This week Contact Improvisation and Jam sessions did not feel right to me. I do believe that body and mind play very important role in this dance practice and I think that I have been losing that connection since the very first beginning…
We started the class watching two dance videos. Both showed male and female contacting/dancing in partners and it was clear to see who was leading or dominating there. Personally, the second video ‘Contact Improvisation Mirva Mäkinen & Otto Akkanen’ (Omegabranch, 2011) spoke to me more. These partners were very different from each other beginning with the height and ending with the gender. I am surprised that these things really do not make any difference at all! Everything just flew! And the girl was so tiny compared with partner! Does then it mean that she has very strong body to lift and support such a tall guy? Or maybe it does not depend on strength but more on the balance instead? However, watching those amazing people moving made me think whether I progressed in this module at all. Of course, I know that everything takes time and a lot of practice, but it was week 7 already which makes us all think about coming assessment and reminds me that there is no time left to repeat and struggle with the same mistakes or any other issues that I did in week 2 or 3…
Talking about the practical material we did in contact, it disappoints me a little. maybe it was just not my day, but literally, I did not have a chance to complete and try all the task fully. I want to ensure that I am not complaining here or blaming others, it is just that people I worked with had so many issues to complete the exercises whether it was a lifting one or just ‘Akido roll’. Shortly, I did not make the most of it. What if it was the only chance to learn it? Also, I was not that sad after the session, but when I met Lauren for our contact duet, I felt a little gap there…
Other hand, I really liked the reading though! it inspired and opened my mind again about dance practice in general. I think we all have those moments when you asking yourself was it a right decision to choose to study dance, but when you think how much happiness you could give to people, all those second thoughts just disappear!
Curtis, B. & Ptashek, A., 1988. Exposed to Gravity. Contact Quarterly Contact Improvisation Sourcebook I. Vol. 13.
Omegabranch (2011) Contact Improvisation Mirva Mäkinen & Otto Akkanen
Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMLbWxujoGw [accessed 17 November 2015].