March 2017 – Improvisation

March 26, 2017Rayanne Montecalvo No Comments

RSVP

R- resources

S- scores

V- valuaction

P- performance

The definitions of the RSVP by Anna Halprin is the only thing I understand about this score? I’m not sure what she uses it for? or how it aids her in her dance?

What I do understand is how to put the four sections of this score into my own practice. That is what was done in this weeks session which is why I understand it.

The best part of this weeks session was choosing in which order we did things throughout the three hours. I think this was because we knew what to expect from the session. The 3 hours also went faster than they have done in previous weeks. For a lot of us the music aided this, dancing to music always makes time go faster, in return making me enjoy the session more.

The things that I feel I need to work on next week;

Understand the RSVP score in more depth so that I can incorporate this in my work, this will enable me to see if this practice works for me.
Ask more questions about the reading if I feel like I don’t understand what it’s about, or re read the reading, this way I’m not just reading it for the sake of it.

March 13, 2017Rayanne Montecalvo No Comments

Discovering the Score

I really enjoyed this weeks readings and class, probably more than all of the other weeks. The readings made sense in my head, the first one was Olivia Millard’s opinion on scores and how she explores scores or verbal propositions in improvising dance (Millard, O, 2016, p. 1)

The main question was what a score and what does it do?

My definition would be that a score is a set of rules put in place to limit, inspire, frame and structure the way in which a piece of improvisation takes place.

The second reading was about the ‘Functions’ and ‘It’s better to…’ score. Practicing these scores in class changed my view of which score I would enjoy more. throughout the reading I perceived the functions score to be the best because of the amount of rules you are set. I thought I liked being given limitations, but in hindsight it was the it’s better to… score that I most enjoyed performing. It was energetic and gave me the energy I needed to come up with creative material.

I had a one to one this week which I feel changed my view on
myself as an improviser. I know that when I go into my improvisation
class I need to not let other peoples attitude or mood effect
what I’m doing. The happier I am the better my improvisation skills
are. So in the future I’m going to concentrate on myself.
The feedback I was given made me feel positive about my improvisation
experience.

Bibliography

Millard. O (2015) What’s the score? Using scores in dance improvisation. Brolga: An Australian Journal About Dance, 40, pp. 45-56. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text, EBSCOhost. [accessed 12 March 2017].

March 8, 2017Rayanne Montecalvo No Comments

Our Bodies As Images

This weeks reading didn’t settle in my mind. By this I mean I’m not sure what key points the author was trying to get across. The only thing that stood out to me was in ‘The Dancing Image’ reading, where Mary Overlie gives a perception of composing our bodies not to be seen, she uses an example that you could dance in a crowd or people for a split second and then return to ‘pedestrian’ movement. I’ve noticed since this reading that I do this a lot. When walking if I hear music or a noise that grabs my attention my body will subconsciously dance, if you could call it that. After that I return to being a pedestrian.

FB_IMG_1480153116105 — Creating An Image

I felt that the activity in the session was all about creating an image and how you can bring that image into a constant flow of movement. Whilst observing other people move I noticed how two people could be on opposite sides of the room
but without knowing it they could create an image that was pleasing to my eye, or how starting off as two separate duets would look completely different to 4 people copying each other.

When I performed I felt slightly under pressure that I had to create an image
that other people would be interested in, this took my mind to my thoughts on the reading that I didn’t want my body to be seen by the audience, I want to
be the pedestrian again.

Bibliography

Buckwalter. M (2010) Composing while dancing: An Improviser’s Companion. Madison, Wis: The University of Wisconsin Press. Pages 90-105

March 1, 2017Rayanne Montecalvo No Comments

Is Artistic Form the same as Structure?

The first reading I read was about form. I’ve never really thought about form in improvisation before but after studying this reading I’m considering that there is form in everything we do, including improvisation. Whether were conscious or not of it. A statement that sparked my interest was ‘ You’re talking about form in improvisation? Then it’s no longer improvisation.’ ( Halprin. A, 2014, 122). For me I think there has to be an element of form in improvisation in order for the group to ‘perform’ safely, but is this classed as form or structure? And are you fully improvising the piece?

To help answer these questions I will study if I use form in class when I’m asked to improvise, I feel that subconsciously I will do so.

The second reading was about structure, having a structure during improvisation can be as little as to how many dancers you want in sight of the audience or how long you want the improvisation to last. Something that confused me was ‘structures can be imposed from the outside and discovered from the inside’ (Kent De Spain, 2014, 158). I’m not sure what this means, I would interpret it as you can set a structure before improvising but finding out the limitations this gives you or the freedom it can provide will be made present during your improvisation.

This weeks readings were very clear, to work this into my improvisation practice I’m going to be conscious if I create a form when dancing and how structures provided will influence the movements I choose to perform.

Bibliography

De Spain. K (2014) Landscape of the Now: Artistic Form. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pages 120-127
De Spain. K (2014) Landscape of the Now: Structures. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pages 158-166