# data[].attributes.body
I do believe I am a lot more confident with the movements but still need to add musicality and flair to this exercise when performing. I am glad I have been able to identify this a week before the assessment so I can rehearse and rehearse to improve this. Another thing I need to work on is my travel as I know I can travel more and add more height into my jumps.

# data[].attributes.body
Due to lack of confidence my movements came across quite “ridged” I believe this is because I was concentrating and thinking of the movements so they were unable to flow. Extra rehearsals will help to improve this and prevent this from happening as I’ll be able to relax into the movements and make them flow

# data[].attributes.body
smooth transitions happen occasionally throughout this exercise but I do believe they require improvement, lack of confidence and still learning the sequence of movements means the confidence and movement retention was low and required improvement. However, I do believe I have picked it up well so far. I think the more confident I am, the faster the exercise will be.

# data[].attributes.body
This exercise has improved in comparison to last week, however, I still don't feel completely confident and mistakes were still occurring within the exercise. In order to continue improving I believe this exercise requires extra rehearsal before next weeks assessment.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe in order to make this exercise successful, I need to gain a strong understanding of the movement as at the moment I believe my movement doesn't flow as I lack confidence of the movement and sequence. I believe with practice this will improve.

# data[].attributes.body
I found throughout this exercise, my hips swing and don't remain strong and facing the front, I placed my hands on my hips to identify when they're moving and correct this to prevent it from happening. Often my hips fall out of alignment so I am trying to acknowledge when this happens and rectify it to prevent bad technique..

# data[].attributes.body
Core strength is evident that it requires improvement, I felt I was all over the place during this exercise. Placing my hands on my hips helped aid my balance and control but this is something I want to drift away from as it is important to ensure I engage my core strength throughout these exercises and if I don't use it, it won't improve.

# data[].attributes.body
This exercise went really well and I am happy with the overall look and progress of this exercise, I took on board last weeks target and ensured to focus on my arms to ensure they were accurately demonstrated.

# data[].attributes.body
This exercise went well, I believe my weakest element is my arms. I struggled to accurately demonstrate Alston arms, but believe with practice they'll be stronger as I am not used to using these arms and arms has always been my weakest element in dance.

# data[].attributes.body
After rehearsal, I felt more confident with this exercise and began to apply technique required for this exercise but still believe I have a long way to go as I don't believe this is the strongest exercise I have performed so need to continue to progress to a higher level so this exercise matches the rest.

# data[].attributes.body
I felt I struggled with this exercise as it is quite lengthy so I struggled to keep up as everyone around me already knew the exercise so it was a matter of keeping up and learning as we practiced. I believe today I showed little technique as I was focused on learning the exercise and movements but rehearse this sequence so I am confident to apply technique for next week's session.

# data[].attributes.body
Similarly to last week, this exercise continued to progress and I felt extremely confident with this exercise.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe I performed this exercise well and quickly learnt the sequence, I believe the thing I need to work on is speed and momentum, but with confidence and rehearsal this will continue to improve. Overall I am impressed with this exercise.

# data[].attributes.body
I felt a clear improvement and confident approach towards the exercise but still felt a level of improvement was required when rolling to stand - it is evident momentum and core strength require improvement to ensure this is done without my hands. In addition, I need to ensure my head is tucked to chest every time I perform this exercise as I have noticed this isn't always carried out well.

# data[].attributes.body
I found this exercise difficult as forward rolls aren't something I am confident with. Before ensuring my devloppe was sustained and accurate with a level of height, I ensured I could get the movement correct so practiced with a low level devloppe of the leg into a forward roll to ensure I was able to do the movements confidently before developing the level of technique on the devloppe. I found it difficult to get to standing from the roll without using my hands, I believe with practice and a confident approach to the movement my momentum will increase which will assist me to get up.

# data[].attributes.body
1. High release x2
2. Contract
3. Contract showing a twist of the body
4. Contract
5. Contract twisting the body - changing position
6. High release,
7. Contract,
8. High release with arms

# data[].attributes.body
When analysing the DVD source, I was able to identify the three elements used within Graham technique being:

CONTRACTION
RELEASE
SPIRAL

Contraction, release and spiral are key movement concepts displayed that link to exhalation and inhalation through dance technique. Graham's movements showing this, originate from the center of the body and aids control of the body.

Flexibility and strength is also a key factor to correctly show Graham technique.

Graham's choice of head positioning is believed to add an emotional dimension and connection to the movements.

# data[].attributes.body
The sequence clearly follows Graham's contraction, spiral and release movement concepts which is evident through the torso actions, extension, throw, travel and head actions which are used throughout the sequence. Performed on a diagonal pathway, a range of travel and levels are used throughout the sequence; forwards, sideways, backwards, up and down elements and a low, and medium level. This exercise has clear flair and shows a range of features which I believe were vital to the exercise - swing, suspend, smooth, fluent, relaxed and weighty movements.

# data[].attributes.body
Rhythmic features and qualities are clearly displayed throughout the skips, march jumps and leap exercises, evident features shown include, accented movements, sudden and sharp elements, suspended, precise, bouncy and soft movements are also clear in all exercises.

Eleveated and extended movements are shown on the spot and through a forward travel on a direct linear pathway.

# data[].attributes.body
Staccato, sharp and sustained movements are shown during this exercise through an array of movement actions, including; isolation, peel, lift, contact, shift, contraction and tilt are just some of the actions you're expected to display in this exercise. Dancers show a range of spatial features and understanding of travelling pathways exploring forward, direct linear and circle pathways with elements of long, short, high, low throughout the sequences.

# data[].attributes.body
Whilst dancers are sat in 4th position, performers are expected to show 7 movement concepts;
1. spiral,
2. release,
3. pitch,
4. tilt,
5. contraction,
6. shift,
7. alignment.
Dancers are sat on a low level and show clear understanding of diagonal directions and soft flowing movements with strong elements in the ongoing sequence.

# data[].attributes.body
The release demonstrates straightening, extending, stretching body positions, showing a release of energy. During the release aspect of the exercise, performers are sat in either a 'yoga position' with feet together or legs are in second position; through the demonstration of high release, performers release in a twisted position and straight body position showing extension of the body.

# data[].attributes.body
Sat on a low level, body pulled both upwards and backwards causing a concave curve shape of the body, head is straight looking upwards before demonstrating a downwards drop.During the contraction exercise, performers are sat in either a 'yoga position' with feet together or legs are in second position; it is clear during the exercise that when the dancer displays a contraction, she curves and stretches the spine, tilting the pelvis and rotating the torso. The contraction is shown in 2 ways;
1. Bending over in a contraction which deepens the contraction with a dive/drop,
2. Twisting in a contraction, showing opposition and rotation.

Overall this exercise makes the body movements seem rigid and stiff but works well and clearly demonstrates contractions.

# data[].attributes.body
I found learning the exercises off a DVD extremely difficult as I wanted to ensure I demonstrated accuracy of the Martha Graham technique throughout. This made the process challenging and difficult, however I do believe it was beneficial to have this push as I wanted to make sure I was confident with the exercises before I went in for the assessment.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Speed throughout the exercise,
2. Extension on the devloppe,
3. Elevation on barrel jump,
4. Momentum to get you through the exercise,
5. Core strength when fall to plank,
6. Smooth transitions through the movements.

# data[].attributes.body
1. TRAVEL!!
2. Turn in the air,
3. Inverted knee,
4. Straight legs,
7. Alston arms displayed,
8. Elevation.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Memory retention;
- Allows exercise to be fluid,
- Allows smooth transitions within the    movements.
2. On 'double leg swings' bottom should remain on the floor during the brushes and don't lift legs.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Core strength,
2. Balance and co ordination,
3. 'BRUSH' legs through a tendu,
4. Keep hips still and controlled,
5. Ability to shift weight,
6. When weight is forward - knees should be over toes,
7. In arabesque, back should be flat,
8. Don't cock neck in high release,
9. Work through the feet,
10. Piques - quick and snappy,
11. Don't lift hip,
12. Maintain elevation,
13. Land the jumps by working through the feet instead of landing flat footed.

# data[].attributes.body
I feel a lot more confident about this exercise in comparison to last week; I believe the movement started to flow and I was applying the technique required. I just need to remember to keep my heels together in the prayer position. I am pleased with my progress and believe this exercise will be ready for the assessment next week.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe to improve this exercise, I need to rehearse as my movement retention wasn't very good so the exercise didn't flow as I was often unsure about the next movement.

In addition, my core strength also needs improvement as I found I was using my hands to push up to downwards dog not my core strength.

# data[].attributes.body
Overall, I believe my main improvement needed for this technique assessment and future assessments is my musicality. Musicality adds affect to the piece, however, I believe I often rush the movements and don't spend enough time performing the technique. Musicality also allows you to focus on your breathing and take a breathe through the exercise allowing your stamina to get you through each exercise without resulting in lack of energy.

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout this exercise I felt disheartened as I believe I showed a lack of technique as my focus was turned towards the speed of the exercise. This exercise was aimed to be performed to a fast speed which I believe impacted the movement as the aim of a technique assessment is to show accuracy of movement but instead my attention was drawn to ensuring I maintained a good speed and momentum to complete the exercise.

# data[].attributes.body
I feel this exercise was one of my weakest and my movements were performed with a 'rigid' style instead of strong and fluid transitions through the movements; I believe this is down to my movement memory as I couldn't seem to get a sense of feel for the movement and couldn't make the exercise flow in my head. A common issue through my performances are my arms - I often focus on my body and footwork and forget my arms, this was evident throughout this exercise - one of the main elements of this exercise was to perform with strong Alston arms, however, although I performed arm movements I believe they lacked accuracy.

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout this exercise I believe I performed fluidity throughout. This exercise was one of the exercises I felt most confident with so believe this enabled me to perform with accuracy, confidence and fluidity,

# data[].attributes.body
Within this exercise, I felt my feet didn't consistently remain in parallel; I believe this is due to focusing on the exercises and ensuring to accurately demonstrate the technique for performing contractions. I believe with longer to learn this exercise would have been a better outcome with consistent accuracy throughout.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
During the time when women were fighting for the right to vote in the United States, Martha Graham began to study dance when she was well into her 20s. Though she was shorter and older than other dancers, she used her body in an athletic and modern way that was against every principle female dancers had been taught. The rest of her life was spent as an advocate for the arts. In celebration of Women's History Month, here are five important aspects about Martha Graham's life, work and influence.

The Technique Over the span of her career, Martha Graham created one of the only fully comprehensive sets of techniques that exist in modern dance. Like ballet, she created her own rules and exercises to train her dancers. The Graham technique is so precise and different than other dance styles that it takes 10 years of training to master.

Graham's language of dance is based on two main principles: contraction and release. Her dancers create tension through contracting a muscle, and then use the flow of energy when the muscle is relaxed to initiate the movement. This creates a very choppy, tight movement. Also, the contracting of the spine and rib cage make the female dancers look more aggressive, like they are ready to attack and push toward the ground. In the 1930s, Graham's physicality as a dancer was shockingly different from smooth and graceful ballerinas. Ballets were arranged to appear effortless, while Graham's muscular movement made the effort visible in the choreography.

The Human Heart in Motion Graham's main goal as a choreographer was to emote an internal feeling through the movement of her body. Aside from her expressive face, she used dance to express how she felt as a woman in both small and large moments of daily life. For example, in her pieces "Deaths and Entrances," which is based on the work of the Bronte sisters, there is a moment when Graham stands tall and stiffly while naturalistically portraying a Victorian woman, then suddenly bends her knees and plunges backward, so her torso is parallel with the floor. When asked what this moment meant, she explained that this is to illustrate how a woman feels when she sees a man she once loved across the room at a party. For centuries, many women felt constricted both physically and emotionally. Graham not only moved in a way that was radical for women at the time, but did it to express her deepest emotions.

Forever Young In her 1953 essay "An Athlete of God," Graham refers to dance as "the performance of living," always aware that her instrument as a dancer is "also the instrument through which life is lived: the human body." The daughter of an "alienist," which at the time described a physician specializing in psychology, her father was interested in how people use their bodies to express how they feel and passed his curiosities along to Graham.

Graham initially studied drama, but became attracted to dance at the age of 22, which is very late for a dancer. With a less-than-ideal body type, she used her differences to her advantage and developed her own pieces for herself. As a result, she often had trouble passing along her choreography to other dancers, as she had built all of her works on her own body. While many dancers retire by the age of 30, Graham's late start didn't slow her down, and she danced professionally until the age of 76.

The American Experience Much of Graham's work focuses on women throughout history, as well as American ideas of industry and the innovation. In one of her works created during the 1930s, "Lamentation," she uses her body to represent a skyscraper. She explored themes such as mythology, the experiences of American Indians, and the American West. Though still focusing on small emotional moments as a dancer, Graham created bold statements on society through the staging and design of her pieces.

Constant Collaboration Called "the Picasso of dance," she came to personify the changing dance of the 20th century. She worked with visual artists, composers, and theater directors on her pieces. In the 1950s, she worked with legendary ballet choreography George Balanchine on "Episodes," a program that combined both ballet and modern dance. Appalachian Spring, Aaron Copland's landmark orchestral score, was commissioned by Graham for her company. Even actors such as Bette Davis and Gregory Peck worked with her to learn principles of movement. Because she worked with other artists from different mediums, Graham's impact on art is immeasurable.

Watch Graham perform a secton of her dance, Lamentation, where she plays a grieving woman:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Martha Graham: The Mother of Modern Dance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
During the time when women were fighting for the right to vote in the United States, Martha Graham began to study dance when she was well into her 20s. Though she was shorter and older than other dancers, she used her body in an athletic and modern way...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Beginning Modern Dance: Martha Graham - The Graham Technique

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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 . . .

# data[].attributes.body
Unfortunately, due to having to recover from an operation, I was only able to participate in 2 sessions prior to the assessment, however, I attend the 2 sessions I couldn't partake and ensured to make notes and identify the technique needed for each exercise to show I understood the exercises.

# data[].attributes.body
Overall, I felt this exercise was successful as I was able to show accuracy of movements and smooth transitions as well as keeping up a good pace throughout the exercise. I ensured to take all previous feedback and put this into practice to ensure this exercise was successful.

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout this exercise, I felt I was often inconsistent and forgot to bend my arms making the exercise difficult as I feel when the arms are bent the roll is smoother; I am unsure as to why I didn't bend my arms as this is a basic skill required in a standard forward roll but I will ensure to focus on this as this exercise is one I want to continue working on and monitoring my progression. When evaluating this exercise, I noticed I often rush the devloppe and go straight into the roll, it is important to spend more time displaying a devloppe with accurate extension and turnout as this is the point of the exercise.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe I performed the first exercise well demonstrating fluid transitions between the movements; however, when evaluating my performance I felt I often rushed the exercise so I need to ensure in the future not to rush the movements and to take my time to move through them. In addition, I often lacked concentration meaning my focus was elsewhere so my ankles weren't always together like I'd rehearsed. I am glad I could identify this as it is something I will rectify in my next sessions ready for future assessments.

# data[].attributes.body
In my opinion, I felt the assessment went well taking into consideration that I only had 2 weeks to learn the exercises due to illness recovery. I do believe I went into the assessment with little confidence and I felt nervous about the outcome of the situation as I was unsure as to whether I would perform well or not.

# data[].attributes.headline
Exercise 6 - Standing Leg Swing exercise.

# data[].attributes.subject
Exercise 6 - Standing Leg Swing exercise.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Don't throw arms behind you, they should remain within your peripheral vision.
2. STICATO movements!
3. Don't create an arch in the spine when swinging the arms,
4. Tilt on the lunge with Alston arms - demonstrate alston arms throughout.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Memory retention - this exercise is a long exercise so it is important to remember the excercise as well as the technique to ensure the exercise is performed accurately,
2. Isolate and contract!
3. Control neck on high release - don't dip head back, it comes from the top of the spine,
4. Relax into the movements - when you're relaxed the movements flow better,
5. Core strength in plank - don't dip too low or stick your bum in the air,
6. Don't lift your bum off the floor when you contract putting your elbow down,
7. "Swing and Catch",
8. Round the spine when you contract,
9. Knees over toes when you roll down and plie.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Think about 'roll and catch',
2. Look up when rolling to stand - this helps you get up and keeps the fluid transitions between movements,
3. Ensure to elevate on the hops - looking up will help assist your the height on hops,
4. Core strength is required to successfully get you through this exercise,
5. Melt into the floor - use the rebound to get you back up to standing,
6. Keep your back on the floor when you roll - an important element of army rolls,
7. Build a momentum to get you round - don't stop,
8. Stamina is required to prevent you from giving up - it is important to finish the exercise with the same approach as you started it.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Show extension through the devloppe,
2. Keep fingers placed flat on the floor otherwise if you have 'spider fingers' you could cause injury and break your fingers,
3. Ensure to tuck your chin to chest on the roll down and forward roll,
4. Keep heel down on supporting leg and bend the supporting leg,
5. Core strength is required to get back to standing without using your hands to push off - it should all be a fluid transition - momentum helps.
6. Keep extended leg straight - when you devloppe the leg it's important to focus on the technique needed not the flexibility and height as this will take away from your technique,
7. Control the movements.

# data[].attributes.body
1. When performing a downwards dog, push your heels back - you should feel a stretch in your calves,
2. Don't invert or turn feet out - don't cross feet when working through the movements,
3. Ensure feet return back to parallel - be conscious of making sure feet don't close.
4. Work in opposition <---------->
5. Core strength is required to push up to downward dog as feet are the last thing you adjust into position,
6. Hypo-flexibility makes arm movements difficult as they invert - make sure arms are kept in parallel (keep them as wide as your shoulders),
7. Don't shift or walk your hands when transitioning between movements - it is important to keep hands where you've placed them,
8. Melt into the floor,
9. Push heels together in prayer position - it should feel uncomfortable and unnatural,

# data[].attributes.body
These logs will show my development through the exercises, discuss technique needed for each exercise and finally talk about the improvements I require.

# data[].attributes.headline
Exercise 5 - Graham Swing release technique.

# data[].attributes.subject
Exercise 5 - Graham Swing release technique.

# data[].attributes.headline
Exercise 4 - Cunningham and Graham focused.

# data[].attributes.subject
Exercise 4 - Cunningham and Graham focused.

# data[].attributes.body
Within these exercises we will be exploring Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham technique and will be required to perform with accuracy and confidence ready for assessment.