Where did improvisation go?

I actually wrote this a little while ago, but after the previous post (The fringe benefits of failure, and the importance of imagination) I thought it would be fitting to talk about improvisation.

Inside every little ballerina is the urge to move, to improvise. The little girl hears music and lets her body go, to sway, to run, to twirl. And yet, I find it strange that remembering myself as a pre-teen, expected to perform improvisation in the odd class, I was paralised by shyness, scared to expose the little girl inside to scrutiny of the world.

It seems that we take all the little girls, and boys, who shows a natural love for moving to music, we put them in a class and teach them how to look like a row of synchronised, cookie cutter perfect ballerinas. If I think about it, everything that we teach in our ballet classes focuses on suppressing our natural urge to be individuals, our freedom to express ourselves with our natural nuances, our own choreography.

The way we train our dancers may make for a spectacular corps de ballet in Swan Lake, but does not bode well for the dying swan who does not want to 'go gently into that good night' by blending into the row of corps girls.

And so I ask, what are we doing to our budding young choreographers - the writers of the stories to be told through music and dance? How do we nurture that fairy princess who steps into class on her very first day, moving to her own song, to achieve the technique, precision, synchronisation and awareness that defines ballet, but also to nurture the free spirit of each individual to unleash to the world an unrestricted creativity from each and every dancer?

The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, was invited to give the commencement address at the Harvard graduation ceremony for the class of 2008. You don't have to be a Harry Potter fan, nor a Harvard graduate to appreciate her words of advice and wisdom, with a touch of humor thrown in.

You can read or watch the address here.

A little bit of Horton class

This was all I could find... but I hope a little is better than nothing :)

A small except of a Horton Technique Class:

The Horton Technique

Horton is a major codified modern dance technique reputed to fortify, stretch, and strengthen the human body. A technique created by Mr. Ailey’s mentor Lester Horton in the 1930's and 1940's. A modern dance pioneer, Horton’s goal was to create a dance technique that was anatomically corrective and utilized the widest possible range of motion, with an emphasis on large, full movements done to musical phrases of varying lengths and dynamics.

Horton was trying to create a dance technique based entirely upon corrective exercises, created with a knowledge of human anatomy; a technique which will correct physical faults and prepare a dancer for any type of dancing he may wish to follow, a technique having all the basic movements which govern the actions of the body, combined with a knowledge of the origin of movement and a sense of artistic design.

In an interview Horton stated: “I am sincerely trying to create a dance technique based entirely upon corrective exercises, created with a knowledge of human anatomy; a technique which will correct physical faults and prepare a dancer for any type of dancing he may wish to follow, a technique having all the basic movements which govern the actions of the body, combined with a knowledge of the origin of movement and a sense of artistic design”. (from the book American Dancer Pierre, Dorathi Bock (New York, NY October 1937, pg. 37.

The basic warm involves: flat backs, primitive squat, descent and ascent, lateral stretches, release swings, leg swings and deep lunges. The shapes that are used throughout the training in Horton technique are emphasized: the T positions, stag position, cross lunge and coccyx balance. The Horton technique was designed with studies to stretch and strengthen different areas of the body. Many of the beginning level studies which are taught focus on the Achilles tendon, the abdominal muscles, and movements that lengthen the spine and the hamstring muscles. Simple combinations of movements that include turns and jumps are taught to introduce musicality and dynamics to the beginning dancer's vocabulary. Performance qualities are emphasized at the very beginning of the dancer's training.

See also:

* The Dance Technique of Lester Horton, Majorie B. Perces, Ana Marie Forsythe, Cheryl Bell, ©1992 Princeton Book Company
* Video: The Dance Technique of Lester Horton: An Advanced Beginners Class (available from Amazon.com)

Lester Horton

Horton, Lester, (1906-53), dancer, choreographer, and teacher is regarded as one of the founders of American modern dance. He developed a unique style of technique and choreography, established the first permanent theater in America devoted to dance, and organized one of the first integrated modern dance companies.

Lester Horton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Choosing to work in California (three thousand miles away from the center of modern dance - New York City), Horton developed his own approach that incorporated diverse elements including Native American dances and modern Jazz. Horton's dance technique (Lester Horton Technique) emphasises a whole body approach including flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness to allow freedom of expression.

Throughout his career, Horton combined dance and drama into a total theatrical experience. He was intimately involved in creating all aspects of a production: the costumes, sets, lighting, and music as well as the scenarios and choreography. His fascination with ethnic dance, human sensuality, and cultural history was expressed in a prodigious body of work with themes ranging from the classics to melodrama, social concerns to farce.

Horton demanded a lot from his dancers. He required them to study ballet, learn to read music, sew, work the light board, and assist in making scenery and props, participating in virtually all aspects of production, design, and execution. Horton's company members and students included well-known modern dancers/choreographers such as Alvin Ailey, Janet Collins, Carmen de Lavallade, Bella Lewitzky, James Mitchell, Joyce Trisler, and James Truitte. Horton collaborated with Lewitzky to develop the foundation of his technique; they joined forces with several other partners to found the Dance Theater in Hollywood in 1946.

sources:
* Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre - Techniques, Horton
* Wikipedia - Lester Horton

More on Martha Graham

I know you can find everthing on youTube, but I did think that finding something with Martha Graham actually in it, would be quite a feat. But well, what do you know... here's something that was filmed in 1961. This expert features choreography from her ballet "night journey", which premiered in Cambridge, Mass in 1947.

Martha Graham

Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American dancer and choreographer regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance, whose influence on dance can be compared to the influence Stravinsky had on music, Picasso had on the visual arts, and Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.^[1] Graham invented a new language of movement, and used it to reveal the passion, the rage and the ecstasy common to human experience. She danced and choreographed for over seventy years, and during that time was the first dancer ever to perform at The White House, the first dancer ever to travel abroad as a cultural ambassador, and the first dancer ever to receive the highest civilian award, the Medal of Freedom. In her lifetime she received honors ranging from the key to the City of Paris to Japan's Imperial Order of the Precious Crown. She said "I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer. It's permitting life to use you in a very intense way. Sometimes it is not pleasant. Sometimes it is fearful. But nevertheless it is inevitable."

In 1926, Martha Graham founded her dance company and school, living and working out of a tiny Carnegie Hall studio in midtown Manhattan. In developing her technique, Martha Graham experimented endlessly with basic human movement, beginning with the most elemental movements of contraction and release. Using these principles as the foundation for her technique, she built a vocabulary of movement that would "increase the emotional activity of the dancer's body." Martha Graham's dancing and choreography exposed the depths of human emotion through movements that were sharp, angular, jagged, and direct. The dance world was forever altered by Martha Graham's vision, which has been and continues to be a source of inspiration for generations of dance and theatre artists.

Graham's early dances were not generally well-received by audiences who were not sure what they were seeing. The works were spare, powerful and modern, devoid of the dreaminess and glamour of the works of the previous decades. The dances were often based on strong, precise movement and pelvic contractions, and were charged with beauty and emotion. It was a stirring period of revolution for Graham in which she would begin to establish a new language of dance which was different from everything that preceded it and which would leave everything that came after it indelibly changed.

In 1936, Graham made her defining work, "Chronicle", which signalled the beginning of a new era in contemporary dance. The dance brought serious issues to the stage for the general public in a dramatic manner. Influenced by the Wall Street Crash, the Great Depression and the Spanish Civil War, it focused on depression and isolation, reflected in the dark nature of both the set and costumes.

Those who had the privilege of seeing her perform in her prime have attested to her precision, form and mesmerizing brilliance as a dancer on stage. Though she is arguably one of the most important choreographers in the history of dance (and perhaps one of the most important artists of the 20th century) she always said that she preferred to be known and remembered as a dancer.

For more information see:
* Wikipedia - Martha Graham
* Martha Graham Resources

[1] http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/graham_m.html

I am a Dancer

By Martha Graham
(from marthagraham.org)

I am a dancer. I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one's being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes in some area an athlete of God.

To practice means to perform, in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.

I think the reason dance has held such an ageless magic for the world is that it has been the symbol of the performance of living. Even as I write, time has begun to make today yesterday-the past. The most brilliant scientific discoveries will in time change and perhaps grow obsolete, as new scientific manifestations emerge. But art is eternal, for it reveals the inner landscape, which is the soul of man.

Many times I hear the phrase "the dance of life." It is an expression that touches me deeply, for the instrument through which the dance speaks is also the instrument through which life is lived-the human body. It is the instrument by which all the primaries of life are made manifest. It holds in its memory all matters of life and death and love. Dancing appears glamorous, easy, delightful. But the path to the paradise of the achievement is not easier than any other. There is fatigue so great that the body cries, even in its sleep. There are times of complete frustration, there are daily small deaths. Then I need all the comfort that practice has stored in my memory, a tenacity of faith.

It takes about ten years to make a mature dancer. The training is twofold. First comes the study and practice of the craft which is the school where you are working in order to strengthen the muscular structure of the body. The body is shaped, disciplined, honored, and in time, trusted. The movement becomes clean, precise, eloquent, truthful. Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it. This might be called the law of the dancer's life-the law which governs its outer aspects.

Then comes the cultivation of the being from which whatever you have to say comes. It doesn't just come out of nowhere, it comes out of a great curiosity. The main thing, of course, always is the fact that there is only one of you in the world, just one, and if that is not fulfilled then something has been lost. Ambition is not enough; necessity is everything. It is through this that the legends of the soul's journey are retold with all their tragedy and their bitterness and sweetness of living. It is at this point that he weep of life catches up with the mere personality of the performer, and while the individual becomes greater, the personal becomes less personal. And there is grace. I mean the grace resulting from faith — faith in life, in love, in people, in the act of dancing. All this is necessary to any performance in life which is magnetic, powerful, rich in meaning.

In a dancer, there is a reverence for such forgotten things as the miracle of the small beautiful bones and their delicate strength. In a thinker, there is a reverence for the beauty of the alert and directed and lucid mind. In all of us who perform there is an awareness of the smile which is part of the equipment, or gift, of the acrobat. We have all walked the high wire of circumstance at times. We recognize the gravity pull of the earth as he does. The smile is there because he is practicing living at that instant of danger. He does not choose to fall.

At times I fear walking that tightrope. I fear the venture into the unknown. But that is part of the act of creating and the act of performing. That is what a dancer does.

Looking back into the past.

I remember learning Graham walks in my modern dance class, but it was not the step that left an impression on me, it was the story behind the step that I learned, remembered and wondered about. We don't often pause to think about the steps we learn and the fact that somebody, somewhere, once upon a time had the inspiration to dance a new step.

Many years later I find myself wondering about the origins of dance techniques again. Although this time I was in a stretching and strengthening class and I thought, "hey, isn't this exercise from Horton technique? or is it an adaptation? And does the guy teaching the class even know about the Lester Horton technique?".

If you're a ballet dancer, you probably don't even know who Martha Graham or Lester Horton are. Or maybe you do, because with the need to keep ballet fresh and exciting for the younger generation dancers we find classical ballet blending more and more with contemporary dance and these days going to watch a new ballet by the San Fransisco Ballet or the Royal Ballet companies one can't always be sure whether to expect the traditional classical ballet or a more contemporary ballet. So what do the Alvin Ailey American Dance company perform anyway? In my novice opinion their dancers have better classical technique than our own South African Ballet Theatre dancers. In truth the differentiation between dance forms and techniques is no longer as simple as whether or not the dancer is wearing point shoes or not. Todays modern dancers are expected to be trained in ballet and likewise our classical dancers are expected to be trained in modern and contemporary dance... and well, dancers being dancers, they'll all probably throw in a bit of Hip Hop and Salsa too - just for the fun of it.

On this note, in my next few posts I would like to share with you some of what I have learnt and read about a few of the pioneers of modern dance that have influenced my life and whether you as a dancer or dance appreciator know it, have probably influenced your life in some small way.

The photo above was taken by Rosalie O'Connor of the work "Barbara" performed by the ABTII. The picture comes from the review by Susan Reiter on the Dance View Times website.

Muhammad Ali and Training

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

- Muhammad Ali

On striving for success

You always pass failure on the way to success.

- Mickey Rooney

Managing Your Weight

As a dancer one should take extra care of our bodies both by how we exercise and in what we eat. Many dancers are tempted by crash diets, which enables one to "loose weight quickly". However this involves losing essential water and muscle as well as fat. So, although the scales may read less, your body has not lost much fat. When you stop the crash diet you are likely to not only regain the weight that you have lost but you may also put on even more weight. Loosing weight slowly is the safest and most effective long term way to lose weight.

Should you lose weight anyway? Although dancers tend to aim for an athletic build, one should always bear in mind ones age and health. This website has a BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator and can show you whether your current weight is healthy (for adults). Most of you will fit in the Normal category. This means that most of you don't need to loose weight!

However, eating healthily is always very important, especially for dancers and athletes. The British Heart Foundation has some excellent advice on eating healthily. Download their publication entitled "So you want to lose weight for good" (pdf) - which has good advice on what a balanced diet is and how to eat healthily for life.

Interview with Gillian Murphy

Gillian Murphy is a Principal Dancer of The American Ballet Theatre in New York City. Find out more about her training, inspiration, and the remarkable results of it all in Finis Jhung's interview with her here.

Break a leg!

From all of us at the PEDC, we wish the girls who are doing exams at this time all the best of success.

Tighter side when stretching

Tip of the day:

When stretching, always stretch your tighter side first as it is human nature to rather stretch or do something on the easier side.

What's on

The South African Ballet Theatre, The Black Tie Ensemble and The Black Tie Opera Chorus are presenting a combination of ballet and opera this April in a program entitled Autumn Enchantment. An orchestral ensemble, under the baton of Maestro Graham Scott will accompany the performers.

The programme features excerpts from, amongst others, the Le Corsaire pas de deux (music Riccardo Drigo); The operetta The Student Prince (music Sigmund Romberg & lyrics Dorothy Donnelly), La Bayadère (music Ludwig Minkus), West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein) Nessun dorma from Turandot (Giacomo Puccini), Verranno a te sull aure and Chi mi frena in tal momento from Lucia di Lammermoor (Gaetano Donizetti), The Women Septet from The Merry Widow (Franz Lehàr).

If you've been to see Autumn Enchantment, please leave a comment and let us know how you enjoyed it.

Quote for the day

"Society, my dear, is like salt water, good to swim in but hard to swallow."

- Arthur Stringer

Don't forget to have some fun this weekend....

"The other dance" from Center Stage

Warming Up

Most often injuries can be prevented by doing a proper warm up before starting your exercise activity or stretching. The importance of warming up should not be over looked. When done properly it can do more than just loosen stiff muscles and can actually improve your performance. So here are a few tips for warming up.

Firstly, what does it atually mean to warm up? Well, just that! It is the processing of raising your core body temperature by one or two degrees celsius. This should be done by a combination of a general warm up, warm up stretching and some sport-specific activity.

1. General warm up: start with joint rotations beginning from either your toes and working your way up, or from your fingers and working down. This lubricates your joints and allows you to move more easily in your activity. Start with slow circular movements both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
This should then be followed up by aerobic activity for at least 5 minutes, such as jogging, skipping or some other exercise that will get your heart rate up and your blood pumping!

2. Warm up stretching: once you have got your heart rate and core temperature up your muscles will be warmer and more elastic. Now do some slow, relaxed and gentle stretching. Start with your back, followed by your upper body and lower body. Ask your teacher which stretches are appropriate for you to do as a warm up and be careful not to over-stretch

3. Light sport-specific activity: finish off your warm up with some light activity that is directly related to the athletic activity you are about to do. This should involve performing the same movements that will be used during your athletic activity but at a reduced intensity.

And now you're ready to dance :)

Adapted from Brad Appleton's Stretching and Flexibility

Penche

OK girls, this exercise is to improve your penche:

1. stand sideways to the barre , left hand on the barre, and degage your right leg derriere. Do a back bend without pushing your hips forward and lift your back leg/working leg to arabesque and try and keep the "back bend" position. In other words you are trying to build strength in your back to actually hold the leg before you start tilting

[Please see the disclaimer.]

Stretching and strengthening

hi all
just a little something about stretching and strengthening.

1) Always try and do a strengthening exercises after you have stretched out your muscles, as flexibilty means nothing if you do not have the strength to hold your leg up
2) After you have had a stretching session put two table spoons of Epsom Salts (Engelse Sout) in your bath water to relax your muscles.
3) Always warm up before you start your stretching

[Please see the disclaimer.]

Quote for the day

Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody is watching.

- Mark Twain

On Inspiration and the Ailey

I first heard about the Alvin Ailey from a dance teacher of mine in Cape Town. Praises don't come easily in the dance world and hers was so high of the company that I had to find out why. A few years later I found myself in New York City and my husband surprised me with tickets to see them perform - I got hooked for life. If I were to pick one thing that stood out most to me about the dancers it would be their incredible ability to make the most simple and ordinary steps carry heart, soul, inspiration and awe.

"In the Ailey company, there are no cookie-cutter dancers, no android corps members. It is a troupe of movers in astonishing command of their instruments (that means head, heart, and body), and like both chamber players and jazz musicians, each of them can step out to solo, then fuse back with the whole. They can also dance just about anything handed to them, from ballet leg beats to the Funky Chicken." - exert from faith, hope and ailey.



If you ever get the chance to see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, don't hesitate for a moment to get a ticket. For those of us who won't be able to see them in the near future, we'll have to settle for reading about their wonderment in articles like faith, hope and ailey.

Back 2 School

Classes resume next week, starting on Monday the 14th April.

This got me thinking about what I do when I'm not regularly attending class. How often do you take the time to stretch while on holiday? Well its time to get serious about class again, so while you're still on holiday take some time to think about what you want to achieve in the next term. I like Treva Bedinghaus's New Year's Resolutions for Dancers:

• Limber up: The thing about stretching is that it really makes dancing easier! The more flexible you are the less energy you need to expend in fighting to achieve the position or line you want. Try stretching a little every night after your bath and watch what a difference it can make.
• Get Stronger: This can be a hard one if you're not disciplined, or feel you don't have the time for more exercises. As a dancer your core muscles are very important. Try doing some stomach crunches or pilates pulls while you watch tv. We also tend to forget about strengthening our back mucles - try spending a few minutes each day working on those muscles. If you don't know what exercises to do, ask your teacher for advice on what you should focus on.
• Challenge Yourself: We always need to push ourselves to progress. The classroom is the place to try out new things and push yourself beyond what you can already do. It is more important to fall over trying to do a triple pirouette than to perfect your double. Remember is OK to land on your bum in class - we're all there to learn :)
• Try a New Style: Have some fun and try out new things. If you think you're a hot shot ballerina, try out a jazz class and see how much more your body can learn and how to push your body in different ways.

And most importantly, don't forget to have fun!

Quote for the day

Great artists are people who find the way to be themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike.

- Margot Fonteyn

Voice of dance

So, why blog? Well, I had the idea that it would be nice to have a place for information, advice and just general thoughts for the young dancers out there. It's a place for all things dance, be it a new stretch routine, some good sound diet advice or a healthy dose of motivation. Of course it would be useful to have some news about what's happenening when and where, and maybe some reviews of shows we've seen :)

Let us know what you'd like to see here...

A little something fun to get us started

Disclaimer

The authors of this blog (A Dancer's Journal) do not claim to be any kind of expert on stretching, anatomy, physiology, or any other biological science. The authors and contributors of this blog are merely people with many years of ballet teaching experience and/or ballet training who wish to share information, ideas and inspiration amongst themselves and anyone who may be interested.

The techniques, ideas and suggestions in this blog are not intended as a substitute for proper medical advice! Consult your physician or health care professional before performing any new exercise or exercise technique, particularily if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you are elderly, or if you have any chronis or recurring conditions. Any application of the techniques, ideas and suggestions in this document is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

The authors, contributors and publishers of this blog and their employers make no warranty of any kind in regard to the content of this blog, including, but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The authors, contributors and publishersof this blog and their employers are not liable or responsible to any person or entity for any errors contained in this blog, or for any special, incidental, or consequential damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this document.