Throughout the past nine weeks I have discovered many different things about myself. Improvisation has opened my mind to different styles of dance and unusual ways to move your body. I never knew that improvisation had so much structure and many different ways you can use your movements. From participating in different scores, I have realised how many different structures and forms there is, and the different ways you can play within the scores. I have enjoyed being in the scores as I have become more confident in my dancing especially improvising as I was very shy at the start.
At the beginning of the module I struggled with coming up with new material. Starting was a difficult point as I would freeze and wouldn’t know how to start. In the last couple of weeks I have developed knowledge which allows me to start anyway I wanted too. I have discovered that my dynamics when I dance are slow and fluid. This is because of my previous training, I feel like as a dancer I need to progress and start to attack my movements. I have also found out my movements are all vertical and I don’t seem to use the floor as much. This module has challenged me to think out of my comfort zone.
All of the scores involved improvising with other students. This has allowed me to connect and dance with other people. I have loved being able to create and be a part of different scores with different people. I feel like we have grown as a group and have become more comfortable around each other. This has affected me in the way that I became more confident. In the last few weeks we used contact work for example the impulse and thick skinning. This has allowed me to discover something completely new to me and become more comfortable with my dance partners. Using the different limitations given to me has encouraged me to use different body parts which I don’t normally use, I never knew that improvisation has so much to it.
From performing in the score in the jam, I found it difficult to enter the space. I did not feel like I performed to my best as I had to concentrate on not upstaging the dancer whose solo it was. I think this is why I found it difficult to enter as I didn’t want to either intrude on their solo or try to make a duet when they wasn’t ready too.
Throughout this process, I have learnt to let myself go and not care about what the movement looked like. I feel like I have achieved this more in the last two weeks. I have also have learnt that the audience is just as important as the performers. There are many different ways the audience can be involved for example when watching a ballet they are performed in a proscenium arch meaning they can only see it from one angle. In the round is a different way the audience can be involved and they can also walk through the space whilst the performance is on.
From doing the pop up scores this week I have learnt many different ways to move my body and how to play with dynamics and timing. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the pop up scores. I enjoy being in the audience as you can see how the score develops. I also enjoy being a performer as you can make it interesting in many different ways. Overall this module has developed me as a dancer in the way that I understand my body, what suits my body and overall confidence.