1 B Written overview of my loop
1. What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop?
Straddle – Shoulder Push – Rise Up – Switch Legs – Pigeon – Roll Over -Straddle
2. Describe your process. How did you choose the parts? How was your experience leading up to filming this? What did you need to do to get in the right state of body/mind/spirit to Flow?
I created this loop for a floorwork workshop I taught a few weeks ago. I aimed for a loop which alternates sides, could be mixed up easily and includes my favorite fundamentals (leg threading, shoulder pushing into the floor, straddle work, no-impact-weight transfers) and found both beginners and more experienced dancers had fun and found an individual challenge practicing it.
I just LOVE this song, so music and a flowy shirt were just perfect to get into the right state of mind :)
3. What felt good (or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience?
When I thought about filming this loop before, I felt pressure regarding all the things I should consider (slowing down, breathing consciously, remembering the loop, challenging myself,…in less than 5 minutes!). Way to many things I wanted to include for that short time frame. I tend to get lost in flow and I love it – but as I should stick with one particular loop instead of doing whatever feels good, that’s quite a challenge.
The loop I created naturally travels backwards, so it was a matter of time until I would meet a pole or a wall. I like to consider those obstacles as opportunities, and in this particular experience they helped me with mixing up my loop. I had to modify some elements to make the loop work with the poles around and used some of the elements to travel when I ran out of space, which helped me to stay within flow without losing my focus on the loop.
4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?
So so so many, so I better say: nothing. I could have flowed so much longer, included more challenges, found more slowness and even stillness. But the document said:
“If you feel thar you were immersed in the experience and did “less” than you expected to – but felt breathy and relaxed doing it – that may be the one to send in :)”
…and I felt just like that for this experience :)
5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?
I’ve never asked my students (and myself) so often so slow down before. Approaching the floor consciously after leaving the pole. Finding moments of stillness as well as opportunities to play both on the floor and in the air. And how feeling what you’re doing is so much more important than how it may look.