Working hard, showing my efforts.

In Graham and Cunningham technique today with Rebekah, we realised that she was going to take notes for our assessment on how we are doing in class. This didn't really throw any of the class off at all, it improved most people and their dancing altogether.

The beginning Graham foorwork really works all of the muscles throughout the body, and I feel like I have improved at this a lot. This sequence consists of:

• Over-curves in 1st, parallel and 2nd.
• Bouncing in an over-curve in 1st, 2nd and parallel.
• Releasing the middle back (in a curve), to an over-curve, to releasing the back (straight line), to sitting back onto sitzbones; in 1st, 2nd and parallel.
• Brushes in parallel position to falling backwards, arching back and leading with the head to lying on the floor. Then tucking in tight and returning to the starting position again.
• Curving over the legs in parallel. Flexing the feet, to bending knees, to releasing the back straight, and curving back over again.

This takes a lot of work from the muscles and as I realised today, it isn't comfortable to sit with a straight back on my sitzbones. This has improved ever since I have noticed this and I can now recognise my starting position pushing out of the floor, sending energy up and out of the head. When performing the movements in 2nd and parallel I increase the effort of the muscles by lifting my heels off of the floor when pointing my feet, through the use of my gastrocnemius and quadriceps.

Sequence 1:

Sequence 2:

Sequence 3:

Sequence 4:

Sequence 5:

We then performed the sequences in 1st position which involves spirals, curves and high releases. This is then performed in 2nd position which involves a change in direction and balancing partly on the floor.

You can't see properly (as it looks like I am opening the door) but I am lifting up and out of my sitzbones to lengthen and twist the spine, creating a spiral.

Here you can see that I am lifting up and out of my sitzbones but I have a slight arch in my back showing that I am leaning forwards slightly; I need to sit backwards more.

In this sequence I am always trying to think about initiating my turn out by my hamstrings pushing from underneath my tail bone, forwards and up. I usually get told about my legs rolling in when in 2nd sitting position (straddle) as I have always been trained in gymnastics to do this. This is one of my main targets in Graham technique.

"The image of human thought in Graham was heavy, organic, brooding and altogether nineteenth century, in Cunningham, it is permutational, correlational, strategic, exact, rarefied, and airy." R. Copeland. (2004) 'Merce Cunningham: The Modernizing of Modern Dance'. Pg. 191. New York; London. I feel that there are some correlations between Graham and Cunningham in the way in execute the material. I think that they are both very creative and both include the body in strong ways, using the anatomy to portray simplicity as well as complex movements.

We perform another sequence that is one of my favourites:

This is a feel good sequence, as I can feel the definite twist in the spine and how much I can reach up and out of my tailbone feeling a sense of gravity and freedom at the same time. I feel like I am able to 'show off' in this sequence as it feels really nice and every part of the body feels like it has a chance to open and spread out. I feel like this sequence also tests strength because if I do this sequence correctly it does hurt as you can feel the muscles burning, whereas I know from previously watching this class that some pupils just go through the movements without putting maximum effort in. The dish hold part of the sequence is a good way to tell whether people are in the correct positions or not and whether they are working to their full potential.

I use a lot of breath when performing Graham and Cunningham technique as I feel it not only helps get you through the piece, but it deepens everything and almost but you in the correct positions without even trying.

"The 'attitude about movement' that Dunn refers to is another index of intellegence. Certain dancers gravitated away from other companies and toward Cunningham precisely because his work struck them as 'intelligent'. The intelligence of his movement is, first and foremost, a quality inherent in the movement itself." R. Copeland. (2004) 'Merce Cunningham: The Modernizing of Modern Dance'. Pg. 191. New York; London. This is how I feel when I do cunningham technique; having a specific attitude to the way I am dancing. I try to perform this technique with the precision that it has been created by, whilst also trying to move through the anatomical bodily stucture.

One of my biggest mistakes, other than my turn out in 2nd, is sticking my ribs out and arching of the back. Here you can see that my bottom is sticking out and is raised off of the floor, helping my legs to roll inwards; this initiate my back to bend and therefore push my rib cage outwards. I recognise this in class now as I can feel my movements in incorrect positions.

This is a better position as you can see that I am putting my weight into the floor through my tail bone to help ground my central position. This in turn, helps to turn out my legs and improve my basic stance. You can witness my ribs alignment in the photograph above which is helping to give a straight line through my back sending the energy up and out of the crown of the head. 

In these videos, you can see that I am performing with precision. Most of these movements are lengthened (moving to balance) to help control myself so that the sequence runs smooth. You can see that my left side (viewers right) is more controlled and altogether more presice than my right (viewers left). This is because i find it easier to control when I am not performing on my most flexible side. I have improved at being able to control this and I will further this in my career of dance.

I feel that altogether I can improve at this sequence and make it look effortless.

You have previously seen me perform this sequence and here I have mixed two different sequences together to include a range of movement and see if I can perform to my best. I feel that I could execute my movements more and give a sense of presence to the rest of the class, to show my performing side.

If I perform the sequence with effort and energy and i fall over that is better than holding back on movements as it shows that I am attacking the phrase set.

Copland states; "Much the same can be said of Doris Humphrey - as well as of Duncan, Fuller and Graham: It is obvious that they are intelligent; and, yet, their work is not "about" being intelligent. For example, one would be reluctant to describe most pre-Cunningham modern dance as "brainy." (To be sure, "brainy" is an adjective rarely applied to modern dance before the advent of Cunningham and the Judson era.) Deborah Jowitt recently referred to the Cunningham company's "high IQ limbs." It's difficult to imagine her praising Graham's dancers in the same way - even though their bodies are just as technically powered."