Referring back to personal learning plan- final

REFERRING BACK TO MY PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN- FINAL

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT MOVEMENT?
Within semester two we have explored movement at a higher level and an more in depth way. We have be looking at skeletons and the way they allow us to move and live through everyday life. When I look back on my personal learning plan I find that most of what I have aspired to has been improved upon and I feel more confident in my ability to move and perform in an appropriate way for the module. When I found out that we would be performing in Trinity square in front of the public I was nervous and excited, but I never thought that I would enjoy it as much as I did. As I have said before I used to dance a lot before I came to uni but had not done it for a little while before starting this module. This module has reminded me of the buzz I get when performing and moving in a space. It is different to other modules in which you have to perform the words given to you in a specific style. Movement has given me the ability to be expressive and learn through experience and watching my peers. I think my group has bonded well together and I truly believe that we have developed leaps and bounds since the start of the module. I have learnt more about my own capabilities and have engaged in further reading that has deepened my knowledge of what we are learning in the lessons. I have enjoyed being able to notice and explore my surroundings in a different way, whether that is listening to the sounds around me or noticing the way I breath and move. The module has helped me within my other modules as well, by helping me to calm my nerves for example and remind me how to harness my nerves and transform them into energy within performance. I feel stronger physically and mentally, something that I have desired throughout the module.
I cannot express how much I enjoyed performing in Trinity square and the feeling of accomplishment it left me with. I have enjoyed getting to know my peers as we explore the fundamentals of movement together. 
'Yes it is expressive, yes it is energetic, but we have looked a lot at improvised movement that is inspired by the music and your surroundings, not choreographed alongside it.' This is something I said in my last personal learning plan in which I was comparing my knowledge of dance to that of movement and I still believe it to be true. For me movement now has other purposes, there is so much more to it than than just moving in the space. I agree with everything I said in my last plan and the exploration has only continued to get deeper and better. I have enjoyed this module and gained a lot more from it than I initially thought possible. 

WHAT ARE MY PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT MOVEMENT WILL INVOLVE?
'Therefore my perceptions of what the module involve, is the exploration of our bodies abilities and the way in which they can move.' I quoted this last time but I think it remains relevant and was my initial perception of what movement would involve. 
Past statement-  'I have begun to get to understand my body in a deeper sense, in particular through my exploration of breath. I have enjoyed doing the outside reading and gaining greater knowledge of such elements, elements that I have never heard of before.'
As we come to the end of this module I believe that what I said above remains true. I discovered more about myself and my abilities through the exploration of movement within the session. We have continued to explore the fundamentals of movement and I now feel that I am able to apply them myself to my own movement and I often find myself linking our class work to reading I have done. My confidence has grown within performance and I hope this was visible through my performance at Trinity square. Within rehearsal I really pushed myself to enter the performance space for example even if I was the first one there. Within the second group section where we followed a leaders movement I challenged myself to break off and begin solo sections which others began to follow and if they didn't I remained confident within my actions and finished my section before rejoining the rest of the group. 
My group and I have developed in many ways and I didn't anticipate how useful movement could be in relation to establishing friendships, as you challenge yourself to work with someone new, building relationships along the way. My initial perceptions of what movement would involve were in my opinion pretty accurate, in relation to my personal experience, however alongside this I have gained greater knowledge of deeper aspects of movement and sound and improved my group performance skills.


WHAT ARE MY STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES?
I hope that within my performance the energy and commitment I gave to my movement was visible. I really felt that I gave my all to the performance at Trinity square, something that worked to increase my enjoyment of the experience. When performing I tried to really take on board the feedback that I received after the formative assessment which suggested I try to incorporate a greater aspect of fluidity within my movement. Thanks to what I have learnt within class and the reading I have done around the subject I felt that I was able to feel a full body connectivity within performance, ensuring that I was breathing appropriately to energise my entire body. I think a strength of mine is that I do try to take on board the feedback given to me and continue to improve and adjust what I am doing. I tried hard to listen to the feedback given in relation to group sections as well and use this to make my performance the best it can be.
I would like to think that I have been a good addition to the class as I have enjoyed developing my skills and abilities alongside my classmates and getting the most out of the module. If I were to do the module again I would try to make sure I was at as many of the sessions as possible as I often missed things that were important. However I have always tried to find out what I missed from one of my classmates and rectify this.
I am happy with how my blog looks and I have really tried hard to keep this up to date and write about anything outside of the lesson that was of particular interest to me. One thing that lacks slightly is my discussion of the sessions something that I would improve on if doing something like this again. I have never done a blog before so it has been a new experience for me. I enjoyed making it appealing to the eye so that it was more enjoyable to read as a whole, by adding pictures for example. If doing it again I may have chosen a different blogging site as I was unable to work out how to upload videos and as a consequence wasn't able to document anything I had watched on YouTube for example, as part of my research.
I think that my strength lies in the performance area of the course however it has been an interesting experience to document the module on a blog and was more enjoyable that keeping a log book for example.
WHAT DO I HOPE TO ACHIEVE?
I think that my knowledge of movement has improved both mentally and physically. I have enjoyed reading around the subject and learning about the fundamentals of movement rather than just performing. I have discovered a lot more about movement than I ever expected and this is something I am very happy about.
I have pushed myself to socialise with the entire group and this is something that I feel I have accomplished. The movement module has been a good way to get to know my peers which has helped in my other modules to. This is due to us experimenting and learning through movement together rather than just talking about it. I think that we performed well together in the final assessment and where able to establish a real sense of ensemble within performance. We were able to feed off one another using the energy to inspire and create interesting material.
In comparison to the start of the module I have been partaking in a lot more outside reading of my own in particular of Peggy Hackney's book Making Connections, which I have really enjoyed. By doing this reading I was able to reinstate the knowledge given to me in lesson and begin to understand the fundamentals of movement. I decided to buy this book and it is something that I will keep forever. I particularly enjoyed the section on breath and have learnt to use this through everyday life as a calming mechanism for example.
As I stated above under the last question I have really pushed myself to fully engage within rehearsal and performance and not take a back seat whilst waiting for someone to enter the performance space first. I have used my innovative to create expressive improvised dance that will hopefully will have inspired some of my classmates in the way that watching them perform has inspired me. I feel as though I have achieved what I set out to do and am pleased with the way in which I have developed as a person. 

WHAT STRATEGIES CAN I ADOPT TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS?
(Previous statement) 'By setting these goals i feel that I am already on the path to completing them.'
This also links to the last question as I discussed what I had achieved. I have found that it is about my mental attitude within the sessions and performance and I have encouraged myself to do things I know I am capable of. I have been setting myself goals along the way in relation to my blog and the sessions and this has been an affective way of achieving what I desired. 
I am really pleased that I have been doing the reading for the module as it has increased my enjoyment of the subject as I am able to understand it in more depth and realise the true impact and power of movement. I believe that I have improved throughout this module and pushed myself to achieve the goals I discussed in my previous learning plans. By doing so it has meant that I can get the most out of the module and truly enjoy it.

HOW DO YOU IMAGINE THIS MODULE MIGHT TIE IN WITH YOUR LEARNING IN OTHER MODULES?
I was right when I said that this would tie in with my learning within the physical actor module as it helped my with exercises that involved the use of breath for example and transporting this breath to the different parts of my body. We also looked at Michael Chekhov's technique which involved experimenting with elements such as legato and staccato. Thanks to the movement module I am able to visualise this type of movement and convey this through my inner body. It also relates to our exploration of the Laban efforts within the physical actor module. The Laban efforts gives you a range of elements that you can explore through movement and then apply to my monologue. It allows you free yourself up by approaching the monologue physically and I used it to go through my monologue and the add elements I thought appropriate. The movement module helped me be able to develop motifs and gestures corresponding with each element. It has given me the confidence to find my own interpretation of each element through movement, moving around the space and improvising what instinctively comes to me. Similarly to movement we were advised to choreographed a structure and then be free with it. This is similar to our performances within movements where we are given a basic structure or piece of music and told to improvise to it. Approaching my monologue in this way has allowed me to step outside of my character and view it from another perspective, through movement.
The movement module has also helped with my nerves when performing and practicing in the other modules. I have discovered how to use breath as a calming mechanism and I can use this before performance to compose myself and prepare.
To conclude I am enjoying the movement module and the new things that I learn within the sessions and from outside reading. I feel that I have developed significantly in relation to my interpretation of the word movement and improved my level of outside research. I hope to continue to do all the things I have talked about and improve the ones that still seem slighting week. I am looking forward to whats to come. 

I decided to keep this section in from my previous plan as my response to this question remains the same, especially because the movement module was the last to finish. The movement module has helped me develop mentally and physically, which in turn worked to aid my concentrated within the other modules, in particular in relation to the performance sections as it has reminded me of the ways in which I can combat my nervous.
Overall I have truly enjoyed the movement module and as I have said it has allowed to develop and I am happy with the progress I have made within the sessions. It has inspired me to take up dance lessons next year due to this ending as I want to continue to experience the feeling I get when performing movement. 

Summative practical assessment in Trinity Square

SUMMATIVE PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT IN TRINITY SQUARE

 

Image- http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/new-halo-sculpture-been-unveiled-6708727

Today was our summative practical assessment for the movement module. We have been practising our piece for weeks and I was excited but nervous to perform in front of the general public in Trinity square. For the group sections I was in a group of two with Olivia and we had already been to Trinity square to explore the space and decide where we wanted to perform our five minute structured improvisation. This was the part of the piece I was most nervous about as all eyes were on just us two for a whole five minutes and although we had planned guidelines for our improvisation I was worried that my movement wouldn't flow when the time came. However I have always thought Olivia and I worked well together and are able to feed off each other's energy within performance. The five minutes went really fast and I was actually upset when it was over. I was proud of myself as I really performed as well as I could and enjoyed every minute of it. We performed around the large metal halo in the square and we're able to use this to suggest an unstable relationship between the 'characters' within our performance, through the use of expressive movement and gestures.
The other three sections involved the entire class and I found that when in performance we work well as a group to create interesting and innovative material. I really felt that everyone gave it their all and it has been a pleasure to work with this class throughout the module. The aim of these sections was to establish a sense of ensemble within the space and I felt we were successful in doing so. This was due to the way in which we complimented the moves of one another within the space, or even contrasted each other to generate an appropriate atmosphere and energy within the piece. I feel that we have all developed successfully since our formative assessment earlier in the year. I have never performed in an outdoor public space such as Trinity square and the work we have done on this module has given me the confidence and skills to do so. When looking back on the feedback I received after the formative assessment I am happy with my progress as it suggested that I needed more fluidity within my movement style: something I hope to have improved upon within the summative assessment. I ensured that I was fully concentrated throughout the entire assessment and I hope this is something that came across.
After the assessment was finished I interacted and got positive feedback from various members of the public which left me feeling even more accomplishment from what I had just done. Overall the experience of performing at Trinity square was one filled with enjoyment and energy, something I hope will have been visible throughout my performance. I will certainly never forget the experience.

Be@Gift festival- When We Were Birds

BE@GIFT FESTIVAL- WHEN WE WERE BIRDS

Today I went to the Be@gift festival in Gateshead to watch a range of pieces. One that I particularly enjoyed was a piece by Athletes at Heart called When We Were Birds. I decided to incorporate this in my blog as the piece  focuses on the importance of memory in relation to a persons identity and how the the embodiment of certain body movements can lead to the rediscovery of memories long forgotten. The concept of the piece was inspired largely by a story by Bruno Bettelheim, which analyses the way in which movement can be used as a form of self recognition. The story describes a young girl who was in a concentration camp and when a soldier found out that she could dance he ordered her to dance for him. When the girl began to dance it was as though she remembered herself once more and she reached for the soldiers gun and shot him down.
 The piece was performed by one performer named Anna Furse who took us on a journey through her past and the historical past of the 1960s. Within the piece live feed was used as well as prerecorded video. One video that was of particular interest to me showed Furse and her friend Esther visiting the school where they trained to be ballet dancers. They went into the room where they had their training and immediately remembered their position of the bar and began running through the exercises years and years after they had first trained. Furthermore there was a video of Esther performing a piece of dance from a ballet. The piece was a dance done by a peasant girl named Giselle, who had been driven made after finding out that the one she loved was in fact royalty and engaged to someone else. Esther had not performed or even practiced this dance for years, yet when she reentered the space she was able to the remember the entire piece. I found this amazing to witness and it highlighted the connection between memory and movement. This made me think about the dances I could remember from my past and its crazy to think of the all the dances I have done and how much I can remember them. This relates to everyday life in which a gesture or movement can allow you rediscover memories you thought lost and I can often remember how I was moving in a situation even if I am not sure what was said. The piece also included videos of professionals specialising in movement and memory, which opened my eyes further to the power of movement. 
I really enjoyed this piece and I have gained a new view point of the abilities of movement and the way in which is can be used to rediscover memories. The incorporation of personal and political memories within this piece, provoked the exploration of such memories within the audience members, allowing actor and spectator to be at one in the performance space and discover memories long forgotten together.

Rehearsal continued...

REHEARSAL CONTINUED

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  Todays session began with a warm up which involved energising our entire body, starting with the use of breath.When this was done we began to practice the sections of the assessment we had started exploring last week. The lesson lacked a lot of my classmates and we were concerned for how this would affect the rehearsal as the sections we were practicing were group sections.
• Began with the part of the assessment we had started last week where people start in different corners and gradually walk in. At first people just stop and give one another eye contact- next they join hands- next they hold wrist- next they lean back and lower to the floor (must lean back and take one another’s weight properly in order to do the exercise correctly)- next they join with the same hand and slide back to back leaning against one another then connect the other arm and spin out- finally one person presents arms crossed to the other and they can choose whether to accept and do the lift- performing this for about five minutes- experiment with a range of paces and directions.
• We decided to do this section again as it was clear we weren't as concentrated as we were the week before. There was only eight people here so it was way harder to create a range of dynamics. We gained feedback and we were advised to make sure that the first connection of hands is meaningful and pause for long enough in case you are the first to do it, as it is a poignant moment within this section.
• This section is stopped when one person slows down and the rest of the group follows and faces the front- one person then begins to move and everyone follows- you can go off and do solo and people will often begin to follow you- never follow someone that is behind you. Try and incorporate movements that move the group around the space. - get to a place that they think is appropriate to stop.
  Due to there being a lot of the class missing we were unable to perform the piece as best we could and it was clear that the performance lacked energy this week. However we must remain focused because if people are ill on the day we will still be performing. It is important that we learn to adapt to those around us and each development within this section. I enjoy doing this section however look forward to the whole class being united. I think rehearsal suggests that we could perform something great if we put our minds to it. 

The beginning of rehearsal for the summative assessment.

MOVEMENT FINAL ASSESSMENT PRACTICE

• Today, after our warm up, began the preparation for the summative movement assessment. At the beginning of the session Liz sat us down and explained the format of the assessment so that we would understand how it would be organised.
• This is the criteria we were presented with for performance:- 

• The entire piece involves structured improvisation and we will be performing at Trinity square for an audience made up of the general public. Part one involves the entire group gradually walking in to the space. There will moments of stillness and walking, in order to build a sense of ensemble. Part one then fades gradually in to part two as one of the ensemble stops and the rest follow. Part two involves moving in unison; the class will follow whoever is moving. However you are able to break off and do solo sections and others may join in with you. The third part of the assessment is done in smaller groups. In our groups we must figure out the criteria we intend to use within our own structured improvisations and decided where in Trinity square we would like to perform. My group and I will visit Trinity square and choose where we would like to perform and which criteria suits this area the best. The fourth part of the assessment will involve us sitting in a circle and groups of three will perform for one minute inside the circle each time. This will also be improvised in silence. The final part will be open improvisation and will involve us moving freely in and out of the circle moving to three tracks.
• We began working on the first section the assessment. The class members should in all four corners of the space and gradually began walking into the space. At this point they are working alone as they concentrate on their speed within the space. When others enter the space they begin to stop and pause as they gain eye contact within someone in the space. We must ensure that the pause is long enough for the audience to recognise and so that it has significance within the piece. Then we go on to pausing, holding eye contact and joining hands with the people in the space. The next step is for us to connect wrists. Then the next development is for us to connect wrists and hold each others weight. We then go on to doing the movements from the stage before however both lowering to the floor, whilst supporting the weight of one another. For this stage it is very important that we holding our bodies in the correct manner, in order to avoid any damage and ensure that the movement is smooth for both partners involved. Next we join with our partners by the same hand and slide back to back leaning against one another for support (pause there for a moment), then connect the other arm and spin out. The final stage is for one person presents arms crossed to the other and they can choose whether to accept and do the lift, or whether to decline and walk straight on after giving eye contact. This section will last for about five minutes and we must attempt to experiment with a range of paces and directions throughout, whilst establishing our connection as a ensemble. I found that this section working well when an appropriate level of concentration was established, as it worked to create a professional and interesting environment within the performance space, by allowing innovative movements and moments to be generated within performance.
• This section is stopped when one person slows down and the rest of the group follows and faces the front. We then transition smoothly to the next section. One person then begins to move and everyone follows, however when you feel suits you can break off and do solo and people will often begin to follow you. You should never follow someone that is behind you as it means that the moment does not look fluid and synchronised. When the movements are copied effectively you are unable to tell who the leader is. It was important that we tried to incorporate movements that move the entire group around the space in order to create a piece that is engaging. At the end of this section we have to find a place that we feel is appropriate to stop and finish as an ensemble to signify the end of this section.
• I enjoyed being able to really go for it especially at moments when I broke off and did a solo. I challenged myself to commit to the solo section even if no one appeared to be following me. Liz gave us feedback on our performance and one thing she noticed that some people often did moves that were too fast for the group to follow. If the leaders would like to incorporate some fast movements that should begin slowly and develop a recognisable pattern before increasing the speed. I find that when our group really concentrates and works as one we can generate some material that is enjoyable to experience and watch. I really enjoyed this session and look forward to what we can accomplish in the rest of the assessment.

Movement Screening- Touch the Sound.

EVELYN GLENNIE- TOUCH THE SOUND

MOVEMENT SCREENING

 

Image- http://www.kino.de/kinofilm/touch-the-sound-a-sound-journey-with-evelyn-glennie/67625

'There is sound everywhere. we have to listen, that's it really.'

The screening Touch the Sound follows Evelyn Glennie on her exploration of sound.
 Evelyn Glennie is a percussionist who is nearly deaf and experiences sound as a kind of touching or vibration. She is successful in opening our eyes to the world around us, a world filled with so many sounds and sensations and you see her through everyday life embracing and feeling these sounds. We are taken on a journey through the streets  of New York, experiencing the sounds ourselves in a way that we may not normally do through everyday life. After watching this screening I found myself beginning to notice even the smallest sound around me on my way home and it was as though I was hearing the world for the first time. It made me feel as though my life was being played out to a soundtrack, although I may not be aware of it. Such sounds may impact you and change the way you are feeling even if you don't notice it.
Glennie experiments with sound within what looks like a large disused warehouse, using instruments and the objects around her to create sound. She even uses one her own companies backs to create sound. Due to the large open space within the warehouse the sound echoes and vibrates all around them, allowing her to feel and embrace it. She talks about getting underneath the surface to find the sound, rather than just striking the surface. I like the fact that throughout the film they can be seen experimenting with sound, nothing we hear is planned and the sound that is created is a surprise even to those involved. Both viewer and participant are discovering as the film progresses.
Within this section Glennie can be seen making sound alongside a guy and you can feel the connection between them as they often make eye contact and take inspiration from the sound the other is making. This worked to unite the sound within the space creating something truly sensational to listen to.
After watching the screening I did further research into Evelyn Glennie and this piece of work and one source stated that Glennie 'introduces the viewer to an amazing sonic realm that we all know but rarely appreciate-a world of tapping sputtering clanging rustling rhythms.' I really agree with this as the twanging sounds she makes throughout feel almost otherworldly and generate atmosphere. I felt them affecting my body when just watching the video. As Glennie states I was able to 'feel the sound', and I consider her to be right when she says 'You feel it through your body and sometimes it almost hits your face.' This film allows you to not view Glennie's hearing as a handicap and she has really opened my eyes the mechanisms and power beneath sound: 'hearing is a form of touch'. 
When she was younger she had been told that she wouldn't be able to play music and would have to go to a school for the deaf. But she continued to do what she wanted to do whether she could hear or not. She began playing percussion and found that she was able to feel the sound within the instruments. For example when playing the drum she noticed the experience of the body hitting against the drum, feeling the sound. She actually discovered that if she took her hearing aids off she could hear less with the ears but more with the body.
Overall I found Evelyn Glennie to be an inspiration woman, who has open my eyes to the power of sound and the way in which it can be felt not just heard. She taught me that you can hear sound through feeling it and you can actually hear it for longer as the vibrations last longer than the physical sound. You can feel the sound, feel the process of creating the sound and therefore here the sound. I feel that I will be more aware of the sounds around me through everyday life, how I feel them and how I sense them

'I want to be open to absolutely everything that comes my way'

Moving without sight.

MOVING WITHOUT SIGHT

• We began the session with a warm up to ensure that we were prepared for what was to come within the session. This involved using breath alongside movement to revitalise our mind and body. At first the breath was slow and heavy, and was accompanied by slouched bodies and drooped arms, legs and heads. As our bodies uncurled the breath began to quicken in pace and our movements became more jagged and strong. It was important to not uncurl to quickly however, in order to avoid us damaging our neck or shoulders. Once the warm up was complete I felt awake and read for what was ahead.
• We went on to do an exercise in partners which involved dancing for one another with your eyes closed. One partner would be sat down watching and the other stood up dancing with their eyes closed. This was an experience that was originally quite uncomfortable as you cannot see how the other person is reacting and though you feel alone you know there is someone watching you. It was a very surreal experience and made me feel out of control. However the fact that the roles were then reversed meant that you were allowed to experience the exercise from another angle and realise that person is not judging you and is there if you were to move somewhere shouldn't. This is something I have never done before and it was an interesting experience. I found that my other senses became heightened within the environment and I found myself wanting to use my hearing to sense other people and gain reassurance.
• We then did a running exercise which involved each of us attempting to run from one side of the room to the other with our eyes closed. Two people stood at the opposite end in order to catch the person as they came sprinting towards them. It was interesting to see how different people responded to this exercise. I was within the group of people who failed to reach the other side of the room and actually squealed and screamed as they ran along. I was very nervous about this before I did it and this did not help me to achieve the full length of the room. I think I should have applied some of the breathing techniques I have learn along the course in order to calm myself. This is something I will work on in future sessions.
• Overall I found today's session quite challenging but I believe that I have overcome some of my fears and know what I need to work on in the future in order to overcome the rest. It is good for me to keep experiencing and eventually overcoming such challenges and this is something that I enjoy about the movement module; it is always encouraging me to try my best and continue to improve.

Exploring different skeletons and the way in which they move.

INVESTIGATING SKELETONS

Today's movement session involve us looking through stages of evolution, analysing the different postures and movement styles that would be appropriate for each stage. We also took a trip the museum within the week before the session, in small groups, to look at the skeletons of different animals. Within the lesson we had to pick one skeleton that we were particularly interested in and spend time developing a moment style we thought appropriate for this skeleton. My group chose to look at the skeleton of a T-Rex, as it was large in size and had a vast array of bones and joints to interpret. Seeing this skeleton at the museum allowed us to appreciate the scale and power of the real thing and gain more insight into this extinct species. I took time to consider how each part of its body would twist and shift as it moved along. They had long tails connected to the end of the spine which would have helped them to balance as they moved on only two legs. From what I have seen of T-Rex's in documentaries for example, I have noticed that they keep their heads held high, surveying the area around them. To support that ginormous head they would have to engage their spine and core when moving. This is something that I tried to incorporate within my portrayal of a T-Rex. They also have large feet which I tried to emulate by moving across the room with heavy steps, pausing very briefly as they made contact with the ground in order to steady myself. I pushed my bum out behind me, swaying it from side to side as I moved, to showcase the length and width of the tail. Evidence has shown that T-Rex's were about 12 metres long with a 6 metre tail. To showcase this I lent forward and stretched my neck out in order to appear longer. They had very strong thighs which worked alongside its tail to maintain its balance. This was essential due to have only two legs to support a long body, as the small 'arms' at the front we little use in aiding this. I had my arms bent and close to my body, letting my hands flop at the end of the wrist joints. Within the lesson we experimented with how we thought they would both walk and run, showcasing our findings whilst we walked from one end of the space to the other. I opened and shut my mouth as I moved to highlight the power of the jaw that resides in their 1.5 metre long skull. My head dipped on occasion in order to showcase the weight on this skull. This was a very enjoyable exercise as we were able to transform our knowledge of the T-Rex's skeleton into a visual representation, by analysing in depth the way in which this skeleton would have moved within the T-Rex's giant body.    
We then looked at the stages of evolution. We were given a sheet which looked like this-


 Image- http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2009/11/04/the-march-of-progress-the/

We were asked in groups to choose one of these skeletons and create our own representation of how it would move and the rest of the class would have to guess which skeleton it was. My group and I chose the Orangutan as we particularly liked the positioning of their feet and hands. Also we were all quite tall so we thought that we would attempt to emulate the smallest skeleton. We did this by hunching our backs and sticking our chests out because when you look at the Orangutan's skeleton you can see that its chest is very upright and positioned right under its chin. We let our arms hang down low to symbolise the shear length of its arms which appear to be nearly touching its feet. We also curled our four fingers over alongside each other and let the thumb stick out as it does on the skeleton above. You will also notice that the Orangutan's toes stick up with one toe separate from the others. We tried to reproduce this as best we could by walking on our heels and spreading our toes. However the make up of feet meant that we were not able to isolate one toe on its own, highlighting a large difference between our skeleton and that of the Orangutan. When it was time for us to perform we put all of what we had practiced (the elements described above) and moved across the space as we thought the Orangutan would in relation to its skeleton shape. It was hard to tell the difference between some of the primates, however the man skeleton we easily recognised as of course that is our natural movement type. Each of the primates had larger skulls than the man and some groups, ours included, attempted to showcase this by letting their head hang slightly, working to suggest the weight of the skull. Apart from the man skeleton the Gorilla was the one that most people interpreted the movement to be, even sometimes guessing Gorilla when it wasn't. I think this was due to a large amount of the group using a wide and hunched posture within their interpretations, something that is stereotypical of a Gorilla.  
I really enjoyed today's lesson as it opened our eyes to the importance of the skeleton in relation to how a being moves. I know it seems obvious but we don't have X-ray vision and never will, but exploring skeletons in this way allows you to gain more insight in to there purpose and how they shape a person or animal. I look at my limbs and think oh its a leg but in reality its filled with lots of bones that work together so that I can walk and there design influences the individual style in which I walk. Doing these exercises has made me analyse the way I walk in everyday life. All skeletons are different and that is so interesting! Movement has been an excellent way to explore that further. Instead of just being given a picture like the one above we really analysed each of the skeletons and developed our own visual representation of it.

Not just imagining, being.

Semester 2 Working with exercise balls.

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  Image from:- http://myfitbasics.com/p/64/exercise-ball.

  SEMESTER TWO

  I arrived at the lesson today excited about what was to come as the other groups had told us we would be using exercise balls within our exploration of movement.We began with a warm up which involved bouncing up and down on the balls and using your feet to lift to lift yourself off the floor. We gradually began to push off with our feet harder and harder, experimenting with breath and speed along the way. The class was initially giggly as we found the balls were harder to control that we had anticipated. However as we became more confident and comfortable an appropriate concentration level was established. We then had a short section where we could bounce around on the ball freely, involving our arms and heads too. This exercise worked to loosen our entire body, and despite being rather tiring, it served well as a warm up for the rest of the lesson.
• Experimented with a range of movements with the balls. For example holding the ball at one side, then holding it up in the air, placing it on the fall and rolling on to it sideways, lifting yours legs off the floor. We did this on body sides of our body. I found the left side much harder to keep controlled, which made me nervous. I asked Liz for some more advice on the exact movements involved so that I could be sure that I was doing it correctly. I continued to practice and managed to improve the fluidity and control within the movement.
• We did another exercise with we stood facing forward, lifted the ball straight up in the air, bent down and placed the ball in front of us, before sliding forward over the ball using our arms to gain memento and pull us further forward. We then slid back over the ball and on to our feet, placing the ball in the air once more. I found this exercise challenging at first but as I did it more and more times I began to perfect the technique and the movement became smooth, allowing my nerves to pass.
• We then went on to use all the moves we had learnt within the class to create movement sequences in groups of five. I was excited to do this as I enjoying choreographing movements. We decided that we would begin sat down on the balls in a circle, using the jumps up and down on the balls to set the pace of the piece. We found that it was very important to choreograph the timings perfectly as we wanted to incorporate sections of unison and canon within the sequence. By choreographing the timings it meant that we were efficiently working as a movement ensemble and the piece was as refined and slick as possible.
• We then performed these in front of the rest of the class, finishing with a terrific final position, will the balls in the air, to signify the end of the piece.
• After each group had performed we had a discussion about what was particularly good within the work. The use of canon was very popular within the group pieces and something that we all agreed looked effective when perfected.
• Overall I really enjoyed this lesson, as it was full of energy and concentration and was something I had never experienced before. It showed me how you can use objects to generate moves that it may not be possible to accomplish with the human body alone. This is something I will keep in mind in relation to the final assessment.

Referring back to my Personal Learning Plan.

REFERRING BACK TO MY PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT MOVEMENT?
In my personal learning plan I talked about how danced before coming to university. After taking part in the movement module this semester I have come to look at movement in a different way to dance. Yes it is expressive, yes it is energetic, but we have looked a lot at improvised movement that is inspired by the music and your surroundings, not choreographed alongside it. This is something that I have enjoyed exploring and hope to continue to do so. I have discovered that movements such as standing still and sitting can be just as expressive as constant movement throughout the space. We used our surroundings such as walls and floors, to inspire our movement and create interesting shapes. When doing dance I have found that I am more in my own world, concentrating on getting the steps right and the exact timing, however we have been experimenting with a wide range of ensemble work, using our movement to establish relationships within the space. I have learnt how to connect with my classmates within movement and feed off their energy and movements to create unique and complimentary moments between us. I believe that I have significantly improved my ability to perform in a group setting and have stopped myself from getting carried away in my own movement.
However this being said I have also been able to have moments of solo movement exploration, which my classmates may or may not join in with. I also enjoyed the partner section within the assessment as I got the chance to choreograph a sort section, which is something I enjoy doing. I was able to harness the knowledge of movement I have gained and create something appropriate for the piece.
I believe that the movement module has helped to keep and develop my muscle strength further and I have learnt about the fundamentals of movement and the way our body moves and connects. By visiting these fundamentals I have been able to revisit simple body movements and begin to regain total body connectivity.  

WHAT ARE MY PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT MOVEMENT WILL INVOLVE?
'Therefore my perceptions of what the module involve, is the exploration of our bodies abilities and the way in which they can move.' - This is what my perceptions where of what the movement module will involve. After taking part in further sessions I believe that I was right to expect this. When I originally thought about the movement module I thought I would be dance but as I said above the movement module module has opened my eyes to the fundamentals of movement: Change is fundamental, relationship/connection is fundamental and patterning body connections is fundamental.  I have begun to get to understand my body in a deeper sense, in particular through my exploration of breath. I have enjoyed doing the outside reading and gaining greater knowledge of such elements, elements that I have never heard of before.
I think that my strength improved and this has been helped by my confidence continuing to grow within each session. However there is definitely still room for improvement! and I hope to continue to improve throughout the rest of the module.


WHAT ARE MY STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES?
Looking back on what I said were my strengths and weakness, I find my self laughing and smiling as I was so right. I continue to believe that within performance I give my all and I have been reminded of the real buzz I get when performing movement. It gives me a different feeling as to when I'm acting for example. In that situation my nerves can often make me shaky, but when I'm moving those nerves are transformed into energy and submerged within the performance. I feel a change in myself when I perform and people often tell me that I look very serious, but that's because I'm concentrating. I don't see the point in giggling and messing around within rehearsal because how will you know how to implement concentration in the real thing. I am surprised to hear myself say that but its true! I like to commit to each performance because that is when I'm left feeling proud of myself: when I know I have given my all whatever happens. I always listen to the feedback given and try to improve within each rehearsal or performance.
On the other hand with exercises within class that involved volunteers I have found I have shyied away from them a bit, something that I am angry with myself for doing and hope to improve in sessions to come. I need to challenge myself to take part and go for it, I will only be at that place in time once, the least I can do is embrace it.
In my previous learning plan I spoke about improving my blog by keeping it up to date. When considering this I believe that I have been able to contribute some more factual posts that highlight that large amount of reading and research I have been doing around the topics and screenings with touch on in lesson. I want to continue to do so and I am enjoyed reading Peggy Hackney's book Making Connections and adding posts about my findings and discoveries. This being said I hope to continue to improve my blog and keep it up to date throughout the module so that I can look back on my work and the things that I have accomplished. 

WHAT DO I HOPE TO ACHIEVE?
Within my last personal learning plan I displayed a want to improve my blog and ensure that I update it every week. I think that I have been doing so however still believe that I can do better so will keep this as something I hope to achieve.
I said that I wanted to push myself to socialise with the entire group and work with each of them in different exercises. This is something I believe I have been successful in. My group has begun to establish a strong bond within class and performance, something I hope was visible in the formative assessment. We are working well together in the space and discover ways that we can compliment or contrast one another within performance for example. We are developing well as a class together and I don't think that any one person could be picked out as not working well. If someone doesn't feel like it one day we give them the encouragement they need to regain energy and enjoyment from what they are doing. 
I have been practicing some breathing exercises at home as I had aimed and using Peggy Hackney's book to explore breath further, as described in my post on the chapter Breath. I have also done a lot more of the suggested reading and this is something I will continue to do to get the best out of the module as possible.

WHAT STRATEGIES CAN I ADOPT TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS?
(Previous statement) 'By setting these goals i feel that I am already on the path to completing them.'
This continues to be true not just in the movement module but in everyday life. I write down the things I want to achieve in my planner and then tick them off when they are complete. The things that are not ticked stay there and push me to complete them. I have been setting myself goals for reading chapters and updating my blog. I think this has helped to improve my knowledge of the subject and the documentation of my progress. I intend to continue to do this. 
I push myself to complete tasks set and post on my blog and when I have done so I can reward myself with relaxed time for example. This way I can start to feel a sense of accomplishment I achieve the goals set. I will continue to push myself in this was in order to do the best I can do in this module as it something I really enjoyed and would love to do well in.

HOW DO YOU IMAGINE THIS MODULE MIGHT TIE IN WITH YOUR LEARNING IN OTHER MODULES?
I was right when I said that this would tie in with my learning within the physical actor module as it helped my with exercises that involved the use of breath for example and transporting this breath to the different parts of my body. We also looked at Michael Chekhov's technique which involved experimenting with elements such as legato and staccato. Thanks to the movement module I am able to visualise this type of movement and convey this through my inner body. It also relates to our exploration of the Laban efforts within the physical actor module. The Laban efforts gives you a range of elements that you can explore through movement and then apply to my monologue. It allows you free yourself up by approaching the monologue physically and I used it to go through my monologue and the add elements I thought appropriate. The movement module helped me be able to develop motifs and gestures corresponding with each element. It has given me the confience to find my own interpretation of each element through movement, moving around the space and improvising what instinctively comes to me. Similarly to movement we were advised to choreographed a structure and then be free with it. This is similar to our performances within movements where we are given a basic structure or piece of music and told to improvise to it. Approaching my monologue in this way has allowed me to step outside of my character and view it from another perspective, through movement.
The movement module has also helped with my nerves when performing and practicing in the other modules. I have discovered how to use breath as a calming mechanism and I can use this before performance to compose myself and prepare.
To conclude I am enjoying the movement module and the new things that I learn within the sessions and from outside reading. I feel that I have developed significantly in relation to my interpretation of the word movement and improved my level of outside research. I hope to continue to do all the things I have talked about and improve the ones that still seem slighting week. I am looking forward to whats to come. 

Formative movement assessment.

ASSESSMENT DAY!!

Today we had our formative movement assessment. When I arrived at the performance space I felt nervous but ready for what was to come as we have been practicing for the assessment for a while. The assessment involved a number a group sections of improvisation and a section of partner work. The partner work has been particularly challenge for me and my partner as she suffers from weak ankles meaning that in any of the lifts performed I would have to be the one lifting. This being said I am not keen on being lifted anyway so it worked out well. This is something that I hope will change over the period of the module as my confidence and knowledge of lifting techniques develops.
My partner and I have been meeting over the weeks to practice the sort section of choreographed movement given to us by our teacher Liz and then add on our own choreography. I have always enjoyed choreographing dance routines and I was able to use this to aid the creation of our movement piece. We chose movements that we fluid so that we could move smoothly from one to one. This improved each time we practiced the piece and by the end of rehearsals I thought we had moved on significantly.
The assessment began with a warmup that we had learnt and experience within the sessions and involved the exploration of a number of the fundamentals described in Peggy Hackneys book Making Connections. We had to take ourselves through this warmup correctly in order to prepare for the rest of the assessment. The warmup begins with us being laid on the floor, noticing our breath and transporting it around our bodies. It then went on to a series of movements involving head-tail connectivity. We experimenting with the use of our heads to turn our bodies allowing the tail to follow and visa versa. We also explored a range of core-distal movements through tumbles and contractions. Throughout the warmup each fundamental was explored through a range of movement types. By the end of the warmup we should being aiming to be stood up. The warmup was accompanied by a piece music we were familiar with and I found I got used to the length of the piece. As the warmup finished I found myself energised and ready for the rest of the assessment.   

One of the other sections involved us being in groups of four or five and being situated in the four corners of the room. One group performed at a time and they were given a piece of music to improvise alongside. The other groups watched and gained inspiration and enjoyment from their performance. It was important that within these sections we built an appropriate relationship with the other performers and the space itself, using walls and the floor for example, to create interesting shapes and movements. Despite having practiced this in lessons the section was entirely improvised meaning we had to draw on what had worked in our past experiences, to ensure the improvisation was the best it could be. This meant thinking back to the discussions we had had after rehearsals to remember what had been considered strong and what had been considered weak. I enjoyed this section as it allowed you to work with your classmates but also have moments of self exploration, in which the use of the space and levels were important.  
The final sections involved groups of three entering the circle and performing a silent improvisation in the space for a minute and then a improvisation that involved the whole group entering the circle when they pleased, alongside several pieces of music. Within the sections in groups of three it was important that you really worked within the fellow performers in the space and didn't allow yourself to become distracted in your own movement. This is something I often do and I have really tried to work on improving through rehearsals. The improvisation should include movements between the partners that compliment one another or even contrast for example. The use of levels and changed in pace is also appropriate and helps to generate material that innovative, interesting and meaningful.
I really enjoyed that final sections with the whole class improvisation, in particular because of the incorporation of music. I find that when music is involved you can really listen to the different rhythms and sounds within it and use it to inspire and influence your movements and style within a performance. I often find myself building up a story within my mind and picturing where my 'character' is and how they feeling. However as I have said before such group sections aim to generate a sense of ensemble within performance, something that I believe my group are capable of doing. I think that even after only this short time we have bonded well as a group and this has shown through group performance. I look forward to seeing what we can produce at the end of the year in the final assessment.
Overall I found the assessment an enjoyable experience, that differs from performances in the other modules where you have to perform learnt lines from a script.... Movement allows you express yourself in a different way and even if you have moments when you are unsure you can harness that insecurity to create a moment of stillness and silence for example which is often just as powerful as constant movement. I used to dance a lot when I was a bit younger and this performance reminded me of the real buzz I get my I'm dancing/moving. I can put my all into it in a way that different from spoken performance and use the nerves to energise my body and express myself through movement.

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