Gang Fang's Blog

Reading my note on paper from many months ago

I wrote “start with emotions and feelings first and then use techniques. Abstraction is implemented by the techniques.” Now I’m questioning if this principle is too restricting? Most of the things that I am doing and taught by Katie start with movements and we haven’t talk about putting emotions into the movements or even more radically, to start with emotions. Or, can it be such a situation where the feeling is implicit and behind the movements and we just didn’t talk about it? The music that we have been using, frequently ambient music, can be interpreted and used in a wide range of way emotionally, so when I was moving to it, I most probably was already incorporating feeling into my movements. So maybe there is no should, but just a degree on emphasis on the feeling, noticing the feelings. And it is simply a tool in my toolbox.

Another thing I wrote is Gucchon’s imagery. The active imaginations that I can use to lead my dance, which I have forgotten and should use it more often.

Other thoughts

One of the revelations that I had in the past week is dancing happens at the moment instead of in the future. My daily practice in itself is enough as a purpose of me doing it. The practice itself is the art and I just need to keep the channel open.

Katie’s guidance of taking up space and focusing on the transitional is also making an impact. I really like feeling the tone inside my body when I dance, or the stretches, which is the other side of taking up space.

Last thing, after watching some of my video journals from last week, I noticed that, the practice where I used ambient music for warm-up and everything still looked very like I was in a popping mode. Next week, can I make it more like Katie’s and contemporary?

Video journal IMG_7155

I’m trying to catch something interesting that went a noticed

• IMG_7155 09:10 – using the fourth position and shifting weights
• IMG_7155 10:50 – jumping, bending knees, off centered upper body
• IMG_7155 17:03 – bending of knees, foot pathway in the air

What are the coolest and most exciting?

• IMG_7155 23:57 – upper body spiraling with crazy legs. Double legs rolling

• IMG_7155 06:50 – texture, speed and rhythm changes, use of breathing and scatting afternoon today’s performance will begin at 1:30. Please know that you’re welcome to bring the food inside. Thank you.

• IMG_7155 13:37 – gliding

• pops

What movement that I invented?

• IMG_7155 20:52 – the way I looked from left to right

What should I combine?

• Bending of knees and speed changes

Materials:

• IMG_7155 02:00 – lower body spiraling and crossing center

• IMG_7155 02:25 – repetitions, simple rolling, and turning direction of legs and ankles
• IMG_7155 04:25 – repetitions, single leg’s rolling
• IMG_7155 06:50 – speed and rhythm changes
• IMG_7155 09:10 – using the fourth position and shifting weights
• IMG_7155 10:50 – jumping, bending knees, off centered upper body
• IMG_7155 13:37 & 14:12 – gliding, gliding in the air
• IMG_7155 17:03 – bending of knees, foot pathway in the air
• IMG_7155 23:57 – upper body spiraling with crazy legs. Double legs rolling
• IMG_7155 27:28 – upper body spiraling with crazy legs, repetitions, floor works

Video journal IMG_7145

What are the most interesting?

• IMG_7145 04:35 – the pathway that the head is taking

Why is this head better than the one in 7163, or seemingly better?

Video journal IMG_7163

What are the most interesting?

• IMG_7163 12:05 – imagining I’m dancing with sphere