Name of teacher / supervisor
Maria Ines Villasmil-Prieto
Period, duration
Block 3, Week 9-17
Study load
13 hours
Competencies
1,2,3,4,
Summary
Our work in this course is rooted into the Post-Modern Dance Movement which emerged during the sixties in the Unites States of America. The use of scores for the creation of dance performances is ingrained in the tradition of the Judson Church Movement in New York, from 1962 until 1964, and continued today by artists like Yvonne Rainer, Steve Paxton, Debora Hay, Trisha Brown, in North America, David Zambrano in South America, and Mark Tompkins in Europe. As a dancer, performer and choreographer who has had the opportunity to work closely with artists like David Zambrano, Mark Tompkins and Debora Hay, in this course I’ll share my approach to improvisation and instant composition which is based on scores. The development of awareness and intuition necessary for improvisation will also be supported by the tools coming from Release Technique. In addition, we will pay attention to the dynamics among individuals and the relationship and consequences of the encounter with the “other”. The dance studio is also a community of individuals that mirrors the way we operate inside a society. Each participant brings their personal images and fantasies as well as visions and convictions as a human being. In this way, we will practice improvisation as a creative tool to increase awareness of self and the group and enrich our performativity.
Content and design of the class
This course is an introduction aiming to encourage the participants to incorporate improvisation as a method to augment body awareness and presence. It offers the opportunity to understand the value of the body as an instrument to express and communicate, as well as heighten creativity, encouraging the loss of the self in a safe environment and experiencing the relevance of collective work inside an ensemble. We ready ourselves beginning with a straight forward warm-up, emphasising the physical mechanics, alignment and clarity, giving space for feedback from the body. As a main method we use several scores to facilitate the searching process, and the process of experimenting real time composition.
Learning goals
- Increasing body awareness stimulation
- Uncovering the intelligence of the body and trusting intuition
- Sharpening own artistic choices and trusting to be in the moment
- Learning from the feedback of the body
- Taking the risk for finding the challenge and the will for going beyond their own boundaries
- Increasing the awareness of the self inside an ensemble
- Showing the understanding of the assignment given during each session and make something (personal or as a collective) out of that.
- Performativity
Working method(s) used
-Training using scores for improvising.
-Peer teaching and feedback.
-Co-creation
-Reflection and analysis.
Classes will be carried out as a kind of laboratory, with each session having a clear goal . The sessions will require a group learning process. Therefore, it is important to the course to have the space to openly discuss each of the proposals after the presentations so students reflect and articulate their insight during the discussion.
Used study material
Choreographic scores
Assessment criteria
Attendance and participation. Level of collaboration. Level achieved in analysis and reflection. Showing their ability as an independent thinker. Showing their ability of being inventive while making creative choices.
Method of assessment
Continuous feedback and self-reflection during each session.
Learning goals in the class contribute to the overall development of the competency indicators 1.1 , 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.7 / 2.1 / 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7 / 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 / 4.1, 4.3, 4.4
The overall development of the student is assessed at integral assessment meetings, twice a year, through combined self-assessment and assessment by teachers, coaches and mentors. This course forms a continuous line with courses: Movement research, Year 1, block 1, Movement research: stream flow, Year 1, block 1
