I M P R O V I S A T I O N by Steffi Fashokun

I M P R O V I S A T I O N by Steffi Fashokun https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai STEFFI FASHOKUN en-us 2021-07-01 06:37:26 UTC 2023-02-10 19:17:43 UTC hello@padlet.com C O M P O S I T I O N I M P R O V I S A T I O N - 09/06/2021 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633024855 TASK:

An act of doing – to get to the physical limits or contextual limits (For example the limits of a Tendu are different to the limits of a cartwheel but both are still considered full extensions) of a stream of movement that can have different durations but generally around two seconds. Then to move the whole body into another position of the same nature.
Movement starts and ends. The movement does not evolve.
Eva after our first exploration explained that it is important to understand a trajectory with the movement and see how you could continue it even after you stopped moving.
To start and end a full movement of the body, then see how you could continue it. However we could still change the trajectory of the movement.

]]> 2021-07-01 06:39:45 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633024855 1 FIRST IMPROVISATION USING TASK steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633096970

I was going into the task with not much of an understanding of what to do. It was difficult to imagine how I would move to the extremities of the movement (I believe this is a difficult concept to grasp due to its objectivity). It was easier to focus on physical extremities and I was mostly trying to focus on the concept of 'doing'.

]]> 2021-07-01 07:43:07 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633096970 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633098435 For example the extremities of a cartwheel is at the moment of inversion (it is a swing) so the choice is to either end it naturally or to end with a consistent level of trajectory, this video explains the latter. ]]> 2021-07-01 07:44:30 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633098435 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633100031 The physical feeling was clunky. I wasn’t sure how to reach the end of movement or what that really meant. “Is this the end?”, “Or is this?”. There was a lot of doubt to what the task was asking of me. It was uncomfortable and displeasing. The movement always felt like it was left unfinished and there was a lot of tension which didn't feel right. I was also over thinking a lot. I couldn't embody the task as far as I needed to (this task it seemed needed to be done in it's fullest sense) which is something I find difficult generally. The movement lacked clarity which made it difficult to understand what I was actually doing. Despite this taking my time with each movement felt uncomfortable, I still thought it was actually quite nice. Each movement didn’t feel right but was still was considered. This is what I ended up doing for most of the task. Partway through I sort of gave up trying to force myself to understand this quickly.]]> 2021-07-01 07:46:08 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633100031 2 SECOND IMPROVIASTION USING THE TASK steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633100988

Eva explained the trajectory concept further after the first exploration, as well as how you don’t end the movement in a rest state. This was very helpful moving forward. It made the movement feel purposeful because of the way the improvisation flowed (it had a course of flow, rather than short motifs with little connection to each other). I came to realise that to submit yourself to the objective fully was to come to an understanding of the way your body can abstract itself. This is something I’ve noticed is important in composition as well as how most of my successful improvisations have been when I feel a lack of inhibition. It feels nice to free yourself from aesthetics.

I found that in the first improvisation I would twist my legs to my physical limit but there was still room for my arms to move or vice versa. That made it difficult to fully remember what I just did because it left the movement's objective in question. This led to questions in the second improvisation such as “How do I show I am twisting as much as possible?“. At the point of the movement limit I would sort of mentally check if I truly couldn’t move any further. I also found that I needed to keep verbally directing myself. Mentally saying “okay I’m going to spiral” and “I’m going to move backwards”. This task asks the dancer to explore movement components in their fullest and simplest capacity and making it as visible as possible.

]]> 2021-07-01 07:47:16 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633100988 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633102899 Physically it still felt confusing but in a way that I was aware of what I was doing. I also found abandonment of weight much easier.]]> 2021-07-01 07:49:15 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633102899 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633104541 Doing this made me think about dance as just intentions to maybe show a whole picture. "I am going to show myself moving left and that is all I want to audience to see". If you think about it like that it could be very easy to get caught in a spiral of being overly conscious of what your movement is actually conveying to a audience of people who don't know your intentions. Your right arm is pointing right so does that mean your true intention is to go right despite your body moving left? This is probably pedantic however and I don't think this is actually valuable, unless it is for some reason absolutely imperative that an audience somehow has the exact same beliefs about a movement as the director, which I am pretty certain is impossible. ]]> 2021-07-01 07:51:04 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633104541 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633116545 There didn’t appear to be any sort of atmosphere or emotion with any of it, nor was there imagery. I was just trying to keep my intentions clear. This is unusual for me as I enjoy emotion and narrative in my improvisation. However I do really like when I can be full-bodied and playful as well as have an emotional intention. This let me do that just without any emotional connection. ]]> 2021-07-01 08:02:42 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633116545 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633120626 I like improvisation where my eyes are closed, I find it very exciting. The movement is a tool and my body is more of an amalgamation of parts and simple commands. “Twist, turn, jump.” These are fun because then I remember how much is available in movement. The caution is more or less gone and it is a very relaxing feeling.

]]> 2021-07-01 08:06:47 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633120626 3 F A L L I N G I M P R O V I S A T I O N - 14/06/2021 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633174949 TASK

Start rocking your weight back and forth, side to side, et cetera and test weight limits.
Then you can step off your spot if needed – more force required.
Even larger steps now, causing people's paths and now creating pathways, choreographic considerations.
Put “punctuation“ at the end of a fall.
Allow for conscious movement in the body as you shift weight for example floor work.

]]> 2021-07-01 09:04:06 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633174949 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633176869 I was feeling emotionally and physically drained. It was a full day in the studio and I had not had slept much before. I was grateful to be doing improv where I could let my mind rest slightly if I wanted to. This is actually one of the reasons I find improvisation enjoyable is the infinite ways that you could approach it: Mechanical, practical, theoretical, physical, emotional, narrative, et cetera. You can tailor what your approaches are by how you believe it is best to work at that time or just what you’re currently interested in. This has trends throughout the year for me and I think everybody Has different approaches to improvisation at any given time to what they had previously done. At times it feels more interesting to work in a practical way (Which is the way I worked in my composition improvisation) if I am tired physically and mentally movement that has simple intentions can feel satisfying and purposeful. This is a new way of working for me. I could do this or it might feel more interesting to explore emotional approaches. This is what I’m more used to as it is more of a habit for reasons I don’t know. Perhaps because I lack confidence in my capability to perform difficult and technical movements, so I rely on my ability to emote and perhaps inspire a narrative.

]]> 2021-07-01 09:06:20 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633176869 1 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633178488 I was working very practically and I was grateful for that, as well as the fact that I have done this sort of exercise quite a few times before so it didn’t take much mental strain. Also it was apparent that it was going to evolve physically beyond that, so I kept it small and focused mostly on the shifting of my feet and pelvis. It wasn’t particularly enjoyable nor was it boring. I was more grateful for the low-impact movement. It was however difficult to move as a single unit of mass, with no sequential movement in the body as sequencing is a more natural route to balance out weight.

]]> 2021-07-01 09:07:41 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633178488 2 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633179364 Later in the task Now that we could step off our spot it felt very similar to the first one. However this was more fun. It was exciting to test how far I’ll be able to fall before I move my foot to catch myself. Sometimes I did worry that I was waiting too long to catch myself but I caught my footing each time luckily. However the timing was difficult. If I’m being honest the timing was difficult throughout the whole score. This was a physical limitation I think or perhaps mental. It’s difficult to fall and fall and always catch yourself. There were also too many variables to consider such as: If I fall too many times my orientation is lost and I become dizzy, leading to a potential collision. Also I could be going too fast and the falls would blur together and that wasn’t the task. The score was mostly to do with sound (the sound that we made hitting the floor) and if it blurred together the rhythm in the room would be lost. ]]> 2021-07-01 09:08:38 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633179364 3 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633180491 This is where I found it started to get fun for me. Group improvisation has to be one of my favourite ways to work. It was really fun to copy peoples pathways (This was more of a tactic for if I didn’t know how I could compositionally add to the improvisation). Also to match people’s rhythm, accidental or not, it was exciting. Along with the music and the breath and in the sounds of people's steps, I found I had a strong emotional connection to it. We also could step and continue that particular step for as long as we wanted to. I remember one instance when I stepped all the way across the space and it felt great compositionally to be in contrast with the rest of the room. The emotional response was intuitive in a group setting and it felt that way with others but I wouldn’t personally know. Also I am just now realising that a practical and physical approach to improvisation only happens with me when I’m either moving alone or are struggling to find connection with another person. Now I think about scores where I have had to be disconnected to another person and despite our efforts we still feel connected despite it being reluctant. This practical approach to movement might prove useful in this sort of scenario.]]> 2021-07-01 09:09:48 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633180491 4 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633181534 Later in the task when we were asked to put punctuation onto the end of the fall, I found this one of the most difficult. It had similar problems concerning timing but also that my imagination was strained. I find that my use of imagery generally depends on what sort of thing I have to imagine. It also depends on whether the imagination is intuitive, or if it is directed in the score. Also is the imagery an emotional response or is it merely a physical reaction? In any case, this was difficult to see. I could feel myself straining to come up with anything in my mind and therefore in my body. She was giving examples of images such as a semicolon, exclamation point and a full stop and what that might look like. None of them evoked anything for me, especially alongside the movement I was already doing. So I could see it working in others and imagine how it could work with me but I couldn’t realise it. It was very frustrating. I also found the sound/rhythm difficult to work with. I think I am just lacking in knowledge of how musical concepts can be executed. Movement I am better able to predict and be relative due to the fact I do it all the time. Sound is simply an unfamiliar tool. ]]> 2021-07-01 09:11:11 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633181534 5 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633183301 Adding the element of conscious movement onto it as well and had similar frustrations to the last point. It was difficult to find the right way to make choreographic choices with my body because I was torn between having the movement aid my shifting of weight or for it to not. I was sort of making half decisions and doing both but not really doing either. This was frustrating and it is very annoying when your body can’t keep up with your brain. I eventually decided to just be more practical and focus on the weight again to help me organise myself.

]]> 2021-07-01 09:13:17 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633183301 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633186043 In terms of emotion it was changing throughout. The movement was physically challenging to do well and my emotions relied heavily on how connected I felt with the group. It was not on the others to make this happen with me however. Because the movement wasn’t intuitive at times the connection was somewhat lost. This was so much more frustrating in a group setting than in solos because of the pressure of other people's progress which I might hinder perhaps if I was not working in a way that connected to them.

This improvisation is a good example of all the things I like and dislike as well as things I need to work on in group improvisation. I like the action and reaction of improvisation and it’s very gratifying. It is exciting to propose an idea and then given a response (or lack of one). And for it to be unexpected or expected, it’s all exciting. It’s like you were able to create a narrative with others and the people watching. And I find the more people the easier it is to find relationships and establish some kind of connectivity between dancers.

Things I dislike however are the fact that I don’t actually tend to feel pressure much from within the improvisation, I feel it more from the outside perception of me in the group. I think with this score there were times that I was really able to connect with the group but as soon as the movement content was added I lost some of the connection which in turn lost some of my enjoyment and that made it even harder. I think that I just need to trust that it will be fine.

In terms of the things I need to work on I find my excitement about group choreography can lead me to get carried away. I want to experience everything in improvisations and create as many relationships and narratives with the audience and with other dancers as possible and I can easily lose sight of the score or the peace as a whole. I think this is because I find it very difficult to remove myself emotionally from movement that has interpersonal relationships and movement-based freedom.

]]> 2021-07-01 09:16:21 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633186043 4 R E P E A T I T I O N, R E V E R S E A N D R E T R O G R A D E I M P R O V I S A T I O N - 07/06/2021 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633235253 SCORE
Our own movement as well finding moments for retrograde and reversal. ]]> 2021-07-01 10:21:35 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633235253 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633237994 I remember feeling quite excited about the concept of retrograde and reversal.

]]> 2021-07-01 10:25:42 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633237994 RETROGRADE steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633238374 2021-07-01 10:26:20 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633238374 REVERSE steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633240341 2021-07-01 10:29:04 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633240341 NORMAL steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633241243 2021-07-01 10:30:25 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633241243 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633242582 Throughout the class we looked at different ways to repeat movement. We sometimes worked with others which is very fun as the element of copying people's movements added to the repetition, because of it being two people instead of one. The more bodies the more movement is emphasised as well as the more opportunities for repetition. Repetition is a useful tool to visually show what you want an audience to focus on. It is simple but attention grabbing.

]]> 2021-07-01 10:32:12 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633242582 REPITITION steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633244111 Simply repeating the movement over and over. This is simple but effective if the goal is to bring attention to a single movement and what it may possibly represent. Some logistical issues however include the movement might not end in a way that can get it back to its original state. It might be easier for the dancer to do simple movement components such as jumping in practically any way as what goes up must come down so you always find a way to repeat it. Also turning does this as well because naturally you will always return to a neutral. Even if you turn different amounts of degrees or in different ways it will still call focus to the turn as that is technically the thing you are repeating.

]]> 2021-07-01 10:34:25 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633244111 LOOP steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633246890 Earlier in the class, the way we discussed and explored looping was by taking a simple movement something like I mentioned earlier or just a swipe of the arm for example. You would take the simple movement and develop it gradually over the improvisation. This is a good way to practice steady streams of movement (Looping is sort of a flow of consciousness). Depending on how much or how little you wanted to embody the task in a visual sense, means that a varying degree of flow was shown. It all depends on what is a natural and interesting course of progression for you. Different things may be at the forefront of the movement decisions, such as: speed, emotive quality, the duration, the trajectory, shape, level, et cetera. Questions arose like "what aspect of whatever your looping do you want to maintain throughout the entire improvisation?". As well as "how do you make your transitions work?", and "what makes you feel you have repeated a movement long enough?". I found the answer to this to be the weight of the movement, generally. I chose a swing movement which was a conscious decision as they feel satisfying to repeat due to the natural ease of the transitions. Weight and trajectory are at the forefront of a swing so when those become too heavy or felt completed, it was natural to add in another body part to balance the body out therefore making a development. ]]> 2021-07-01 10:38:13 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633246890 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633247537 This made me think of 'Fase' by Anna Teresa De Keersmaeker. I am unsure however if this piece would be considered a loop or not because the movement is developed but it reverts back to the original state.

Scene from 'Fase: Four movements to the Music of Steve' Reich' (1982) (1)]]> 2021-07-01 10:39:05 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633247537 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633258422 I remember not using my focus much for this. It is in my nature to keep my eyes downwards when I dance. I often have to suppress this instinct especially with choreography but it was nice that I could sort of let myself do it at times in the score. It was relaxing and matched the theme of my exploration which was abandonment. I remember a specific movement where I was sat on the ground and I was rebounding my elbow from my side repeatedly and this felt cathartic. Repetition is not just making sure that the audience remember a movement. It doesn’t just emphasise what you want to show the audience either. It also changes the value of a movement. It can make the value go up or go down though I’m not sure how you would show the difference, maybe if it was already very physically difficult, by repeating it it is showing that it isn’t as hard as you may think or that it actually is and it is showing off the dancer’s physical capabilities. ]]> 2021-07-01 10:52:31 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633258422 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633259085 Also it can change whatever implications the movement had when it was first performed. The length it is repeated may turn it into something completely different to the original motif. In terms of emotional response the movement that I explained conveyed frustration or that’s at least how it seemed to me. Repetition has its purpose in performance however in people's daily lives the association it has is often frustration and dullness, but alternatively it can seen as calming and reassuring.]]> 2021-07-01 10:53:23 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633259085 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633262078 This improvisation is definitely within my comfort zone. I found that my interpretation of the task was very intuitive and relaxing for me so I don't feel I have much to say on it. I feel as though we work a lot to move away from our habits which is necessary if we ever hope to recognise our habits, but at times it is nice to let your body and mind relax with something you already know how to do.

]]> 2021-07-01 10:56:57 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633262078 5 M O R N I N G I M P R O V I S A T I O N - 23/06/2021 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633582550 This one is to do with my emotions more than anything else. I was physically drained due to the lack of sleep, but I had a nice walk to the school as it was sunny for the first time in days and this definitely affected my mood for the better. I was also wearing very loose clothes they don’t normally wear. It was nice as they were very comfortable.]]> 2021-07-01 15:34:05 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633582550 T H E M U S I C steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633584619 I chose to dance to this song because firstly it is very immersive, it seems to encompass the Space as if it were visible, like a gas or water that filled the room. This was satisfying to dance to because it is easier for me to connect to it in my movements. I wanted there to be a clear relationship between the movement and the music. The imagery this song gives me is curving lines that trace the air, with fleeting wisps of fluid material, like fabric or like hair blowing around in the air, as well as little dots that pop in and out of the space. This is likely because of the continuing motif throughout the song. The music also reminds me of the colour green and blue. This is probably just because of the album cover being green, as well as the mention of the colour green in the song. The way this would manifest into the improvisation would be firstly continuous flows of movement that changed direction but never (or I tried) lost the continuous flow of energy. This flow of energy was done with circular motions with the circle was coming towards me, like the energy flows out then back in. Also I think visually I showed that by following the traces with my eyes. However this is not to say that just because there was a continuous flow of energy, that the movement was also only continuous. I really like the feeling of impulses so I used a lot of those as well as swings which are just fun for momentum's sake. It’s fun to throw yourself and your body to gravity when you can and when it feels dramatic in an artistic context.

The lyrics are melancholic. She talks about wanting to start over with somebody, like they want to be the same and with the same person but relearn about them with no previous inhibitions. This informed how I danced as well. I gave a narrative which I have mentioned before that I really like.

'Baglaens' by Lowly (2019) (2)

]]> 2021-07-01 15:35:43 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633584619 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633588273 The lighting was very nice as well and added to the atmosphere. It was dim and natural light much like the one in the background.

]]> 2021-07-01 15:38:25 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633588273 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633589412 Also I did not have a plan entering the Exploration. The most I planned was that I wanted to dance to some music with narrative and emotional purposes. I really just wanted to dance for myself with music, a very traditional and informal way of moving which I felt I hadn’t gotten to do enough recently.]]> 2021-07-01 15:39:23 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633589412 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633590255 I danced with the mirrors open. I’m unsure whether this was distracting or not. I think it was reassuring in terms of my confidence that it not only felt good to do but I also liked how the movement looked. With hindsight I wish I had done some improvisation with the mirror and some without because although I’m glad I liked what I saw, when I'm able to abandon inhibitions I’ve always found that even more enjoyable, however, in terms of the content, more forgettable. I think with this I wanted to not just move but also create something I liked and that’s why I kept the mirrors open.]]> 2021-07-01 15:40:04 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633590255 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633591377 I found this improvisation felt like a release of tension. This is because it was a very simple task, I was doing it alone, I used narrative and emotion and lighting was very nice and calm.

These are the nice moments where we remember to enjoy the feeling of movement and the importance of experiencing dance in an informal setting. I also really believe in the idea that if you can just enjoy movement and that we should give time and respect to performance that strives to connect with people in whatever way they find interesting. Something that comes to mind with this is TikTok dances. I hear This rhetoric that these are stupid and silly and meaningless. Firstly this is almost certainly based on people’s need to put down anything that's main fan base is teenage girls (which is my impression that TikTok dances are dominated by young women), and the fact that this is rooted in specifically American Black culture which is never shown "respect" until it is appropriated as well. They have no other purpose but to be cool, fun, easily learnable and appeal to a wide audience. And this is fine. I think anything that gets people to enjoy dancing is a good thing.

]]> 2021-07-01 15:41:00 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633591377 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633593016 I don’t have much to say about this one if I’m being honest. Other than that it was fun and nice and it was those things because I let myself dance in a way that is comfortable and calming. I think I need to do this sort of thing more often, like once every week maybe just because it’s enjoyable and it can also help make my habits seem clearer to me.

]]> 2021-07-01 15:42:10 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633593016 6 B R E A T H I M P R O V I S A T I O N - 28/06/2021 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633656138 I was feeling very calm but very anxious to perform again.

The atmosphere in the room was very reassuring and open. I have seen a few groups perform as well as performed myself. Ben said earlier in the class about “ how far we’ve come“ and it felt very apparent in this class. There were so many interesting decisions with the composition and narratives as well as intelligent decision making that I don’t think would have occurred to many of us at the start of the year. It was apparent that the shift and people's mindset was one of a more explorative and inquisitive nature that would have previously been clouded by performance anxiety and lack of knowledge. This is just my impression. It was very exciting.

]]> 2021-07-01 16:37:29 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633656138 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633657403 Ben had given lots of notes to each of the groups and I found myself today really jealous of those performing. I really wanted to join in again and see what would happen and try out some things that Ben had said. Something that sticks is he talked about spacing. There is a safe 2 m space that we usually assume is a good starting space however that doesn’t say much at all (Eva had also talked to us about the same concept in composition) and how standing very close into someone’s personal space and contact can show a relationship, for example pushing or just touching. I found it quite funny that it had never occurred to me that I could push someone in an improvisation. ]]> 2021-07-01 16:38:39 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633657403 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633659516 When doing contact work it is very easy to be gentle and giving and guiding, wanting the process to flow with ease and technical dependability. It’s now occurring to me that this might be a similar thing to the 2 metre gap. We are close but not too close, I am afraid so I won’t really say anything. Pushing is a very pedestrian thing, not the same as walking which in the right context is good but can generally not say much. Pushing is a very bold narrative force. I imagine the audience would find it difficult to focus on anything else if someone just violently pushed another dancer to the ground.

These are the sorts of things I was thinking about. I didn't think I should try and push somebody, more that I should let myself do something I have never done before. Also I wanted make sure to pay attention to the other performers as much as possible as I have a habit of sometimes getting carried away and forgetting to react to others.

]]> 2021-07-01 16:40:05 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633659516 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633661486 Another thing I was thinking about was the space. This is something I find I don’t really explore much, choreographically or in improvisations. I was thinking a lot about how the space can already have begun before you even moved yet. Like I wanted to set something up from the get go. The previous time I worked in a trio, I stood very far away from everyone so this time I thought why not stand close to Olha and bend my head down to not acknowledge her.

I realise I have a habit of this. I won’t acknowledge people with facial expressions or eye-contact, instead I’ll move close to them and react in a way that is distant.

]]> 2021-07-01 16:41:54 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633661486 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633664237

The first thing I did was breathe out. I didn’t really intend for me to keep going with the breath in a rhythmical way but it’s what ended up happening. It was very exciting to hear Mateo (the musician) following my breath, it made me want to keep going. I also started hitting the floor with my exhalations which added to the atmosphere. If I’m being honest I also remember being quite lightheaded and I was telling myself to not go too far with this because I didn’t want to faint. I was also thinking how strange that the sound in the room was coming from me and even though I was happy I was doing it, I couldn’t help but worry that the audience was actually finding it funny (if they had I probably would’ve just laughed as well, though it would probably still be embarrassing) or that it wasn’t portraying what I wanted it to. I also don’t really know what narrative I wanted to create. I just wanted to move like that and make sound. It was a kind of an out of body experience as well just because it was very strange for me to do something like that. I don’t think I’ve ever used my voice in a performance of my own accord. It was very fun though, and excited to know that this is something I can do in the future.

It was difficult to see what was forming. I'm struggling to remember what happened structurally. I mostly just remember the beginning and end well. There are moments in the middle of fixed gaze in the same direction. I think I saw the others looking up and so I followed that. I think I’m struggling to decide on what happened because it felt like less of a series of intentions, more like some things that I wanted to do. Like verbatim, eyeline and focus and relating well with others.

The ending was very fun. Mateo had stopped playing at some point and I think it was Mateo who had cleared his throat and then one of the other dancers cleared her throat too which I thought was great and really clever. At this point I was trying to hold eye contact with her and shuffling backwards and then I was being blocked by Olha. I was initially going to do a slow buildup of the “clearing throat” motif But we instead made it into a calling response which I thought is better and eventually I tried to get Olha to do it too and I was genuinely sure she was going to do it. When she didn’t however and the audience laughed it was a great feeling.

It occurred to me recently that there might be no better thing (I think) than when an audience laughs at your performance. It is a nice reminder to not take things too seriously and shows they were invested in what you were doing.

]]> 2021-07-01 16:44:04 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633664237 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633667182 Something that I really realised in that class is how difficult it is to keep going with something that you started. As I was breathing and as I was doing an earlier improvisation that involved a lot of falling, most of it was on my mind was to not let the energy I put into this die out. It was very important for me to keep the audience believing in what we as a group are showing them. Like it’s a different sort of thing to not letting your physical exertion show in your movement clarity. You just have to trust that whatever you’re doing will work and is reaching somebody.]]> 2021-07-01 16:46:59 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633667182 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633668276 I also realise that I really want to keep working in this way. I like adding drama to my improvisation and thinking about it, not in a way of “will this look good?” but more “will this reach the audience/the other dancers?”, “what have I not considered compositionally?”, “what have we established?”. I find this much more interesting and I think gives better results.]]> 2021-07-01 16:48:04 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633668276 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633668963 I also think I need to work better at being reactionary to people and following rather than, a lot of the time, only setting up things, I need to figure out how to do this.]]> 2021-07-01 16:48:46 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1633668963 7 E Y E S I M P R O V I S A T I O N - ?/?/? steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634694129 I unfortunately don’t remember the date of this improvisation as well as the teacher's name. I didn’t write any of the information down at the time. I remember it must’ve been close to the winter break.]]> 2021-07-02 08:44:34 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634694129 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634696402 I was inspired to talk about this as I found an image that describes my visualisation of it well.

Piece by Gavi Crane. (3)]]> 2021-07-02 08:47:23 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634696402 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634713264 It also made me think of "The Pale Man" from "Pan's Labyrinth" (2006). (4)]]> 2021-07-02 09:09:04 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634713264 TASK steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634715268 Your eyes begin closed. Imagine you have eyes on various parts of your body. For example if you were to have eyes on your hands or on your ankles, how would you get them to see every part of the room. The eyes can shift body parts or be everywhere.

Firstly 3 people stood around you well you moved with your eyes closed on the spot.
Then you opened your eyes.
Then you could travel around them with your eyes open.

]]> 2021-07-02 09:12:03 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634715268 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634716399 At the time this improvisation reminded me of how I enjoyed to dance a few months before at the beginning of the year. I liked to work a lot with tension and articulation which at the time of this improvisation I didn’t feel I wanted to move like that anymore. At the time my movement was more focused on being as a single unit (as opposed to working sequentially) and working from a technical starting point. I had been really focusing on the technique classes which I hadn’t really done before. I came from a more 'creative-based' training so I made a conscious decision to focus on myself more on technique. This I remember made me reduce the value of improvisation classes and I couldn’t find a connection between them. I therefore struggled to have the same level of critical thought in creative classes in comparison to technical ones.]]> 2021-07-02 09:13:40 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634716399 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634717091 This particular class I remember feeling very awake and excited to work with the guest teacher as we had worked with her before and I had had a really enjoyable time. For the majority of the class we improvised with our eyes closed in our individual boxes that were marked on the floor. I really like when we have long explorations like this as I feel we get enough time to fully understand what we are thinking about.

]]> 2021-07-02 09:14:45 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634717091 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634717661 The task I described earlier was the last task we did In the class. As I’ve mentioned before I really enjoy dancing with my eyes closed. The abandonment, fleeting nature and lack of judgement is nice, especially when I am not feeling inspired, tasks that involve this are very helpful.]]> 2021-07-02 09:15:31 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634717661 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634718494 Just wanted to mention that the imagery that came to my mind was quite disturbing but it was creepy in a fun way. The imagery informed the quality and the narrative I had in my head. That isn’t to say however that I was just looking for a creepy and disturbing narrative, I was also very informed by the music which was done by Dominico. He’s playing a guitar mostly and I’m sorry but I’m not sure how to describe the music that he played, only that it evoked a similar image to “the morning improvisation”.

]]> 2021-07-02 09:16:33 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634718494 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634719984 When I opened my eyes I found it very fun and seemed to open up more conscious movement, but I wanted to make something as well as the feeling of enjoying having an audience. I was very invested in what I was doing.

I was also thinking a lot about how folds were being made as well. How when one side folds in, what can I imagine the eyes my body seeing?

]]> 2021-07-02 09:18:33 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634719984 steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634720705 I think this improvisation was very good for me as it reminded me that I enjoyed dancing and it was just very fun. I’m unsure whether the movement I did was more interesting or not, but it is just occurring to me that when I feel I am comfortable, I like to abandon my weight more and release myself to the floor, I will also do more continuous movement. When I am stressed my movement will be more tense and filled with pauses. In both my eyeline is to the floor which I need to work on.

]]> 2021-07-02 09:19:36 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634720705 R E F E R E N C E L I S T steffifashokun1 https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634813231 2021-07-02 11:45:47 UTC https://padlet.com/steffifashokun1/tqjkukkcnhdp3sai/wish/1634813231