In this weeks session the main theme was scores. We looked into the basics structures of scores and how scores are used within contact improvisation. There are so many possibilities on the scores you can create, as there are so many different rules you could apply to the score to make it as interesting as possible for the audience. This is the first session that we have incorporated scores through improvisation since last year so I was keen to get back into dancing with a score. I particularity enjoy dancing with a score as it keeps me as the dancer challenged when improvising because of the restrictions and rules the score could include.
In the beginning of the session we started with standing in a space with closed eyes. I find this very useful for me, because being aware of my internal self leaves me with a more focussed attitude towards the session ahead. We then started to warm up by walking around in the space but then experimenting with different concepts of contact improvisation. For example making different points of contact with others, anchor points, weight-baring positions, manipulating someone’s movements and experiment contacting with different speeds and dynamics. Personally, I felt this exercise really helped me to be aware of my own body and get used to being in contact with others again. As the warm up concentrated on the specific elements I stated above, it made me have freedom in how I could contact with others. Instead of only concentrating on one way of contacting I was free to challenge myself with the many different options. This related to a section in the exercise where I had just come out of a weight baring position with Lauren, but instead of going into contact with someone else I wanted to be in control so I decided to manipulate phoebes movements by holding onto the back of her head. The freedom of this exercise made it more interesting to me and made me realise the many different ways I can make contact with someone which I was not aware with at the beginning of this module. This links into the jams and the many different options I now have the knowledge of doing with other people.
We then participated in some travelling exercises. The travelling movements we practised were the ones we got taught in our workshop in which we participated in and was delivered by Feet Off The Ground Dance Company. The travelling movements included movements I had never tried before the workshop, which involved headstands and walkovers. It was useful to practise these movements again so I begin to improve them so I can involve them in jams more often. Millie was my partner for this section and as a pair we worked well together. I think one of the main reasons that lifts and weight baring balances work well with Millie is because we are both the same height. This is an advantage as our backs are in the same angle and height when doing lift baring movements which makes it easier to me the over and under dancer. We then tried to incorporate all of these movements together by improvising a travelling sequence across the room. One of the main concepts Millie and I were concentrating on was always trying to keep connection throughout. The first couple of times we disconnected however the more times we travelled together the better our connection has got. I felt more and more confident that more times we did it even though every single time we did something new and that excited me. By keeping in contact I hope that the movement looked more seamless as I personally felt like I was very connected to Millie.
In this weeks reading Some considerations when structuring an improvisation by Jamie Stover informed me of different questions and ideas I should consider when making a score. ‘How does my dance fulfil or not fulfil existing contextual aesthetic expectations and parameters for dance? (Stover, 1989,185) This reading then linked in with the task we were asked to do which was to prepare a score for our classmates and to trail it in this weeks session. In my group we created a score ‘The mouse Trap’ which focused on spatial awareness and awareness of others. The space was divided into four squares and the dancers had to travel around the squares clockwise. The rules were that everyone had to enter from the top left hand corner and only dance in the first square until the fifth dancer entered the space meaning the next square was unlocked and free to dance in. This rule carried on so when the ninth dancer entered the space the third square was unlocked and so on until all the dancers were dancing in all four squares and then finally left the space through the top right hand corner. This rule made sure that all dancers had to work their way through the space to exit it. Not only this but also this score made dancers be aware of others as they had to be aware of the exact number of dancers in the space. We had to pick one member of our group to observe and the rest of the group including me had to participate in the score. It was fun to take part in a score that I had partly created as it was putting our creations into practise. Millie who was the observer of this score noticed a few key points by watching. Firstly she noticed that dancers were hesitant to enter the space. This might be because of the nature of the score as they were familiar with the rules but because they had never tried it before were nervous to take part. Secondly Millie observed that even when everyone was present in the four squares she could still the divide very clearly within the sections. This linked to how I felt in the space as when I was in a certain square I felt like it was my home for a while and wanted to explore movements in that particular square before I moved onto the next one.
We also participated in our classmates scores as well which was interesting to see what they decided to base their scores on and what rules they wanted to include in their scores. Each of our scores was very different from each other’s and that made them more exciting to take part in. Some scores involved dancing in different parts of the room for example ‘The half way score’ involved the spectators standing in a straight line in the middle and having each side of the line performance space. This meant you could pick which side of the line to perform in. This also felt unusual to have the audience in a different position rather than in a circle in which I am used to.
Throughout this session I started to reflect on my practise of contact improvisation and how I feel like my dancing as changed and improved throughout this module. Even though I still feel quite vulnerable doing this practise I feel like I have learnt how to trust myself more. This is not only in lifting people and being lifted but trusting myself to be more confident.
Stover, J., 1989. Some Considerations When Structuring an Improvisation (to be seen by an audience). In: V. 14, ed. Contact Quarterly’s Contact Improvisation Sourcebook. Northampton : Contact Editions , p. 185