Class description
Contemporary dance training
The class has three main focuses:
to use the alignment of the bone structure in order to respect its natural condition and the connection with gravity;
to learn how to work more efficiently, only using deep muscles and strictly the amount of tension required to move;
to explore the idea of “release and connection” allowing the natural connection of different body parts through relaxation and alignment, so that each part can move as a consequence of the other.
Initially I guide through exercises to build up the awareness of the skeleton and to work more efficiently. The second part of the class aims to apply, within the movement material on space, the principle we have been practicing in the beginning. We will use material combinations and as well some tools of improvisation.
This class is the result of my personal investigations and is influenced by the study with LaborGras and in the Klein Technique.
Workshop
It is divided in 3 phases:
- the warm up
- the exploration on movement
- the composition on space
The warm up
The warm up is based on release alignment technique. Initially I guide through exercises to build up the awareness of the skeleton and to work more efficiently by using less muscle tension, (only using deep muscles and strictly the amount of tension required to move and dance) and of aligning the bone structure (to respect its natural condition and to use the connection with “gravity”). The aim is to work with the idea of “release and connection” allowing the natural connection of different body parts through relaxation and alignment, so that each part can move as a consequence of the other. We start with a minimal work of the basic aspects of movement: to give the weight, to connect to the floor, to move in the space, to stand.
This part of work is very individual. Each person will get the possibility to concentrate on his body and apply the information received. There will be eventually few exercise in couples, in which the aim will be to develop a personal awareness.
The exploration on movement
We will explore movement by using improvisation.
I will suggest clear tasks to explore each participant potential and to investigate personal tendency and movement possibilities. This part of work is experienced in couples.
The composition on space
It is the phase in which the exploration on movement is applied in a group context. We will use improvisational structure to explore the relation to time, space, the others in the ensemble and
the structure of the composition itself.
The main focus of the workshop is:
- to give to every body the ability to get to know their body, their own possibilities and to increase their knowledge about basic awareness on physical principles;
- to challenge them to recognize their own qualities and to confront themselves with the other,
bringing themselves within a group, a social context.
Special request: a tennis ball; a blank note book, in which each participant can write his own reflections and thoughts about and during the workshop time.
Approach to movement
“My personal investigations on movements, which is influenced by the study with LaborGras and in the Klein Technique, follows two simple principles: to use the alignment of the bone structure in order to respect its natural condition and the connection with gravity; to learn how to work more efficiently by using less muscle tension, only using deep muscles and strictly the amount of tension required to move.
These principles work with the idea of allowing the natural connection of different body parts through relaxation and alignment, so that each part can move as a consequence of the other. This simple idea leeds to what I call the “logic of movements”. The “logic of movements” is the way in which each move finds its reason for being through a reaction to the previous one. Logic movements are not artificial; they are coming from a source and presented with a clear intention. They are the movements which can be most easily be followed by the viewer and recognized as a simple language.
“Release and connection” are the principles I like, not only to explore, but also to integrate and apply on my dancing and movements research. In my choreographic work, no matter the tasks I use to discover new ideas or images, logical movements are the base of my dance language”.
(Raffaella Galdi)
