Chroma and Graham

Over the last 8 weeks (and years) i've also been looking at a lot of dance works online, I love the amazing works that are available to see just from my computer. Recently the works i've been looking at have made me think about my own technique and especially how I encorporate my torso and use my focus. As i struggle with alignment and confidence within lessons I tend to forget about using my torso to it's maximum. In Geoff's lessons I am always being told to use my maximum curve and whilst performing the phrases I tend to cut them short of what I can do. When I discovered Wayne McGregors "Chroma" I was in awe at how the dancers articulate their torsos, especially in the opening duet, combined with their sheer strength and extensions the use of torso combined seems to give the dance a whole other dimension, almost animal like.



Wayne McGregor is famous for his colaborations with technology and his unique technique.

"McGregor’s own long, lean and supple physique and in his body’s ability to register movement with peculiar sharpness and speed; at one extreme McGregor’s dancing was a jangle of tiny fractured angles, at the other it was a whirl of seemingly boneless fluidity."

http://www.randomdance.org/wayne_mcgregor/biography

Any spectator, even those who are not knowledgable of contemporary dance cannot deny McGregors detailed use of sharpness and speed combined with brave contact work and interesting angles. He has a technique and a choreographic style that I really admire.

In one of my first blogs I wrote about how in Rebekah's technique lessons I wanted to build up my strength, especially whilst doing the Graham floor work. At the beggining of the semester I found it quite difficult to keep my back flat whilst in second position on the floor. During the last 8 weeks i've found that using my turn out on the floor is just as important as standing, as it stops me from sinking into my legs and arching my back. The image below is of me in second position on the floor, not using my turn out fully and sinking into my legs, which causes me to lean forward and my back to slant.

The above image is me in the same position but using my turn out fully and pulling up so my back is flat. At first I found this position really hard to hold but the more I thought about pulling up and turning out in lesson then the easier it became. When curving and moving from this position I still think about pulling up from my centre so when I return to this position I am on top of my legs and not sinking into my hips.