aTi 7/7/08 creative movement workshop minor

This workshop was captivating from start to finish! The way the teacher, Candace K. taught, it was extremely unique & contrasted from any dance lessons I'd ever had. Instead of a top-down approach, it was very student-centered. I felt this every day! She also added her own creative touch to everything and did a phenomenal job of drawing the creativity out of all of us in her class, giving each of us attention in turn.

teacher's journal questions (Q): What is creative movement? How do you feel while doing it?
My answers (A): -...moving your body in any choreographed way to a silent or
audible beat which can also be used to tell a story
- When I move, I feel exhilarated, free, & in control.

When I asked Candace why the course was not just called "dance," she gave a great explanation. It was something to the effect of: the word dance has certain connotations & expectations; it's more rigid & less organic; scaring people off who didn't feel they could do it...

In hindsight, I must add to my 2nd answer above: I feel "JOYFUL" while expressing creative movement!

We did warm ups to very beautiful, soothing, and out of the box music as our teacher made statements of this sort: "Close your eyes & sway like the wind," "Reach up & grab the sun," "Bring your arms down & grab a part of the earth..."

Then, on this 1st day, one after another, she had each of us, say "No" through movement. Each student's physical expression of that word became the next step in a wonderful impromptu dance routine that we were then creating. She added a step last and then had each of us add another step and so on to what could have gone on to Alvin Ailey if you ask me. She said we were all so good at it, we made her job very easy unlike many prior students. How cool is that?

Reflections: Dancing was once my life. I took dance lessons in ballet, jazz, & tap for 7 years during primary & secondary school and I was also in the dance ensemble at the latter. Until I graduated from college, throughout my life, I often danced around the house to R&B or club music on the radio or some tape & I constantly choreographed solo, duo, or group dances in my head to music I loved. I won 1st runner up for a choreographed dance at talent contest in high school and the same at a dance contest in the Bahamas. This also brings to mind a poem I wrote during the 1st semester my freshman year of college when I was dancing at at least 1 party between Thursday & Saturday each week. It's called "Dancing Is Me" & when I find it, I'll share it...

During the summer before graduating college, I made the bulk of a business plan to start my own dance school but that dream was put on a back burner along with the rest of my talent-related dreams once my career began. Other than taking a few African dance lessons at a school during one year in my late 20s, this aTi minor is my 1st time actively practicing creative movement again since graduating high school. Since i started taking my painting dream off the shelf last summer & dusting it off thanks to aTi, who knows; maybe I'll start looking into my own dance school stuff again too at some point!

Posted by djwhitley at Sunday, August 03, 2008