Heads
We started off today’s class by watching two different videos the first being from when contact improvisation had just began. This was a very aggressive approach the participants, a group of about eight had high energy and would jump into, push and drag each other which was very different to the second video. This was a more recent video with just two male participants who moved with a calm energy. Instead of pushing they lifted and supported each other with constant movement they move effortlessly though all different levels. Though watching these two video I can really see how contact improvisation has changed and developed over the years.
Our first exorcise in class was to move around without taking our heads off the floor I enjoyed doing this as I found that I started to make some interesting shapes and tested myself to see where I could put my weight. When doing this I did find that my arms got in the way a lot because of the way that I roll I wanted to lift my head to sweep my arm underneath meaning that I really had to think about where my arms were because of this my movement wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked it to be.
Next we got together with a partner. Starting sat back to back we were asked to put our heads together and to move together without taking out heads apart. I also enjoyed doing this and found it easy to connect with my partner. One part of the exorcise that I did find hard was that if you ended up laying on the floor it was very hard to get back up again and the same with moving up high to standing, if your partner did not want to move of the level you were on then it is easier to move down with them then to move up to a higher level. We were then told to them same thing but we could move our heads all over our partners body, still without losing contact with them. When doing this I found that I stayed more to my partner’s shoulders and back.
Next we were asked to stay in our partners. Partner A would lay on the floor as partners B holds partners A’s head. Partners A would then give the weight of their head to partners B’s hands. When partner A is ready they start moving but still letting partner B have the weight of their head. Then after some time partner B takes their hands away to watches the difference in partner A’s movement. When I was partner A I felt like I wasn’t giving my partner all my head weight all the time but after she took her hands away I felt very heavy and grounded and this was something that I could see after I too my hands away from my partners head she had a very low center of gravity and moved with a sort of rag doll look about her as she looked calm and relaxed.
Our last exorcise was pebbles and tables a very fun get simple task where your partner would lay in a pebble or table top shape and you simply rollover them supporting yourself with your legs and keeping your head relaxed. I found this so much fun and could have done it for the rest of the day.