6.11.2008

Ulla Mäkinen / Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Frankfurt a.M

The head and upper extremities in Contact Improvisation (CI)

Alignment of the upper extremities influencing CI

In CI, the importance of alignment plays a slightly different role than in other, more aesthetic-based dance forms. As contact welcomes in its philosophy everyone to dance unrelated to their flexibility, strength or even skill, and one of the definitions for an advanced CI dancer can be that they can dance with everyone, even a total beginner, the necessity of alignment lies more in the studies of function than developing aesthetics (which can be seen as a certain aesthetics in itself).

Because in CI we are not only carrying our own mass but repeatedly also the mass of our partners, the challenge for our structure to support weight is generally bigger than in other dance forms or daily life situations. This increases the burden on our structure and demands us to pay attention to our alignment. Any tendencies and weak points in our movement strategies will reflect to the whole body causing possible overuse and tensions increasing the risk of injuries.

The upper extremities in CI are used to support one’s own weight as well as the weight of a partner, so their function is not only the upright functions of daily life where lower extremities are the ones in contact to the floor. Instead, positions of inversion and crawling where weight is on the hands are frequent. These demand a good connection from the clavicle and scapulae to the arm, as well as intelligent use of the wrist and hand touching the floor, and a well balanced upper body so that the arms are able to carry weight in any situation. The freedom of the arm movements is connected to the mobility of the upper ribs and thoracic spine.

The role of the head is also different than in other dance forms. Head can be seen as another limb with readiness to extend to space, take weight and balance the body. So instead of just carrying the head on top of the spine, the head can also be the initiator of movement and can be seen to have great influence to the dance (see next chapter). Difficulties in carrying the head will naturally reflect to the ease of the movements in the whole upper body, and these will influence all the CI movements from rolling to inversions, being lifted and lifting. Often, the weight (and the role) of the head is undervalued and is not seen as the source for difficulties when a movement pattern is not working.

In CI, the use of developmental movement patterns (e.g. pushing, reaching into crawling) are central, and the difficulties in one’s childhood going thru these phases of development will reflect to the dance, for example in the challenge of pushing from head or from hands. Working on rolling, pushing, reaching and crawling in a CI class can be very helpful to activate and establish the movement patterns which also our dance movements are eventually based on. Especially, relating to the upper extremities, the role of the hands is central, as they are often the tools to carry weight, support a partner and help in landing.

All in all, I would say that the readiness to react is in the core for the physical functions of the body in CI, and to establish this, a freedom of movement in the whole body is required. The less the body is disconnected and blocked and the more it can move with ease, the more connected and ready to react it will be in the dance. This readiness will enable release and activation of the muscles, to lead and to follow, to be passive and to be active. In Steve Paxton’s words: Tension masks sensation.

 Head Righting Reactions influencing CI

Because of the nature of CI, I bring up approaches to head righting reactions according to BMC (Body Mind Centering) as I see these are influencing strongly our way of dancing in CI. Often these are keystones for changing the dance and getting to another level of skills. These are the three specific righting reactions concerning head righting according to BMC, called Labyrinthine Head Righting Reaction (LHRR), Optical Righting Reaction (ORR) and Body Righting Acting on the Head (BOH).

Shortly: the LHRR is an upwardly directed movement in reaction to gravity; if we are moving in space eyes closed, tilting the body, we tend to bring the head back to the vertical position. The LHRR is also a key to our ability in leaving the floor, lifting our head and rising to vertical.

The ORR is the same as LHRR but with eyes open, including the visual information. This time, our bodies try to bring the head up with the information of gravity as well as of what we see.

The BOH is a reaction to contact with the floor; when we get closer and to the floor, we tend to lift the head away from gravity.

All these head righting reactions are helping us to direct movement upwards and lengthen with the use of levity. However, in CI, we need to recognize these reactions and be able to work with them in a way that they won’t hinder the dance. Rather than letting the head balance upright, we want to be able to move the head in different relations to the spine and gravity. Often we try to sense the weight of the head and use it rather as a limb, reaching thru it to any direction in the space. This demands a certain will for spatial disorientation and awareness to the relation to gravity. Often going to the floor, it is needed to release the head and use the spatial senses to understand how distant the floor is to support the landing, instead of needing to lift the head up while coming to the floor. Naturally, the hands play a big role in estimating this distance and help the landing – but furthermore, it is also needed to sense with the head and release it in movements converging the floor.

Staying with the head righting reactions and keeping the head vertical in relation to the floor no matter what the rest of the body is doing, will hinder the dance in several ways. This I see as a certain need to control and fear of release (letting go). For contact, it is needed to use the weight of the head to move in the space in order to shift the center of weight. As we tilt, melt, turn and fall into numerous surprising movements and relations to gravity, the head will have a big role in weight shifting. Keeping the head upright will block the natural flow in many movements such as rolling, lifting, being lifted and exchanging weight.

In any way, we have to remember these head righting reactions are important and not to be forgotten or ignored. To give the body alternative ways of reacting does not mean that we should let totally go of these essential reactions in life or in dance. Also, these reactions are helping and saving us from harm; e.g. in a quick fall, the BOH steps in and we react by lifting the head and reaching the arms to the floor first. These reactions are strongly protecting us and will help in finding organic and safe ways in dancing CI.

In addition to the head righting reactions, there are tens of other reactions vital to the body movements in CI. However, I see these ones especially interesting and significant in relation to the subject of head and upper extremities.

The head and upper extremities in CI

In CI, our bodies have exceptional directions and relations to each other and gravity. We use touch and weight on almost all body surfaces, from any direction. As mentioned before, an efficient alignment is especially vital for carrying and giving weight. Nevertheless, it is not enough, but the movement patterns and reactions we use in the dance demand dynamic alignment. Training of reactions as well as awareness of the use of our body in relation to the floor is central. Being aware of reactions such as the head righting reactions helps us see where these patterns inhibit and where they support the dance. This awareness is a key to build healthy, effortless and physically efficient patterns to develop and create the improvisation from.

Sources:

Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen: Sensing, Feeling and Action / The Experimental Anatomy of Body Mind Centering

Calais-German: Anatomy of Movement

Contact Editions:Contact Quarterly’s Contact improvisation Sourcebook II