The day we rolled a lot

Ole's class

Acrobatics

This day we were starting acro like always with roling back and forth, then practise the shoulderstand.

We practised the stomach-one with walking into the others stomach. We practised the roles with stretched legs, then grab your legs and come all the way up. This role we comebined with the positing of grabbing your partners lower legs part and the back side and then roling into it like you would begin another role.

In the end of the class we practised jumbing around starting with sitting like a frog with both your hands turned up in front of you, and then turning the whole way around while you let the focus of your eyes be at a fix point in front of you all the time.

ending up with pair stretching. eg. have your legs in front of you, the partner pushes on your back. and legs out to the side, your partner pushes your legs further out while holding your arms.

Janusz' class

Exercises on the floor with the pelvis. Some of that we have done before. This time introducing the shoulders more. And the arms. some part of it contained roling the legs around in cirkles while you have your arms bended and they go the other way around, while meeting each others at the stomach area. When explained it is like: "ben your legs up in front of you and then move your amrs around and see how they can move together."

After this movement we were asked to getting up into standing position and back down on the floor again. I found that the previous exercise made the body go into a pace which made playful to get up standing.

Janusz' comment was something like" Give your nervesystem time to react to the changes that has occured to it."

After this we were dancing together in pairs. It was about letting yourself become inspired from the other person. The exercise starts with changing between who is moving. Let your body lead and follow the impulses. After the previous exercise we were moving very freely. At first the partner is just observing the movements of the other person and you change the dancing role after some time. You later extend it to dance at the same time and enduring influence each others' movements. After a while you change partner, which continued with about 4 different partners. The experiences from this exercise was for example that when we see other people move we get inspired to move like that to, and to try movements that our own body normally wouldn't have begun doing. It was also a liberating feeling to play like that in the dance. 


( last comment is from writer, aka. Signe)

The Power of Listening and Crazy Stretches

Hello Classmates of...would we be the Class of 2011 because we started in 2011, or would we be the Class of 2013 because we graduate in 2013? I'm pretty sure we're the Class of 2013.

Hello Classmates of 2013!!

Here are some notes I took for today's classes (28/9/11):

Janusz' Class

Theme: Listen

Some Quotes:

"Behind something silly is something serious."

"Move with gravity and work for neutrality." (in reference to the pushing each other exercise outlined below)

The Day:

Let's lie on mats!!!

1. Then, let's reach our hands toward the sky--which way does the palm face in order to reach the highest?

2. Now, let's reach our hands at 45 degree angles across our bodies (which of course causes us to roll over a bit--does the hip or the shoulder lead the movement?

3. Now it is time to push each other. One person stands neutral, the other person pushes them around with very specific points of focus.--See how you move whether you're pushing or being pushed. If you are pushing then please lead with your pelvis. Those being pushed please provide a little bit of resistence. Don't be completely relaxed and loosey goosey and don't be too dramatic about it (Kay and Imre!).

Finally, let's form a dance circle where we watch each other push each other around.

4. Sit and Chat. It is time to listen to each other. Just listen. No responding in any way, no noises or words, unless you do not understand something or something is unclear to you. This means shutting your mouth and opening your mind, folks.

That's it for Janusz' class. I had more quote of his in my head, but forgot them when it came time to write it down. I'm sure you understand.

Ruth's Class

Theme: Focus

-It's all about the FOCUS!!! The eyes are the tool of the Actor. You could almost call them the flashlight (I know, brilliant. I came up with this myself. Please hold your applause.) You see, if you are acting in a pitch black place (as we all know you would need to if Sam were performing, am I right?), then where your eyes look there is a beam of light that forces the audience to look where you are looking. Now, come back to the professional well-lit theatre we will all work at some day very soon and remember that where you look, the audience will look.

1. Crazy Stretches

a. One person sits on floor with arms raised above head. The other person grabs sitting person by the shoulder blades and pulls them up while pushing their chest out. Sitting person--BREATHE!!! Standing person--don't kill them.

b. The Arm Breaker. Welcome to Aikido. Pull person's arm laying on stomach over their head backwards. Place hand on back of lying down person's hand and push their arm up up up. Go slowly. Person lying down tap the floor when it's too much. BREATHE!!!

2. Swimming Move (one of Lecoq's 20)

Brings hands together in center and let them flow outward pushing out like you are doing the breast stroke and cutting your way through the water. Really imagine and see everything in the water as you do this, and work with your breathing!!

Then add the legs as you stand on one leg, slightly bend the standing leg and pump the raised leg, raising it to the side of your body......Clear? Didn't think so. Anyway, just remember tempo. Keep the speed in bursts--really fast and then smooth and slow while you bring it in again.

3. Library

Fixed point. Hold your finger somewhere in the air. Other person takes a book from that exact same spot. If you really wanna be crazy, then put the book back. I know...crazy.

Take 10 minutes to prepare a library as a group, then BOOYA switch a couple members of the group so that you are FORCED to listen to each other and watch each other. This is theatre, people.

Then be spontaneous in creating a library and create an event. (Let's try a fire. That sounds safe yet urgent, doesn't it?)

Thank you everybody. I know I missed some stuff...so add it!

Forever Yours Class of 2013

David Roby

Acrobatics and Impro

ACRO:

The new excercise from today was

The Nose Crusher:
Like handstand but on elbows (lower arms on floor supporting)
The nose should keep pointing towards the floor.

and a new stretch:
"Foot grabber back breaker"
Stand on knees, toe knockles on the floor. Reach back for the soles of the feet with the hands (not just grabbing the ankles) and bend back lloking towards the wall behind.


IMPRO:
The walk-clap-turn excercise was developed pairwork:
A: start walking
B: call name of A
A: stop AND turn
B:say something to A (no questions!)
A: awalk up to B and reply

today B had to say something about or somehow relevant to A also adding the name of a place


The scene of the day involved 3 people in a park, one comes to a bench to paint (with equipment mimed)
one is completely amazed by the work the other one is totally disgusted.

And the conclusion is: Serve your partner and make it more "difficult" for him/her!

Rose's Song

Ayo Nzan
(Lotha language children's song)

------------

Ayo na heto heto a jumphicho ana kyathung
A esutsu ombo na mhei asuyicho ombona a jumpse
Heto a jumphicho khentena a jumphicho
Chithung chi a lumbumi ekya nongra esancho

Nchung ete ekum shi, ophü oyo yakchia
Limhalo erothokcho ka, potso mying thungia
Ayo nzan esiza cho
Lima ochumi na, ochum chana yanawolia
Kuloha hungmak

Mime and Improvisation

MIME:

New excercise: Shoveling

It is impotant not to 'bend' the handle, and now where the head of the showel is exactly, so the hadns and the helping foot should be in a straight line. When stepping on the shovel the hands and the helping foot should move together. Be careful where you throw the dirt andnot cut off toes while digging (Be aware of the focus!)

Homework: Practice the pole jumping till nosebleed for friday, new movements are coming!!!

Note: Practice the rest of the reoccouring moves aswell...

IMPRO:

This we week we start to work with movements in space.

The first excercise was a version of the AHA!
where we started walking in a direction until we heard a clap, then we stopped AND turned AND started moving towards the clap.

Note: Do not rush! Separate stop-turn-walk. Be relaxed when stopping and let your self be surprised.

We first did it one by one and later on without the clapping moving around in space, discovering deatils individually.


Todays impro piece was the substitute teacher:

Gradually we had to go wild about the topic of our choice until a paper projectile gets us to our senses.

Note: Remember the build up, take the fall, and make it harder for your self.

Janet's Song

Lo Viejo

En una panagana vieja, sembre violetas para ti (x2)

Y en un caracol vacio,

se erredaba el coralillo (x2)

floreciendo para ti

A las coss que son feas un poco de amor (x2)

Y veras quela triteza (x3)

va cambiando de color



ps: the x and number in bracket indicates how many times we sing the line

Acrobatics and Improvisation

Note: I will try a new way of taking notes because this way is not very effective (takes too much time, and I still have a lot of unfinished...)

 We did a brief warmup (walking, stretching, small handstands) and went through some acro routnes with some new developments:

Stomach crucher, head and handstand

Bridge: Bouncing in both directions, l,ifting up the feet and then the hands (when knees go forward and hips up) and then we worked in couples pulling the ass of the one going in bridge and helping hime/her go up.

"Dog to duck": This time the one who went up on the partners hip jumped! The trick is to jump smoothly with flat feet, breathe, and don't rush with straightening the legs.

Forward roll:  From standing we bend forward put hands down and put the back of the head down, stretch the legs, let the hip fall forward and roll away...

Improvisation:
We continued working with the "Zen Tissue" addigin curves to the path.

Recognition excercise: working in pairs we keep walking past each other and gradually recognizing each other until a BIG and LOUD realization (both should have it at the same time)

NOTE: Build up tension, take time and make the realization explosive

We took cafe scene in a new direction: flirting with an imaginary person who is actually looking at someone else. Flirt, flirt, flirt some more stand up and FALL!

NOTE: Build up tension, take it far and take the fall

Mime, Voice and Acro (unfinished)

Homework: Break down one more action! (til monday 19th!)

MIME: 
We started working with mmie walks walking in on spot. We began by discovering how different parts of our bodies move while we are walking (feet, heels, hips, arms, head), which  is the highest point and the lowest.

Technically the mime walk is: stepping forward with one foot straight heel down, and pull the foot back (heel stays down) while lifting the other heel, and bending the knee while the whole body weight goes on that foot.. painful shit. This is the highest point of the head, we push it up from pelvis, from here the the bodyweight drops to the other foot (the one flat on the floor) and the head goes to the lowest position and leg just freed from the weight steps forward...

The opposite arms always follow the legs.

To be continued...

Day 9 -10 Acrobatics/Ole and Feldenkrais/Janusz

ACRO:

Shoulder Stand:

The head on the ear and the shoulder of the same side goes down on floor from kneeling position.

The hand laying on the floor bends under the body and the other arm supports, with elbow diagonal and hand with fingers pointing out in front of face. We bring knees to the elbow of the supporting hand and stretch legs up.

Also possible from backwards shoulder roll....

Body Surfing (with partner)

One goes on all fours the other kneels (puts lower legs) or stands on partners ass (banana back!!)

The one on the floor sits slowly back until he can lift his arms, and both spread out arms to sides, relax and enjoy!

FELDENKRAIS:

Basically we did pretty much the same with adding the element of belly-breathing to the excercises discovering which way is most natural with the movements....

Signe's Song

We use the first 2 and the last verses:

Barndommens Land:

Barndommens land.

Tidens mælketand.

Verden er ny for dit øje.

Folk er to-tre meter høje

så de må bøje sig

ned til dig.

Fluen er blå.

Kilder på min tå.

Og et par myrer du kender

hygger sig på dine hænder.

Skrubtudsen tisser en tår

før den går.

...

Barndommens land.

Nu er jeg en mand.

Tit har jeg lyst til at love

solskin og dejlige skove.

Men der er lang vej igen.

Sov, min ven.

Day 5 - 7/ Janusz - Awareness Through Movement

It took me some time to get my thoughts together about these two lessons cause I also have to mention my discoveries aside of the mechanical description of the movements we make.

What we did during the first 2 lessons was basically reconstructing a complex movement (The Banana for those who are familiar with the contact impro/dance excercise) from the essential scratch.

Probably the most interesting thing about this was that I didn't realize that the final movement is something I knew before until we reached the final stage of the excercise. Thsi way I have learned way more about the movement than simply repeating it for a long time. (I mean, who understands what it really means in any lesson to make the movement "starting from the center" just like that?)

The sequence goes like this repeating each part sevaeral times (in a gentle, non-mechanic way)
We start by laying on our backs with legs straight and arms by the body:
1.  Pull up the knees up gently towards pelvis along the floor and pull the foot close to the other leg (Both knees one by one)
2.  Expand the movement by pulling the knee up from the side pointing upwards to the ceiling. (Both legs one by one)
When both knees are up, we start turning the pelivs up and down (6o'clock - 12o'clock)
12o'cloc: push down with the feet
6o'clock: pull the feet up from ground a few centimeters, ching point towards pelvis
3.  Move turn pelvis from side to side (3-9) don't move knees to the sides, but pull up the foot few cm's from the floor ( 3: left foot - 9: right foot)
4. Combine the movements into a whole cirlcle ad the other 'hours' as well. (notice how the movement of the head follows the pelvis)

5. Having the knees pointing at the ceiling, let one knee go to the side and let the other follow by the impulse of the leading knee (minimal effort)
In the middle position both knees are on the sides.
6. Continue with the movement now involving the arms, pulling the arm up towards on the opposite side of the knees and letting the arm back at the middle position. Arms are straight, moving along the floor until they are diagonal to the body.
7. Expand the movement, with arm from the opposite side crossing over to the side of the knee, orlling over the body and the other arm (head moves last, and stays there until this pahse repats again)

Et Voi lá: The Banana!

Now I go and make dinner. To be continued with Ole and Ruth Improvisations from day 5-6-7

Maestro from Cirque du Soleil

Yes, in response to Imre's latest post, I have always been inspired by this little fella.

A little inspiration for the mime classes...

Here is an Episode from BBC's Fast and Loose series of Interpretive Dance from a David Armand:

Day 7: Mime, Voice

Mime: Undulations and Samurai Stick

Undulations (advanced): Making undulations in both directions you can put accents on different phases you will discover that these accents become expressions. Rhese are some of the most fundamental moves of the human body and THE UUUNIVERSE!

Homework: find movements in life with undulations.

Pushing the Box: Resistance is indicated by sudden tension! Create a surface of a big heavy box (working mostly with hands) and then push it. Hands don't move. Normally when we would puch the wall for instance the body would fall into the wall, the hands would push around shoulder height and the weight goes to the back leg, while the front heel lifts of from the ground... In mime the weight goes to the front foot (heels up) and back leg straight with heels down. The pushing motion comes from the image of the boddy falling on the hands.

Samurai Stick: A kata/sequence of isolated movements.
First round on the count of 6: notice stick poking out from ground - step towards - pose - grasp (fixed point on stick) -move body close to stick - take it out and smash it on sth. (one movement, legs bend)

Second round: on the count of 9: notice - step - pose- grasp - look back at old stick - drop - look back at new stick -move close - and SMACK!

VOICE: This lesson was AWSOME!

We were lying on mats.
The task was to breath with knees up. After breathing for a while normally breath in deep into the chest, let it lift and breathing out make the stomach big as a mellon. (Was strange in the beginning, opposite of what I would expect...) Afte breathing out move around the chest and stomach like a seesaw. (Also pretty strange without air...)

In the next phase do it on the sides holding the body on the elboy with lower arm on the floor, shoulders relaxed. (Both sides)

The last phase is kneeling on the floor, top of the head on the ground betwwen hands, and rolling it back and forth while doing the same breathing. Repeat 2 more times with one knee in front (do both knees)

When done with this excercise lay on back and breathe with fingers on the side of ribs and feel the ribcage open to the side.

Continue with fingers on the front where the ribs go apart (Where it really hurts to get punched..)
And sigh, let an airy sound out as you breath.

When finished just walk around talk and sing and notice the changes...

Impro comes tonight...

Day 5-6: Acro

ACROBATICS:
We repeated most of the excercises we've been doing before (stretches, rolls, etc.) with some new elements.


Little handstand with both legs on one side. Weight body needs to be moved more to the side. Remember fingertips not to put to much strain on wrist.


Headstand: Hands and head make big triangle. The hair line goes down first, arms do most work.
Stretch out arms and walk towards elbows untill the knees can sit on them easily lifting the feet from the ground.


Jump and lift (pairwork)
Standing close to partner, we hold each others arms (trapeze grip (?) lifter from under, jumper from over)
One jumps up, straightens arms, while the other holds from under with lower arms straight up.
(really don't know how to describe better...)


Standing on thighs (counterbalance) without bench
This excercise starts with the Jump and lift but the lifter bends legs(!!!), and the jumper stands up straight (like a stick, shoulders relaxed, do not fall back) and the lifter/holder lets the jumper lean back and and leans back himself until arms are stretched.

'Spider to Crab' (pairwork)
In this excercise one goes on all fours on the floor while the other does the same but on the partners back. The task is to turn around TOGETHER so that both stomacks face upwards without the upper one touching the floor. Looks complicated, but is possible rather easily within 3 movements...
1. Upper one: Put knee closer to partners spine. Lower one: Step out to the side with one foot, knee straight  over foot
2. Upper one: Step on and put weight on the thigh of the leg on the side. Lower one: Move other leg to next to the one on the side (quite quick) and start moving arms into 'Crab' position
3. Upper one: Step out on the newly moved leg and shift hands to 'Crab' together with the lower one'
Lower one: Do not fall :)

New notes coming soon...

I will document the latest acro, Ruth and Janusz/Feldenkrais lessons in smaller blocks in my spare hours... But if anyone has an urge to help me with this, you are more than welcome!

Imre

Days 1-2-3 [and 4] (Part Two)

I continue from where I finished...

MIME Part 2:

The 'hands around head' excercise (or 'bunny ears')

We will do it quite lot... The one where one arm falls down on the side (with the hadn being a straight continuations of the arms) while the other arm is taken up by an impulse from the elbow, taking the the hand around the head, stretching the arm up, and dropping it straight to the side again... (and so on...)

Head to sides (isolation):

I not it because it was hard for me. Practice in front of mirror!

ACROBATICS (as much as I remember)

'Small handstand'

Put weight on arms with the knees resting on elbows and feet lifting from ground. Make sure to breath (whistle...) have the hands relatively separate, and the hands touch the ground by the fingertips and the base of the hand, fingers apart and bent.

Rolls:

Rolling back and forth (Holding legs)

The back is bent so the roll is smooth all the way (no bumps). Good warm up for further work.

Rolling over the shoulder:

Both legs go over the shoulders (same principle of smoothness as above) straightening as they go back (laying down flat at the end of way back) Important that the roll goes over the shoulder and the direction controlled by the movement of the neck and the head.

Head between legs (counterbalance)

Put head etween thighs of partener, who leans over the to grab the hips of the one 'giving head' and lifting the body while the one going up forms ball (NO JUMPING!) and straightens up the legs. When going down the one holding should pull the partner as close as possible to his body who pulls his legs back into a ball and goes back down from this position (it is easier this way)

Stomach cruncher (pairwork):

One goes down on all fours while the partner grabs on to his/her stomach putting his weight through the chest and upper arm on the others back and stretches legs up. The use of hands is not necessary. Importatnt to grab tightly (does not hurt the partner) especially when falling to slow down the fall. Always land on feet (not the butt or the back...)

Standing on hips (pairwork):

Climb on partners hips while he /she is on all fours. Keep feet on hips/butt close to each other in order not to slide (help with hands on shoulder blades to get up. The one down should have the back and the arms straight and stable.

Standing on thighs (counterbalance) w bench:

One sits while partner stands on thighs holding hands, shouldrs relaxed. The one standing does nothing, stick position, no pulling, no stress, eye contact. The one sitting is the boss and lets the standing one fall back until his ass lifts from the bench.

Good to warm up with

Basic counterbalance:

Going down (to sitting) and up together, holding hands, arms like ropes, toes close together.

ESTABLISHING ENVIROMENTS:

Childhood room, waiting, museum, etc.

When establishing an environment in the empty space the most important thing is the three principals of the Zen Tissue: relax - concentrate - visualize

Discover (see, feel, sense...) the space, take time for the images to come, the clearer the image the better the communication, wait for the details to strike your attention (like in AHA! excercise) Let the details surprise you (surprise your self!) and draw your attention to them. These surprises give life to the scene and the movement, when the body is reacting to these impulses.

Also important to have clear relations to objects. Uuse principles of mime: segmenting actions, action segments have clear beginngs and endings. See/feel details, details, details...

Consider size, weight, texture of object and the body's relation to it (for example: holding the heavy bag) Don't rush through details, be consistent.

Often less is more! Don't do too much, don't jump into action too fast...

Few on-the-spot details (and yes, details again) are much more effective then lots of 'noisy' actions.

Notes from the day 1 - 2 - 3 (Part One)

Hello Dears!

Here is a summery of the first 3 days. I'm making retrospective notes according to themes (more or less) and not days... I wrote everything that I remembered and/or was significant to mention.

The Zen Tissue: (we all know...)

Relax-Concentrate-Visualize!

Works in different speeds, good for checking state of self

Walks: Walking fast, with long steps, walking on different parts of the feet (inside-outside-heels-toes), changing foot postions after 8-4-2 steps, and the confusing inside-toes, outside-heels combination.

"Idiot Says Hi": Bringing the knees slightly up to the side, with the feet pointing down, then shifting the wait to the leg in the air, rolling through the whole foot starting from toenails, grabbing the floor with the toes and ending with the whole foot down while the other comes up on the other side. (Speeding up in the process) The chest follows the lifted foot side to side, with the arms and hands locked in 'awkward waving position'

Impulse excercises:

Forward-Backward Windmill:

Arms swing and rotate opposite directions (spiders on the wall), movement comes from impulse of knees and hips, eyes looking forward, shoulders relaxed.

Forward-Backward Wobbly Knees:

One knee up, lower leg hanging relaxed, standing leg rock solid, oppoiste arm streched forward, not-opposite (?) stretched back. Arms and leg swings back and forth. (Do both sides)

Sidewards Wobbly Knees:

One knee up to side , standing leg solid. Hanging leg relaxed, swings side to side, around the standing leg and back to the side. Impulse comes from hips. (Do both sides)

Sideway stretches:

1. riding stance, hands on knees, arms straight, shoulders in ears, body hangs on arms, rotate body to both sides

2. sitting with legs spread, turn to one side, hand on same side goes under lower leg, opposite hand presses thigh, while the other arm pulls the body to the leg, and the body roteates and stretches to the side (do both sides)

Arm lengthening:

Laying on back, one arm points up, a) shoulder goes gently up and down fast b)reach up as far as possible, rotate body (repeat, and do both arms)

Back Streetch-Bend Sequences:

1. Sitting in butterfly, holding ankles:

flat forward - bend back - flat forward - straight up flat (x2) and 8 counts of arching back , opening chest. (Also with voice)

2. Butterfly, arms crossed under knees, stretch-bend while arms push crossed sideways.

3.Sitting, legs straight: a) stretch-bend holding legs b) s.-b., toes pointing backwards, reaching out with arms over them

4.Sitting, legs spread, s.-b. reaching out forward, "head to ground"

5. Sitting, crossed legs a) s.-b. reaching forward, "head to ground" (switch legs) b)s.-.b. sideways, upper body flat (not bended forward)

6.Sitting, legs crossed, 'foot by knee', s.-b. sideways towards the leg that has the knee up, switch legs

+ release: sit legs straight, let body fall in front, elbows to the ground

MIME:

Wrist up and down: "Flat hand! Flat! Flat! Flat!"

Sadistic wrist stretch: hand backwards against bended leg, we all remember this one :)

Staff Spin: just a short reminder... release - relax -pose -grasp! Movement comes from wrist not arms or shoulders. Release goes with palms forward otherwise it looks like dropping sth. Remember stick is a rigid object, dont 'break' it.

Movement with hands on fixed points: "if you touch my hand you die" :)

With partner (closedand opend eyes) and alone, moving in all directions but hands don't move.

Undulations: The wave thing (it's too f***ing late, so I'll keep it short...)

a) forward: knee-hips-chest-head

b)backward: head-chest-hips-knee

arms and shoulders relaxed!

c) on the floor, moving in worm motion (looks easy when breakdancers do it...)

movement starts from toes pressing the butt up, then chest goes forward and up with the help of arms...

The rest tomorrow cause I'm falling asleep now... Buona Notte!

Imre

Welcome to our new virtual notebook!!

Hello Dear Commedia Children!

I made this blog so we can collect our notes online together...

If we get used to the system it will make sharing notes and documentation a lot easier for the future, and also we can post anything that might be interesting for the others aswell (performances, events, jobs, workshops, inspiring videos, etc.)

All you need to post on and get acces to this blog is a google account (or a gmail address... pretty much the same)

This way we can collect, label and sort our stuff which will be easy to dig through in the long run without much editing work.

The only important thing is to actually  write things here and comment on what others have written (that's the point of having a blog, right?) and be consistent about it (check it out time to time...)

Oh, and don't forget to label your posts down in the lower left corner of the posting window (keywords of the subject so we can find it easier later on)

That's pretty much it for now,

Enjoy!

Imre