. The teacher came over to me and asked if I wanted to participate. Not knowing exactly how I felt at that moment I told him, very unsure of myself, that I did not know. He immediately said back to me, "well it is a yes or a no. So do you or don't you." This sent me over the edge. I felt that from a teacher stand point he should not have back fired at more or talked to me in that way. As a teacher he should have been able to tell that I was uncomfortable and unsure. From there he should have made the decision for me that it was best I sit out or try to talk to me in a more friendly way to help me participate. In the end I tried to do the cool down but as I laid on the ground my head began to spin and I almost passed out. Thus I jumped up and ran out of the studio. I am still thoroughly embarrassed about this but I didn't have time to connect with my feelings at that moment.

Isadora Duncan

My latest adventure has been studying the Isadora Duncan dance technique. I am currently studying under one of my teachers who is a 4th generation certified Duncan Dancer. Needless to say, I am putting "Dance with the Duncan Foundation" at the top of my list of things to do in my career. I had already planned to eventually (hopefully in a year) move to New York. As of right now I will try to get in with the foundation by either work-study or an internship and hopefully be offered a spot in the company. Now I am prepared for this not to be a lifetime thing, as I would love to go on and teach at a university. But finding a few specific style of dances to focus all my attention on and study is what I want to do. I do not just want to flounder around in the dance world doing small, basic things. I need to find bigger things to study. The Duncan technique is going to be one of those big things.

I am currently reading Isadora's autobiography because when I study something I want to fully study it, not just half way. I want to know where she came from and how she got there. It is safe to say that Isadora was very colorful in her life. She was free and did exactly what she wanted. The things that I myself am taking hold of. She wrote her whole book in 6 months and was drunk the whole time. She drank when she wanted, dance when she wanted, and made love when she wanted. She had many lovers throughout her life and even had two children who had different dads. The most important thing I have learned so far is her association with herself to Aphrodite. She says she was born under the stars of Aphrodite and that's where she dances from.

This picture is not of Isadora herself but of someone dancing her technique. I chose this picture because this pose is my ultimate favorite in her work. It is a high release with an attitude. I personally have troubles with this pose sometimes because it looks more difficult than you would think. From the picture it is observed that her pelvis is in line and not tilted to the back. Naturally any dancer doing this move will try and lift their attitude as high as possible and tilt their pelvis back. I personally do this myself. It is hard to try the body to be moving and leaping into the position but not tilt the pelvis. All the while this high release in the upper body. All of her work is about releasing the sternum and lifting the sternum. This too is a struggle. To obtain this kind of technique it is best to be using imagery within your own body.