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This reading really took me back to my own experience of “dance habits” and “allow vs make/do.” For middle school I went to a ballet school which meant that instead of PE it was a ballet class. I was there from 3rd through 6th grade and that was where I really began my dance training and career. I will never forget when one of my teachers said, “Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent.” While I understand the sentiment behind this by encouraging us to make sure we practice things “correctly” according to the style of ballet to reduce injury and master the technique (as it is very rigid), after reading this, I also think that this can be very limiting. Ballet was more of my strength growing up because I had trained in it the longest, but going into other kinds of classes was extremely intimidating. I remember Ronald K. Brown came for a summer intensive in New Orleans and I felt so out of place and embarrassed because I felt I couldn’t do the quality of movement he was showcasing and believed this to be a fact. I tried to “allow” myself to try to learn but I was convinced that this is just something I wasn’t capable of when that was not true. He came back the next summer and I had been practicing other styles and learned that certain things can be unlearned or can evolve because the body, from an anatomical standpoint, is able to do so. I feel like dancers receiving an education or even a class about what the body can do and all of its moving parts is so detrimental as it can completely shift perspective and encourage a dancer that they are not limited and can DO various movements. Habits are not easy to break, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

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The more I read this reading, the more hyper aware I became of my body. I was sitting down for this reading and I could visually go through each part of my spine with it, whether that was just seeing it in my head or placing my hand on my back. I remember when I was younger I was obsessed with the anatomy of the body and thought I would go into something like it for my career (I guess technically I have more or less as far as psychology being about the brain and body), however I am no medical doctor in training. But I think it is so amazing that dance is a part of this world! The spine and pelvis are so interesting to me because I feel I am always aware of their presence but never thinking about them in all their complexity. The spine is so visually intricate as well as the pelvis that it's mesmerizing to see how it works for us as dancers. It really is crazy to think that we are always upright because our spine supports that way. I am also blown away with how the pelvis is situated and is so detailed with hidden cracks and crevices. When I dance, visualizing its direction and placement is so helpful in how to position myself as well as how to properly take care of myself. Also, I know it's less to do with dance but when it comes to having babies and how women’s hips are different and how our bodies are just simply made to do those things and maneuver without us having to even think about it really blows my mind.

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The clavicle is a bone name I learned a long time ago and have never stopped thinking about or calling it (rather than collar bone) because it just felt right. The arms are so interesting to me because I feel that's a part of my body I so easily take for granted. It's also a part of me that if I think about it too hard for too long I start to feel odd (like when you think about breathing too much and forget how to do it normally). Thinking about my arms in space, however, is a very different experience. This is because I’m not just simply thinking about them but rather the mechanics of how it weaves through space and creates compatibility with the rest of my body. There are so many details to the arm such as fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and the back it connects to that there is a lot of freedom to explore. Along with that, we basically have wings! If you know how to use your arms in a certain way that is expansive and risk taking you can basically fly, much like how we all were in class the other day. The armpit is also very odd to me. I never thought about it too deeply or why it exists, but then again, the shoulder girdle extending further than the ribs is not something I paid much attention to either. When we discussed it in class and applied it to our movement, it felt completely different. Our combination that we do with our shoulders felt a lot bigger and attended to. I could physically feel the difference as well as my energy and aura grow in size to reach all parts of the studio. The exploration gives so much insight to my physical presence as well as my internal presence to then allow them to intertwine. This is part of my new found feeling of my frontal lobe developing, I feel myself growing as a dancer and person more and more.

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The ribs are something I always viewed as a cage (like its given name “rib cage”) but with a more limiting mindset. I saw it more as something that restricted me from reaching certain potential in my movement. However, after watching the video about tensegrity it really shifts perspective. We talk about how we are able to move through the space in different ways depending on how we decide to move our body, but with that, internally its doing the same thing. There is an internal navigation and discussion happening between the bones, the tendons, and muscles. They face this direction duality while also maintaining safety for the body. There is a push and pull energy happening physically that then translates outward so then as a dancer you can expand that into the space around you. The ribs are not only playing a part in this tensegrity but also acting as protectors to our vital organs. The thought of what would happen without our ribs not only gives me the heebie jeebies but also reminds me how absolutely important every part of our body is and how everything has its role. As a dancer, I think it’s important to know these things about ourselves because I think it allows for us to move more freely, open up our creativity, as well as move more safely.

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The use of imagery in the Vollmond piece was amazing. I was so moved by that performance (even shed a few tears) because their expression and presentation of the message is so powerful. There are moments where I questioned how they were able to move their body in such harsh or fluid ways that don’t necessarily look natural or seem as if it would strain the body. After reading the imagery text it really brings into perspective how important mindset is when trusting your body to form such demanding movements. This doesn’t mean that the body can just do anything, of course, but how you lead yourself as a dancer and adapt to what is best for you is critical in accomplishing movement with safety and the way you intend to. Thinking about how the dancers in Vollmond were executing their movement makes me wonder how they were instructed to do so. Along with that, I become aware of how I translate movement and/or instructions to fit my own needs as a dancer so that it is digestible and doable to where it does not seem overwhelming or complicated. I find myself to be a visual learner and connect it to very whimsical metaphors or imagery. For example, when I have been told to pretend to have wings it is not a matter of pictures of my back blades, but I find myself visualizing a very specific set of fairy wings from the Barbie fairytopia movie. This is not just to share that I love the Barbie series, but to verbalize that I am someone who has to take myself out of reality when visualizing. So rather than seeing my back blades expanding, I see fairy wings. Rather than my fingertips reaching as far as they can, I see my arms literally stretching life taffy to reach the walls (very elastic girl). While the dancers in Vollmond were so energetically synced and at times the same in movement, it’s interesting to be aware that they could be hearing different languages when processing movement, but what is being spoken is very similar.

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The neck and organs are easily seen as fragile and delicate. Something to be protected and not to be strained as well as refraining from intense impact. I think we need to have more trust in our body that it is able to take care of itself and is built to take certain movements and flexibility. This of course is not to say that we shouldn’t be careful, but it’s really easy to take the safe way and not fully commit to movement in fear of doing something wrong or destructive, but trust is everything. The mechanics of our body are so detailed and well put together to avoid such injuries. Much like how we talked about our ribs, they protect our organs but we as bodies are still able to move in all kinds of ways knowing such vital parts of ourselves are vulnerable yet safe. Something Georgina has said once is that ballet really taught all of us to believe that we had to leave no room for our organs and meet this standard that was truly impossible because having that space and fullness is literally where our organs live. Along with that, our necks are so amazing. They hold such a vital and heavy part of our body, the head. I still find it difficult today to let my head loose for certain movements in class just because it’s a scary feeling to free such an important part of your body but the neck plays a really important role in securing the movement and keeping it strong. In the end, I think trusting your body to do what it was meant to do, not forcing it to be what it wasn’t meant to be, and allowing yourself to move at full capacity without fear can be such a positive change as dancers as well as fulfilling.

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Our bones and posture are in fact our toolbox given to all of us at birth. For some they are the same and for others it’s not, but we all learn how to use them that benefit us the best. With dance, the studio and stage allow a space to explore this and create something outside of this box. Although it can be scary sometimes, I love change. I think it can be important to find your way in places that are not familiar to you because it could possibly be something that becomes an extension of yourself. This applies to both dance and outside of dance. Change in the body when moving can be well thought out or impulsive, much like decisions in everyday life, which is exciting and a wonderful thing. How we react to things can be so detrimental to how we shape our environment and ourselves so being attentive to that and allowing shifts in the way we approach things can be healthy and a great learning experience about not only ourselves but the world around us. I think creating that freedom and atmosphere can make for more comfortability with change and exploration that can eventually lead to the constant willingness to try new things with joy. This is definitely easier said than done because leaving a comfort zone is never easy but the more one does it the easier it gets, and I fortunately can say this with experience from the studio and also my life. I find myself to be very lucky to have learned that now so early in life so that I am able to take it all the way through the rest of it with curiosity, excitement, and love for learning/change.

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I really enjoyed this section of body stories because it felt grounding. It is so easy to get caught up in the exterior and external world that we stop listening to ourselves internally, even when we should be. I think a lot of that is to do with how society more or less pushes us to hyper focus on everything happening externally, whether that means being worried about how we look, how we are presenting ourselves, what we’re doing with our lives, etc. but everything internally gets lost. Being someone who is studying psychology, we forget how important it is to prioritize our well-being and much of that is by listening to our minds and bodies. In this case in connection to dance, the internal and external are connected on a physical level. In countertechnique I can see my body moving and creating shapes as well as the sharing of energy with my peers, but I am also listening to how my mind is telling my body the best way to move in that moment. I am noticing when I can push myself and when I am unable to go beyond a certain point. I know what tools that connect both mind and body work or don’t work. It’s a beautiful exchange of energy as well as this yin yang effect so that both your body internally and externally are balanced.

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It never ceases to amaze me how our body is capable of so many different things at one time. In the discussion of nerves, it’s so easy to forget or dismiss the fact that all moments you're feeling and reacting without having to think twice about it. Whether or not this is something we’re taking for granted, it definitely allows for shifts of perspective and attention throughout one's movement. Much like how we do in class, using our tool box in an anatomical way almost always proves to be helpful for deciphering and achieving what we need from our movement practices. In class, I have the room to shift from thinking about my skin to then think of my muscles and what they’re doing as well as solely focus on my nerves and what they are sensing. A specific example I can think of is reaching certain parts of the body continually through and past the space. The tendu combination we do across the floor is a great representation of that. I can sense my foot on the ground as I tendu but when I go to step I can feel the nerves in my foot, chest, head, and eyes push past me all the way forward in space, or whichever direction I am going in that moment. The awareness really changes and has changed my movement even if it’s in a subtle way. It does change it slightly visually whether that means it's more relaxed, stronger, more confident, etc, but if anything, it has definitely changed the way I approach my movement and the way I understand my own body.

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Cells are an absolutely crazy part of science. Making sense and visualizing that something so small does so much for our bodies is truly amazing. In body stories, it’s said that, “The forty-six chromosomes in each human cell contain the genetic code for the individual body and for the specific functioning of each cell. Each nucleus, therefore, contains a master plan of the whole body” which is truly mind blowing. How can such small things that we can’t even see have so many jobs and such elaborate roles in our lives? That may be too existential, but it was definitely on my mind as I read. The cell being the main frame to all the body units is interesting as they serve as roots or a place of center, or the mind of each system. When moving, this can be helpful in knowing each system is its own unit made up of cells doing their jobs for that particular area of your body. The cells themselves are like your little helpers making sure the body is up and running and we move through space not needing to worry about the things we know the cells are taking care of. Along with this, William Forsythe has such great visualizations of improvisation techniques by bending and molding the way we move our arms in relation to a point of our choosing. There are many shapes, distances, and pathways we can take and there is truly no wrong answer. Those videos give a key on how to push yourself to create in a way you may not have thought of.

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Boy oh boy do I have a love hate relationship with the nervous system, my own more specifically. There are many parts to the nervous system that serve importance to how we function and react to particular scenarios. I personally immediately think of fight, flight, or freeze. While usually that's in response to danger, I find myself fighting, flying and freezing in dance as well, but not necessarily because I’m in danger. I think it’s important to regulate one's nervous system and be aware of how it is reacting to certain movements. Also, much how they speak of in body stories, the use of imagination in this context is great. This is for really immersing yourself in what you are doing and receiving the sensations as you enter the world you create for yourself. There is this creation of mindset so that you have more control over your nervous system. With that you can be more attentive to where tension is and deciding whether that is a place in your body you want to just relax or identify if that tension is serving you in some way for your movement. One of the many things that truly blows my mind about the human body is how quickly it works. The fact that it can send signals all throughout the body from the mind is so insane to me and honestly hard to wrap my head around. It is one of those things where if I think about it too hard I freak out a little bit but in a curious way that leaves me in awe as well as more grateful for the healthy body I have.

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Human Reflexes and Developmental Patterns

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Human Reflexes and Developmental Patterns

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How we come to be and the way the body develops is so beautiful. Birth is such a crazy but beautiful thing that we are able to do and the fact that our bodies are made to handle that and then find a way to return to a body that is not holding a baby is so cool. I often think we are aliens because we have such a cool super power, but from what I’ve heard, although it may be one of the greatest, if not the most, pains anyone will ever experience for a temporary time, many tell me it's more than worth it. From there watching a child grow and seeing them do things on their own or witness someone else do something and mimic is fascinating. I am a big fan of animal documentaries and love hearing about how animals learn to survive and their unique practices, but sometimes forget to appreciate that the people around me and myself are living a national geographic documentary of our own. Our bodies learn how to crawl, walk, run and with that it is gaining knowledge on how to use certain muscles as well as what part of the brain to use. On top of that, there are things it already instinctively knows how to do, which is to try to catch you when you fall, feel fear when scared, heal when hurt, etc. This can all be seen in our world of movement where there is an awesome balance of what we know and what we are still learning and then combining them in different patterns to make something great.

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I would like to preface that I did use Luna’s idea of putting a picture of the seniors for this padlet. She sent a picture to the seniors showing that she included a grad picture and I was feeling the same sentiment, but I wanted to give credit where credit was due.

I think most of my movement is influenced by my emotions. Some days I come in feeling really great, others I’m alright, and some days I am just not feeling my best. Sometimes that is reflected in my movement and sometimes it is not. I think incorporating emotions to movement is so fun and can really change the quality of any movement we do in the studio space. I think in this class I have felt a range of emotions depending on the day, but I have most definitely experienced all the emotions in my 4 years here at Davidson as well as with these 9 amazing dancers above. I think what is so beautiful about that is while I may not be happy 100% of the time, there were days where maybe I wasn’t at my best, but the moment I entered the studio with them, that always changed. These women all make me a better dancer and a better person. They have enriched my life and movement to where their emotions and my emotions mesh beautifully to make something great. Together we are one big organism of feelings and each one of us is a moving part in the space. Emotions have changed my perspective in how I move through the studio, through my life, and through my peers. I have shared the human experience through words with these people but most importantly through our shared love of dance.