An Introduction to Improvisation
In preparation of the first class, I had a mix of excitement. A new style and a new skill that I was ready to sink my teeth into. I also felt a wave of dread because of my love/hate relationship with improvisation. From my background, I've been used to a syllabus and strict 'this is what you have to do' sort of teaching so improvisation feels completely alien to me and to be honest, the thought of it terrifies me.
Today, we used beanbags to experiment. It was so fun and effortless, we compared this to playing games in a playground like we used to when we were children. This relates to Anna Halprin who was largely interested in improvising based on Child's Play rather than monolithic, large choreography. (Banes, 2003)
When demonstrating, we came up with a strategy to ensure that we performed as an ensemble. This included falling to the floor everytime we heard the beanbag drop, swapping partners and gauging the length of five minutes. We lost count, our perception of time was all over the place and we couldn't hear the dropping of the beanbag so we couldn't stay true to ourselves- following others is a habit!
Today, I learnt that improvisation is in all of us. Whether you're a dancer or not, we all subconsciously live a spontaneous improvised lifestyle, adapting quickly to our surroundings and making impulsive decisions everyday. It's in our instincts, and improvising is nothing to be afraid of!
Bibliography:
Banes, S. (2003) Taken by Surprise. USA: Wesleyan University Press.
Bibliography:
Banes, S. (2003) Taken by Surprise. USA: Wesleyan University Press.