Yesterday, I woke with a sore neck and droopy eyelids. (My neighbors have a puppy who just can’t seem to sleep from 2-6am). I was hoping that a class with guest artist Amanda K. Miller would loosen up my muscles and get my body ready for the day, but I didn’t know what to expect from the class entitled “Amanda Science.”
We began in a circle, and Amanda clarified that this was not in fact, a class, but rather an experiment. She instructed us to imagine a hole in the top of our head that allowed air to flow through our bodies. We then imagined holes all over our body, and used the “warm space” from behind our backs to warm up the rest of the space around us. I learned that this space that extended from our back also contains our “Angel Wings,” and we have “Dragonfly Wings” extending from our front space. We explored imagery of spider webs, swimming, lungs on the back of our knees, and more abstract ideas throughout the entirety of the hour and a half experiment. The whole time, we were trying not to be ourselves, and not to choreograph or place our body parts. We allowed our movements to come naturally, and followed the paths that our bodies felt. Although my release felt more mental rather than physical, I definitely left the studio feeling more energized, and ready to take on the day.
While Amanda has taught the morning classes on Thursday and Friday, Polly Motley has continued her ChoreoLab with the Core Performance Company, and today is the last day of her two week workshop. This week, they have continued to work with the ladders and falling and climbing. On Wednesday, they discussed how to prepare others for a fall, and how to determine if a person is deciding to fall. And of course, all of this has to be done safely. Polly praised the dancers for their improvisation and partnering skills, and was very impressed by their risk-taking abilities. After watching the dancers leap off ladders and balance them on their shoulders, she said exactly what I was thinking: “Y’all are brave!”
If you’re curious, come stop by our studios TODAY at 2:30pm for an open rehearsal of Core Performance Company and Polly Motley!