Props to You

Use props. Explore, manipulate, discover. When props come into play, exciting and unique movement is easier to find. Props provide a fun and challenging new way to find a whole new idea. When you are forced to create a movement sequence while keeping one hand and the opposite foot somehow within a hula hoop, some pretty interesting ideas are going to come out of it. And the amount of commitment that the movement requires is so much more than just simply moving through space. When you are committed to dancing around, with, and through a prop, the energy is focused beyond yourself and out. Once you have some ideas, you can remove the prop as long as you still dance as if you were still working with it. It's just an new way to play around and find some new movement.

Prop ideas:

• hula hoops
• elastic (thera) bands
• sheets of paper (try dancing across the floor with a sheet laid flat against your hand and notice the amount of adjustment and commitment it takes to keep it there . . .)
• rubber balls
• chairs
• streamers
• water (yes, water. bowls of water, hoses, shallow pools . . . amazing movement can come out of the idea of playing in and with water)
• strings of beads (long necklaces)
• bouncy balls
• pillows
• big straw hats
• huge beach balls
• parachute
• jump ropes
• ladders
• mats

Be creative! Random ideas often provide the best and most exciting movement!

Finger Painting

One of the most fascinating activities I have ever done was one that opened the gates to a flow of creativity. We turned on music and listened to four different songs - different in style, in mood, in tempo and beat. After taking just a few moments to get the feel of the music, we began to explore on paper with finger paints, chalk and colored pencils. We were told to find colors in the music - to experience with lines, thick and thin, round, jagged, dots and smudges. I'm not an artist in that way, but the images that were taking form on the paper were fascinating. For a full hour and a half we concentrated on nothing but the colors and lines of what we heard in the music. If nothing else, the exercise was extremely relaxing and interesting. But here is where is began to make such a difference for me. The next day, we were then asked to dance what we saw on the paper. How do you dance a thick line? How do you put a smattering of spots into movement? How does a black zigzag become an action? And even further still - how does blue differ from blue? What does robin egg's blue feel like? What happens with deep ocean blue?

Suddenly, I was dancing a symphony of colors and lines and feelings and moods. I was so much more fully invested in my movement because I was seeing a distinct image and working to translate it in my body. It was an amazing experience. I would like to suggest that anybody struggling with choreographic blocks, movement impediments, or any such difficulties should take a moment to slow down, stop to listen, and spend some time fingerpainting.

Keep it cool

I cannot stress enough the importance of a really good cool down on a regular basis. The muscles need some time after working so hard to stretch back out and relax. We demand a lot of them and they need to be pampered . . . at least after a hard workout. If we don't take the time to let them pull back out, they will get cold right where they are - tight and clenched. And that's how knots and soreness happen. When you rub across a set of muscles, there should be no klunkiness. Muscles should always be smooth and work together. They should be seamless, you shouldn't be able to tell which muscles is banging against another. You shouldn't feel any ropes or bumps - and it shouldn't hurt. If you do, indulge in a cool down that involves deep stretching. Give your muscles a chance to release and you won't be so sore the next day. It doesn't even take that long. Ten, fifteen minutes can save you a lot of discomfort and keep you ready to move!

Health Stuff

Just an interesting new awareness of what I'm working off in a day and how much food I should be eating to keep me going . . .

Calories you burn in a day:

1. Multiply body weight by 10 = resting metabolic rate
2. For a sedentary lifestyle, multiply #1 by 20-40%; For moderately active, multiply by 40-60%; for very active, multiply by 60-80%.
3. If you run, bike, swim, do aerobics, etc. - you burn about 100 calories per mile, or 10 calories per minute.
4. Add results from steps 1, 2, and 3 together and the total will be your total daily calorie expenditure.

Freefalling

Guess what. Falling is fun. That's right. I, Chelsea Marie Alley, superklutz and accomplished down-the-stairs-faller (with an emphasis in complete lack of spatial awareness) am declaring that falling is really fun. Here's the thing: apparently being an accomplished dancer includes an ability to flow smoothly to the ground and then back out of it. In plain english that means falling gracefully. And so that's what I've been doing for the past week or so. Granted, it wasn't graceful at first. In fact, it was actually quite klunky. But I've learned a few little tricks that can make (or break!) a fall - and now, I must admit, I'm developing quite the seamless and aesthetic fall!

1. Relax the muscles. Soften. Trust the body to catch you and it will do so in a less painful way than if you tense up. Imagine the muscles dripping (sorta gross - but whatever imagery works) into the ground. They can absorb force easier when they're soft and all cushiony.

2. Work the head. The head weighs about 11 lbs. - minus any hair. That's like throwing around a heavy bowling ball - it can pack a punch. If the head drops and swings, the body is bound to follow. It will also provide enough momentum to complete rolls and spins. No matter where the initiating point is, throwing the head into it will make it that much smoother.

3. Avoid landing on bones or joints. For example, when falling to the side - avoid the knee like the plague. The lateral side of the shin works ten times better - it provide better padding, it has more surface area to absorb the fall and it will spare the knee a lot of pain and potential injury.

So I've been trying to apply these little tricks to my falls and have been pleasantly surprised by my improved fall-ability. Once the head goes and the rest follows, it's like a little thrill - riding a roller coaster. There's a little moment of exhiliration after accomplishing a smooth and painless fall. It's amazing! Now, if I can only learn how to apply it to real life - outside of the dance studio . . .