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Somatics Mid-Term

Allyson Lundell D343 Professor Debenham 21 October 2011

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Table of Contents
Page 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 12 Question Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 11 12 17 Discusses Early movement patterns Bartenieff Fundamentals and the Basic Six Gradated rotation The lesser and greater trochanters Personal power Core support Principles of Fundamentals Kinetic chains Cross-laterality Vertical throughness

Point Breakdown Question Point Value 1 5 2 15 3 10 4 10 5 15 6 10 8 10 11 5 12 5 17 15 Total 100

Lundell 3 1. Chapter 3 explains three reasons for returning to early movement patterns. Identify which is most vital for you. In your own words express the major theme and why it is vital to you. (5 points) In her book entitled Making Connections, Peggy Hackney addresses three main reasons to return to early movement patterns (Hackney 20):

1. Weak or underdeveloped patternsfor support of psychophysical health. 2. Skill development requiring sophisticated coordination and phrasing of movementto facilitate technical virtuosity. 3. Purpose-oriented expression reflecting and impacting an individuals creative styleto increase personal artistry.

The idea of returning to fundamental movement patterns in order to reinforce weak or underdeveloped patterns is intriguing in its simplicity. When someone is seen as weak, an immediate response is to increase ability, improve skill, and obtain progress. The great irony is that this will occur only when basic principles are restored, be it spiritually, physically, or mentally. A more complex effort, or a more advanced concept, will only weaken an underdeveloped individual.

Lundell 4 2. There are two articles that are in your 261 packet by Lauffenburger that directly address the Bartenieff Fundamentals. Use them and the readings from the LRC as references to identify, address and illuminate a Basic Six that is related to concerns that show up in your own moving. Then go on to prescribe which of the six will be effective in a retraining process. Include why the specific ones you have chosen would be effective and how you would use them. (15 points) Femoral flexion is one of the simplest components of dance technique. It is also an area of great concern for a number of dancers including myself. If trained improperly, femoral flexion can limit the technical ability of a dancer. Inefficient patterns produce muscle misuse or overdependence on inappropriate muscles (Lauffenburger 177). Flexion at the hip joint should depend on the iliopsoas and the rectus femoris. I, however, have enabled my quadriceps to dominate the action of femoral flexion. The lack of use of appropriate muscles has left them weak, while the overuse of inappropriate muscles has led to overdependence. This is something I struggle with daily in my personal technique. I am able to correct this flaw in my training by returning to the Bartenieff Fundamentals. The iliopsoas is a deep muscle that wraps from the lumbar spine to the lesser trochanter. The Fundamentals awaken and develop the deeper muscular support necessary for accomplishing a wide range of dance movement (Andrews 14). Working through core-distal and cross-lateral, two of the patterns of total body connectivity, will encourage the iliopsoas to activate movement and increase range of motion. Thigh Lifts, one of Bartenieffs basic six, is an appropriate fundamental to work with when improving femoral flexion. Hackney offers an exceptional movement exploration in Figure 31 from her book Making Connections. Another image I like to utilize when working with my iliopsoas is creating a hook that reaches in and underneath the muscle. As it pulls upward, the iliopsoas pulls the lesser trochanter upward and acts as a lever for a thigh lift.

Lundell 5 The Bartenieff Fundamentals are key to any kind of movement, whether it is dance, sports, or pedestrian. They help to organize the bodys understanding of efficient movement patterns (Lauffenburger 189). Through the study of the fundamentals, I am able to rediscover my uniqueness and artistry as a dancer.

3. Define gradated rotation. Rotation is utilized in which types of movements. List several. Choose one to elaborate on by setting up a situation where rotation was key to the action but not being used fully. Then coach me through the process of increasing my rotation to fully realize the action. (10 points) Gradated rotation is a rotary component of movement (Hackney 139). As it is utilized, it creates more room in the joint. In turn, a wider range of movement is made possible. Rotation is used in a number of different movements: y y y y y Flexion Abduction Rapid transference of weight Direction change Level change

Gradated rotation is seen even in normal, every day walking (Hackney 141). When performing a ronde de jambe, it is habitual to lead with the toes. The imagery of drawing a half-circle on the floor is often used to encourage the fulfillment of the movement. Beginning with imagery of opening or widening the space between the underneath sides of your legs would be more beneficial. The femoral joint is surrounded by six outward rotators: piriformis, superior gemellus, obturator internus, inferior gemellus, obturator externus, and quadratus femoris. When executing a ronde de jambe, imagine each outward rotator pulling at a slightly different angle (Hackney 141). Allow these six muscles to bring the leg around, initiating the movement deep within the femoral joint instead of out towards the ends of the toes. The result will be a greater range of movement and an increase in space within the femoral joint.

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4. The lesser trochanter and the greater trochanter are two key bony landmarks. They play a significant role in several actions of the body. Identify two actions where it would be important to have an understanding of these landmarks and then identify why these landmarks are important to know about with regards to the action. (10 points) The body contains two key bony landmarksthe lesser trochanter and the greater trochanterthat are essential to understanding the science of movement. Lateral weight shift and femoral flexion are two actions of the body that rely on these bony landmarks. Lateral weight shift is a Yield & Push pattern that sequences to the lesser trochanter. As the pelvis shifts laterally, the movement pulls through the lesser trochanter towards the direction of the movement. In response, the greater trochanter is pushed sideways through the space (Hackney 138). The iliopsoas, the main muscle responsible for femoral flexion, reaches from the lumbar spine and attaches to the lesser trochanter. When going through the motions of femoral flexion, it is helpful to imagine the lesser trochanter being pulled upward by the iliopsoas instead of gripping with the quad. As the lesser trochanter rotates upward and around, a greater degree of flexion is achieved. Figure 37 below illustrates a lateral pelvic shift in relation to the trochanters (Hackney 138).

Lundell 7 5. You have a student who doesnt seem to claim their own personal power when they dance. Identify four concepts that you would share with the student to help them gain access to their own personal power. Explain in two or three sentences the essence of each concept that you identify and how it relates to personal power. Then, specifically guide me through an experience that would increase the students awareness of one of the concepts. (15 points) A dancer spends hours in front of a mirror every week noticing what is wrong and what needs to improve. In technique class and rehearsals, dancers are continually told to fix this and fix that. In the midst of this constructive chaos, it is rather easy to lose sight of ones own personal power. In an attempt to resolve this issue, I will discuss four key concepts that may allow an instructor to aid in the restoration process of personal power: (1) Inititation, (2) Desire, (3) Function-Expression, and (4) Personal Uniqueness. Initiation. First ask the dancer, Where does this movement begin? If she takes time to analyze the approximate initiation of a movement phrase, she usually achieves a greater ease in fluidity and sequencing. Each movement creates its own rebound to return or shift to the next movement (Bartenieff 638). While this statement is fundamentally true, a conscious effort to understand and implement it is needed. Once clarity in initiation is achieved, the worry of what comes next or how to execute a movement dissolves, and the mind is free to take a step towards harnessing personal power. Desire. Check to see if [she is] initiating her work from a willingness to participate in changing patterns of relationship (Hackney 37). On certain days, attitude is everything. It is without a doubt that personal power will be lacking if the dancers attitude is unwilling throughout a sequence. As soon as an attitude adjusts to I am willing or I want this, the entire world is changed and the movement performed is influential and effective. Function-Expression. The line between function and expression constantly collides in the world of the dancer. When does the movement cease to be functional and begin to serve as expressive? When are the appropriate occasions for functional dancing versus expressive dancing? The integration of these aspects creates movement meaning (Hackney 40). Without an adequate understanding of function-expression, the dancer is

Lundell 8 unable to properly project the meaning of a piece. She must be encouraged to leave the security of function and find the confidence to explore the possibilities of expression. Personal Uniqueness. Acknowledge the effort and personality put forth by the dancer. In order to reach the pique of her personal power, she must open herself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Because dance can translate into emotional vulnerability, a trusting environment must first be established. The dancer needs to appreciate her personal uniqueness as well as have that personal uniqueness appreciated by anyone who wishes to share in her journey. An Initiation Experience: Have the dancer perform a simple arm circle with the arm fully extended. Ask her to initiate from a different point each time (the shoulder, the elbow, the knee, etc). After she initiates the same arm circle from a number of locations, ask her which one felt the most natural. Which one came with ease? What point of initiation did you connect with most? The idea of this exercise is not to have the dancer give a correct answer, because there isnt one. To nourish personal power, the dancer should discover how different movements work comfortably through her body. This includes recognition of accessible initiation points within her personal physicality.

Lundell 9 6. In your own words, define core support. Identify which of the PTBC are most essential to core support. Explain why you feel this is essential. Provide an example of your own that demonstrates how each pattern of your choice supports core support. (10 points) Core support is more than a physical activation of core muscles that supports movement. It is an enlightened, alive part of a dancer that exudes energy, connections, and power. Core support actively engages the entire body to uphold and energize interactions within a dancer and her environment (Hackney 75). The Patterns of Total Body Connectivity each influence core support and are essential to its concepts. The following paragraph will explore the necessity of breath in its relationship to core support. Returning to the basic of the basics, breath is the beginning. It is where we receive an initiation into the core. It is essential to core support because it encourages a stability of being and acting all at once. Hackney explains, The weight of the body is carried or borne up effectively, so that there is an ease in being in her body in either movement or stillness (Hackney 75). Whenever I discover a movement phrase that needs greater ease, I return to breath. Ninety-five percent of the time, breath releases blocked pathways that have kept me from my core support. It allows me to go deeper than previous attempts so that I am able to fully manipulate and perform movement sequences. When I experience difficulty in connecting my breath to my core, I lay down in a big X, my back to the floor. I breath at a normal rate at first, listening to myself and discovering where in my body my breathing stops. I then breath deeply, imagining my inhale streaming straight down into my core, enlivening it. As I exhale, I picture the energy from my inhale expanding from my core all the way to my distal edges and beyond. I repeat this many times until I feel that my entire body is connected through my breath; my core is at the center.

Lundell 10 8. Chapter 5Peggy lists twelve principles of Fundamentals. Choose three that you have personally connected with so far. Name each, and articulate briefly what the essence of the concept is (2-3 sentences) and in another couple of sentences let me know what it is about this that is vital to you. (10 points) Included in her book Making Connections, Hackney lists the principles of Bartenieff Fundamentals (Hackney 39-41):

1. Total Body Connectivity 2. Breath Support 3. Grounding 4. Developmental Progression 5. Intent 6. Complexity

7. Inner-Outer 8. Function-Expression 9. Stability-Mobility 10. Exertion-Recuperation 11. Phrasing 12. Personal Uniqueness

Of the twelve principles listed above, I have achieved a greater understanding of three in particular: breath support, grounding, and stability-mobility. Breath Support. Breath enlivens. It brings vibrancy to movement that offers support to basically all things. Breath initiates life, movement, and all processes of the world. Within my own physicality, breath is a vehicle of connection throughout my entire being. By taking a moment to focus in on where my breath starts, where it is going, and how I am controlling it, I am able to change my attitude, my influence, and my life. Breath is painfully fundamental in the sense that without it, I would not exist, and with it, I have a potential to exist more than an average human being. Grounding. Maintaining a direct relationship with gravity, grounding explores the relationship of the body to the earth. The earth supports life as it is carried out, literally and figuratively. Amazingly enough, being grounded is a choicehow grounded does an individual choose to bedeeply, with purposeful, heavy movement, or lightly, with effortless, free movement? The options are endless. When I am grounded, I am aware. I feel empowered to fulfill my potential, not only as a dancer, but as a child of God. Grounded-ness gives me a sense of purpose and a deep responsibility to fulfill that which I have agreed to accomplish. It is enabling my free-agency to choose and to become.

Lundell 11 Stability-Mobility. A mobile element is not made so unless a stable element is present. The interaction of stability and mobility are dependent upon each other. For example, my right leg cannot be mobile unless my left leg or my core is stable. I am aware that in order to progress in life, I need help. The stability of my parents testimonies in the gospel enabled the mobility for my testimony to grow. In turn, the mobility of my testimony (through physical actions) allowed for the stability of building up Gods kingdom on this earth. In life, all things participate in active and passive roles. As it is with dance, I believe that it is necessary to return to basic fundamentals (an active effort) to strengthen the foundation of ones technique (a passive base). By doing so, the ability of a dancer and her skill set is greatly increased.

11. Chapter 10What two important concepts are inherent in the term kinetic chain? (5 points) Every part of the body is connected to all the other parts whether it is directly or indirectly. Kinetic chains bring this simple truth to light as an individual explores the physical body that they occupy. Inherent in the term kinetic chain are two concepts: phrasing and muscle sequencing. Phrasing. Kinetic chains of muscular action . . . follow through to complete a phrase (Hackney 47). Indeed, it is the variety of phrases that creates phenomenal choreographic works, and this is made possible through kinetic chains. Muscle Sequencing. Muscular sequencing in kinetic chains is more important than muscle strength in producing coordinated movement (Hackney 47). An appropriate example of this can be found in break dancing. Muscular strength is a key factor; however, if a dancer is unable to access muscular sequencing, a windmill or a stall is next to impossible.

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12. When you attend to the spatial components of cross-laterality in the body there is an integration of the upper to the lower, the one side to the other side, and the forward to the back. How does this information change the way you think about and embody crosslaterality? (5 points) When discussing cross-laterality, Hackney explains, I prefer to encourage the sensation of connection rather than that of opposition. (Hackney 178) This statement resonates within me as I consider cross-laterality on a personal level. Cross-laterality is not concerned with opposite body parts moving in an isolated relationship, but it encompasses the entire body as whole, working together to manifest a relationship of opposition through connection.

17. In your own words explain the concept of vertical throughness. Locate and list three places in the text where vertical throughness is addressed. (Cite and quote) Go on to explain why these three passages help us to understand vertical throughness. Conclude by describing your personal sensation of vertical throughness. Use both technical language and imagery. (15 points) When considering the human body, the vertical dimension is the dominant dimension. Vertical Throughness explores the distinct relationship each individual maintains throughout their physical being in reference to verticality. In her book Making Connections, Hackney addresses the concept of vertical throughness a number of different times: [Streams] allows all six limbs to connect to core as we close and open lying on the floor (Hackney 79). Hackney explores how the imagery of streams, a movement exercise, aids a dancer in achieving vertical throughness. The idea of connecting all six limbs via the core directly correlates with the ability to maintain proper alignment in the vertical dimension. It is necessary that a dancer is aware of the

Lundell 13 relationship between each limb and the core. This kinesthetic awareness allows for the proper adjustments to arrive at vertical throughness. This Throughness of the Vertical comes when you have connected the center of the earth through to your own center core and out the top of your head (Hackney, 116). Here, Hackney discusses how vertical throughness is not only an internal experience within the body, but also an external experience beyond oneself. It deals with the relationship between the core to the limbs (internal) as well as the core to the earth (external). Depicted in the figure to the left, I prefer to literally imagine energy coming from the core of the earth, empowering my physical body at the core, and continuing through the top of my head. Along with this, I also imagine my feet being grounded, giving a sense of opposition and overall balance between the upward motion of core energy and the downward force of gravity. There is a balance of body around the central axis. Bony structure is in dynamic relationship and the muscles around the joints are equally long and alive in their tone, thus leaving the central axis rushing upward like a fountain, or upward and downward in an alive countertension (Hackney, 244). This insight offered by Hackney provides a major concept of vertical throughness: balance around the central axis. This central axis is the core of the body and extends through the spinal column. Once it is understood that verticality can be initiated at the spinal level, it is as though all other body parts fall into place to create vertical throughness. The sensation of vertical throughness is unique to each individual. For myself, I feel open and stable at the same time. I feel myself pulling energy from the earth that is supporting me. It travels into my core and through my upper back, releasing into my limbs and outward, making it possible for me to affect those in close proximity.

Lundell 14 Works Cited

Andrews, Meade, and Carol B. Scott. "Mobilizing the Dancer's Resources." The Bartenieff Fundamentals: 14-18. Hackney, Peggy. Making Connections: Total Body Integration through Bartenieff Fundamentals. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print. Lauffenburger, Sandra K. "Bartenieff Fundamentals: Early Detection Of Potential Dance Injuries." Preventing Dance Injuries: An Interdiciplinary Perspective (1990).