This week was different for me as for the first time I was watching the class from an observers point of view, it is amazing what different perspectives you see when not actually dancing. This weeks session was based on flight and although I was not participating myself in this class, I still felt nervous for the other dancers. I know from experience that other people struggle with putting their own weight into someone else’s hands and I knew that this lesson could definitely have disastrous consequences!!
The class started off as we usually do with weight bearing exercises and the use of getting in and out of the floor. Even from here I was impressed with the progress we had made, at the beginning everyone was so nervous to put their weight into their hands. Now we look stronger as a class and it is clear to see we are definitely not scared anymore! Kirsty focussed on movement that we might be able to put into contact, such as rolls and handstand etc.. I could see how this linked and how you could use these movements to get in and out of contact! Why is it that by being an observer you feel nervous for the people around you?
They then went into an exercise in which they had to contact together and begin to hold each others weight again. It was strange to see how awkward they looked, whether this was because of reading week or not I don’t know. But the movement seemed disjointed and almost like they had forgotten what contact feels like. As the girls put pressure on different points of each others bodies, you could see the clear change in movement, something that before sitting out and watching I hadn’t really noticed before. ‘the point around my body is perfectly balanced’ (Woodhull, 1978 – 1979, p. 43) this also was a statement that made a lot of sense to me watching. While you are contacting it is hard to put your weight into another person, but if you actually just went for it, chances are you would be very balanced. The point around your body in this instance is the other person, and they will more than likely be very aware of how they would react to your body if something was to go wrong.
Then the class got into pairs and started with one person on their hands and knees and the other person laid over the top of them. They then had to find a stable position and see if they could flip over the other persons back. This was an exercise I thoroughly enjoyed watching, it was interesting to see everyone’s progress keep coming along and I admired the people who just kept going at it until they had mastered it! Woodhull talks about the sharing and communication between bodies in this week’s reading and it was clear to see that everyone began to do this with ease. By putting your trust fully in your partner it seemed the movement was easier to execute and I am interested to see how this might progress for me next week!
The group began exploring many different lifts, which kept travelling higher and higher up in the air, until the whole class was flying! I then enjoyed them working as a group to catch people, and saw how some people were completely comfortable with just throwing themselves into it, whereas others were a lot more apprehensive. I learnt that when participating in group exercises you have to look out for everyone else as well as yourself, by maybe tucking elbows or knees in and making sure they are not a threat! I want to be able to try these movements as I feel being an observer this week has led me to believe that I could in fact execute these lifts. Whereas before I was apprehensive that this might not happen or work out for me!
Next week my aim is to do all these lifts and weight bearing exercises myself, while showing the determination that my classmates did. I don’t want to just give up as I feel the people who did probably wouldn’t have had such a positive experience from the lesson given. I’ve promised myself I will get used to being lifted. I am now very excited for next week!
Woodhull, A. (1997) Center of Gravity. Contact Quarterly/Contact Improvisation Sourcebook I, 4, 43-48