We have done alot this week. Pilates, Yoga, Alexander Technique, tendus, degages, plies, spine articulation, made circles, wore great outfits on the beach, put in shelves, started motors, worked really hard. What did you learn?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Wow it sounds like so much more when its written out. Firstly, I still really love the Alexander technique. I have been applying it to blues dancing the past week and it has helped me loosen up especially in my leg movement while still properly following the lead.
ReplyDeleteMy abs have been so sore this weekend, anyone else? I have done the hundred in the past and always associated it with pain in areas other than my abs. It seems that by doing the imprint exercise before the actual hundred I am more able to relax my thighs and neck. My quads and hips still have a tendency to take over, more so in tabletop than when my feet are on the ground.
I really enjoy the longer combination we have been working on. I feel like I usually focus so much on learning a combination that I have a tendency to pay less attention to details than I should. By doing the combination over and over again, I have found different details almost every time we repeat it. Also, the changes in dynamic throughout the combination have made it really fun to try putting different emphasis in different places every time we run it.
Thanks for a great week
~Caitlin Bannan
I really enjoyed working on the Alexander technique this week as well. Because it is easier now to feel my head move forward and up, and my legs dangling and everything, I feel much less fatigued afterward, which has helped me relax into my dancing.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding all of the circles within the combination that we worked on was really interesting for me. It helped me to really exaggerate the motion and feel it in my arms, head, and torso much more. Once I understood this, it was much easier to "let go" and dance more freely, because there was a kind of "shape framework" that I could follow.
I really enjoyed adding the partner work into the combination as well. It added another layer that made it slightly difficult to figure out, but was really rewarding when we finally put it all together. I also enjoy doing gestures in the dance (shelves, motor, and resting the elbow on a fence) because it helps me add more expression and intent into the dance.
We've had a busy week! I love how all the layers we've been talking about in class are finally coming together, whether it's building our main combination to the point where we've working with partners, improving our core ab muscles with pilates, or incorporating the Alexander Technique into every part of our lives. Although we've been presented with all these new ideas and "tools" for our dancing, I don't feel pressure to be perfect at all of them yet. Choosing and utilizing which of these theories work the best with our individual minds and bodies is a novel concept to me, and I really respect that approach to dancing. The more I become in touch with my own learning style, the more I feel that I not only improve my dancing and creative potential, but I further appreciate the learning environment in which we have explored all these new techniques together. Lets keep working on it!
ReplyDelete~Kristen
When it's all written out like that, it does sound like we accomplished a lot this week! One of my favorite parts was the dancing on the beach combo. I really tried to picture myself on a sandy beach with the sunset behind me, dancing in a gorgeous flowy outfit...kind of like a scene straight out of a movie! I love being able to take the combination and keep the structure, yet also make it my own by changing my arms, legs, and sometimes my direction - it keeps things interesting, in my opinion. I also liked it when we had to close our eyes and do it - it was a new whole sensation to "dance in the dark". The other part I really enjoyed about the imprinting exercise. That is a real workout, for sure! And it's simply and very efficient.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I just really love this class! :)
- Allyson Wang
It has been a busy week, but so much fun. I too liked the dancing on the beach combo, especially since we just booked our Mexico spring break trip – Yeah! I will definitely do this combination on the beach for real. As for the Alexander Technique, I find myself remembering to try it everytime I also loved the partner work. It was intriguing to connect my movements with someone else’s, trying to be on the same timing. Working on doing gestures was also cool. I found working on adding shelves, starting a motor, etc. kind of added an element of fun to my dance that I liked. I am loving modern this quarter, and I thank you for the extra help.
ReplyDeleteI agree, we’ve done a lot this last week. I’ve especially enjoyed the challenge of connecting several dance phrases we’ve been working on. One thing I’ve been really trying to work on is transitioning smoothly into whatever the next steps may be. Something that has helped me to better do this is telling myself “I can’t be wrong” (something that was brought up in one of our classes). Doing this has been helping me to start letting loose and to stop worrying so much about having the steps exactly right, therefore my ability to transition smoothly between steps and dance freely feels much easier. Although I have not yet mastered this way of thinking.. I believe this is something I’ve learned this week that will have a great impact on my dancing now and in the future.
ReplyDeleteAs a related note... I used to have a dance instructor who told me she always would “dance first, then think.” I’m finally beginning to understand what she meant by that statement.
~Casey
I'm really enjoying the layering effect that our exposure to these different techniques is giving the class. I like how we have a day or two of heavier focus on an approach and in later classes are able to sift our focus, but keep practicing previous learned techniques. That way, it stays with us even as we explore new territory.
ReplyDeleteI am still trying to sort out as an individual what parts of these I want to make mine for individual warmups etc. I suppose that depending on what my body needs, they will change from time to time.
Casey, I can really relate to a lot of what you wrote. I have an unfortunate, but not uncommon habit of judging myself in dance class against some imagined "standard" and find myself constantly fretting about whether or not I'm "doing it right." I also really benefitted from the mental exercises that encouraged us to let go of that sentiment and I really like the quote from your past instructor.
Cheers,
Kristi
I have really enjoyed all the work we have done so far. I love the feeling of coming into class not knowing what to expect. It is refreshing to have a different formula of what we do each day. Also, I am taking a yoga class and it is really nice to get to apply what I am learning in each class. Also, it is nice to learn different yoga positions and breathing techniques from each class.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the ab exercises and I was happy that they were sore because that shows me I was doing the exercises correctly and working the right muscles. My body feels great and I feel like I am getting in great shape from both my classes. I have never taken pilates before so it is really nice to get a taste of what it has to offer and I am anxious to take a class dedicated to pilates hopefully in the near future. I have heard wonderful things about it and now I know why.
I also like doing ballet like tendus, degages, and plilates in this class because I can apply my ballet technique in a modern way and it is refreshing because I do not like strict ballet. Also I like being able to come back to things we learn in class because it gives me a chance to get the choreography down and then focus on letting go of the moves and dancing.
I like how I am being challenged with the choreography and I hope I continue to get quicker at picking up the phrases by the end of the quarter especially being able to switch from left to right. I really like dancing with my eyes closed and thinking about the choreography as my own and not getting messed up by messing up the choreography, but I have to train myself to think this way because I have been trained to be perfect and not mess up so this is something I want to work on. I also want to work on letting go and really dancing and not just going through the movements. I also want to be more fluid and not as sharp with is something I have trained myself not to do after cheering for so long.
-Nicole
I really like the yoga and pilates at the beginning of class. It really clears my mind of all the other stresses/issues/etc during the day. It's almost like I was able to take a really great nap in the middle of the day to be able to start over again.
ReplyDeleteMaking circles across the floor in my rad outfit on the beach... Wonderful. It feels really good to woosh across the floor where ever my body feels like going, and it's nuts with my eyes closed. I really enjoyed closing my eyes and letting the music flow me across the floor.
Alexander is cool as well. I like when we can stand there and close our eyes and just think solely about our bodies and how they're comfy. Focusing on breath and being long and relaxed is therapeutic.
~Rashelle!!!!
My favorite part about this last week was the partner work that we got to do. I really enjoyed being able to dance with another person. I don't often get to dance with other people (besides in unison) during a technique class. It was really fun to bring that whole new energy into the piece. Dancing with another person creates a whole new dynamic because it is not just about yourself but about the connection between you and your partner. I really loved it!!! Also, I learned more about pilates this week. I have done pilates many times before but I am still working on engaging my core in the right way. I understand how it should be done, but applying it is a different story that I clearly still need to work on. I love that we start our classes with pilates!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed learning the long phrase that we worked on last week. The duet was really creative and a lot of fun to do! This is the first time I have been exposed to the Alexander Technique. I think it could really improve a lot of areas where I feel a lot of tension, especially my neck and back ... that is if I can remember to do it! I also really like the way we begin class with pilates and yoga.
ReplyDelete* Kali
This posting is now closed. Glad to hear that you are enjoying the yoga, pilates and Alexander. See you this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI can’t believe that two weeks of school have already gone by. I have really enjoyed this past week mostly because I am dancing again; before this quarter, I hadn’t danced since last spring! The things that I have enjoyed the most this week are working on the Alexander technique and doing the yoga and pilates. The Alexander work has allowed me to relax my body; I have found that I am able to release the tension my neck, and in my lower back and hips. With the pilates and the yoga, I am able to regain my strength and my flexibility. I feel that because of the stretching that we have been doing I have not been that sore. I have really enjoyed these past two weeks and I can not wait to see next week has in store.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katelynn C.
I absolutely loved wearing great outfits on the beach! I was struggling just trying to remember which foot I should step with and what came next. When we put on those great outfits and moved the dance to the beach I, all of a sudden, could dance the combination and not worry about my feet. I wasn’t able to think about my feet because I was busy thinking about the beach and my fabulous outfit. I learned that if my brain is getting in the way of dancing all I need to do is transport myself mentally to a beautiful place in awesome outfit that supports the feel of the combination.
ReplyDelete