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Student Number:
1707116

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PERFORMANCE
An area I definitely need to work on in my performance in all genres. As shown in my formative results (sources 9 and 10), my performance and stylistic qualities are poor. I've realised I focus too much on what my body should look like, and not think about my face. I need to make a conscious effort to use my eyes much more when performing, and I need to try and use my face in relation to the music as if I were having a conversation. Not just a blank expression.

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"The basis of good classical ballet placing is correct stance, with the shoulders relaxed and in line with the hips; the hips in line with the knees and the knees in line with the feet. The head is erect, the spine well extended and both legs equally rotated outwards in the hip sockets"

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PICK UP AND RETENSION
From September, my pick up skills and my retention have progressed. I now have the knowledge to be able to really concentrate when a move or sequence is demonstrated, and give myself time to work it out for myself instead or looking and others or asking the teacher straight away. This makes my brain work much harder, meaning the more I do it, the quicker I become at picking up. In hand, my retention will improve, as constantly figuring things out for myself and developing movement memory will aid me in remembering combinations or movements another time. I still need to improve on my pick up and retention in ballet the most, as this is the genre I have the least knowledge in.

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Student Name:
Courtney Holland

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“In the classroom the mirror takes the place of the audience. The dancer's attention is always drawn to her own reflection in order to check, adjust, and correct her poses. But the reliance on the mirror must not interfere with epaulement and body positions, which add subtle yet important shades to the execution of all steps.”

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FLAT BACK EXERCISE
During this exercise, I perform each flat back with correct alignment and posture. I could improve this technique by extending each arm line even further, creating a reach effect within each movement.

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BALLET TENDUS
Relating to my jazz tendus on source 6, likewise I need to articulate my feet much more. The foot exercises on source 31 will help with this, by enhancing mobility in my feet.

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"Proper extension is measured with a straight standing leg, proper alignment and placement of the upper body, an un-hiked up hip, and a correctly pointed foot all while being able to maintain the position in complete control without moving for roughly 4 seconds"

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JAZZ TENDUS
Below shows our jazz tendu warm up exercise with coordinated arms and adding a contraction. I need to articulate my feet more in each tendu by using the pressure through the floor.

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"In starting a turn, it is usually effective, although not always aesthetically acceptable, to rotate the arms in the direction of the turn while the torque is being exerted against the floor. In this “windup,” the arms absorb much of the rotational momentum while the body is in a position that makes possible the effective use of the feet for continuing to exert torque"

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"In general, people jump higher, turn more times, have more stamina, and are stronger, faster, and more flexible today than their forbearers. This is partly due to our increased knowledge and its application about better diets, dietary supplements, injury prevention and therapies, and more scientific training methods for both athletes and dancers"

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JAZZ FORMATIVE RESULTS
Please engage with my results from my formative jazz exam in semester 1.

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TRAVELLING AND SPACIAL AWARENESS
These two aspects go hand in hand, for the majority of the time we're required to travel in all genres, and not just dance on one spot. This can be achieved in many ways including staying low in a deep jazz fourth, travelling set jumps in grande allegro, or using floor work in contemporary are just three examples. However, without appropriate spatial awareness movements and combinations can quickly become messy and lose technique. I've learnt that I can't always guarantee that I will have enough space, if so, I need to determine whether to shorten or extend my length of travel depending on my surroundings.

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BALLET FORMATIVE RESULTS
Please engage with my results from my formative ballet exam in semester 1.

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KICKS
When performing kicks in any direction, flexibility is definitely important however control is essential. Now with my flexibility improving, I need to work on controlling my leg as it's lowered down. To improve this, core strength exercises like crunches and plank increase core stability, hence creating a firm torso meaning the leg can be controlled on it's descent.

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Lester Horton Technique
The Horton technique is frequently used within our contemporary classes. This clip is an example of an advanced type of strength and technique required to achieve the balances shown. These are similar (but more advanced), to the work we are learning in class.

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Lester Horton Technique • balance advanced level 1

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Matt Mattox - Freestyle Jazz
Please engage with chapter 17 (pages 119-124), of this book which describes a bit more about  Mattox and his technique.

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JAZZ FOURTH
Below shows an example of correct posture in jazz fourth position. I have learnt that I need to keep low, and image my feet being in a box shape (wide and deep), rather than a rectangle (narrow and deep). I need to ensure I'm hitting this position when a low jazz fourth is required.

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ELEVATION
Relating back to my formative results for jazz, one of my areas of strength is my elevation. From previous training, and leg exercises like squats and lunges, I have been able to build a considerable amount of leg power, being able to show good elevation.

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LEAPS
My leaps have improved since September. When I started, I struggled to get the back leg high as well as the front one. To improve this, repeating exercises like this one have enabled me to have much more power to push off with, from just relying on my legs and nothing else, thus being able to improve the height of the back leg. To improve I need to relax my arms more, instead of them being so stiff, thus achieving correct alignment.

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GRANDE BATTEMENT
Since my flexibility has improved, I find grande battement excerises a great way to put my flexibility to practise. On the first side of the barre showed below, I am corrected on my arms, and how they move up and down throughout the exercise, instead of being strong. I apply this correction on the second side and really focus on holding my arms through latissimus dorsi to make them secure.

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ADVANCING IN LEAPS
In September, I had very little knowledge on how to correctly perform any other form of leap besides the standard develope leap. Now, through repetition in and out of classes, I was able to acknowledge the feeling of a scissor leap. Starting off small, and gradually building up the height of the leg has enabled me to perform the motion of a scissor leap. To improve I need to work on my left leg, by doing the same gradual build up of height. Also I need to work on the height of my back leg and ensure I'm keeping my body upright.

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RESISTANCE
This is showing that these two different shapes only appear to be different because of the movement from the waist. The resistance needed to hold the arms in this position and show the dynamics should come all the way from the back and abdominal muscles. The locked diagonal arm line stays the same and the break from the waist changes the shape.

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ROUTINE EXAMPLE - JAZZ
We took influence from Jack Cole in this short routine from earlier on the year. We used Cole’s unique style which ‘is typified by huge leaps from deep pliés, rapid direction changes, long knee slides, syncopation and isolations of the head, arms and fingers’ (Rizzuto, 2013), which is evident in this combination. However, it’s clear that my arm lines aren’t very clean, and a lot of my moves don’t have a distinct beginning or ending. Exercises like our 1-10 arm lines, and the warm up exercises will allow my upper body to gain strength and practise accurate alignment, which can then be applied within a performance situation.

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CONTEMPORARY ROUTINE
After our formative assessment, I was told that I hadn't progressed much from when I started. This made me realise I need to push myself, and make each movement stronger, cleaner, and more dynamic. Since then, I have come out of my comfort zone and pushed each movement, even if that means going wrong once or twice. Here is a clip of our new assessment routine, where I am now extending each movement to the fullest.

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"Today's dancers are versatile: ballet dancers work with modern dance choreographers, modern dancers study ballet, and jazz and theatre dancers are required to be proficient in multiple techniques. To be employable, dancers must train in numerous techniques and be capable of instantly absorbing the unique movement characteristics of any choreographer, regardless of form or style of dance"

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USE OF CONTRACTION
The use of contraction is relevant in both styles jazz and contemporary. Within contemporary, Martha Grahams technique focus' on contraction, and we have used this throughout our contemporary classes. I have learnt that each contraction must come from within your core, and that it's not just a curvature of the spine, which was how I first executed each contraction. The curve must come from the initial contraction of the core.

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ARM LINES - JAZZ
Our assessment focussed on line and key techniques. It involved our port de bras coordinated arm lines from 1-10, on a spring ball change. I needed to focus more on staying low in jazz fourth during travelling steps, and rotating from the torso on moves which require a spiral movement.

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IMPROVING MOBILITY IN THE FEET
Throughout all of my core techniques, one thing I've noticed I need to improve on is fully stretching my feet. Here shows simple exercises I have been performing at home in order to improve the amount of movement in my feet.

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ISOLATIONS - JAZZ
Within our classes we heavily based our training on the techniques of Jack Cole and Matt Mattox.  the combined techniques of Mattox and Cole emphasised isolated body movements, and we utilized the use of isolation within our warm up exercises, as well as in routines and combinations. Here shows part of our warm up using isolations involving our head, shoulders, and ribs, used for our formative assessment

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BALLET GLISE
Here shows a video of our glise barre exercise, used to warm up our feet ready for petite and grande allegro. From this video, I noticed that I'm not fully stretching my feet all the time. To improve this, refer to source 31 showing simple home exercises I can practise to try to improve my feet.

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BARRE WORK - BALLET
Key things to think about:
Pull up - elongate and lengthen the space between the bottom rib and pelvis.
Turn out - from the hip, squeezed not tucked, ribs in, chest lifted to ceiling, don't arch spine.
Articulation - massaging the floor with feet, don't roll, keep little toes on the floor.
Over turning - if your feet are rolling out it means you're over turning out. Turn in a little bit - important for jumping later off the barre.
Sickling - always think about pointing feet from big toe to avoid sickling. press heels into the floor.

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MATT MATTOX CLASS
Below shows an example of Matt Mattox choreography. This routine is filled with sharp arm lines and precise head movements, both of which we have engaged with during our jazz classes.

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Matt Mattox Jazz Technique Class - Boys - Stephen Mear West End Sweet Charity Choreography

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FLEXIBILITY
My flexibility has significantly improved since I started in September especially my left leg. Constant stretching during class and at home aided this. Here shows my left, right, and box splits, and if you refer to source 20, my improvement is also noticeable in my grande battement exercise in ballet.

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PIROUETTES - JAZZ
In pirouettes, I noticed my arms were too low and that I don't always fully hit retire position, which is evident in my formative results for ballet and jazz see sources 9 & 10. Going back to basics and simply going from preparation then up into the pirouette position will allow me to really acknowledge and focus where I can make small adjustments.

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MARTHA GRAHAM TECHNIQUE
Please engage with this short excerpt from Beginning Modern Dance discussing Graham's technique.

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This is an excerpt from Beginning Modern Dance by Miriam Giguere.

The function of dance is communication. . . . By communication is not meant to tell a story or to project an idea, but to communicate experience by means of action . . . out of this came a different use of the body as an instrument, as the violin is an instrument. Body is the basic instrument, intuitive, instinctive. As a result an entirely contemporary set of technics was evolved.

Brown, Mindlin, & Woodford, 1998, p. 50

Probably the most iconic image of modern dance in the general public is of a woman clad in a dark leotard and tights seated on the floor reaching upward with her torso curving backward or while standing on one leg with her other limbs outstretched and her focus downward. These are images from the Martha Graham (1894-1991) technique. They are two of her signature movements: the contraction and strike pose, respectively. For many people, modern dance is synonymous with the work of Martha Graham. Known for her theatricality, severity, solemnity, and emotionally charged dances, Graham was a true original. The mythic content of her work was introspective in its involvement with human emotions and the personal exploration of deep-seated motivations. Graham herself described her dances as stylized to represent the times in which she was creating: "Life today is nervous, sharp and zigzag. It often stops in mid-air. That is what I aim for in my dances" (Mazo, 1977, p. 161).

In addition to the power and originality of Graham's choreography, she was known for developing a codified system of exercises that could be used to train dancers in her style. Much of that syllabus comes to us today directly from Graham, and in many places is still taught in precisely the same manner. Graham believed that the first task when working with students "is to teach them to admire strength - the virile gestures that are evocative of the only true beauty. To try to show that ugliness may actually be beautiful if it cries out with the voice of power" (Mazo, 1977, p. 162). It was this admiration of powerful gesture that often gave the work an angular and stylized appearance. But it is not true that lyricism or nuanced movement is not valued in the technique. Graham developed her technique over time and softened some of the exercises to ensure that the movements were not overly rigid.

Purpose of Dance

Graham took a psychoanalytical viewpoint on dance. She believed that the purpose of dance is to illuminate the life and struggles of the human experience, paying particular attention to humans' inner nature. Her dances were dramatic expressions of the conflict between the individual and society in an attempt to look at the internal motivations of humanity. Graham believed that using dance for that purpose would bring psychoemotional enlightenment. In 1938, Graham wrote that "Art is the evocation of man's inner nature. Through art we find man's unconscious - race memory - is the history and psyche of the race brought into focus" (Brown, Mindlin, & Woodford, 1998, p. 50).

Since the purpose of dance is to translate emotional experience in physical form, in the Graham technique, every movement must have a clear and perceivable meaning. This does not mean the movements must be realistic, only that the stylization must be meaningful and recognizable to the viewer as well as to the performer. Graham was clear on this principle: "Everything that a dancer does, even in the most lyrical thing, has a definite and prescribed meaning" (Mazo, 1977, p. 189). Further, she believed that the clear training of the dancer gave a freedom to the dancer's ability to express the emotions and ideas of the choreographer. In Graham's own words, training was the key to articulation: "If you have no form, after a certain length of time you become inarticulate. Your training only gives you freedom" (Mazo, 1977, p. 157). Thus the rigor of your training was all part of the purpose of the art form - and Graham believed in rigorous training! Her demand for total discipline and attention during class, and her anger when this was not accorded her, are well documented. While the movements in the technique itself are not natural gestures, they are artificial ones; the inner commitment to them and the emotional sincerity of the dancers presenting them are entirely real.

Relation to Space and Gravity

The Graham technique has a clear relationship to the floor and to gravity. Like Humphrey-LimÃ³n, Graham dancers are creatures of the earth who respect the power of gravity. However, unlike the previously discussed technique where the power to pull away from gravity gives you energy and a search for equilibrium, the Graham technique believes that the fall is the acknowledgment of the power of gravity. Many of the exercises in the Graham syllabus require the dancer to fall powerfully into the floor, and these movements are seen repeatedly throughout the Graham repertory. To Graham, this was not just a physical act; it was a psychological one. "We teach the falls to the left because, unless you are left-handed, the right side of the body is the motor side; the left hand is the unknown. You fall into the left hand - into the unknown" (Mazo, 1977, p. 157). The exploration of the space of the stage, including the floor itself, is part of the emotional content of the technique.

Because space can reveal emotional content, according to Graham, the set is an integral part of the ability of a dance to communicate. When Graham's choreography took on huge mythic subjects, such as in the dances Clytemnestra (1958) or Night Journey (1947), they used the entire expanse of the stage. When they were particularly introspective, as in Errand into the Maze (1947) or Lamentation (1930), the use of the stage space was minimal. Space itself is part of the emotional landscape of a Graham dance.

Origin of Movement

According to Martha Graham's philosophy, movement is generated from three places: the action of contraction and release, the pelvis, and the emotional inner self. The contraction, or strong pulling back and curving of the torso, and the release of this movement by returning to a straight torso are symbolic of the dichotomies in life. It is the contrast between desire and duty, between fear and courage, between weakness and strength.

The repeated use of the contraction and release gives a rhythmic energy to the movements in this technique, and its execution is central to the seated, lying, and standing exercises of the training method (figure 8.2). The torso and pelvis, in this way, are the central focus of the movement, while the arms and legs move in concert with the spine.

Contraction while seated (a) and standing (b).

The series of exercises known as spirals, done seated in fourth position, is an excellent example of how the pelvis, rooted to the floor and drawing its energy from this proximity, is the first part of the body to move (figure 8.3).

Spiral.

Graham taught students that the hip bone should move as a jewel in a watch movement. This makes the pelvis the point of stability and the motivator of the movement. A clear articulation of the pelvis will definitely result from your study of this style of modern dance. Whether the movement begins with a contraction of the torso or a movement of the hip bone, it must be done with strength. Both lyrical and dramatic movement must be equally strong.

Because of this quality of strength and the importance of intentional meaning behind every movement, you could say that movement in the Graham technique begins in the mind, especially in the dancer's subconscious. In the Graham style, everything is motivated from the inner life. If this is not there, the movements become sterile. As Graham said, "This lack of motivation will lead to meaningless movement, and meaningless movement leads to decadence" (Horosko, 2002, p. 75). Every movement in the technique results from an emotional impulse. Graham told her students that if you must mark a movement, mark the physicality but never the dramatic meaning.

Many of the movements in the Graham technique use terms from ballet, such as the numbered positions of the feet and the terms pliÃ© and relevÃ©. When you take a Graham class, you can expect to hear many of these basic terms from ballet used regularly. Although Graham's technique was in many ways a rebellion against ballet, it did, like all of the early modern styles, overlap in some ways with a classical dance vocabulary. There are turned-out as well as parallel movements in the Graham technique. Like a ballet class, the work in a Graham technique class is always in the same order: floor work, breathing, knees, standing center work, barre work, traveling across the floor. While the syllabus has a set order and structure of the exercises, the number of repetitions and whether everything from the syllabus is included in a particular class is up to the individual instructor.

Relationship to Music

Much of what Martha Graham believed about the relationship between dance and music was a result of her longtime association with Denishawn music director Louis Horst. He served as advisor, mentor, and partner to Graham for the majority of her career. He convinced Graham that she should commission music for her dances rather than use already-existing music, a practice she regularly upheld. Graham gave the composer a set script of action, mood, and timing for the work. She listened to sections of score while it was being composed but waited to choreograph the work until the score was completely finished. Horst, and consequently Graham, preferred modern music as the accompaniment to dance.

Whether the music was written specifically for the dance or not, Graham, under Horst's influence, believed that music should be sublimated to the dance. As Horst himself said, "The question is not how great a dance composer is, but what he does for the dance. The composer-accompanist must expect to sacrifice some of his identity as a musician when he writes or plays for the dance" (Mazo, 1977, p. 194). The function of the music was to support the mood and emotional content of the piece, not to be the guiding stimulus for its creation.

Learn more about Beginning Modern Dance.

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Beginning Modern Dance: Martha Graham - The Graham Technique

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This is an excerpt from Beginning Modern Dance by Miriam Giguere. The function of dance is communication. . . . By communication is not meant to tell a story or to project an idea, but to communicate experience by means of action . . .