- GYROKINESIS ... yoga for YOU!: Nika Merrick, Pilates and Gyrotonic instructor, leads a group exercise method that embraces techniques from movement experiences such as yoga, dance, Pilates, swimming, and tai chi.
- Telling Stories with Movement - Sarah Chase: Sarah Chase, the 2004 recipient of the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize, teaches a class to tap into the unique coordination necessary to successfully combine spoken story and dance.
I observed part of the Gyrokinesis class taught by Nika Merrick included deep breathing that went along with the flow and movement of the arms and body. One student said that the exercises reminded him of swimming. The muscles around the torso seem to be constantly engaged when performing these exercises. I found the way the body move seem to aid in contracting and expanding the chest or lungs to full capacity. This form of group exercise with the deep breathing nourishes the body muscles with oxygen and is gentle on the joints.
I moved on part way into Sarah Chases' storytelling with movement class. They were just starting their warm-up routine. The warm-up include movement that stimulated both the right and left brain hemispheres. The participants did exceptionally well in the warm up exercises which included doing different movements with either sides of arms and legs. Sarah Chase asked the participants to think about a song and to translate a line of a song into movement. The participants thought out their story and translated it into their own unique movement. Everyone had a different type of movement to go along with a line from the song they were thinking of. Sarah Chase then asked the participants to think of a story and use the movement they created with the story. The movement is repeated over and over until the story finished. I saw how challenging it was for one to speak out the story and repeat the same movement they created throughout the story. The spoken word and body had to somehow sync up using the right and left brain hemisphere. Some of the students did remarkably well and I was amused by their stories. I don't think I would have been as engaged if the story was told without movement. The movement actually kept my interest and added a new dimension to the story. Somehow, an extra element was brought in. Example, a lady in class was telling a story about her family and as she spoke out the names, her movement subtly with her arms and hands shaking in the air showed a little bit of how she felt about her family. Movement and spoken word together is a powerful way to tell a story.
During the course of the conference, the staff had suggestion boxes put out on the long table to allow students to submit suggestions and questions. Two of these boxes contained questions for the panel of emerging artists and the panel of established artists/experience. Gerhard Maynard, the Director of Programming at Arts Umbrella, would serve as the moderator asking the panels questions from the boxes as well as questions of his own. I was interested to hear what the emerging and established artists had to say.
The Panel of Emerging Artists consisted of:
- Krista Adamic
- Connor Gnam
- Heather Laura Gray
- Delphine Leroux
- Leigha Wald
The emerging artists shared some of their struggles where they had to hold more than one job to make ends meet and weekends were gone. One of them had said that she had to give up her principles and let go of her ego. When questioned about where they see themselves in five years, a couple weren't sure where they were headed in short term whereas another had definite plans of where she wanted to be in five years. They were also asked the question what they would do if they weren't dancing. Some of the answers were organic farming, film producer or teaching/choreographing. When asked what is the one thing they regret, one answered not taking care of an injury that basically put the person out of work for a while. A couple of them have had a moment in their lives where they almost gave up dancing but they just found passion in dance drew them back into it. After hearing the emerging artists, it's clear that being an emerging artist was very challenging to the point where some just don't know where they would be heading down the road. Some of the advice imparted by the emerging artists was not to let dance consume you and to have hobbies outside of dance. Also, having a schedule to stick with for the day helps to plan out what you want to accomplish in a day. Taking care of an injury before it gets aggravated to the point where it puts you out was also an important advice.
The Panel of Established Artists consisted of:
- Chengxin Wei
- Jessica Jone
- Sarah Chase
- Simone Orlando
- Brock Jellison
The panel of established artists had come from different backgrounds. Each has had their share of struggles. They have come to a point in their lives where they are established dancers through recognition by peers and the community for their work. The difference I see between emerging and established artists is that the established artists have come to a point in their lives where they know what they want to strive for or where they stand and see themselves in their professional career after having gone through their own experiences. Some of the experiences and advice the panel of established artists give included:
- having relationships that are healthy
- taking care of your mental health along with physical state
- stress management like having hobbies outside of dance or meditation
- not to abuse drugs or smoke to cope with stress
- not to assume big powerhouse companies are the way to go
- find a company that matches you
- budgeting and being smart about finances
- keeping your dream alive in your heart
- leading a balanced lifestyle
- being true to yourself
The end of day 2 included Next Steps with Gerhard Maynard, a reflection of what was learned and Yoga Focus by Paulina Kee. Day 2 also had a Bio Writing workshop guided by Heather Graham in between the two panels. I was moved by how eager and focused the young emerging artists were in the conference. They were determined bunch of kids. The future of dance seemed bright equipped with the tools, experiences and wisdom shared during the conference. For myself, I felt the conference taught me I needed to be more focused in my life. All the tools and information pertained not only to dance but to some valuable life-skills needed to lead a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle.
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