Hello my friends,

In the early part of this year my focus shifted to developing Shape in dance. I wrote a number of bits and pieces that I’ll chronicle here.

Finding treasures as I look through my notes and discover my own journey.

Here are some thoughts on paper…unformed and raw…about Alexander Technique and Dance and Finding a New Shape, I dictated this to my own voice mail in the moment so as not to forget…

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I need rebalancing…

I’m working on a new shape in dancing and need to find balance when my orientation is so altered it’s on a different plane of vision.

Using Alexander Technique (AT) thoughts as well, the back lengthens and widens, the sternum widens, going up, up, up… my back is long, my spine is longer…integrating three dimensions not in vertical space…

Spatial thinking and the relationship of my body to space and my awareness of this different shape in movement is an adjustment. It feels like my balance will fall but in an odd way it’s easier.

Going forward and up with the flex point, not backwards.

My neck is long and free of my head’s weight as I come into balance. My shoulders drape – they rest – on top of my torso.

Box step happens by itself when I maintain this new poise, up, up, up…

In the preparation of movement, I notice I’ve been thinking about my feet and then failing to reaffirm my poise before moving, therefore collapsing downward.

Thinking up out my head now, I must still think of movement of the feet but differently…
Thinking of the transfer of the center of gravity between the feet and also thinking up out my head. Both aspects need to be alive in me.

And it’s working, my balance is coming in…. First with Foxtrot, then in Waltz. It is the same…

And it works…

Finding my spine….Up up up…

Today it’s better when I don’t think of feet. They’re closing as a result of movement and poise rather than direct action. At least for today…

Note to self: releasing my ankle keeps me on the front of my dancing foot and leg as I move backwards. Allowing the free ankle and point of toe to release changes my balance and movement for the better.

And always thinking up out the head

So there’s preparation for movement in freeing the ankle and the ankle is the neck of the leg and the neck is free….all my necks…neck of my legs, neck of my arms, the neck of my neck…

Now adding a direction from a dance lesson to keep my 4 blocks of weight as one – get it, don’t change it, and dance.

Using my body awareness and projecting the Orders to find this –

Applied Alexander® in dance, finding a way to understand my body better.