To start the class, laying on the floor was incredibly relaxing whilst having my spine physically stretched by my partner. Having someone else’s hands on my back is a strange sensation for me: three years ago I had scoliosis surgery which has left the skin around the scar tissue numb – being only sensitive to temperature. Therefore my sensory knowledge is limited compared to my peers. As the under dancer, I felt our breath synchronise eventually when I carried my partners weight over my lower spine. As the over dancer, it was interesting for me to watch my partner’s spine extend as I physically pulled her head and lower back apart.
Observing the back to back contact was curious to see who trusted their peers. As one student stated in Bannon and Holt’s Touch: Experience and Knowledge “Touch allows you to connect with another, from my experience it has helped me engage with my group members to a higher level of trust.” (2012, 221). I strongly believe our trust will grow for each other during these next few weeks, including our contact jams – which was fascinating to participate in and notice this week. I was inspired by my lecturers and class mates which gave me a confidence boost for next week’s lesson.
Communicating through contact is natural with some people and not so with others. Touch shows how much you trust one – to the point of carrying someone body weight. Touch can also help drive away from habitual movement – for example someone may touch a body part which we aren’t used to moving – finding new movements from new body parts. Reacting to the sensation of people touching can also help us find new movements, such as trying different weight baring actions which we are not used to.
I was unable to participate in the release section of the class due to my scoliosis. However I attempted my first backwards roll since my surgery, I was not able to do this independently because I cannot carry my body weight in certain areas of my spine. I also felt it pull slightly in the top two screws as you see in my x-ray below. Looking at the class do release technique was easy to pinpoint errors in people, where I was able to give them feedback to improve their rolls and how to approach contact improvisation.
Bibliography
Bannon, F & Holt, D. (2012) Touch: Experience and Knowledge, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices. Volume 3 Issue 1 and 2.