“Standing still is not actually still.” Paxton comments on his piece Magnesium (Ramsay Burt, 2011). Paxton’s ‘small dance’ supports his quote from the video clip. Small Dance is where the skeleton sways slightly whilst finding ‘stillness’ in the body. Video evidence of this can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sJKEXUtv44.
Our research lab was based around the question: How can we take away our habits of defence? Inspired by Paxton’s article “Interior Techniques”: Contact Improvisation and Political Power (2010). We planned 3 tasks for the class:
- Keeping the eyes open and working with back to back contact with releasing the head.
- Closing the eyes and continue the first task – could you approach people without being afraid? Could you identify your partner through touch?
- Complete darkness – working with releasing the head, activation of the eyes, counter-balancing and/or body surfing. Does darkness have the same sensation as closing the eyes?
The feedback we received was approximately unanimous. People found that whilst having their eyes closed they went back to habitual movement as a form of self-protection – which goes against our question. However in darkness they felt and visually looked more confident with a slight change in dynamic. They understood their trust had to grow for their peers in order to complete our research. Since it was difficult to see in the dark – they felt assured no one was judging their movement (no judgement happens in class anyway!). The thought of people observing may be off-putting for performers but darkness gives the sensation of freedom and internalisation.
The movement progressed from stop/start to fluid continuous movement – which tells us researchers that over time their trust grew and became less defensive over their bodies; allowed other bodies into their kinespheres.
This week’s contact jam was uneasy compared to last week. Reading Urmston and Hewison’s Risk and flow in contact improvisation prior to class, made me realise that people are avoiding me because my peers are aware of my spinal surgery.
“There is the risk of injury, of unintended intimacy and the potentially bigger risk, in terms of a student’s perception of their own ability to achieve, of failing to connect with our movement partners and thereby getting it wrong.” (Urmston and Hewison, 2014, 221).
As this week we began to lift bodies, it made myself and my peers nervous due to risk of injury. I got into position to lift during the jam several times and my partners failed to work with me – possibly because they do not want to injure my back? However I do have the strength and courage to lift and to be lifted.
Ramsay Burt (2011) Reflections on Steve Paxton’s ‘Magnesium’. Available from https://vimeo.com/22515367 [accessed 16/10/16].
Urmston, E. and Hewison, J. (2014) Risk and Flow in Contact Improvisation: Pleasure, Play and Presence. Journal of dance & somatic practices, 6(2) p219-232.
ZayacZhe (2009) Steve Paxton Smalldance. Available from: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6sJKEXUtv44 [accessed 27/10/16].
Leave a comment