Improvising and creating choreographies - 14/3/2014

In today's class we had a guest teacher, who will teach us three times a contact improvisation. I didn't have lots of knowledge before what is actually contact improvisation, so I was very interested to see what we were going to do during these classes.

In first class we did some separate improvisation exercises. For example we did one exercise hands in hands and we expand this exercise more larger by moving in different speeds and using more space. We also improvised in group form, where every corner of the circle took lead in different times. Additionally we did some contact improvisation with pairs by giving different impacts to the other person's body and also we improvised different movements into the music.

At the end of the class we collect these exercises together and created very interesting choreography which consist these different exercises what we had done during the class. This was very interesting way to create choreography and also very easy way for that purpose. This would work out with students very well, because exercises are simple and after all the instructions of the different exercises are very clear and they guide very well to the goal. And if the students are not so used to improvise, these exercises doesn't feel too exciting and students probably don't feel that someone is staring them and evaluating what she/he is doing.

http://northernballet.com/sites/default/files/images/
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Very good side of these exercises were also that students really can participate while doing the choreography. There is no wrong or right movement but every movement is perfect to be part of the choreography. Students can feel autonomy and competence when they can create choreography with all other students. This is something which make the class very interesting to them and they have energy to concentrate better when they can be part of everything. This kind of working is also very good way to create choreographies quickly and effectively, but teacher have to have very clear thought what she/he is going to do and what is goal of every exercise and main goal of the whole working process.