This week was the week of our group summative assessment. We began as normal, warming up different parts of our bodies, exploring a variety of rhythms, speeds and patterns within each. The warm up this week also included a bit more physical exercise such a jogging through the space. After this we worked on partner based exercises, we were instructed to remain in contact using one part of our body, to choose whether we wanted to push the other person away or allow them to push us away without communicating. As this developed, we then moved on to moving the point of contact between different parts of the body, and using different speeds to move, as well as using a mix of levels. Overall I found the warm up very useful, it covered all of the different aspects of the performance, and even allowed us the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with our partners.
We moved straight into the assessment from this, all of the previous weeks were combined together into the thirty minute performance. I felt good in each of the elements included, even during the logomotion which I have previously found quite difficult to complete with conviction. I feel this was partly due to the fact that this week we had a small audience, but if felt more like a performance piece to me. I think that I was successful in showing all of the different things we have learned within movement, and met the criteria of the performance, working as part of the group, having a sense of originality etc.
Week 11 - Monday 22nd April 2013
This week we warmed up as usual, after doing some of the same warm-ups as last week, we worked on the idea of yielding and pushing once again, focusing a lot on the upper-lower connection whilst doing this. We also did a lot of work on our pelvis and moving our bodies from side to side on the floor. My body was a bit slow to warm up today, a lot of the movements were hard to complete because of this. Once we got into the partner work I felt ok about my body and its ability to move, I feel this is because my partner was relying on me to be aware of my own body in order to work together.
The partner worked involved a lot of weight giving and taking, keeping our backs in contact at all times, and slowly led into the kind of contact we will be doing in the assessment. Starting off with a little bit of contact and weight sharing was good, it showed me the different ways we can choose to perform in the assessment and which will be most effective as part of a performance. Its always good to get some extra practise in with my partner as well.
After this, Liz opened up a space in the centre of the room where people could enter and exit at any time they wished. The rules for the improvisation were that there was to be moments where you either stood, sat, or lay in a still position. In between these moments, people could move through the space in any way they liked. Throughout the exercise, there were some great moments of dialogue between people using only their bodies and these would often include more than two or three people. Towards the end of the exercise people started to become a lot more inventive with their movements. It was good to see the different patterns being used by people to move.
We then ran through the entire assessment without stopping, this was a great experience as the assessment is only one week away. I felt quite confident all the way through the performance that I was performing to the best of my abilities and that my entire movement knowledge was being displayed. I am looking forward to next week!
The partner worked involved a lot of weight giving and taking, keeping our backs in contact at all times, and slowly led into the kind of contact we will be doing in the assessment. Starting off with a little bit of contact and weight sharing was good, it showed me the different ways we can choose to perform in the assessment and which will be most effective as part of a performance. Its always good to get some extra practise in with my partner as well.
After this, Liz opened up a space in the centre of the room where people could enter and exit at any time they wished. The rules for the improvisation were that there was to be moments where you either stood, sat, or lay in a still position. In between these moments, people could move through the space in any way they liked. Throughout the exercise, there were some great moments of dialogue between people using only their bodies and these would often include more than two or three people. Towards the end of the exercise people started to become a lot more inventive with their movements. It was good to see the different patterns being used by people to move.
We then ran through the entire assessment without stopping, this was a great experience as the assessment is only one week away. I felt quite confident all the way through the performance that I was performing to the best of my abilities and that my entire movement knowledge was being displayed. I am looking forward to next week!
Week 10 - Monday 15th April 2013
This was our first workshop in four weeks because of the Easter break. After my painful session after Winter I made sure that I was there on time for the warm up and that I warmed up all of my body as much as i could before doing the exercises. We warmed up with a variety of exercises we have done before, sweeping our legs along the floor from one side of our body to the other, working through the patterns of total body connectivity, stretching the toes whilst jumping as well as a few more. My body felt good throughout and after the warm up.
We then moved through the space, walking in any direction we wanted, and Liz talked us through the six patterns of connectivity and asked us to focus on each whilst we were walking. I found it easy to transition from one of the patterns to another, and felt like more movements really reflected the pattern, rather than doing the same movement for each with a slight variation. I always feel reminded of the ability my body has to move when we go through the patterns in their entirety, starting with a movement that is quite limited (Breath) and working up to the point where all the different parts of my body are moving seperately with freedom (Cross-Lateral).
After this we worked on each of the sections that will be performed in the assessment in two weeks. It was a great opportunity to work on almost everything we have worked on in movement, each stage seems to consist of something different. Sometimes I felt more comfortable in certain sections, such as the contact improvisation with my partner, than I did during the logomotion. I think because I did not take part in the exercise before Easter I was still quite new to the exercise and it was harder to commit to. I know this is an area where I need to focus more of my attention in order to improve it. I feel quite good about the assessment, there are lots of moments where I can show things I have learnt within the movement module.
As an addition to the assessment, Liz asked for six volunteers to read out the short passage before each of the patterns of total body connectivity in Peggy Hackney's book Making Connections. These will be included in the performance as a separate section. The sections will be read out in order, and whilst each is being read out, we are to move in accordance to the pattern, focusing on the breath, or head-tail for example. I find it a lot easier to focus on the movements with the words because they describe how the body and mind should feel whilst in each stage, for example, in the introduction to breath, there is a sentence which states the body feels as though it is filling and emptying in an ongoing cycle. There was more of a visual element to build upon in my opinion.
We then moved through the space, walking in any direction we wanted, and Liz talked us through the six patterns of connectivity and asked us to focus on each whilst we were walking. I found it easy to transition from one of the patterns to another, and felt like more movements really reflected the pattern, rather than doing the same movement for each with a slight variation. I always feel reminded of the ability my body has to move when we go through the patterns in their entirety, starting with a movement that is quite limited (Breath) and working up to the point where all the different parts of my body are moving seperately with freedom (Cross-Lateral).
After this we worked on each of the sections that will be performed in the assessment in two weeks. It was a great opportunity to work on almost everything we have worked on in movement, each stage seems to consist of something different. Sometimes I felt more comfortable in certain sections, such as the contact improvisation with my partner, than I did during the logomotion. I think because I did not take part in the exercise before Easter I was still quite new to the exercise and it was harder to commit to. I know this is an area where I need to focus more of my attention in order to improve it. I feel quite good about the assessment, there are lots of moments where I can show things I have learnt within the movement module.
As an addition to the assessment, Liz asked for six volunteers to read out the short passage before each of the patterns of total body connectivity in Peggy Hackney's book Making Connections. These will be included in the performance as a separate section. The sections will be read out in order, and whilst each is being read out, we are to move in accordance to the pattern, focusing on the breath, or head-tail for example. I find it a lot easier to focus on the movements with the words because they describe how the body and mind should feel whilst in each stage, for example, in the introduction to breath, there is a sentence which states the body feels as though it is filling and emptying in an ongoing cycle. There was more of a visual element to build upon in my opinion.
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