Dusan Tynek Dance Theatre

I absolutely loved Dusan Tynek. The entire experience was amazing; taking class, listening during the seminar, and watching them perform. I wish that I was able to see them perform more than once. I felt I was missing so much only watching them once. They were always on. Even when they were sitting on the side of the stage in chairs I wanted to watch them. Throughout their performance you could tell they all trusted each other. This enabled them to commit to the step without fear of falling off the chairs. It was beautiful. Technically they were wonderful, but at times I don't think that mattered. They brought 100% of who they were to the performance and because they were so present I don't think it would matter as much if they were a little technically off (which they weren't). Taking class with them you could see they were a humble group and that humility came through in their performance. No one person stood out, they all shined in their own light. Usually I find myself drawn to one person when watching a dance performance and that was definitely not the case with this company and I really enjoyed that.

Parts to Whole

The week we focused on whole body was my favorite week so far. I felt like a light bulb went off and I began to understand . I love when the movements are slow and I can take my time and think about every aspect of it. I have the most trouble when it speeds up. It seems the faster the combination the more I tense up and stop dancing. I found that when I concentrate on my core the rest seems to come naturally, but when I concentrate of the step I second guess myself. I am trying to think about using my core in everything I am doing. I find this is easier when I am sure about the combination. I think that I have a tendency to go into robot mode. I tense up and just do the steps. This makes sense to me because that is the way I am in life; often tense and serious. It helps when I take a deep breathe before I begin any exerciser and think about my core. It also helps when I relax and just dance and stop trying to be perfect.

Body Check In

I feel good. It is nice for a change. My eating habits have drastically changed since last semester and I think this change is responsible for change in my physical and mental health. Most of the time last year I was not able to give 100% because my eating habits were so bad. I regularly wouldn't eat most of the day and use sugar and caffeine to keep me going. This diet had me on a roller coaster of emotional and physical ups and downs. Since I have gone vegan I feel so much more balanced, body and mind. I do have challenges some days. If I take to many classes and don't eat enough I feel it immediately. My body is not resisting. I think it is so thankful to finally be treated right it is celebrating. It seems so obvious, but dance is so much better when I feel good. I feel like I am much more in tune to my body and it's needs and because of this I am becoming a better dancer. When I don't feel 100% in class I can now look back on the day and think about what I am putting into my body. Was it balanced? What do I need more/less of? I also noticed I have much more energy without caffeine. Now that I am not preoccupied with my weight and trying starve myself I am able to relax in class, and not be so preoccupied about my body. I am free to focus on my dance.

Being Present

I love the idea of being present, even if it is something I consistently struggle with in life and in dance. I have this idea that everything is perfect in the moment, there is no need to worry about the present or the future, but I often find myself getting caught in my own head. I find it is much easier to be present in ballet than modern. I think that is because that has always been the place I could let go of everything and just dance. I am finding that there are times in modern when I can slow down my brain and dance, those are the moments I enjoy.

 The identity dance has been one of my favorite assignments so far. I sat down and wrote the first thoughts that  came into my head and then did what felt most natural. I am often so concerned about doing things technically wrong that I don't like to take chances. The second time I performed felt so much better. I love speaking and just being able to say the words calmed my nerves a great deal. It was much easier to relax a bit and be myself. I remember when I saw Monica Bill Barnes last year I thought to myself I would really enjoy performing like that. There is something about poking fun at yourself and the art that calms me. When I am silly it is easier to be present. So I wiggled my toes and for the first time felt okay dancing in front of my classmates.

As I expand on this I plan to embrace my silliness and my awkwardness and laugh at myself a bit as I dance. I think this will help me to be honest and when I am honest I can be present.

Create and Notate

Begin in first position turned out.

Tendu devant 1 close 2 Tendu 3 lower 4 Foot Articulation moving out 5,6 and 7,8

Weight shift (lifting foot to degage) 1,2 Rounde de jambe en lair 5,6,7, close 8.

Degage a le second 1,2 develop 3,4 envelope 5,6 posse 7,8

Plie 1,2 Plie 3,4 Grande Plie 5,6,7,8

Flat back/Parallel 1,2,3,4 Swing 5,6 Releve 7,8

Shoulder roll 1,2 shoulder roll with elbow 3,4, shoulder roll with arm 5,6 & 7,8

Under curve 1,2 over curve 3,4 right arm curve 5,6 reach 7,8

Tendu to second, grande plie 1,2,3,4 lunge 5,6 lower & rotate 7,8

Strengths, Challenges, and Goals

I am definitely not where I would like to be, but I think that I have improved. I am a lot let frustrated during class. As I begin getting more comfortable and starting to pick up the combinations I find that I am more able to let  go and dance. I found in the beginning of the semester I was thinking  constantly and not dancing at all. While I am still spending a lot of time thinking I find that there are times when I am able to dance. I am often preoccupied by thinking that other people are watching and judging me. This is probable because I spend so much time criticizing myself. I think the biggest and most important goal I have for myself is to let go of what others think and just dance. To stop thinking so much, learn the combination, let go and just do it. I don't have any real dance goals other than to be the best that I can be. To continue to grow and challenge myself on a regular basis.I am unsure if I will continue to take modern in the fall. While I know that it is good for me this semester has been very difficult and frustrating at times. I am looking forward to a break. I hope the time will give me the opportunity to clear my mind and make a good decision.

You Pick

http://youtu.be/zEwz2vSAkvw

I really enjoyed this solo. I think she did a great job. She was clearly grounded. All of her movements were clear. You could see throughout the dance she was in the moment and not simply thinking of the next step. Her eye tracking was great. You could also see points in the dance where she initiated movements and the simple movement rippled into the next. It was clear when she isolated movements in her back. Often when steps come rapidly the movement becomes muddled, however in this piece that did not happen. Her movements were very clear. She had strength and purpose in her movement and it made it very interesting to watch.

Body Check In

I am often overwhelmed. I have taken on more than it is possible for me to do, therefor I am frequently very sleep deprived. I think this works against me. It is difficult to take a dance class and be fully present when I am tired and I am thinking about all the things that I need to do. I have found that class has greatly reduced my stress. No matter how stressed I am when I walk into my ballet class I know that when I walk out I will feel like all is well with the world.
I am feeling much better about my body this semester. I feel like I am continually improving and getting stronger. I still get frustrated that I am not where I want to be yet, but I am happy that I am able to see my progress. The stronger I get the more my technique improves. I also think as I improve I relax and therefor I am able to improve more.

Concept

I have discovered that I have a common problem with all concepts when it comes to modern. I am able to understand and do the concept when it is slow or done in an isolated movement, but when it is in the context of a phrase I have difficulty. My mind gets wrapped up in trying to remember the next movement and I forget to work on the concept. We have spent lot of time working on rotation of our backs and contractions. I find them much easier to do when we are doing them slowly and I concentrate on the movement. I find that I have this same problem in every class. When I can slow down and think it is much easier for me to do what I need to do properly. I think that is a common problem.

Transfer of Weight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC88s50rXWM

After a great deal of searching youtube I discovered it was very difficult to find a video that payed attention to weight shift. However I did find a great deal of videos of dances that could have been improved be attention to weight shift. This video is an example of a work in progress. First I would like to point out this is a terrible choice of music. That asside without weight shift it seems as if she is simply moving through the steps with no feeling or attention to detail. The lack of weight shift makes this video difficult to watch. From the beginning she does not weight shift. She begins walking and it is simply that moving through the steps. I think it would have been greatly improved if she would have weight shifted putting some purpose behind the movement. Later in the piece she comes  out of a turn and simply puts her foot down rather than putting any weight on it. I think that a little weight shift could have greatly improved this piece.

Research Summer Programs

I have to admit this assignment was a little frustrating for me. I wish that I was able to attend a summer program, but unfortunately my family life dictates that I cannot take that much time away especially in the summer. I read the article and reluctantly began my search. My criteria was simply a ballet program that would accept someone my age. I was not surprised to see that I was to old for every program I looked into.

Now that I am older I wish that I had taken more chances when I was young. After high school I assumed that I was too old to pursue dancing as a career option. The longer I am at HCC the more I see that was a foolish though pattern.  If it was not for my family and age restrictions today I would not hesitate to attend a summer program.

I love intensives. The push you and draw out skills that you never knew you had. I remember attending ballet intensives when I was young and feeling amazing at the end of them, like I had grown leaps and bounds. The long days exhaust you, but also allow you to live your dance. Dance is no longer a fun activity, but a way of life.

How Do You Learn

I'm a visual tactile learner, but until now I never thought of how it relates to dance. Recently I have been thinking about how I can have a combination clear in my head, but if I notice someone doing something wrong I become distracted and begin to question myself. I think it may have something to do with my learning style. Growing up the combination was rarely demonstrated I was simply told the steps and then expected to do them. That is simply what I am used to. Here the combination is demonstrated, often several times. When I was younger I used to close my eyes. It was the only way that I could be present in the moment and let go and dance. I find myself doing that more today. I close them for a brief moment and I see myself doing the steps. When I close my eyes I am less likely to become distracted.

I also like to be consistent. I go to the same bar each day, same place in the center and I usually go in the middle of the line when going across the floor. I think this has less to do with my learning style and more to do with my need to feel comfortable. 

Alignment

I started dancing very young and from the very beginning alignment was always addressed. For the most part it is natural for me to be aware of my alignment and in a constant state of working on it. I find it is most difficult to maintain when I am tired or my muscles are tired. I want to slump and let go. The irony is when I am not aligned it becomes more difficult to dance. I like the idea of thinking about lengthening the tail bone down rather than tucking the pelvis under. I am going to try and think of it that way during my next class and see what difference it makes.

Monica Bill Barnes

Strong technique was evident throughout the show. Although the use of comedy may have masked the technique at times it was clear they were all well trained and took their art seriously. The attention to detail was clear. They moved with precision and ease throughout the program. Their movement choices were clear. Never did I ask myself if that was an accident, if something was funny, it was clear they intended it to be so.