Contemporary course description for a series for classes.

      In this IDOC the Class I describe is for an Intermediate/advanced contemporary class, but could work just as well for a professional class.I generally adapt my class to the needs of the group that day depending on the energy they have or the time of the day ... i.e. what do they have to do  after, and  what did they do before. What is the healthy working limit for the moment.  Not everything I have put  here will be in every class, but this is more a description of  a series of classes with a main  focus  for each class but a longer term goal to reach with the group by the end of a semester or month or however long you get to be with the group.

        I like to use mix Of different contemporary techniques and styles,I keep classic base for structure,I lead the group into a short stretching warm up with breathing exercises, alignment exercises and exercises to awaken the articulations with fluidity and dexterity. Some plie and tendu combinations and well and a few other exercises.

            For students of any level I find it essential  that at least in one of their classes a day to have a good alignment exercise for building proper body awareness and consciousness, for professionals as well it is like medicine sometimes to have a re-alignment exercise after long rehearsals and research days.I find it also important to relieve tense muscles and articulations early in the class, so as we do our plie and tendu combos I ask us to focus on what part of our body is working and how do we control it, keeping a fluid breath, we check where is our center today, we let our selves grow and be filled with new energy on our in breaths,and trying to let all tensions go on our out breath preparing start to move in a free and fluid way.

          Once properly warmed up  aligned and centered I generally let us move freely in space for a moment, noticing each other making eye contact and then slowly finding a place in the room where we can be quiet close our eyes and check how we are inside.Harmonizing the body to prepare it to take on different dynamics and qualities of movement.

      From this point on in the class I base all exercises and combinations on organic movement  flow,but in different velocities and intensities.We work so that the mind and body of the student are ready to create and generate fluid movement at a high rhythm pace or fast tempo music ,and equally find a strong dynamic in a soft setting and softer music.

        The class will  also work a lot on the interpretation of feelings or emotions to the body to help generate them in a natural way later in improvisations or choreographies. If I feel the dancers have had to much information for the day I might lead into an improvisation exercise working the connection to our emotions and our movements, reflecting on our interior self and bringing us to be aware and present in the space around us.

After a moment of improvising I generally have them create a small repeatable sequence of choreography.(to make a choreography is like problem solving i.e. How do I fill 8 to 16 counts and repeat them? )

The fact of solving a problem when our mind has been just free and improving for a few minutes tends to give interesting and differents results then if this exercise happened at any other point in the class, I ask that they observe this difference for themselves and see if it is different the next time maybe it unblocks certain things in each one for a more fluid way of thinking and moving.

        When there is more energy in the group I might instead work on a choreography that I build over a series of 3 classes or a week depending on how often I see the students or if it is a workshop.  When it is a weekly class maybe becomes a series over a month intermixed with Impro moments. For any dancer working as or studying to become professional the memory is a very important part of the job. It is expected to learn and memorise quickly complete choreographies and pieces and keep them in mind for when they are needed,( often with very short notice.) This is why  I find it important to keep the mind and memory  challenged   by  learning a choregraphique combination every week, I also try to keep most exercises as combos that can be repeated, not every week but that come back  often  to challenge them to remember the exercises and once they become regular this helps a lot in building a class rhythm.

Main elements that are explored in my class exercises as the group develops.

Breathing and awareness of flow to muscles as we work.

Consciousness and Control working  on and off balance.

Floor work, our contact and connection to and from the  floor and its relationship our movment, (shoots,slides,contact, playing with the level of weight we give the floor, and friction it) 

Release and Rebounding.

 Consciousness and Contact  to the space and others in the space.

Awareness of our interior selves and of our exterior selves.

Articulation dexterity and control over their flexibilty.

Alignment awareness.

 Velocity and Intensity, Fluidity in transitions.

Memory and Improvisation.

    I close the class generally after a high energy point,with a short calming down stretching series, when coming into a concentration on breathing, I ask us to close our eyes and reflect on our interior self how has our body changes since the begging of the class?

We breathe together and try release any last tensions on the out breaths. In the last few minutes left I let the dancers move freely as they need stretch what they need to prepare for what ever they have next and to be conscious of any changes in their body if any.

Sometimes I suggest that they keep a notbook of changes in the body from one week to the next. Just for their own personal records.