WEEK 2 Visiting the Landscape of Now

A Week of Reading

This week I have been reading Landscape of the Now by Kent De Spain and this is what I took from the book. 

As dancers, we know that the initial learning can be difficult but once you have the hang of it, everything is easier. This anecdote also made me see that improvising might be because it's a instinct and it might not always be a choice. (De Spain, K., 2012, 45) Like when you're performing a roll on the floor, it's important to know your own body and the technique to avoid injury.

Linking back to my past, I was always told that get my leg higher, I would need to develop strength and flexibility. But now, while improvising I see that it doesn't matter about the technicality as long as it's safe. A kick can be a low or as high as your body allows in that moment. 

Kent de Spain mentions that focusing purely on movement can be a 'result of limitation in the body/mind' (De Spain, K., 2012, 101) Which I think means I should trust my body and not be so precious in order to free myself and become comfortable with just dancing because I felt like doing so. 

Speaking of the moment, the movements that might occur in that moment can be totally unpredictable and for the first time in my dance journey, I'm starting to understand that's actually fine! It's okay to not know what you are doing and to spontaneously move. 

Bibliography:

De Kent, S. (2012) Landscape of the Now. USA: Oxford University Press.