Body Awareness in Choreography
Because of the many movements used in choreography, body awareness is essential. It is important to remember that a movement improv is a sensory act, so it is highly reliant on experience. As a result, various elements of an improv determine the extent of body experience that various choreographers possess. Phrasing, abstracting, forming, kinesthetic perception, and linking are among the components. An analysis of these facets of improv is, therefore, necessary for any aspiring choreographer.
Kinesthetic Perception
Kinesthetic perception is the mechanism by which the body responds and results in a particular action in a well-structured and directed improvisation. Any response, according to kinesthetic awareness knowledge, should be automatic. The underlying argument for the automatic reactions is that the body knows a lot of things, but the only inhibiting factor is the realization of the dancer about the ability to achieve a specific task. This awareness of various experiences gradually builds a wealth of experiences, thus, honing the self-awareness and body reflexes necessary to perform more complicated moves. Kinesthetic awareness is, therefore, essential for choreographers in expanding their body knowledge.
Phrasing
Phrasing is the rhythm that intoxicatingly catches the attention of the audience. The musicality of any dancer is often used to determine the success of such a dancer. However, the body is independent of the music. "…the body simply responds to its own knowledge of movement linkage and organization" (Blom and Chaplin 19). Movements, hence, occur naturally on cue from a given impulse such as breaths. Eventually, different phrases in an improv are joined to make distinct units of performance. Phrasing, thus, is an integral part of body knowledge as it engraves the organization and timing of various movements into the body.
Forming
Additionally, forming is another defining part of improvs in various performances. Forming is the structure of the performance, and multiple movements in a dance center on the specific desire to build that form. As an evolving process, forming takes shape when movements accumulate and create new frameworks that define the direction of new movements. Detailed instructions or images given before a performance are good examples of form in performance. However, transitions are critical elements in achieving form in performance. Consequently, form defines intent and content in a performance, which helps in achieving unity and wholeness in that performance.
Relating in Group Improvs
Furthermore, the performance of choreography in groups introduces a new aspect of relating in an improv. Relating begins with the development of the moving self through the exploration of various aspects of a person's physicality, emotions, and sensations. After the establishment of a strong home base, a dancer seeks other individuals to associate within a movement. The need to associate with other people arises from the innate social nature of human beings. The relating aspect of an improv not only satisfies the self but also builds confidence and trust in interpersonal interactions. The various interactions in an improv cut across different cultural taboos relating to body contacts, such as touch, eye contact, feelings, and ideas, which are developed. The maturation of relating in improvs allows for the creation of better opportunities in movements as working in groups enables the creation of rhythms, designs, and actions impossible with an individual dancer. Consequently, dancers forego freedom of individual performances for the unity of group performances.
Abstracting
The last aspect of an improv is abstracting, which is the translation of different images, metaphors, verbal instructions, and motifs into movement. As a result, abstracting enables the elimination of daily particulars and increases the interaction with the essence of an experience. Abstracting mostly deals with the essence of an experience. "…as he goes beyond character and represents a trap, a prison, or the color black-the essence (in this case, of authority)…" (Blom and Chaplin 26). In most instances, beginners start from the literal and move toward the abstract. However, some performances may begin from the abstract and proceed to the literal. Evidently, the aspect of abstracting is very crucial in an improv and eventually, the body knowledge.
Work Cited
Blom, Lynne Anne, and L. Tarin Chaplin. The Moment of Movement: Dance Improvisation. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1988.
