Before starting today, we each had to take an exercise ball each and find a space within the room. We then went through the patterns of total body connectivity, however each of these exercises had to encorporate the ball. To begin with I found that it was hard to remain connected to the ball at all times and that my balance was often not very stable. However, towards the end of the warm up I felt very confident in myself and some of the harder motions felt relatively easy to me to complete.
We kept the exercise balls with us and in small groups of three of four we created a chain, in between each person was a ball. The people at the front and back had to lean into the chain as appropriate. As a group, we were then instructed to walk around the studio without touching the balls with our hands or dropping them. Slowly we were merged into bigger groups so that by the end the entire class was connected to one another with balls in between each person. This was an important exercise for me because it really made me focus on other people in the group and how we could all work together, whether this meant adapting things that I was doing or allowing others to copy off my movements.
We then put the exercise balls to one side and were asked to find a space within the room where we could work as an individual. Liz then gave us various words such as 'fling', 'rock' and 'whip' for example, and asked us to find ways of acting out these words through our bodies, we performed each word several times to experiment the different ways of interpreting these words at different levels. I found it quite hard to think of a second example on some occasions for the words, but found that some words had endless possibilities attached to them.
We were then asked to merge into groups of three people and select four words from the previous exercise which could be explored further as a group. We chose 'dangle', 'fling', 'press' and 'plummet'. As a group we found ways of performing these actions together and how we could bring individual actions together as a group. Once we had found set actions, we exlpored how to make these bigger, either by adding movements or having varying pace between them and finding ways to make them link between one another. We were then given a set space to perform in and told that any group could enter and perform their sequence at any time but that we were to be mindful of other sequences around us which could influence our pace or movements. I found it very hard to focus on what other groups were doing as I was concentrating on my own actions and being united within my own group.
After this exercise, we were again given a space in which to perform, but this time we were told that only one person from each group could enter the space at any time, this meant that our actions were greatly influenced by the other performers around us as we had to find ways of making our groups actions work as a single person, or by joining someone else.
Finally, we were asked to get into groups of approximately four people and we were told this group would be the one used in our formative assessment at the end of the semester. In this group, we looked at what we had written down from the exercise in the previous week where we remembered our own space. We each selected some key words and combined these together to create a list of emotions and actions.
We were asked to meet up during the week within our groups and create a score for an improvisation which will be performed in the class. We selected rules such as;
*one person in the performance space at all times.
*one person off the performance space at all times.
*to move around whilst out of the space in an emotional state (nervous, excited).
*to have a variety of levels in the space.
Week 5 - Monday 22nd October 2012
This week we began warming up by walking around the studio, different situations were called out and we were to react to these by changing the way in which we walked, the situations were all related to weather (Windy, Raining, Hot, Snowing). We focused on how different parts of the body would move, particularly the feet and knees, as well as the hands and arms. After this, we continued with the patterns of total body connectivity, but this week we did these whilst lying on the floor, which made it possible to focus on the body a lot more, especially the head and tail bone (which are often restricted whilst standing). By working from the floor, it also placed a greater emphasis on the moment when our bodies were stretched out to the maximum as more of the body lost contact with the floor. In pairs, we then worked on the Makko-Ho stretches, in pairs we were able to perform the stretch and then push each other to stretch slightly further, which was good as I often thought I had reached my limit but was able to go a bit further, which is important whilst stretching.
We then stayed in our pairs, and one of the two got into a basic table position, the other person then sat on the 'table' so that they were able to lift all parts of their body off the gorund and be completely supported by the other. This was worked upon in stages so that eventually the two people were in the table position side by side, one would then lift slightly higher and transfer their weight onto the others back so that both backs were connected as much as possible. After this, we then began to experiment with a variety of positions all based around the table, as well as incorporating the idea of dismounting the table safely and smoothly, which was followed directly by the swapping of roles to form a continuous cycle. I thought this was a very physical part of the course and, when it worked, it really felt like something which could be used in a performance to show a relationship between two people. However, when it didn't work, it looked very messy and would therefore require a lot of practise before being used in front of an audience.
Finally, I was asked to lay down on the floor with my eyes closed, and then to imagine the place where I had stayed for fifteen minutes (the bus station) from the previous week. Questions were then asked about the place I had been in;
What weather do you associate this place with? - A very light drizzle.
What food do you think this place would be? - Cold pasta.
Which animal best describes the place you were? - A koala bear.
What colour do you imagine this place would be? - Grey.
As well as this, we were asked to remember as much as we could about the place, what we felt, what we saw and what we could hear, and then to write this down quickly within two or three minutes.
We then stayed in our pairs, and one of the two got into a basic table position, the other person then sat on the 'table' so that they were able to lift all parts of their body off the gorund and be completely supported by the other. This was worked upon in stages so that eventually the two people were in the table position side by side, one would then lift slightly higher and transfer their weight onto the others back so that both backs were connected as much as possible. After this, we then began to experiment with a variety of positions all based around the table, as well as incorporating the idea of dismounting the table safely and smoothly, which was followed directly by the swapping of roles to form a continuous cycle. I thought this was a very physical part of the course and, when it worked, it really felt like something which could be used in a performance to show a relationship between two people. However, when it didn't work, it looked very messy and would therefore require a lot of practise before being used in front of an audience.
Finally, I was asked to lay down on the floor with my eyes closed, and then to imagine the place where I had stayed for fifteen minutes (the bus station) from the previous week. Questions were then asked about the place I had been in;
What weather do you associate this place with? - A very light drizzle.
What food do you think this place would be? - Cold pasta.
Which animal best describes the place you were? - A koala bear.
What colour do you imagine this place would be? - Grey.
As well as this, we were asked to remember as much as we could about the place, what we felt, what we saw and what we could hear, and then to write this down quickly within two or three minutes.
Observing My Surroundings
As my bus was running late, I decided to complete my task for the week just after the lecture in the bus station. Monday 15th October 2012 (11:15 - 11:35).
Week 4 - Monday 15th October 2012
This week, we were asked to divide into smaller groups and go through the patterns of total body connectivity ourselves, we really struggled to remember which of the movements were associated with different parts of the body and even missed some of the warm ups completely such as 'horse lips'. We then came together as a complete group and worked through them fully. This was followed by the six Makko-Ho stretches.
We were then asked to get into pairs. This exercise started by sitting on the floor with our boacks to one another, but connected. Slowly, we started to move in different directions so that we could become connected to one another through the body, this was shown by our ability to perform bigger movements but still being able to stay fully connected with one another. After this, we worked on this idea further by body surfing, sitting back to back and having one of the pair falling away towards the floor, the other person had to remain connected via the back and would end up on top of the other, the person who had went underneath would then roll as the other remained relaxed through the entire body and would be rolled along the floor. To begin with, the movement was very difficult to complete, it often felt very choreographed and thought out, as well as stiff and un natural. As we became more confortable with the motion however, their would be a natural leader each time and the movement flowed very easily to the point where we were able to complete it, have one person stand up and assist the other by using the technique from week 3 of bending through the knees. This was then followed by standing back to back and again, using another technique from week 3, we were able to bend through the knees to lower ourselves to the floor and complete the action once again.
I was then asked to find a space against the wall.
I was then asked to remain still in a position which connected me to the wall and observe all of the surroundings for a few minutes, things I could see, things I could hear, things I could feel.
In this space, I was then asked to experiment with all of the different positions avaiable to me, this included using a variety of levels, but always had to involve me being connected to the wall. We were all then asked to choose three of the
positions, repeat them over and over and find ways of linking these with one another. As a whole group, we then started with three people in their spaces, they performed their positions as many or as few times as they wished, and as one left, the next next person in the group would enter their space and continue. As the performance travelled around the room, the pace and energy changed at different points, I feel that this was sometimes influenced by a particular person's movements as some had more power and action associated with them. A few people noticed that throughout this, some of the people had begun to develop characteristics from their body language and this began to create a performance for an audience.
A task for the week ahead was to find a space where we could remain still for approximately fifteen minutes, we were then to observe our surroundings the same way we had in our space against the wall. I chose to complete mine in the bus station as my bus was running late.
We were then asked to get into pairs. This exercise started by sitting on the floor with our boacks to one another, but connected. Slowly, we started to move in different directions so that we could become connected to one another through the body, this was shown by our ability to perform bigger movements but still being able to stay fully connected with one another. After this, we worked on this idea further by body surfing, sitting back to back and having one of the pair falling away towards the floor, the other person had to remain connected via the back and would end up on top of the other, the person who had went underneath would then roll as the other remained relaxed through the entire body and would be rolled along the floor. To begin with, the movement was very difficult to complete, it often felt very choreographed and thought out, as well as stiff and un natural. As we became more confortable with the motion however, their would be a natural leader each time and the movement flowed very easily to the point where we were able to complete it, have one person stand up and assist the other by using the technique from week 3 of bending through the knees. This was then followed by standing back to back and again, using another technique from week 3, we were able to bend through the knees to lower ourselves to the floor and complete the action once again.
I was then asked to find a space against the wall.
In this space, I was then asked to experiment with all of the different positions avaiable to me, this included using a variety of levels, but always had to involve me being connected to the wall. We were all then asked to choose three of the
positions, repeat them over and over and find ways of linking these with one another. As a whole group, we then started with three people in their spaces, they performed their positions as many or as few times as they wished, and as one left, the next next person in the group would enter their space and continue. As the performance travelled around the room, the pace and energy changed at different points, I feel that this was sometimes influenced by a particular person's movements as some had more power and action associated with them. A few people noticed that throughout this, some of the people had begun to develop characteristics from their body language and this began to create a performance for an audience.
A task for the week ahead was to find a space where we could remain still for approximately fifteen minutes, we were then to observe our surroundings the same way we had in our space against the wall. I chose to complete mine in the bus station as my bus was running late.
Week 3 - Monday 8th October 2012
We began today with the six Makko-Ho stretches and the six patterns of total body connectivity to warm the different parts of our bodies up. I am starting to find that I know the stretches and that I can complete a large portion of these once prompted, they are also becoming a lot easier to complete and I have found that by stretching in my own time as well as in lectures, I am able to stretch a bit further and with ease than when I first started.
After this we began working in pairs, one partner allowed smoe of their weight to be held by the other who remained in a still position, we tried this in various positions so that by the end the stationary person was also experimenting different positions such as lying on the floor or kneeling down.
After practising this idea for a while, we were then split into two groups of roughly ten people. We were given basic instructions to perform an improvised piece lasting roughly two minutes. The basic instructions included, focusing on the pace we used, either being in the performance space or not at any time it felt appropriate, and to use what had already been practised (leaning on other people). As a group, without any pre-discussions, we were able to tell a story through our movements, without any communication or words. As the exercise continued, I struggled to maintain a high level of energy as I began to experience cramp in different parts of my body.
As the other group performed, I was able to create a story from their actions in the same way and thought some of the aspects used were incredibly effective such as having a few characters copying off another to create a chain of people doing the same thing.
This week I discovered that some of the things practised in earlier weeks such as allowing the body to fall to the floor in a connected way were slightly easier. I also thought that during the exercise of leaning on others that this allowed me to feel powerful and strong compared to the person who was leaning on me as they relied on me heavily. On the other hand, I also felt very relieved and joyous when I was being supported by someone as I felt safe and that they were there for me.
On 11/10/2012 I went to a performance at Dance City in Newcastle. It is a devised piece of physical theatre called 'Not Until We Are Lost' from a company called Ockham's Razor. They specialise in aerial theatre which combines circus and visual theatre on original equipment which explores relationships between people in the air. From the moment the performance began I was blown away by the high level of risk taken by the performers with very minimal safety equipment. The performance involved a lot of strength and stamina and the level of trust between the performers was incredible. I found that some of the aspects mirrored what we are practising within movement, especially as we are now beginnning to explore our bodies collaboratively with other people.
After this we began working in pairs, one partner allowed smoe of their weight to be held by the other who remained in a still position, we tried this in various positions so that by the end the stationary person was also experimenting different positions such as lying on the floor or kneeling down.
After practising this idea for a while, we were then split into two groups of roughly ten people. We were given basic instructions to perform an improvised piece lasting roughly two minutes. The basic instructions included, focusing on the pace we used, either being in the performance space or not at any time it felt appropriate, and to use what had already been practised (leaning on other people). As a group, without any pre-discussions, we were able to tell a story through our movements, without any communication or words. As the exercise continued, I struggled to maintain a high level of energy as I began to experience cramp in different parts of my body.
As the other group performed, I was able to create a story from their actions in the same way and thought some of the aspects used were incredibly effective such as having a few characters copying off another to create a chain of people doing the same thing.
This week I discovered that some of the things practised in earlier weeks such as allowing the body to fall to the floor in a connected way were slightly easier. I also thought that during the exercise of leaning on others that this allowed me to feel powerful and strong compared to the person who was leaning on me as they relied on me heavily. On the other hand, I also felt very relieved and joyous when I was being supported by someone as I felt safe and that they were there for me.
On 11/10/2012 I went to a performance at Dance City in Newcastle. It is a devised piece of physical theatre called 'Not Until We Are Lost' from a company called Ockham's Razor. They specialise in aerial theatre which combines circus and visual theatre on original equipment which explores relationships between people in the air. From the moment the performance began I was blown away by the high level of risk taken by the performers with very minimal safety equipment. The performance involved a lot of strength and stamina and the level of trust between the performers was incredible. I found that some of the aspects mirrored what we are practising within movement, especially as we are now beginnning to explore our bodies collaboratively with other people.
Personal Learning Plan
The responses to the following six questions form the basis of my own personal learning plan for my first year of movement.
How do you feel about ‘movement’ and what is your back ground in this area?
I feel fairly positive about movement as a module, it is something that I am enjoying and feel that it is an area of my craft that can be developed significantly. I have a very limited back ground in this area however, I have done some physical performances throughout school but I have had no professional training.
How do you feel about ‘movement’ and what is your back ground in this area?
I feel fairly positive about movement as a module, it is something that I am enjoying and feel that it is an area of my craft that can be developed significantly. I have a very limited back ground in this area however, I have done some physical performances throughout school but I have had no professional training.
What are your perceptions of what studying movement
will involve?
I believe that this module will involve a high level of physicality with some elements of dance. One of the main focuses for me is to work on the idea of expressing emotions and feelings, not just through the face, but with the whole body. I expect to work as a solo performer and also as part of a group.
What do you perceive your strengths and weaknesses
to be?
Strengths :
*Flexibility
*Willingness to learn and take instruction
*Communication skills
*Dedicated to working in my own time
Weaknesses :
*General fitness
*Relaxing
*Maintaining focus
*Organisation
*Flexibility
*Willingness to learn and take instruction
*Communication skills
*Dedicated to working in my own time
Weaknesses :
*General fitness
*Relaxing
*Maintaining focus
*Organisation
What do you hope to achieve through this module? By
Christmas? By Easter? (For example,
Physical skills, understanding of the body, knowledge of movement
practices, performance presence)
My main hope from this module is to improve my awareness of space and the opportunities which are presented to me, as an actor, by different spaces and stages. I would also like for my body to be more able of performing both bigger and more subtle movements by Christmas as there are some assessed performances which will count towards my mark for year one. By Easter I hope that I will be able to memorise all of the stretches and warm ups so that I can do these on my own before any performance, however, I also want to know which parts of the body are focused on within these exercises and why it is important to focus on these areas primarily.
What strategies can you adopt to achieve your goals?
Approaching all of the exercises with an open mind and an optimistic view is the main thing that will help me to achieve my goals. I am also going to work on the basic stretches and warm ups in my own time to push my body further so that certain areas of 'movement' will become easier, as well as exercising to improve my general fitness. In addition to the physical aspects I can work on, I am also hoping to focus on my studies a lot more and organise myself so that I am always ready to learn and can focus on the specific area being worked on or discussed.
How do you imagine this module might tie in with
your learning in other modules?
I think that a great deal of my studies from this module will be transferable into other modules. The general awareness for the space around me is something which can be applied to a performance in any module, as well as the idea of a lack of movement which can have a great impact on an audience and a performance. My general fitness being improved will also allow me to be more able to incorporate bigger and grander gestures into more performances, which could emphasise a particular moment. I do not think that the things learnt in this module will apply to the 'reading performance' module greatly as much of this is not practical, however it does help when reviewing other performances witnessed as I am more aware of what the actors are doing with their bodies and space.
I think that a great deal of my studies from this module will be transferable into other modules. The general awareness for the space around me is something which can be applied to a performance in any module, as well as the idea of a lack of movement which can have a great impact on an audience and a performance. My general fitness being improved will also allow me to be more able to incorporate bigger and grander gestures into more performances, which could emphasise a particular moment. I do not think that the things learnt in this module will apply to the 'reading performance' module greatly as much of this is not practical, however it does help when reviewing other performances witnessed as I am more aware of what the actors are doing with their bodies and space.
Week 2 - Monday 1st October 2012
We started the session this week the same as the week before, simple, small movements which grew into bigger gestures which included the whole body, and then completing both the Makko-Ho stretches and the Patterns of Total Body Connectivity in order to warm up and stretch different parts of our body. We also focused more on controlling our breath by sighing several times and shouting out words.
Following this, we looked at the idea of relaxing the body completely whilst lying on the floor, with every breath I took in I could feel myself relaxing further and further into the floor. We slowly began working with our breath to move into different positions, I found it best to move upwards and away from the floor or my body whilst breathing out, and using the breath in to relax into the floor or original position once again.
These movements became bigger and bigger so that we were lifting the majority of our bodies off the floor, sitting up. We then tried allowing our bodies to fall back to the floor slowly so that our whole body was once again in contact with the floor, this was followed in sequence by returning to the original position. I used my breath with focus here in order to aid my body in reaching up or down.
Towards the end of the activity, we were able to go from various standing positions to lying on the floor in one smooth movement and then returning to the particular position in one motion, still remembering how important the use of our breath was for this.
This was a very helpful exercise for me personally, I felt that I had never noticed how my breath was used in a performance with movement before, but it is a great tool for aiding me as a performer at particular points, breathing in to go down into a position, and breathing in when I need to lift a part of my body. The use of breath can create a mood for the character and therefore add to the emotion and physicality of a performance.
During the week, we had been asked to look into the Gallery at an art exhibition called "In The Moment", this consisted of a large collection of photographs which had captured memorable sporting moments, some positive and some negative. We were organised into small groups where we discussed internally our thoughts and ideas from the photographs, we then tried to capture these in still images which were performed to the group. As a group, we decided to focus on the movement before and after the point of the photograph as these are key elements, without these parts the actual point in the photo would not be possible. We noticed that because of the movements involved, it was sometimes possible to determine a facial expression even if this was not visible in the photo. Between our images, we used a neutral position in order to provide a contrast between the grand movements being completed in the photographs.
Following this, we looked at the idea of relaxing the body completely whilst lying on the floor, with every breath I took in I could feel myself relaxing further and further into the floor. We slowly began working with our breath to move into different positions, I found it best to move upwards and away from the floor or my body whilst breathing out, and using the breath in to relax into the floor or original position once again.
These movements became bigger and bigger so that we were lifting the majority of our bodies off the floor, sitting up. We then tried allowing our bodies to fall back to the floor slowly so that our whole body was once again in contact with the floor, this was followed in sequence by returning to the original position. I used my breath with focus here in order to aid my body in reaching up or down.
Towards the end of the activity, we were able to go from various standing positions to lying on the floor in one smooth movement and then returning to the particular position in one motion, still remembering how important the use of our breath was for this.
This was a very helpful exercise for me personally, I felt that I had never noticed how my breath was used in a performance with movement before, but it is a great tool for aiding me as a performer at particular points, breathing in to go down into a position, and breathing in when I need to lift a part of my body. The use of breath can create a mood for the character and therefore add to the emotion and physicality of a performance.
During the week, we had been asked to look into the Gallery at an art exhibition called "In The Moment", this consisted of a large collection of photographs which had captured memorable sporting moments, some positive and some negative. We were organised into small groups where we discussed internally our thoughts and ideas from the photographs, we then tried to capture these in still images which were performed to the group. As a group, we decided to focus on the movement before and after the point of the photograph as these are key elements, without these parts the actual point in the photo would not be possible. We noticed that because of the movements involved, it was sometimes possible to determine a facial expression even if this was not visible in the photo. Between our images, we used a neutral position in order to provide a contrast between the grand movements being completed in the photographs.
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