In the workshop, I proposed a blend of tai chi chuan and martial arts exercises, floor work and release technique, manipulations and hands on exercises, improvisation, contact-impro and movement phrases/materials. Also working in couples or groups.
All those proposals aimed to both facilitate awareness, physical discoveries and creative approach to the physical investigations. The articulation of the body language gains physical vocabolary also from a strong grounding of the centre and its relation to the periphery of the body. How much I use effectively my internal and external supports, while releasing unnecessary tension affects my capacity of sensing surfaces through my periphery (and I mean both visible and invisible surfaces). The attention on the "touch", on sensing surfaces creates occasions to reach through the limbs and gain gravity in the body.
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The Italian expression “divertirsi” translates into English with “to have fun”. If translated litterally, it means that in order to have "fun", we need to divert from ourselves, we need to diverge, to go far away from the ourselves we know and are used to. Working with a partner can be an occasion of diverge from ourselves.
In martial arts is quite common to refer to the principle to imagine an invisible partner while working alone.
On the other hand, while working in couple with a real partner, the focus should concentrate on ourselves, as being alone. Creating space and distance from the presence of the real partner.
To be sensitive doesn’t mean to conform ourselves to the invitations of the partner. To create antagonists became a key word.