Author: Indre Ezerskyte

Week 5 was very different in comparison to the previous ones. First of all, readings were very short, but I found them really informative. I believe that these two informal articles by Daniel Lepkoff, grabbed my attention, because it is always more interesting to read and analyze someone’s  personal experience, especially when it comes to dance. I felt that the author reminded me things which I have known already, but actually never thought about them. From the article ‘What is Release Technique’ (1999) I have understood that I am really ignoring my inner sensations and that makes me struggling most of the time. Continue reading “Week 5: Contact Research Labs”

The third week of Contact Improv session was one of the most interesting so far. Watching Steve Paxton’s performance Magnesium (Paxton, 1972) and comparing it with Blake Nellis  Brando’s Earth dance (Nellis, B and Brando, 2010) gave me new thoughts about contact improvisation in general. I think it is important to be aware how things are developing and progressing all the time. Seeing how people improved their movement gave me a little bit more confidence that I can progress as well. Moreover, I have started to think that the contact improvisation is not only the practice of bodily movement. Firs of all, I have noticed that Steve Paxton talks a lot about the society where people are suffering from limitations and hierarchy (Turner, 2010, 124-125). That leaded me to the question, how much the contact improvisation could be considered as a philosophy, or even movement therapy where not only dancers could  ‘find a freer type of movement an contact (Turner, 2010, 125.). To be more specific, by saying contact, I would like to emphasizes humans’ emotional connection between each others. From my personal interpretation, I really think that Steve Paxton was very curious to find a practice which could help people to open their minds about the humanity and to avoid social alienation. Also, while reading the article ‘Interior Techniques’ by Robert Turner and discussing it in the classroom, I found myself missing a term art. We looked at the contact improvisation as a dance or movement practice which is absolutely true, but can we consider it as an art practice? Can we equate that with a different art form if we keep in mind that Steve Paxton was against the existing rules not only in dance, but in real life (especially when it comes to taboos) as well? I believe this could more rhetorical question, but I hope that within the practice I will get closer to the ‘right’ answer. I am happy that this week’s lecture inspired for those questions, as it may be important to know ‘what am I dancing in my life’. Continue reading “Wk3: Releasing the head and activating the eyes.”

I cannot believe that I am ‘wearing’ my skin for 21 years, but I have not been exploring or thinking about it at all until now. Perhaps, if someone had asked me what does the skin mean to me, I believe I would have said that it shows your color or that it is just the largest organ of the integumentary system. However know, every time after Contact Improvisation session, I am starting to think that humans (especially young people) are thought as robots at schools, because everything is all about mechanics and characteristics, but things like sensing and knowing yourself are just forgotten (ignored)… For instance if we talk about the act of touching:  we know that it brings a re-freshness of attention that  might appreciate as a new sensory knowledge of our own anatomy and recognized in the context of human being. (Holt and Bannon, 2012, 218) And here my question is how it is possible do not to now these things, do not to know our skin’s senses, when we are covered by it for the whole life? I guess, we became such a strangers not only in the society life but even for oneself, because mostly we use our skin just to describe the temperature! So, at the moment I am feeling like a baby, because I have to learn and develop some new sensations in my skin. I think, I was literally living for that long without knowing myself at all – which is bad, but there is good  good thing as well: every contact lecture also reminds me somatic practices as they also analyse how does the living body becomes a field (Eddy, 2009, 6). Perhaps, to become a ‘field’ requires a lot of effort and I have to grow that…
This Wednesday I have noticed that a lot of people do not feel comfortable in their ‘field’ (skin).Even if we are in the same situation, girls still feel awkward when it comes to touching other. Of course, I understand that is very intimate as you are constantly in touch with somebody, but only through the practice you can understand what does it mean to be toucher and to be touched (Holt and Bannon, 2012, 220). However here things got difficult in the class. I have noticed that people trying to avoid the touching tasks as much as possible because they feel too sweaty. I guess girls are just too nice, but these side-talks really distracted me to do the tasks properly. I was not feeling myself as well. It was hard to work with a confidence when we were in pairs, when I knew that one of us were not thinking about the real tasks, but about other things isntead… I still believe that you must feel (or look) confident to engage an effective work. Also, I’m  still looking for eye contact. I believe it is intimate as well, but whether want you or not, you must follow your partner, make a deeper contact with him/her! 

Talking about my other experience in a classroom, I was wondering how to improve myself outside this lecture. Should I do specific exercises? How to improve my movement vocabulary, my contact work? When I’m watching lectures dancing, they look like super-humans! How long it takes to become one? When will I get the answers? When will I find my way of improvising? Why do I have so many questions in my mind at the moment?

I hope to find the answers with every session. Or at least get closer to them…

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Bannon, F. and Duncan, H. (2012) Touch: Experience and knowledge. Journal of Dance and Somatics Practices, 3 (1/2) 215-227.

Eddy, M. (2009) A brief history of somatic practices and dance: historical development of the field of somatic education and its relationship to dance.  Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices, 1, (1) 5-27.

I have never thought that skin could take such an important role when dancing. I know that core and legs muscles have to be exercised almost every day, but what about skin? Personally, I have never paid attention to that. I have never even counted my skin as a part of my dancing body! But then, I found myself into Contact Improvisation class… 

For starters, since I know that “Contact Improvisation is communication communication by touch, both by touching and by being touched, in the course of which a wide range of information is exchanged through the skin” (Heitkamp, 2003), I found out that I need to knead my skin as a dough! I need to make sure that every single little bone and vein finds the right place on/under/inside my skin (which depends how and where I place my body). Also, that made me think that I HAVE to feel safe and comfortable ”wearing” skin, because if not, the other dancer would not be able to lean on me as well.  

When environment (in this case studio floor) touched my skin, I found that through the repetitive moments on the floor my skin really started to feel softer and softer each time! But on the other hand, I have not figured that out weather I should thank to repetitive movements or Somatic classes???  Definitely, I was thinking how to engage the breathing, how to connect the floor and find pushing and pulling moments without overthinking that, but as much information I know, the more questions I have.

Talking about working in pairs – I really enjoyed that. I feel so safe in someone’s hands. And my first partner Clair is very nice. I enjoyed her feedback she gave to me. However, later on, when we were changing partners and/or working in a group, I noticed one thing: WHAT ABOUT EYE CONTACT? Why do the  people try to avoid that? After all, it is still a contact! And that was the reason I did not like the ”Ninja Jabs”. What is the point to do the exercise with a partner, but keep your eyes somewhere far away? But I believe we will go there…at some point…  
Also, working with Ashna was a pleasure as well! And I am glad that while working with her I figured out that I was using only my hands when ”skinning”. I had forgotten that I have other body parts and I can use them for the ”initiation exercise”. 
To sum up, I have realized that different partners brings you very different experience. Which is good (I guess). 

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Heitkamp, D. (2003) Moving from the Skin: An Exploratorium. Contact Quarterly/Contact Improvisation Sourcebook II, 28:2, 256-264.