Structure of the Class

Content
1) Introduction
2) Body 1
3) Body 2
4) Epilogue


Introduction
The beginning of a class carries an enormous importance for all continuous parts of the class.

It is a coming together of a group of people, known or unknown, establishing an atmosphere within the people, the re-connection with one owns body and movement execution, the relation between me and my own being, me and the other members, the relation between the teacher and the participants.

The teacher has the responsibility to establish a healthy, respectful and inviting work-atmosphere.
Guiding the students to relate consciously to their own body, awakening the body sensation, re-feeling ones breathing, muscle tonus, body part relation etc.

The teacher can help to establish via small social activities a respectful relation between the people in the room. Taking in account that most of the time in a dance class, the student works with himself and its body alone, thus it seems helpful to interact in some occasions with the other.    

The idea of the Introduction is to gather the concentration from the outside world towards oneself. One’s own body, towards the today feeling of the muscles, weight, movement feeling, breathing, the body sensation.

This can be achieved over different practices, depending on the necessities, atmosphere, daily routine of the group. Here we can mobilize the body by small improvisation or imitation tasks or guided sensibilisation exercises, playing movement games or meditation, breathing exercises etc.

Important seems that oneself and the others establish an respectful and open atmosphere where the human, the student can re-find himself within its own body to begin to relate in a fresh and “empty” way towards its movement execution, creativity, establish, gain and renew consciousness.

Body 1

In relation to a Technical Body Formation

In this section of the class we start with the physical training and execution of the already acquired skills by developed, structured and organized exercises.

The overall content of the exercises may be developed under a movement theme as Space/Time/Flow/Weight/Body or is part of an established dance technique.


Movement Exercise as:
1) Exercises of the Torso
-Flexible Inclination
-High Inclination
-Straight Inclination
-Collapse
-Contraction
-Twist/Rotation

2) Exercises of Feet and Legs
-Support and Rejection
-Foot Articulation
-Weight Carriers or Gestures
-Leg gestures in relation to
Basic Actions, Directions, Levels, Speed, Movement Quality, Movement flow, etc.
-Coordination of Feet, Leg and Arm gestures

3) Arm Gestures
-Positions and Pathways
-Form and Movement
-Sequential and Simultaneous Flow
-Guidance and Leading
-Movement Quality patterns
-Movement Scales
-Coordination with different Body parts

4) Gravity

-Fall and Recovery
-Suspension
-Collapse
-Bounce
-Throws
-Scooping and Strewing
-Pendulum Swing
-Centrifugal Swing
-Types of Figure eight Swing

5) Planes and Diagonals
-Body Waves
-2-Dimensional Body Inclinations
-Counter Weight stable and flexible
-Planes
- Diametrals
-Diagonals

The exercises have the task to consolidate, perfection and to profound the technical movement aspects, movement coordination and movement sensations as well as to train and educate body and mind.

Body 2
What was organised in the beginning more on one solid spot in space, to start the Body Exercises, from small to more, will now expand into the general space by transporting the body from one part of the space into another by Locomotion.

In this part of the class one uses the large spaces of the studio to practice the movement elements, displacing the body each time more complex, using different directions and levels of space, using the floor, organising the material from simple to complex, developing and enhancing the material by locomotion, turning, gesturing, falling etc.

Practicing in this way types of Leg gestures, Torso Actions, Swings, Turns, Jumps, Arm gestures/shapes within Movement Scales, Planes, One/Two/Three Dimension etc.  
 
The different movement elements are connected to Sequences, Frases and Combinations in relation to the overall theme of the class.

On the other hand:

When we exercise on an established Dance Technique the order of the movements follows a known, organised, repetitively practiced Vocabulary which is rhythmically combined, structured, organized and taught by the teacher.   


Epilogue
As a class has a proper Introduction, preparing the participant in body and mind, the class should also finish in an organised and structured way, concluding the physical activities, bringing the participant “down” towards himself his body, breathing, body sensation.

-Space can be given for stillness.
-Stretching workout and muscle relaxation can be introduced
-Technical Questions and Doubts can be talked out, explained and solved