Michael Jahoda // Teacher
2012.07.15
I would very much like to see a full class - a first day, monday class - to see how things build and add up.

I enjoyed being led with instructions. As I mentioned on the floor - I found that I was forced to make choices and take ownership when led by verbal instructions. For me - the more direct and demanding the instructions the better. See the result on Karen's body afterwards was very gratifying.

The key word that stuck with me was "reset" - I would like to hear more about how you define what the "reset" is, and is it something that your students are asked to revisit throughout the class?

John Taylor // Teacher
2012.07.15
I am interested in the action of following the voice instead of the eyes in following the class. I have to interpret in my own body and create my own connections so the ownership is immediate. I understand and commit to long term memory much faster. I feel and attach my own dialog and understanding to the movement. However what I create may be different than what the teacher creates. Is that welcome? I am confronted by my desire to understand and the time that it takes to translate the words to movement and create connections in my body. It is then important to not allow myself to become frustrated and blocked if my speed of building the phrase is different to that of the teacher.

In terms of kinesthetics of feeling or doing the actions without pretending to do them. I was only able to do this when I had embodied the phrase to the point where I knew what I was doing and did not have to play catchup. Fully being involved in the kinesthetics meant also that my timing was my own and unrelated to the rest of the group or the teacher. That then presents questions of group and musicality.

Gaia Gonnelli // Teacher
2012.07.15
What we have experienced:
Scanning, awareness, articulation, initiation, contact with floor, spiraling, swinging, folding, reaching.
Use of language: Referring to existing technique terms. Example: dog pose. Assuming students previous knowledge of those terms?
Way of learning: not able to go in to the physical experience, but busy to interpret ate language. Example: reverse, reverse from what?
Question: is that relevant for you that I reverse something else or you want me just be busy with the reverse principle? But still you are offering a set phrase?

Nicola Balhuizen Hepp // Teacher
2012.07.15
Keren's choice of getting us all to move while talking us through the exercise rather than showing it first, not allowing us to "copy" on what she calls a more superficial level gave me the opportunity to remember the phrase not only through doing it but also in connection with the words she used. Keren talks about points of initiation and direction while moving. Occassionally her words and the directions given would prompt participants to make different choices than where the exercise was intented to take us. I think that this poses a very interesting question of how to deal with anarchy in class, if indeed students would be able to be true to their choices in following Keren's words. Keren admits to welcoming these kind of variations, choosing sometimes to change her initial phrase and going with a particular choice that has come up through executing it while in class.
She is interested in the kineasthetics, in the actuality of a movement. In that sense, her use of words are of utmost importance. FInding words that have less correspondance with known dance vocabulary might be interesting for her practice. For example, I liked how she said 'toss' you arm.

Roos van Berkel // Teacher
2012.07.15
Moving in Keren's class, I strongly recognized the following elements from the Laban/Bartenieff framework:

- Bartenieff Fundamentals (all 6): Thigh Lift, Forward Pelvic Shift, Lateral Pelvic Shift, Knee Drop, Arm Circle, Body-Half.

- Bartenieff Principles: (mainly) Weight Shift, Connectivity, Spatial Intent, Initiation Sequencing, Rotary Factor.

- Developmental Patterning: (mainly) Core/Distal, Spinal, Upper/Lower, Homolateral.

During the class, I noticed I had to keep a close eye on how each movement initiates and where it sequences. This would promote connectivity and therefore fluidity througout the sequence.

Hillary Blake Firestone // Teacher
2012.07.15
" A Meditation of Initiation." This phrase/explanation/imperative sticks with me. It has the ring of a practice I'd like to engage in regularly.

And the work, in so far as I experienced it this morning, has the potential to be that Meditation of Initiation. I'd describe it as precise, clear, economical, pure. What I wouldn't call it is eclectic. At least not in this form. On the contrary, it's consistent, unified, consequent; both in the basic exercises and in the build up of elements toward the Rock'n'Roll. I mention this not as a criticism, but in relation to your professed research topic.

Regarding the question of exploring kinesthesia divorced from instilling aesthetics:
I'm not sure I believe in a practice devoid of aesthetics. Values, preferences, sentiment, and taste are always present. I do believe we can endeavor to separate certain personal stylistic idiosyncrasies from basic mechanics, articulation, alignment, etc. Nonetheless, how the material is framed, what is prioritized, the politics of the practice, these all amount to aesthetics of the work.
Honestly, I find your approach too akin to my own history to objectively distinguish and/or judge.
I vote for a group conversation on the topic!

Vivianne Rodrigues de Brito // Teacher
2012.07.16
It was very interesting the effect of being given verbal instructions to move. Because I couldn't memorize the words and follow the speed with wich these instructions were given I had to move according to my own interpretation. That gave me a sense of ownership of my own body sensations and intentions while I was moving. When we had the chance to see the actual movement sequence, I ve realized I was doing very different movements regarding the form and yet very similar regarding the principle. Another interesting effect of having to learn from verbal instructions was that when I did the actual exercise, I felt very engaged in each single movement. and therefore, memorizing the sequence wasn' t a problem. The words and their kinetic sensation simply stayed in my body and I truly owned them when I moved.

I personally think that verbal instructions could be a very good strateg/ tool to divorce kinesthetic from aesthetics.