Jamie Taylor - Final Project

TAYLOR JAMIE FINAL PROJECT REFLECTIONS

 

1.     Describe your process. How did you choose your project? Why did you choose this method?

My primary goal for doing this FFTT is so that it could enhance and fill in the gaps that I felt my own movement method had. And it did, by far. So it made sense to have the Final Project be a mixing of Flow Movement method and Serpent Power method.

Using the very basic Sequence 1 of SP, which is table top based. I decided to see how much more creativity the session attendees would gain from using more FFTT cues?

 

2..   What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

What felt was that it went well (phew!). That the attendees loved it so much and want to do it again asap. I felt I had much more of a responsibility watching these movements unfold. It was quite intimate, which surprised me. Usually in SP I do the movements at the same time as them, providing and leading the energy of the group by example. So this was very different.

I felt if I had started moving, due to how movement is taught in UK pole studios, then there was a risk that they might just copy me? So, I didn't move with them.

 

3.     What do you think your project offers the viewer/participate? (Tools for accessing a Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

This was one of the gaps that I think FFTT filled in SP. That now I have a tool to help attendees get the most out of their creativity. They really can make SP there own now. Each movement was uniquely theirs.

 

4.     If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

 

I discovered it was difficult to gage timings: did they want to move on to another cue yet? Or are they bored with this cue? Do they want more time with this movement? They said the timing was great, but it was just guesswork from me.

 

5.     What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

Well, I think FFTT will radically change how I teach level 1 of SP, for the better. I knew there was something missing with SP but didn't know what. A new SP L1 keeps unfolding in my mind, so its not complete yet. I'm happy to experiment with my Serpentines until it is.

It's the freedom of the blueprint of the SP sequences I had no idea how to convey, teach and bring out of people until FFTT.

 

 

 

Jamie Taylor - Loop

I decided to use the theme of mirroring arms and legs. I also decided not to polish it first before recording. But just let it evolve and let you all see. I wasn't sure, before trying it, if it could loop in a circle or not? But thanks to the obstacle of a pole (they really do get in the way), I discovered it does.

This loop obviously does need polishing. I think more exact mirroring is possible. But I'm glad I recorded the initial idea, rather than the finished product.

Carla Young - Loop

Loop

Starting with legs out front, slowly explore the floor with your hands as you trace down the floor or your legs, with your hands, reaching for your toes.

Slowly connect with your spine with side to side lateral movement (swaying) and circular spine rotations. Slowly opening legs to a wide V.

Continue the connection with side to side swaying, exploring and connecting with your spine as your rotate your spine around slowly in circular rotations.

Slowly rotate and lower body to prone with palms facing down, lower your knee connecting it to the floor. As you press your palms into the floor.

Thread your leg and slowly swing legs to half straddle, pushing your hands, feet and knee into the floor to slowly lift lower body off the floor, while extending arm up, circling it up and around body. As you explore this movement slowly lower body down to the floor, as you continue to press hands, knee and feet into the floor.

Swinging arms to the other side, slowly rotate and lower body to prone, bending your knee, connecting it to the floor, while pressing palms into the floor.

Slowly thread leg and swing legs open to a half straddle. Press hands and feet into the floor to lift lower body off the floor, while extending arm up, circling arm up and around body. Slowly lower body down to continue the loop.

Variation:

both knees on floor

Carla Young - Final Project

Describe your process. How did you choose your project.

I choose this project because I want to enhance and build on my movements and self awareness using the chair as an apparatus. I wanted to figure out away to add more flow, floor flow movements, creativity and uniqueness using the chair as as an apparatus.

What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project. It allowed me to get out of my head. However, it was a challenge because I’m so use to creating a dance routine versus allowing the music and movements to guide me. That is something that I will definitely have to work on as I explore combining floor flow with chair.

What do you think your project offers viewers/ participate?

Even though it was a challenge to get out of my head, I had fun creating it. It offers tools for accessing floor flow on a different apparatus other than the floor or combining the two, as with pole, hoop, any other apparatus or dance format.

If there is one thing you would do differently, what is it?

CHANGING MY OLD HABITS,

I would focus on going with the flow of my body, slowing down, enjoying the flow and self awareness on the chair versus creating a routine.

I found it interesting how I am able to flow on the floor but the minute I tried to incorporate the chair, I went to my old ways.

I also like to start class off with a positive affirmation thus why I explored using with the frame.

Elizabeth Weitzen - Final Project

Link to full slideshow and media links below images:

Weitzen, Elizabeth: FFTT Final Project Overview Written Assignment

1. Describe your process. How did you choose your project? Why did you choose this method?

I had initially wanted to create a video online with my assigned cohort, but as the deadline drew

nearer, it became evident that what I had in mind didn’t really suit the time availability or project

plans of my group peers, so I pivoted! What I ended up doing was part collaborative

performance devising, part medical experiment, part practicing my own cueing.

I knew I wanted to explore neuro-reprogramming for pain management, because it is something

I have been very focused on as of late. I personally have experienced a great deal of pain,

particularly in the past few years of the pandemic, and I found immense relief via somatic

hypno-therapy. I was struck by how much overlap there is with Floor Flow methodology.

At the same, I had been investigating the overlap with performance devising (I am professionally

a theatre artist and movement director by trade, training, and practice) and these hypnotherapy

tools. I am familiar with many different somatic modalities, and in using them as devising tools,

but I began to wonder if the process of communication with one’s body and pain

neuro-reprogramming couldn’t itself be a kind of art or art process: either a performance unto

itself or the seeds and methods of devising a performance. This interested me both as a

process-oriented performer and as a person with a disability, an incurable chronic illness, who

also has family and loved ones who carry disabilities and illness through their lives.

I won a grant to explore this work myself in my own art: I pitched a proposal to create an

interactive piece (to be performed in November in New Jersey) wherein I could explore the

dreamscapes of my hypnotherapy induced body imagery and movement. I am thinking of

including “Bodywise” in the name. As is true with so many of my performance art projects, my

goal will not only be expressing myself, but encouraging the audience to express themselves

and their bodies, experientially learning.

So when I had to pivot from my planned peer group single video idea, I decided to ask a diverse

group of people in my life if they would participate. I included only people who identify or have

identified as performers, as I wanted to gauge the success of my “thesis,” if you will, that these

tools can create compelling performance. I also only included people who were willing to

engage with some kind of pain - physical or emotional trauma held in the body - somehow,

although they did not have to be in pain at the time of our work together. Finally, I strived to

cover a range of movement backgrounds and bodies.

On zoom, I recorded 25 to 45 minute movement sessions with ten people, using cues from

hypnotherapy and Floor Flow to induce a flow state, engage in pain reduction

neuro-reprogramming techniques, and lead the person through a short floor loop. At the start of

each video, I asked the person to describe in a few sentences both their movement background

and relationship to performance, as well as to rate their body in that moment on a ten point pain

scale (a common, subjective self-analysis used frequently in medical settings). At the end of the

movement, I asked each person to rate their body on the same ten point pain scale, to tell me

how they would feel about the movement we did being watched by an audience, either in its

current form or once further devised, and if any of the techniques we used might be something

they could use in a moment of trauma or pain to calm those sensations.

2.. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

I actually found myself getting into a flow state while cueing after the first couple videos! I lost

track of time and had to start setting quiet alarms so that I didn’t lead my participants way over

the time I’d asked them to generously allot to my project.

I am not super well versed in zoom and doing this project entirely online was a huge challenge,

but I learned a great deal. It was really lovely to have an excuse to connect via video with so

many people in my life while filming these, as I have been very socially isolated during the

pandemic.

3. What do you think your project offers the viewer/participat? (Tools for accessing a Flow state,

more awareness of the floor, etc. )

Most of my participants experienced their bodies feeling much better after our exercise (in a

couple of cases, the exercise actually stirred up some difficult things and they felt worse in the

immediate, but in all of those cases, they follow up with me later saying it was very cathartic,

worthwhile, and ultimately helpful) and every single person said they would use these tools to

help themselves in a moment of pain in the future to some extent. So I hope viewers of the

project are similarly inspired to use tools to help their own pain process when useful.

Most of my participants felt good or neutral about using this these techniques as a jumping off

point for performance or diving. I feel this part of the project needs more development, and as I

am creating a project for my grant award, I hope to continue on this work, finding a methodology

to pull these tools into a creative process that is repeatable and actionable for other artists and

myself.

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

I would start getting better at video editing six months ago. I typically, in my professional life,

have either edited very, very simple video projects, or I have hired an editor to collaborate for

more elaborate projects. I found it very stressful to have all this footage, a clear idea of how I

wanted to combine it, and a dearth of the skills needed to do so well, especially when I was

already behind on the timeline I would have liked for project completion because of my pivot to a

new concept fairly late in the game.

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

As a movement director, I am very used to cueing movement, but also reacting to bodies and

adjusting my cues to get the movement quality I am after. I am not used to offering cues without

the need for a “product” - an aesthetic or storytelling result. I had to resist the urge to coach my

participants into particular shapes or experiences. When I successfully did this, I learned a great

deal more about what my cues could prompt in different bodies. I also put a lot of effort into

incorporating the lessons from trauma sensitive cueing in FFTT, and I found it very interesting

that depending on the person’s movement background, they might be very likely to start in a

place of stillness and a submissive position in defiance or regardless of my cues. I believe this

was just people going to a familiar “start” position from other movement work. This opened my

eyes to how very non trauma sensitive so very many modalities of movement are, from the

fitness industry to dance to yoga to somatics. I am grateful for this insight and will carry it into

my practices as a mover, movement director, and a human.

2C. 1-3 Sentence Summary of your project.

What did you do? Why should anyone watch it?

(use this opportunity to entice others to check out your work). We will be loading your projects

into a “gallery” and these few sentences will appear under the cover image for your work.

Flow State induction for Neuro-Reprogramming of pain! I combined elements of self-hypnosis,

hypnotherapy, and, of course, Floor Flow, to conduct a little experiment. My ultimate goal was to

see if these healing movement practices could also serve as performances, or the basis for

choreography. Find out what happened!

Azimah Azmi - Final Project

Final Project:

1. Describe your process. How did you choose your project? Why did you choose this

method?

This topic has been close to my heart since I moved to the US with $80 to my name and an

unshakeable desire to deepen my healing process and rebuilding my relationship to myself.

With guidance and support from others I learnt about the vast wisdom and healing powers of the

human body through breath and mindful movement. I wanted to integrate the lessons I’ve

picked up from other coaches in mindful movement exploration as well as pain science

education, to serve someone who may be in a similar position to where I was back in 2019. I

chose this method as it creates a fun and digestible way to understand how the brain and body

works together, to empower and educate someone who is seeking freedom from their pain

experience.

2.. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

Taking these big ideas and concepts, to put it all together in an engaging, fun, digestible and

exciting way. How can I communicate something so BIG N JUICY in a way that is clear, simple,

and pretty easy to understand and experience? Here I get to experiment with language,

imagery, and flow of communication.

3. What do you think your project offers the viewer/participant? (Tools for accessing a

Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

This project offers the participant a way to deepen their relationship to themselves and their

bodies IN SPITE OF experiences of pain whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional. It provides

the safe and supportive container to drop into presence - empowered by education around the

nervous system so it no longer has to be a confusing or scary subject. It allows room for

authentic expression and exploration.

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

Perhaps a talking head video of me going over the presentation, or an audio or video recording

of myself leading the participant through a movement experience. I do better at hands-on

coaching and picking up what my clients put down in person.

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or

teaching?

I don’t have to word vomit all over my coaching with ALLLLL the details of what I know about a

particular topic. I can keep it simple, and easy to understand by adjusting my language and

keeping prompts relatively simple. This applies to my training as well in the way that less is

more! When I narrow my options of things to explore for my practice there is a sense of freedom

from clearly defined focuses.

2C. 1-3 Sentence Summary of your project.

What did you do? Why should anyone watch it?

Educating, empowering, and guiding people to their bodies’ inner wisdom, so that they may

befriend their pain experiences and as a result, heal and recover in a way that promotes

self-efficacy and autonomy

Azimah Azmi - Loop

Loop Video:

1. What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be

movements/actions/images)

The easy-to-remember ingredients of my loop are - Slowness, long exhales and meeting the

floor gently. With this awareness I am mindful of my weight shifts across the floor, where my

body can be heavy and where it can slide and lift from the ground.

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 wanted to create a loop that explored level changes, which I could also increase the level of

difficulty by providing variations incorporating different ways I could interact with the floor by the

amount of force into the floor and traveling.

I also sustained a minor ankle sprain a week before the submission period so this has led me to

really slowing down, being gentle so as not to exacerbate the injury, yet still move in a way that

is healing, nourishing, and fun.

Leading up to this, a part of me wanted to avoid this challenge because I thought that only if my

body was feeling 100%, I’ll be able to create an awesome loop! But after sitting with that

resistance I realised that this Floor Flow work is entirely accessible for anyone even

experiencing minor injuries - this practice is one that I can adjust to make it work for me, rather

than against me, by listening to what it is my body truly needs. Also, as a coach I wanted to walk

the talk as it relates to being gentle, yet still showing up for myself and my body.

I wore socks to support “slidey” and “swishy” movements for my feet should I need to alleviate

weight/pressure in my recovering ankle, practiced in a space where I felt safe to take my time to

drop in uninterrupted by other people/influences. I grounded myself to the space by connecting

with my breath, body as it was, and my intention.

3. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience?

The healthy challenge was creating a loop in spite of my sprained ankle - this gave me the

opportunity to truly lean into listening to my body’s whispers or feedback as to what movements

- shapes, qualities, tempos, best serve me in my practice. I also dropped into slowness and

simplicity a little deeper as a result of wanting to be gentle with my healing ankle.

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

It would’ve been interesting to include more sounding - perhaps audible exhales, or humming,

or sighing! I may have been a little self conscious doing it in the studio beside my apartment

building’s gym space. I think incorporating sound could get me further in the zone.

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or

teaching?

Injuries are valid circumstances, but it does not mean that I stop showing up for myself in my

body. I can set aside the “should”s of my practice - ie “I SHOULD be 100% feeling good in order

to move well”, “I SHOULD be able to move in all the cool expressions I have learnt, at all

times!”, and instead lean into what my body needs RIGHT NOW, in the present. When I’m

present to what my body needs in the moment, I learn new things about myself and new ways

of honouring my body.

Natalia Rincón - Final Project

FINAL PROJECT

 

 

1. Describe your process. How did you choose your project? Why did you choose this method?

 

It started from a moment where I was injured in the back and I watched some videos about how to lie down and get up the bed, minimizing pain and or injurying the lower back.

So I started to feel good with the movement, the use of different points of contact and muscles to lift myself and the relief with the rolling on the back and stretching.

From that point I studied the movement and broke down in familiar positions like the table top, the seat and to lie down.

 

I remember one of the classes with Marlo, she asked us to create a loop from 3 familiar positions and then we worked with some small groups to share and learn the other person's loop. In that opportunity I was physically fit, and went straight to the hardest position; so yes, the ego may be satisfied, but it came with some issues, like the ability to share it or scale it down for non-experienced participants, and that there was no possibility to play or explore.

 

So this time I give myself the opportunity to explore from the basics.

 

2.. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

 

The body felt good! The video allows one to watch the stiffness or flow state and to document new pathways of exploration.

 

The possibility of sharing it faces my ability to communicate and lead a movement sesion, it makes me wonder if I always have to move and show? or is there a way to just lead and help the participant to play and explore?

 

3. What do you think your project offers the viewer/participat? (Tools for accessing a Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

 

It's designed for the basics, for the people that may have some pain or no movement experience.

 

Since it is just 3 positions, and it can be performed in just one direction; this allows the participants to learn it and start playing faster; there's no need to learn a hard jump or have some physical skills; it just needs you to get involved and enjoy.

 

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

 

I'd love to not move to teach it; to be able to lead a movement class with cues.

 

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

 

That everything can be started and explored from the basics; and that since I am working with people in their 30´s or more, I want them to enjoy and avoid the pain; so the basics gives them more movement possibilities and time to condition their bodies for more complex loops or sequence in their disciplines.

 

 

 

 

 

SENTENCE SUMMARY

 

 

Pain and stiffness as movement exploration cue

 

Natalia Rincón - Loop

LOOP

 

 

1. What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be movements/actions/images)

 

We go through 3 usual shapes: seated, lying down and the table top. Are positions that can be performed by a non trained person, and the loop is created from a moment of pain and recovery, so is not designed for complexity (that can have as shown at the end of the video by removing points of contact or adding a shoulder roll) it's designed for avoiding pain.

 

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?

 

It started from a moment where I was injured in the back and I watched some videos about how to lie down and get up the bed, minimizing pain and or injurying the lower back.

So I started to feel good with the movement, the use of different points of contact and muscles to lift myself and the relief with the rolling on the back and stretching.

From that point I studied the movement and broke down in familiar positions like the table top, the seat and to lie down.

Then I realized the movements and the sequence on the floor and started exploring at different speeds, points of contact and finally added my other main apparatus: the pole.

 

To get to the flow mental state, I needed to warm up, do some mobility and breathing while listening to some music in the starting position.

 

3. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience?

 

The body felt good! The video allows one to watch the stiffness or flow state and to document new pathways of exploration.

 

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

 

To use some shorts to explore more on the pole; but since this is a floor work course I left it to the side.

 

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

 

To be aware of the difference in the body and the approach of pain and familiar pathways for the person that comes to my classes. Even the more experienced person is craving for spaces of play and exploration.

 

Emerald Adams - Final Project

Part 2B: Main Project

 

1.     Describe your process. How did you choose your project? Why did you choose this method?

I’ve worked as a mental health clinician for many years, predominantly with young people aged between 12 and 30, the majority of whom experience complex trauma. I’ve prioritised the study and practice of a wide range of somatic interventions – I’ve always turned to immersive movement practices to tend my own persisting terrors and melancholia, too, and found great solace in the potentials of my own skin. I feel so strongly that exploratory, inhabited movement is a profound element of our humanity, and we very much deserve to find even a little reprieve within the bounds of our own fleshy form.

I thought I may be able to blend a bit of early-stage therapy – the resourcing phase – with floor flow. I also challenged myself to make it as youth-friendly as possible, bearing fully in mind that it may be a stretch (pun intended) to even entice the young folk to arrive, let alone move. I intended to keep things as simple as possible.

The process I ended up choosing is a bit of a blend of different somatic and mindfulness interventions, with a strengths-based orientation. I use many components of this when I’m either inviting curiosity or support clients to resource, and the consistent feedback is positive.

Hopefully even a little of it translates to the screen – I am painfully, powerfully confronted by the filming process, and I find that regardless of intention and effort, the result does not represent the goal in any way I’d find satisfying. What I present is probably more of a gist of the practice as it would be shared in-person – in practising, I involved my wife and my best friend, and on another date, a couple of new-to-movement mates – everyone reported that it was accessible, and that it was easy enough to follow.

My wife gave me the (gently phrased) feedback that the video version is a bit different than the experience I offered her and our buddies.

 

2.     What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

I really wanted to keep things simple and imperfect – I nailed the imperfect component by creating my incredibly awkward video!

I felt as though I may not be offering enough, but after the trials with my friends and immersing in it a few times, I found that I even had to pare things back to increase the accessibility. Keeping it simple and accepting the inadequacies were definitely the healthy challenges.

 

I should mention, too, that I had begun this project well before the April due date, but I revised it, refilmed it, rubbished it, and revived it so many times that it has taken this long to be able to swallow my stress enough to actually post it. That in itself seems a relevant triumph…

 

3.     What do you think your project offers the viewer/participant? (Tools for accessing a Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

 

I think I whittle myself down to holding relatively humble intentions – a little more (whole)self-awareness, a little more engagement with one’s immediate surrounds. Ideally, with ongoing classes in a similar vein, I’d hope to encourage a stronger sense of the floor’s potentials as an apparatus, but in initial stages, I think keeping the goals minimal make them a bit more accessible for the intended participants!

 

4.     If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

 

My final product is marginally better than the hours and hours of takes over many months it took to get here – I wish I had been able to sit a little more honestly in the discomfort and offered it sooner. The pursuit of perfection ended up escalating stress in a time where I had minimal capacity…

I wasn’t sure if this prompt was in reference to the process (as I’ve answered), or the offering itself. If the latter, I would have potentially pared it back even further to just three options for the shape-creation. As I was doing the many variations, I remembered the multiple moments you encouraged us not to! The anxiety just accelerated me into it every time…

 

 

5.     What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

I think the element of simplicity is one I’ve overlooked in previous teaching – I want to offer everything, prove some point that I can fit in a while bunch of exploratory options – but I’m so aware of the vast potentials available in containment. I don’t know if the video represents this lesson very well, but in my own practice and teaching, this has been making a strong and recurrent appearance!


Sentence Summary:

I created a very gentle, very slow, very introductory curiosity-and-joy practice, primarily to appeal to the 12-30 year-old client population with whom I work as a mental health clinician/psychotherapist. I’m profoundly uncomfortable and unskilled with filming, so what I offer is a deeply imperfect gesture at the practice I developed and shared with friends and family in the preparatory period. If you’re feeling like some slow and exploratory movement in the interests of a joy and a little more self-awareness, f

Emerald Adams - Loop

Part 1B: Written Overview of the Loop

 

1.     What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be movements/actions/images)

 

I found that the most accessibly-remembered elements of my loop were the four positions and levels – standing, the half-straddle, the table-top/kneeling/sort-of-upward dog, and the reverse table-top.

I found it much more difficult to effectively recall the transitional components, which is why they look scrambled and uncouth despite the 50+ takes my long-suffering wife had to take!

 

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?

 

a)     Initially, I selected the elements based on my recovery from a range of relatively severe illnesses and injuries over the past 8 months. During the training itself, I had been injured in a fairly intense car accident, and I was committed to finding ways to persist in my participation. One of the most buoying experiences was discovering new ways of navigating daily tasks – clothing myself, tending the garden, cooking, scaling the ladder-stairs to our bedroom – from prompts in the course. I found particularly helpful the encouragement to creatively explore approaches to shift from standing, to sitting, to kneeling, and back to bipedal again. I felt that was an important component of my relationship with the Floor Flow training, and I wanted to include that standing-floorward exploration-standing cycle in the loop.

 The primary position, a relatively wide-legged stance with a swaying/rocking/wobbling, is one to which I often revert. It feels very sturdy, very safe. While I feel I represented the transition to the floor incredibly poorly in the videoing, I did find it interesting to transition to a half-straddle in a way I never would in a yoga class – after so many years of offering yoga, it was with smirking merriment that I allowed myself a less aesthetic, less definitive descent into an imperfect rendition of a half-straddle position.

I also had a desire to connect with the quadrupedal/table-toppish position in a yoga-deviant, asymmetry-embracing manner. I wanted to allow myself some exploratory imperfection (which was fun to do during the unfilmed components, though looks quite abysmal and was not at all embodied during the filmed portion).

I chose the reverse table-top position because it posed a challenge; both of my wrists and hands were injured in the aforementioned accident, and they are still in the process of gaining anything comparable to their previous strength. I have been tending and testing them over recent months, and this project felt like an invitation to include some moments of relative-wrist-reliance. The return to standing from a little swirly-twisty thing out of that position was a nervous little nod to the many times I experimented with rising from the floor with altered capacity.

b)     I have infinite respect for all folk who so comfortably and confidently capture their movement on film and free it to social media to be viewed by all. I was truly, wholly wracked with panic surrounding the filming process – it is with hand-to-heart honesty that I say we took over 50 takes over a few days. The result is mediocre, and I think it offers an accurate representation of my shuddering hesitation to be filmed. Prior to filming, and even between takes, I would find myself moving with relative freedom and comfort, with curiosity and a level of acceptance when elements were forgotten, messy, or rushed, but as soon as I knew the camera was there, my whole being would transmute into unsynchronous fragments of dry, scraping, jittery, jolting, stilted discomfort. In the end, I let my wife choose whichever take she felt was adequate – I found it far too uncomfortable to watch myself represent my efforts so poorly, and no matter how many takes I did, the result did not seem to markedly alter for the better.

c)     Although I don’t think I was ever able to genuinely access a state of ease/flow for the filming, the way in which I prepared myself enough to even allow the camera to be on me was by keeping my little eyes as firmly closed as I could, turning the music loud, and selecting tracks that felt as forgiving as possible. Prior to filming, my breath and visualisations aided the process, but giving focus to my interior once the camera was active was simply too overwhelming!

 

 

 

3.     What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience? 

 

The healthy challenge was certainly the use of my wrists to provide a stable base in the reverse table-top position. It doesn’t look pretty, but the feeling was affirming and relieving.

 

4.     If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

 

I would have spent triple/quadruple the time practicing and got a whole lot better acquainted with all of those transitional movements… While I slowed down and gave space to them, they definitely didn’t feel fluid in the filmed portions, and no matter how much time I allowed, they always felt rushed.

 

5.     What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

Whilst I would say that I usually feel very comforted by movement and deeply at home in the capacities and limitations of my body, filming provided a profound encounter with the intensity of discomfort I have sensed – but previously not understood – in some new-to-movement humans over the years. I genuinely believe that this level of empathy is one I lacked, and one that will hopefully be a valued guide in relating to both those who come to my classes and my psychotherapy clients.

I also feel that over the years, I’ve let my valuing of transitions wane – this process reinforced the need to slowly, attentively relate to the seemingly-liminal with the same care as the (often similarly fleeting) postural destinations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anna Dietrich Bost - Final Project

Anna Dietrich-Bost – Final Project Description

As the audio in my video is in German, here is a little description of my project, its different stages and some cues I gave to the group.

The task was to imagine a colour/paint, to absorb the paint with the hands from the pole to then spread it onto the floor.

1.    Imagination of the colour:

·      Close your eyes. Take some deep breaths. Feel your feet standing on the floor firmly.

·      Think of a colour: this can be your favourite colour for example. Whatever feels more pleasant to you. A warm, relaxing colour or a cool refreshing one?

 

2.    Soaking up the paint:

·      The pole is covered with a thick layer of paint in your colour. It is gooey and drips down.

·      Your hands have a super-absorbent surface, like a sponge or paint roller

·      Now take up the paint from the pole. You can use some gentle spins to get it all off if you want to.

 

3.    Get down to the floor:

·      There is a canvas around the pole

·      Get on the floor slowly and feel the blank surface beneath your body

·      You feel the urge to paint the canvas with your hands

·      Start to spread the paint very slowly and feel it being absorbed by the canvas

·      Can you spread the paint in a really thick, generous layer?

·      What about a really thin layer?

·      Is there a spot on the canvas that is still blank? Can you travel there and let it be easy and pleasant?

 

4.    First progression:

·      What would it be like to distribute the paint in a certain pattern?

·      How does round, circular shapes feel? Does your way of moving or the intensity change?

·      What about a square, angular pattern? Is there a difference in your movement compared to the round one?

 

5.    Second progression:

·      Now invite another part of your body to paint

·      Smear the paint onto this part and continue to spread it on the floor

·      Sense if there is any difference to painting with your hands

·      Can you also paint different shapes and patterns with this body part? Which do you choose?

 

6.    Slowing down and coming to an end:

·      Slow down your movement and find a gentle way to lie on your back

·      Breathe and feel yourself lying on the work of art you just created and brought to the floor.

 

Anna Dietrich-Bost – Written Overview of the Process

1.    I love to incorporate freestyles in my pole classes. But I often observed that even my advanced students with a broad repertoire moved in very strict patterns (Spin A + Transition B + Spin C) and very rarely used the floor. And when they got down to the floor, they could not wait to get up again while I was rolling, swooshing and doing all the good stuff (thanks to FFTT even more than before), spending almost entire songs on the floor.
I wanted to think of a way to encourage my students to get more familiar with the floor, to experience it as a very nourishing dimension in the room and to get in touch with a more creative, carefree type of movement.
So I chose a scenario which I think is very accessible (painting, also heavily influenced by FFTT-participant Lauren Hill) and let them start with something familiar (getting the paint of the pole, begin with pole moves they are accustomed with, using the pole as a vehicle to get down instead of letting them get to the floor completely on their own). One of the things I got out of the small group sessions, where I did something similar, was to pick up the people where they are when you want them to get creative. Especially when it is a group of people which is a bit hesitant or does not consider themselves as very creative because it might be difficult for them to imagine forming something immaterial, non-tangible. That often, letting the ‘object of imagination’ be more accessible, also by letting it develop on the outside.
So I wanted the imaginary part to be not too freaky and my guiding phrases to be clear, leaving enough space for own exploration. That’s why I tried to incorporate several question-based cues. These questions not also helped in guiding the movement but also the awareness of the participants.

To keep the motivation high, I decided to add two stages of progression after the participants acquainted themselves with painting the floor.
With the first progression, the group is supposed to become more aware of different movement qualities and how this changes the overall experience.

The second one provides the possibility to let another part of the body (or several ones) come into action and to sense the difference when another part is leading the movement.

 

2.    The process of creating itself was sometimes very challenging. I questioned myself and my abilities a lot to the point of wanting to quit.
Luckily, I picked myself up because I wanted to see so badly how pole and this imagination task would work out together.
And it really was worth it because the conversation with my group after they moved for almost 15 minutes was so insightful and valuable.
They said it was really helpful for them to let the colour/paint form externally, on the pole and that they experienced this familiar object in a way totally new to them. They also became aware of how their movement changes when switching form round to more square patterns with the round movement being experienced as gentle and soft while the square quality was observed as energetic and hard. Some even said that they applied more pressure to the floor when following an angular pattern.

 

3.    As described under point 1., I hope to inspire any viewer or participant to become aware of the floor and to embrace all the possibilities this dimension has to offer.
When freestyling, I often felt sorry for my students because they were missing out on so much fun that is going on down there.
In the past, I tried to incorporate the floor by saying “let your freestyle start and end on the floor” or “please add this or that position on the floor somewhere in your freestyle” but that always felt forced and like I would drag them to where I wanted them to be. Besides the fact that some students just did not do it or started laying on their backs but rushed to get up to the save pole haven.
With this exercise, I hope to provide easy access to the floor and, once there, a tool which helps people to feel comfortable and to enjoy themselves.
Some of the participants told me that they struggled to stay focused from time to time or some movements or positions they assumed did not feel pleasant. But as soon as they got another cue, they could re-engage in what they were doing and felt better. So, I think that with this close guidance also people relatively new or even sceptic to the floor can be motivated to commit to this experience.

 

4.    The one thing I would do differently is to shift the people’s focus more on breathing. I think it could be nourishing for the participant to go even slower while they are moving and to check their breath. To sense if they can breathe more deeply and how that would influence their movement. Probably it would facilitate things.
One participant reported that she wasn’t aware of how much tension she was building up while moving until I asked if they could let their movement be easy and pleasant.
I think with more focus on breath and slowing things down the experience could be even more pleasurable.

 

5.    Trust the process. In the beginning I did not feel capable of doing this at all. I am happy I got this little spark of an idea with which I then started to work but I questioned my project more than once. But by just taking one step after the other and with valuable support I now achieved a result with which I am super happy.
And that is a great learning for me personally, for my training but also for teaching people. In the future, I want to remind myself and my students more often that it has not to be perfect from the start. Even in the end it does not have to be perfect. There are wonderful things to discover on the way and the outcome may look different than you have planned it.


 

Anna Dietrich-Bost – Summary of the Project

Come see the human paint roller!

An approach to encourage free movement on the floor in pole dance classes with an imagination exercise.

Anna Dietrich Bost - Loop

Anna Dietrich Bost – Written Overview Loop

 

1.    The ingredients: Seat – Quadrupedal – Twisted Seat

 

2.    I came up with this loop while thinking about a combo for pole class. I used the seat to quadrupedal part already several times for small floorwork sequences and then I thought: “Could this also be ‘loopable’?”
And after I figured out how to arrive from twisted in the initial seated position (letting the legs slide) the flowy quality and also the first progressions came quite naturally.
The first one, which is lifting my pelvis, was pretty clear as I already used this variation for the pole combo, too.
Then I started to play with direction and discovered that the loop can travel in a line but also in a circle, depending on where I place my hands and how far I let my legs travel.
After that, I wanted to explore when and how I can reverse the loop which also felt very exciting because I identified much more options to reverse than I initially thought.
While looping, I unintentionally added a bit. After coming back to sit, I followed the impulse to lay down on the floor. I brought my body down with a ‘hand sandwich’, made big circle with the arms and came back up over the other side which gave a little momentum to then continue with the quadrupedal.
I did so much more with this loop than I originally planned so I am sure there is even more to discover the longer I play with it.

When I first filmed the loop, I started right away and was rocking on my sits bones a bit and took some deep breaths to get in the mood. The loop itself felt good but I was really in my head about it, wanting to show all the great discoveries and wanting them to look fancy on top.
I filmed a second turn after being on vacation for a week. This time, I danced a freestyle on the pole to a very energetic song beforehand, hoping to let all the pressure out.
I was overthinking the loop again in the beginning but I had a different vibe so I could let go much more easily and, in the end, I just followed my body and then it felt really flowy.

 

3.    To discover all the possibilities, to play with such a simple sequence felt very nourishing and to experience such a curiosity was great.
But it was also challenging not to over-do it, to also embrace simplicity and to display the loop in its clarity for the video.

 

4.    Slow down – more focus on breathing – be more aware of my contact points

 

5.    This experience showed me once again that you can always play and find interesting progressions or new paths. Even with the complete basics. I want to remind myself of that more often in my own training and to encourage my students to be curious when revisiting stuff, they think they already mastered.

Marjanovic Vesna - Final Project

FFTT Final Project Vesna Marjanovic

Slow Floor Movement for the Pelvis

2B.

1. Describe your process. How did you choose your project? Why did you choose this

method?

The idea for the final project came in recent months.

I was diagnosed with Uterine prolapse which was pretty strange as I lead a healthy and very

active life, and do check-ups twice a year. Even my gynecologist didn’t believe that it could

happen to me considering my age (38), my body type and my way of life - until he saw it.

Genetics is a really unusual thing - you win some, you lose some. And I must admit it was

strange and painful to hear that.

A while ago my physio mentioned the Aviva Method, exercises for the pelvic floor. After I was

diagnosed, I have checked it - it is proven in many cases, approved by WHO in the 70’s. Made

by professional ballet dancer and physio Aviva Steiner, it is a “Hormonal dance” and is

recommended for issues with pelvic floor that troubles many women, and also men.

So when I found out about my medical issue, I wanted to find a way to reverse it if possible, and

I believe everything is possible.

I know that the human body is capable of extraordinary things and can regenerate, it’s an

incredible machine.

Doing the Floor Flow in recent months helped with feeling my body, being aware of body parts

and moving with them as well. Other movements in life become more fluid and healthier. When I

came in contact with the Aviva Method, the system of dynamic exercises, I decided to modify

those moves a bit and merge them with the floor into a Flow.

What I also became aware of is that we don’t usually activate - or not enough - the pelvic floor

muscles. So no matter the age or activity/fitness level, these muscles should be taken care of as

all others do. We do not see pelvic muscles like we can see our abs, or quads, or biceps when

we practice, so we have no clue how they look when they are in great form or, the other way

around - when they are, let’s say - loose… Actually, many people don’t think about the pelvic

muscles and realize their existence only when you mention them.

The Aviva exercises are fast and rhythmic, and what I am doing now is making the program with

the exercises that will connect our body, mind, consciousness, and health.

2.. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

What felt good while creating this project - still in the process - is the knowledge of how many

people will benefit from these exercises, both in psychological and physiological ways, how

healthier they will be, more connected with their mind and with their body.

3. What do you think your project offers the viewer/participat? (Tools for accessing a

Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

What I am trying to do is make the program to be free from regular exercise rules like: do it x

times, x sets, x minutes, in specific order etc. I want it to be unchained by the rules, so that

people can enjoy them and not always be in awe or spasm of what to do next. Just like the Floor

Flow is - no restrictions, freely yet mindfully.

It will offer them freedom of movement while caring for their health.

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

I would test it with several people before finishing the project so I could get more feedback on

what should be more accented and what are the things that are less likable.

Actually, I think I can still do this :)

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or

teaching?

This experience taught me about mindfulness, connection with my body, simplicity of movement

even when it’s restricted - there’s no one pushing you that you need to go to your maximum

range of motion in order to do a specific movement. And the slowness.

So, one of many things that I am getting from this is ease of mind :)

2.C What did you do? Why should anyone watch it?

Creating movement classes with a specific focus on pelvic area, dynamic yet free of any

constraints. People with hormonal imbalances should see many benefits after several months of

regular playouts.

In the video you can see several exercises:

- Fetus, squeeze your fists in front of your chest, pull in your lower stomach. Then slowly

relax and straighten your legs and your body and pull your hands upward, and stretch.

Several slow repetitions on both sides, in continuous movement.

- On your side, bend your inside leg, and push your straightened outer leg up in front of

you, while touching and sensing the floor all the time.

- Slowly transfer and stay on your back. Bend your knees so that feets are close to your

back, pull up your hips and transfer your weight to one side, then slowly to the other

side.

- Put your palms on your pelvis and do the tapping several times, in the rhythm of the

song or the one you feel natural.

- Slowly straighten one leg and put your weight on that side, then repeat with the other

leg.

Marjanovic Vesna - Loop

Vesna Marjanovic Loop Description

 

1. What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be movements/actions/images)

- Fetus

- X on stomach

- Kneels

- Cobra waves

- Thread to fetus

 

 

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?

 

The initial idea was to merge some of the elements done at FFTT with regular movements during exercise classes, such as Hip Bridge, Cobra. During the experimentation phase, I added hands and feet on the floor and experimented with rolling from side to the back or to the stomach.

When I was on the stomach doing the knee "steps", firstly I massaged the hips and the pelvic floor through those motions. Later, I imagined the water beneath me, so it moved while I was holding (couldn't sink ;)

I did a lot of it visualizing. Even though I give classes in person, and online as well, for some reason I had an issue with the camera and being recorded for this so it took me a lot of time to get in front of the camera. I did the filming plenty of times.

I can say I was pretty relaxed although I have been watchfull to the space and things around me, as well as the camera view.

 

 

3. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience?

The thing that I filmed this is a real step forward for me. I ate that frog finally.

 

 

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

I would like it to be more fluid.

 

 

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

Relaxation, connection with the floor. And slowness, to do the movements slowly and connect with them.

Mercy Arias - Final Project

MERCY TATIANA ARIAS OTALORA

SENTENCE SUMMARY:

HAPPY HIPS IS A PRACTICE TO ENJOY THE MOVEMENT OF THE CENTER OF OUR

BODY, TO FEEL THE AMAZING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ROTATION AND

MAYBE…WHY NOT… TO FEEL SENSUAL ;)

1. I chose this project about hips, because few months before the beginning of FFTT I

got a hip surgery, so i decide to use the tools of FFTT to create a personal practice to

recover mobility, pleasure and create a new relationship with my hips, more

enjoyable, less from a crazy effort and more form a conscious side.

2. Everything felt good about this. Because I create this practice from my personal

experience I really enjoy and love everything about it, this sequence really helped me

to feel my hips again and I can´t be more happy about it

3. I think that the concentration of movement in the hips offers a perspective interesting

to: a) begginers: because usually in our normal life we are not used to feel our hips

so focusing in this part of the body can give a new perspective and b) more

experimented: the basics nevers get old, so coming to a flow state through the hips is

always a posibility to open movements investigations and more if we accompanied

with breath and a slow pace.

4. Offering more variations for the loop, maybe the use of some level changes and

more listening of the music

5. My learning: HIPS are key to movement. After the surgery, unless I did study

anatomy and dance, I really discover the power of the hips in the body through

experience stiff hips and pain, using all the tools I share in the video were key to my

recover and rediscover the pleasure of movement, particularly of internal and

external rotation. So every time I teach I use some of the hips tools to allow people to

connect with pelvis.

Nicole Poller - Final Project

Final project „Floor flow teacher training 2021/22“ – Nicole Poller

Introduction:

In my final project I want to present an online class I did with a student in June.

We have been having a 90 minutes class session working on different concepts and principles of floor flow.

This work will be handed in written format, as my student did not give me permission to publish videos of her but she is alright with me, sharing our session in a written way, using her direct feedback during class and feedback from afterwards in this work.

My student and I know each other personally and she was very interested to get an introduction to floor flow, as she never did it before.

I structured the class accordingly and in the first ten minutes we had an exchange about her expectations and how we will be going to work through the class, giving her a short introduction about concepts I prepared and the conceptual nature of the class.

Class structure:

1. Exchange and introduction

1.1 Expectations of the student

1.2 Introduction about class concepts

 What is floor flow

 Using the floor as an apparatus

 Weight transfer management

 Usage of active contact points

2. Practical part

2.1 Breathing while circling the ribcage

2.2 Leg swivel laying on back

2.3 Writhing

2.4 Contract and release in X-shape

2.5 Movement exploration 1

2.6 Movement exploration 2

1. Exchange and introduction

1.1 Expectations of the student

As mentioned above my student never before did floor flow. When I asked her about her expectations of the class, she told me that she imagined to do some exotic style floorwork, learning some tricks or a choreography. She did not have a particular goal in mind but exotic style floorwork was something she did before already.

1.2 Introduction about class concepts

After finding out about her expectations I explained how we will work through the class and that we will work conceptually going through a couple of exercises without learning a particular choreography or any tricks that she might know from her previous floorwork experiences. The class that I had prepared was mainly focused on proprioception and finding a mind-body connection moving through different exercises. I also told her that we are not necessarily following any particular aesthetics but focus more on how movement feels, is enjoyable, nourishing for the body and continuous.

 What is floor flow

Floor flow is using floorwork as a movement medium for continuous movement and creative expression. It is a medium using conceptual movement work to reach a so called “flow state” (state of ideal movement and focus). Hereby creating loops can be used as a tool for continuous movement.

 Useing the floor as an apparatus

The floor is used as an apparatus for continuous movement using contact points, forces, weight transfer and breath helping to reach embodied understanding of movement and movement patterns, such as loops or cued movement exercises. Hereby the floor can be approached using different concepts of movement, for example level changes, just to name one.

 Weight transfer management

Weight transfer management is the foundation for smooth movement and achieving movement quality. During class exercises for weight transfer management were included.

 Usage of active contact points

Different active contact points are used during movement and the mover is supposed to gain awareness about them to take advantage of them and find optimal usage. The most common active contact points are hands, feet and shoulders but also the hips, knees and sitbones can be contact points, although they are less active. During exploration of them, wondering and consciously experiencing where a movement is initiated from and leading to and how is it interacting with the contact points can help embodiment of them.

During class we explored contact points, breathing, weight transfer, proprioception, continuous movement, initiation of movement and connected forces.

We moved through every exercise in between 5 to minutes and had a short exchange after every exercise.

2. Practical part

2.1 Breathing while circling the ribcage

Movement goals:

 Conscious access to breathing patterns

 Observing weight transfer on contact points while circling

 Releasing spine

 Finding “sticky points” and move with/into them

 Connecting mind and body

 Introducing movement intention

 Exploring proprioception

Cues during movement:

Close your eyes and tune into your body by starting with feeling the contact points with the floor (imagine sitting on a glass table observing your body from below), moving upwards through your body.

Conciously feel your breath as you start circling your ribcage. Circle the ribcage over your hips and find a breathing pattern that feels good and allows yourself to keep on circling.

If you find some sticky points in your back, how do you feel about it? Can you stay there and use your breath to find ease in them?

Add headcircles and allow your shoulders to join the circle.

Lean forward and bring your hands on the floor while you continue circling and observe the weight transfer happening and how that influences your circling motion.

Come back to an upright position and continue circling until you slowly come to an end.

Stay with yourself for a moment and feel your body again from the bottom up.

Feedback student:

The exercise put my attention to the sticky points in my back muscles, especially on the right side. I feel them loosened up a bit now. While circling I felt a tickling sensation in my stomach which I found to be enjoyable. When I changed the amplitude and the weight transfer I felt like flowing through the movement in a harmonic, self-connected way. I would describe it as “back to the roots” arriving in my body, finding myself in it and experience expansion in it. I really enjoyed the exercise and it felt like a little journey for me.

2.2 Leg swivel laying on back

Movement goals:

 Observing weight transfer

 Loosening up hips

 Experimenting with initiation of movement from different body parts

 Observing points of contact

Cues during movement:

Go on your back with your legs bent and feet standing on the floor.

Start with allowing your knees falling to the left and to the right.

When you feel ready swing your upper leg to the side. You can keep your legs bent or extend them.

Move slowly and observe the contact points of your body.

Imagine having heavy weights attached to your knees and the pull your knees towards the ground before you swing the upper leg. Your knees are initiating the movement.

Keep on swinging but now allow your hip initiating the movement. Feel the change in your body

Imagine your whole body to be super loose and observe how this changes your experience.

Allow your shoulders to follow your movement.

Press your shoulders into the floor including your arms and observe how this changes your movement.

Feedback Student:

Depending on the initiation of the movement I felt a big difference in my ability to move and to swing my legs. Imagining heavy weights on my knees and following that impulse changed how my body was connected to the floor – it became bigger. Keeping my shoulders on the floor I felt restricted in my movements. When I increased the amplitudes of the swings I felt it to be relieving.

It was interesting to feel into my body and movement in such a conscious and attentive way. The longer I was swinging my legs, the more ease I felt in my body.

2.3 Writhing (feet gripping floor initiation from feet)

Movement goals:

 Observing physical tensions

 Softening tissues

 Conscious tensioning and loosening

Cues during movement:

Extend your arms and legs on the floor and imagine seing yourself from the ceiling having your body forming an x shape.

Scan the contact points of your body on the floor.

Bring your attention to your feet. Grip your heels into the floor and start pointing and flexing them.

Allow the rest of your body to loosen up and follow the movement of your feet.

Stop the movement of your feet and tense your whole body, stay like this for a deep breath and when you breathy out, relax all the tensioned muscles allowing yourself to melt into the floor like dripping honey. Do this 2 or 3 more times.

Go back to the writhing motion with all your muscles loosened up.

Experiment with fast small movements vs big and slow movements and feel into the reactions of your body.

Feedback Student:

I noticed being in the x-shape that my contact points felt way more present on the left side. They felt huge. And the end of the exercise I felt it was balanced and I felt little modifications helped a lot.

At the end of the exercise my feet felt very good doing the writhing and my body could follow with way more ease and it felt relaxing as I didn’t feel that I have to use a lot of effort.

When I loosened up my muscles I really perceived the floor as soft and welcoming. I felt embraced by it.

2.4 Contract and release in X-shape

Movement goals:

 Breathing through movement

 Experimenting with alternating breathing patterns

 Using breath as support for movement

 Observing and perceiving weight transfer and shift of contact points

Cues during movement:

Find an x-shape that feels comfortable and decide in which direction to start. If you start going towards the left side, pull your left knee and elbow towards each other imagining they want to touch each other.

Let your right arm swivel over your head wanting to meet the left arm and let your right leg just follow your hip going towards the left until you are in an embryo like position.

Come back into your x shape the same way you came and then move towards the right side the same way.

Feel into your contact points while moving and try to make them peel of the floor while moving, making it as smooth as you can.

Adapt your breath to your movement and contract while breathing out and expand while breathing in. Allow your breath to support your movement and find ease in it.

Alternate the breath and observe how it changes your movement and feeling about it.

Feedback Student:

In the beginning I felt my movement being chaotic but when I allowed my breath to lead me it felt way more natural and intuitive. I became curious about where the movement is leading me to. The more I allowed myself to follow it intuitively I started feeling a releasing sensation in my upper back. I felt like my hips held me from moving smoothly.

I want to explore this movement more.

2.5 Movement exploration 1

 Moving through song keeping the hands on the floor all the time

Movement goals:

 Finding pathways

 Exploring own ranges of motion

 Exploring movement patterns

Cues during movement:

Move for one song keeping your hands on the floor the whole time.

You can use them to explore the floor, they can help you to push or you can grip them in the floor to help dragging you. You can let them follow your movement and really feel free to move in an intuitive way just following the prompt to keep your hands on the floor. You can also put your focus on your weight transfers and other contact points than your hands.

Feedback Student:

I enjoyed to have had so much room for exploration. I would have like to move longer because I really enjoyed moving like that. Towards the end I became more and more intuitive. I think I will do this exercise more often

2.6 Movement exploration 2

 level changes with prompting movement initiation

Movement goal:

 Switching in between contact points

 Conscious initiation of movement

Cues during movement:

Find yourself a position on the floor you would like to start with.

Tune into the music and the vibe and start moving in your starting position.

Initiate movement the next time you find it suitable from your head.

Initiate a level change starting with your head and continue initiating the following movements having your head leading.

When it suits your flow, initiate the next movements with your arms and also initiate level changes lead by your arms and continue moving.

When it suits you initiate the next movements with your feet and also do so with the level changes.

When you feel ready initiate your next movements with your hips and als try to find level changes lead by your hips.

End your movement practice laying on your back on the floor and feel into your body.

Feedback student:

I felt kind of “out of space” doing the practice and changing the initiation of the movement and levels from time to time. I found myself kind of stuck in some positions but just went back the way I came and tried something else. I was really focused on myself and was surprised when the song was over. I feel really nourished now. It was like a journey to myself

Conclusion:

Around two weeks after our session my student contacted me to give me some feedback about how she felt after class. She told me that directly after the class she felt her body to be very soft and her senses felt sharpened.

Also she felt happy and glad that we did the session. She especially pointed out how relieved she felt physically and mentally after the session and let me know that even in the following two weeks she felt strong “endorphin rushes” going through her body energizing her. She described the feeling like a tickling sensation flushing her body in a very pleasant way and said that sometimes, after raves, she felt like this, after she spent the whole night dancing to music and with people that she really enjoyed. She told me that it was like an intense hormone rush giving her an after glow.

“It was like riding a wave for 2 weeks in a row and I am really wondering how this works releasing these hormones and sensations just from moving and deeply connecting with the body.”

Jolanda Sanapo - Final Project

PROCESS OVERVIEW

Describe your process.

We started with an opening warm up, first standing, relaxing our bodies and shifting our weight from side to side, slowly we put our hands on the floor and rocking left and right relaxed our bodies more and more.

Gradually we reached the floor and began to feel the pressure of our body on the ground.

Once on the floor, we began to move the bent legs left and right, leaving the hips free to follow their natural movement.

- Gradually from the floor we got up by taking advantage of the dynamic swing of the legs and with the help of our arms we lay again on the ground for a few times.

This was to figure out how to interact with the floor without impacting or falling weightlessly to the ground.

- Standing with the help of the pole, we tried to understand how our body weight interacts with an apparatus, as if it were the floor.

We leaned against the pole and moved by using our weight and trying to create shapes.

Still holding one hand on the pole we approached the floor and from the ground we tried dynamic movement by exploiting our off weight and the pole.

Then we changed pivots to the pole, experimenting with body parts that are not hands, such as feet, knees etc.

- The final part of the project involves a small game: representing an invented story through movement on the floor and on standing always remaining attached to the pole with a body part.

First I give them time to think and create their own story, then one by one they told the story to their classmates and performed it.

At the end of the whole lesson we talked about their experience, how it made them feel, their emotions. I was very impressed that all the girls were enthusiastic and spoke so highly of the experience!

How did you choose your project? Why did you choose this method

June is the time for performances, and the gym where I work will also have an end-of-course recital, and the students who will participate are very excited.

I teach pole dance and my students only do pole, they have never done dance or other movement sports. One of my students came to me and said she was worried because she felt very stiff in her movements and didn't want to look bad at the recital.

So I thought a Flow class could be a great help, to encourage her and the others be looser in their movements and have more confidence and knowledge of their bodies in movement.

I organized a class for my final project, just for the purpose of freeing their minds from their limitations and to make sure they started to have fun with movement.

2. What felt good (or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

It made me feel good to create something that could help people release their imagination and free them from the chains that are imposed on us by today's society.

The idea for the project came naturally after my girls' concerns about their stiffness of movement, I took their request for help to give them confidence and fluidity in preparation for the recital.

I have always believed that body movement should give pleasure and enjoyment, not be viewed with fear. People hold back too much, they come to class after work with all their worries and personal problems, and mentally they remain bound to that state, compromising all their performance.

So I created something that could make them feel good in their own bodies without shame or fear.

3. What do you think your project offers the viewer/participat? (Tools for accessing a Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

I believe my project can offer participants a greater awareness of movement, more confidence in moving on the floor, so horizontally, not just vertically (what they always do in pole dancing classes instead), and a different method in approaching movement in general.

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

I would spend a little more time on the opening warm up, focusing more on exploring the floor and giving inputs regarding the body parts involved in the exercise being done and also how to interact with the floor by pressing the body to the ground.

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

I've learned that if people are pushed to do things they don't usually do, they bring out the best in themselves, put themselves out there, and erase all kinds of fears. They gave me confidence, they had fun, and were open to this new experience. This thing taught me to want to make as many people as possible feel these emotions.

2C. 1-3 Sentence Summary of your project

Contemporary floor flow.

Experiencing floor flow and freeing the mind, becoming actors of your own imagination.

Jolanda Sanapo - Loop

PROCESS OVERVIEW - LOOP -

What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be movements/actions/images)

The easy-to-remember ingredients of my loop are:

Face-down dog position

Half straddle seated

Roll over belly to back

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 began to relax my body by rocking from side to side, shifting my weight. Slowly I leaned forward and continued rocking until I placed my hands on the ground and got into the face-down dog position.

To the face-down dog position, I lifted one bent leg and let my weight go on the other side until the foot of the bent leg reached the floor. I found myself sitting on the floor in a half-straddle and continued to follow the dynamics of body rotation that brought me lying with my belly on the floor. Keeping on the rotation I came with my back on the floor and relaxed into this position, then closed to one side and returned to the face-down dog position pointing my feet and hands on the floor.

Then I started over again, lifting the opposite leg and doing the whole process on the other side. I so alternated sides throughout the loop.

I tried to change the rhythm in the first movements and lengthen the breaths in the lying position.

I chose the parts of the loop simply by experimenting with the movements, without a specific path. I started from the floor and then found myself in the face-down dog position, experimented with levers from the floor that could make me change positions or rotation, and it naturally developed.

Before recording the loop, I spent some time on breathing and relaxing my body in order to achieve smooth and light movements.

3. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience?

As I repeated the loop my back and legs became more and more flexible, my breathing helped my movements, making them more fluid and less stiff.

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

I would try to intensify the movements, giving more rhythm. I would try to change speed more strongly between movements.

I would spend a little more time on ground positions and flow state.

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

I definitely learned to use movement and breath more, making them dependent on each other. I learned to create from the movement a "choreography" by letting my body guide me independently of my mind.