PILATES AND CREATIVE DANCE
by CLAIRE RODILL
“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening
that is translated through you into action, and because
there is only one of you in all time, this expression is
unique” - Martha Graham to Agnes De Mille.
This workshop is designed to enhance your awareness of
your body, to expand your vocabulary of movement, to stimulate
creative expression, and, not least, to be a lot of fun!
We shall begin with a warm up using Pilates Technique*
in preparation for the dancing which follows. Pilates will
warm and stretch the muscles, while helping to strengthen
the abdominals, which is essential in order to move with
control.
The dance portion introduces the elements of dance continuing
with improvisation exercises. We will use musical rhythms
of swing, jazz, Latin and Broadway. The dance elements
combined with improvisation serve to increase movement
vocabulary and provide tools for creating dance phrases.
We will divide into 2 or more groups to work out separate
phrases. We finish with each group in turn performing their
dance pieces for the other participants.
*Pilates is a combination of conditioning exercises whose
main emphasis is to strengthen the core muscles (abdominal
girdle). It also tones and elongates the muscles of the
entire body, correcting posture and back problems in the
process. It is suitable for all sports, recreational, and
everyday activities as well. |
