"We shared interesting movement patterns and tried them out, helping each other.  It was a bit of a mix between a lab and a class, as I had a lot of movement patterns I had been researching to share.

I think we tried to cover too much material in a short time.  When we started we were only 4 people with very high experience levels, and then people joined as we continued, so we went to some difficult movement patterns quite quickly.

I think it would have been more beneficial, especially in terms of integrating them into the dance, if we had taken each movement pattern slower, and explored all the different ways to do it, variations, partial completion of the movement, falling in different ways from the movement, how it feels if one person does something else, other people's ideas of similar movements, etc.  To perhaps take 1 or 2 movements and really lab them.

Someone got kicked in the face, and we thought a lot about how to prevent that.  I think what I wrote above would have helped, but also in some ways I realize it was out of my hands, one of the participants expressed discomfort in doing the movement to the person who got kicked, but also he entered the class late and would have missed any safety warnings.  It was also unclear as I did not show that move myself, so I'm not sure who the responsible party would be in terms of ensuring safety for it, if its proposed communally.  Personally I really like to be very hands on, and when trying new movements have at least one of the two people having experienced the movement before.  For example if I personally work with each person, or someone else who has done it, so its not two people who are new working together from the very start.  Sometimes it must be like this, but I think its better whenever possible if not.

So, basically, safety, taking time to explore movements, and alternate movement patterns. etc.

Also, I think I will really stress in later classes to not do anything that seems even slightly straining on the body, to find smaller similar pathways and work slowly.

This is beyond what happened in the class, but I've been thinking a lot about how to expand the range of possible movements, and what the best way is.  I've noticed people with a wide range of acrobatic possibilities, have often trained those things separately (acrobatics, martial arts, dance).  So I do think focusing on specific movement patterns can be useful, and may be needed.  But also I want these things to be in a flowing dance, and I want us to not be even slightly injured or strained while learning, so an interesting balance and further exploration is in need!"