Releasing the head and activating the eyes
“The encouragement of a radically participatory, active subject – capable of acting assertively and attentively in determining its own life, liberty and happiness – was and is CI’s political potential” (Paxton, 2010, 129).
Contact improvisation has the force to impact our lives. Contact has progressed and spiralled into something else since it was first presented by Steve Paxton in 1972. This can be identified in the videos Magnesium 1972 and Earth Dance 2010. During Magnesium there is crashing, falling and crowding. It is like a series of harsh waves. It ends with five minutes of standing still; however through my practice I have realised that standing still is not stillness, one has to balance two legs and it exemplifies our reliance on gravity. This links to Lepkoff’s idea of “being present”, tuning into the space and listening to the movement and vibrations in stillness (Lepkoff, 2005, 2). In contrast Earthdance is a smooth, gliding and soft current. It is calming and continuous and uses rolling points on a low and medium kinesphere, exploring the interchangeable roles of the under and over dancer. Unlike Magnesium, there is a constant conversation, using different types of touch, balance and release. The change in style could mirror a change in society, culture and historical context. What we know affects how we move, as Lepkoff says that “movement dialogue is highly composed and full of personalized knowledge, sensuality and imagination” (Lepkoff, 2005, 2) our surroundings melt into our skin and each person is different.
At times in our lives we feel isolated and out of control, contact improvisation has the power to supply the dancer with personal decision making authority, so they can confidently determine their own lives, whilst feeling liberated and happy (Paxton, 2010, 129). This has helped me in other modules and was also highlighted in yoga. If we are faced with a challenge, it is important not to give up, we should hold for a little longer or find a way to get through it. In contact we can become stuck or feel anxious, but we need to find a way to maintain the flow, we should be determined, creative and adventurous. The power of thought is incredible, which was shown when Nancy Stark Smith was dropped, but her body absorbed the shock, it shows that what the body can do to survive is faster than thought.
Activating the eyes and head assisted easier changes of direction and level. Last week I identified tension in my upper back and neck, this week allowed me to explore a free floating neck and a more flexible spine. My head was supported by my partner and I felt as though I could drop my head more, linking to the power of gravity, and I found a circling action, which links to Alexander Technique with the floating head and the interplay between the primary and secondary curves, which allows for more space in the joints and range of movement. We also moved with our head connected to the floor and this affected my vision, the floor appeared to be a longer stretch of blurred grey, the bodies looked bigger and when my vision was down I felt trapped. As I moved backwards, it felt similar to what Lepkoff describes as “panning”, the space moves, which can affect you, for example feeling as though space is pushing against you and you are falling backwards. It is important to become submerged into the space, there is a reading that you need to take, similar to reading a book, you have to focus on each letter and not just the page to find meaning, you can track how the space moves, so more than just bodies are moving and connecting, it could be as simple as being influenced by moving dust (Lepkoff, 2005, 3). Focus can also help you to move more assertively, linking to choice and political power, I also recognised this in the partner work with the Aikido roll as looking behind me gave me momentum. Vision leads you and can connect bodies with decision making and coordination. There should be a connection of all the senses with the bodies and environment surrounding you: “on the level of perception, the movement of the eyes is inseparable from the images of the space” (Lepkoff, 2005, 3) our eyes should be active and not a glaze we hide behind, our eyes have freedom to lead us, take in information and connect.
Finally, in a typical dance class, as Paxton describes, we are isolated and afraid of proximity (Paxton, 2010, 124). We stand in our own space with the external pressure from those higher in the hierarchy pounding upon us. Our eyes are focused upon ourselves and our external image. In the jam the hierarchical power relations were different, there was equality and I could make my own decisions. I found the partner work fragmented and difficult, as we rolled over the under dancer doing an aikido roll, put our weight on our partners back and wind milled our legs over, put our head on the floor and arched over. At one point me and my partner struggled to counter balance so we stepped out of the circle, once we left the circle it was hard to enter and the energy felt slightly lower this week. So I need to consider how to get back into the zone and move forward. There were some creative moments though, as I explored new found skills, such as using the head and eye contact. It has brought to my attention that things can go wrong, we need to be safe, but this is part of the practice and development; it is better to be explorative. I felt aware of my reflexive reactions at times, which created flowing movement, undisturbed by social expectations, habits or pressures. I felt energized and daring. The freedom of my head and eyes, literally, physically and metaphorically in terms of being free from social or political pressures and having my own authority, also aided this (Paxton, 2010, 126).
Steve Paxton’s “Interior Techniques”: Contact Improvisation and Political Power. Full Text Available By: Turner, Robert. TDR: The Drama Review, Fall2010, Vol. 54 Issue 3, p123-135, 13p, 5 Black and White Photographs
Lepkoff, D. (2005) The Movement of Attention. Available at:
http://www.daniellepkoff.com/Writings/Daniel%20Simone%20Interview.php (Accessed 12th October 2016)
Paxton, S. (1972) Magnesium. Available from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FeSDsmIeHA (Accessed 12th October 2016)
Nellis, B and Brando. (2010) Earthdance. Available from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQRF2sLK1vY (Accessed 12th October 2016)