Allie Limas Kate Monson Dance 363 November 21, 2013 Observation Paper #2 It was enlightening to be able to observe

the 241 contemporary technique class. I was able to observe the Bartienieff fundamentals we learned in class and apply them in a contemporary technique class on dancers. I was able to see the importance and application of these fundamentals in a dance technique setting outside of Somatics class. I noticed a few fundamental principles that stood out to me that I felt furthered my knowledge of Somatics. Head tail connectivity was a encompassing principal throughout the class that I felt was crucial at this technique level to developing efficient movement patterns and total body connectivity. I saw that full spinal mobility vs. holding tension was a large factor in head tail connectivity. The dancers that had learned to use their full spinal mobility had more fluidity, range of motion and mobility than those who held tension in their spine. I saw that those dancers who held tension were developing patterns of holding (that) cut down on the fluid nature of the movement and, hence, The possibilities that are available at any one moment (Hackney 89). Many held tension in the cervical spine and seemed untrusting of their body and that their head could be off vertical in movement phrases. Some dancers seemed to release the tension in the upper spine as they progressed through the class and I saw huge changes in their movement from this seemingly small change. The virtuosity and artistry of the movement was increased as the dancer was able to keep the movement flow and emotion through their full spine rather than cutting it off and therefor cutting of the artistry and emotion of the movement as well.

The class performed a pattern using x rolls parallel to the ones we had learned and performed in class. I valued being able to watch and observe this exercise and learn further how head tail is so crucial once again in this pattern and all dance movement. The arm pathway and lengthening through the fingertips and feet along with head tail connection were so important to efficiently moving through the x rolls and throughout the entire pattern. The connection of head tail in this pattern was ever changing and constant and had to be executed that way to efficiently produce the movement. Momentum played a roll in this pattern as well and had to be executed with head tail connection and reaching to the distal edges in order to efficiently produce the movement and have artistry while doing so. Using the psoas was crucial throughout all the classes exercises but especially within the x rolls exercise. In class I had a hard time understanding what exactly I was doing wrong and what it looked like as my professor would comment that, I was using my rectus too much rather than engaging the psoas. Watching multiple dancers succeed or struggle with this concept was helpful in my learning and personal correction of the exercise and psoas principal in general. I saw that those who engaged their psoas in the x rolls had a beautiful sense of groundedness and fluidity. Those who struggled with engaging their psoas seemed rigid and not grounded in their movement. when they used their psoas effectively not only did their movement look more efficient but their whole performance and being seemed strong, capable and expressive. During class the teacher talked about a certain section of the final they were working on that stood out to me. She essentially was teaching about the head tail principal yield to push reach to pull. She explained that on a floor extension moment out of the floor, it is hard to extend when one doesnt curve in before extending out which is essentially yielding into the floor before pushing out of the floor. This stood out to me because I have come to love the head

tail principal of yield to push, reach to pull. I love the physicality it gives movement, the grounded sense of self and the ability to move in relation to the world, the space beyond the individual Hackney 91. Yield push reach pull was vital in a phrase they used to go into the floor and out of the floor. Throughout the different movement phrases the teacher was constantly pushing to plea because the yield to push reach to pull produced efficient movement. I saw that the plies need to feel the energy coming from the tail down into the earth. When dancers did this there was a strong sense of grounded energy and power in oneself. Some dancers were a little shallow in their movement which decreased the sense of yield to push reach to pull and stifled their movement possibilities. The dancers were working on a phrase for their technique final. They were incorporating all of the movement patterns they were working on all class and the pattern was complex. At first the phrasing was hard for them. It was choppy and the movement patterns werent happening efficiently because they were just trying to get the pattern down instead of focusing on the kinetic chains within the actual movement. After they got the movement phrasing down and the muscular sequencing, they could execute the movement and then add personal expression. The movement felt fuller and the artistry was present. I noticed that the dancers that have worked on the function aspect of dancing had the facility to express more fully opposed to those who havent focused as much on movement function. However, I saw dancers strong in their movement but the expression was lacking and I was longing to see the passion behind their movement. There does need to be a balance between the two to effectively produce movement. I saw the value in the principal of function and expression in asking oneself what is the movement about for the personhow is this function serving this persons expression into the world and how is the expression really functioning for this person Hackney pg.45. These

phrases are important to ask because that is what will bring the function and expression to their movement and essentially, a reason why they are doing this movement because dancing is a human experience. Breath was one of my favorite principals that I noticed during the class. I loved seeing the transformation of not using breath in their dancing to using breath fully at the end of class. Breath not used in the beginning of performing the sequence as the dancers were trying to remember the movement pathways of the sequence. Then before the dancers performed the sequence a second time, the teacher commented on using it more. It was amazing the transformation in the movement after the dancers incorporated breath more. When the dancers werent breathing it cut everything off. The teacher said , Dont overthink the choreography let your breath lead you and I think that was a very important statement . We do this so much in dance, we forget to breathe; the very thing that revitalizes connects and communicates. When breath was added the dynamics became clearer, fluidity of movement was much stronger and I was able to connect emotionally with the dancers. They seemed like real humans experiencing the movement rather than robots executing the movement. In conclusion, this was a very enlightening experience that I felt I grew from not only as a Somatics student but as a dancer and teacher myself. I felt that observing this class and writing about it helped me focus on important principals in dancing and teaching that are crucial to efficient artistic movement.